The following reading material helped me to learn about the role of resources for supporting Special Needs Education, which was the topic of my paper for my ECS 100 class.
Cherniawsky, J. (2006). Inclusive Education in Saskatchewan: A Case Study of One Exemplary School
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Education In Educational Administration University of Regina – page 25.
Dahl, H. & Haines, L. (n.d.). http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/special_education.html.
Retrieved October 23, 2017.
Lyons, W. (2000, October 12). Government Committed to Diversity in Education.
Retrieved October 23, 2017, from https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2000/october/12/government-committed-to-diversity-in-education
Mauro, T. (2017, October 19). What Does It Mean for a Child to Have “Special Needs”?
The Common Concerns of Parents.
Retrieved October 23, 2017, from https://www.verywell.com/what-are-special-needs- 3106002
Regina schools end preschool programs due to provincial budget cuts. (2017, April 05).
Retrieved October 23, 2017, from https://globalnews.ca/news/3358814-regina-schools-end-preschool-programs-due-to-provincial-budget-cuts/
Hi everyone,
In order to learn about the Residential School System, I found the following material helpful:
Haig-Brown, C. (n.d.). Always Remembering: Indian Residential Schools in Canada
Retrieved January 16, 2017
Hanson, C. (2016). Gender, Justice, and the Indian Residential School Claims Process doi:10.1854/iipj.2016.7.1.3 http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1254&context=iipj
Mandeville, C. (2017, January 11). ‘I know I could do good somewhere,’ says Annie Thrasher By Curtis Mandeville . Profile: Formerly homeless N.W.T. woman hired as consultant for Housing First program (CBC North) ‘I know I could do good somewhere,’ says Annie Thrasher By Curtis Mandeville Posted: Jan 11, 2017 12:30 PM CT| Last Updated: Jan 11, 2017 12:30 PM CT . Retrieved January 15, 2017.
Regan, P. (2010). Vancouver Toronto: UBC Press. Unsettling the Settler Within – Indian Residential Schools, Truth Telling, and Reconciliation in Canada
Hello!
I have very little knowledge on special needs, and want to learn more. As a result, I read a book entitled, “Iris Grace” which was written by her Mother, Arabella Carter-Johnson. It is a chronicle of their life thus far, as they, and Iris Grace’s Dad and extended family, navigate the new world that Autism is teaching them. Below is a link to the novel:
https://www.amazon.ca/Iris-Grace-Arabella-Carter-Johnson/dp/1405923644
This next link is to pictures of Iris Grace and her companion/therapy cat, Thula. They are a loving team.
http://www.boredpanda.com/thula-therapy-cat-autistic-artist-iris-grace/
From reading many of my classmates’ posts, it seems that the best teachers are the students themselves, and the best learners are the teachers who listen to the child, ask them questions about how they are feeling, and use their current knowledge, intuition and heart to guide the child.
Thank you all for helping me learn. Sincerely, Leanne
Hi everyone …. not sure if you are an avid reader like me, though just wanted to mention that a book by Jodi Picoult really ties into our course [ECS 110] studies. It is entitled “small great things” and is a novel that Jodi has wanted to write for several years. It is a fictional story of social justice that mainly involves three main protagonists and how each has a different “view” of a particular situation. Research for this novel came from interviews, reading — including Peggy McIntosh’s concept of the invisible knapsack.
http://leaderpost.com/news/local-news/thomas-moore-keesick-more-than-just-a-face
and much more than just a number ….. please read about the 22nd child to enter the Residential School system.
Hi everyone …. just another suggestion, if you have Netflix, is a documentary that very much ties into our studies this week. It is entitled “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine”. This is a difficult film to watch, but it is very educational. Have a good weekend.
If you have the time, and Netflix as well, a documentary entitled “3 1/2 Minutes, Ten bullets” is truly worth taking the time to watch. It very much relates to discussions that took place during our October 19th [ECS 110] online class. Please let me know your thoughts, thank you.
Office of the Treaty Commissioner: http://www.otc.ca/
Truth and Reconciliation: http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/index.php?p=3
Article to Read: Justice Murray Sinclair states, “Reconciliation is not an aboriginal problem — it is a Canadian problem. It involves all of us.” Visit CBC Politics article to read, view, listen to build more background knowledge, Truth and Reconciliation report brings calls for action, not words.
View the Get Involved page on Legacy of Hope website.Think about why reconciliation matters. Why IS this important to non-Aboriginal Canadians? Why should it matter to a Canadian who never attended a residential school?
Dr. Jennifer Tupper, our previous Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Regina, shares an important message and continues to guide our faculty today, “The Truth and Reconciliation Report released last June identified 94 Calls to Action, some of which are specifically related to education. Because of our deep commitment to reconciliation, and especially given the role of education in oppression and marginalization of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples of Canada, the Faculty of Education at the UofR has prepared a formal response to the TRC.”
She proudly referred to the work that we, as a faculty, have integrated into our teachings. We have planned meaningful ways for our students to engage with projects, resources and exhibits such as Project Heart, 100 Years of Loss and the Witness Blanket. This is where your journey begins, exploring these 3 projects.
We thank Dr. Tupper for sharing the Faculty of Education formal response, November 3rd, 2015, on the Project of Heart blog. Take some time to explore this amazing blog.
Check out the May 15th, 2016 posting called, “If These Hills Could Talk“. View, listen, feel & appreciate a performance piece portraying the complexity of the residential school experience in Lebret and Fort Qu’Appelle. The video posted on the blog is “a curated adaptation of the performance piece performed on April 14, 2016 at the Walking Together: Day of Education for Truth and Reconciliation hosted by the Faculty of Education, University of Regina and the National Research Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR).” Daya Madhur
Powerful story that has been in the recent news…Gord Downie’s The Secret Path (2hours in length so this may be a link you want to save to view in full at a later date) On October 22, 1966 near Kenora, Ontario, Chanie Wenjack died when he walking home to the family he was taken from over 400 miles away. Fifty years later, Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie has taken Wenjack’s story and turned it into the Secret Path project, which consists of a solo album, a graphic novel and an animated film. The intention for Downie — who went public with his diagnosis of terminal brain cancer in May — is to utilize his celebrity to draw attention to Wenjack’s story and the legacy of residential schools.
“The Stranger” is the first full chapter and song of The Secret Path. Adapted from Gord Downie’s album and Jeff Lemire’s graphic novel, The Secret Path chronicles the heartbreaking story of Chanie Wenjack’s residential school experience and subsequent death as he escapes and attempts to walk 600 km home to his family.
The following is from a classmate’s post in our ECS 100 class:
The students did read Fatty Legs: A True Story, by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret The students did read Fatty Legs: A True Story, by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton. This book is about an Aboriginal girl’s experience of wanting to read so bad she wants to go to a residential school and her journey at the school. This book the class has been reading as a group with class discussion going on about the book and the girl’s experiences as well as journal entries on their own thoughts on what they have read.
Taken from our ECS 100 class:
Explore a few ‘teacher’ resources to build your own knowledge & to set goals of what you need to learn more about.
- 10 Books about Residential Schools to read to your kids
- Classroom Resources from Aboriginal Affairs & Northern Development Canada (recommended by Office of the Treaty Commissioner) Excellent First Nations, Métis and Inuit culture teaching resources.
- Teacher Resources, Office of the Treaty Commission (OTC)
- Aboriginal Perspectives (University of Regina website)
- Welcome to the Inuit Cultural Online Resource
The Mi’kmaq Creation Story:
Needle-felt picture (below) of my interpretation of this creation story:
Educational information:
The KAIROS Blanket Exercise:
About the Blanket Exercise
The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is an experiential teaching tool based on participatory popular education methodology, and the major themes and findings of the 1996 Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples which recommended education on Canadian-Indigenous history as one of the key steps to reconciliation.
Participants step onto blankets representing the land, and into the role of First nations, Inuit and later Metis people. Facilitators read the script and assume the role of European explorers and settlers. The exercise builds awareness and understanding of our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada by having participants literally walk through situations that include pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance. Participants are drawn into their roles by reading scrolls and carrying cards which ultimately determine their outcomes. By engaging on an emotional and intellectual level, the KAIROS Blanket Exercise effectively educates while increasing empathy. It reaches both the mind and the heart. It is contributing to a movement for reconciliation through education across the country.
https://www.kairosblanketexercise.org/about/
Regina museum showcasing Indigenous depiction of Treaty 4 negotiations:
Saskatchewan’s only First Nation account of Treaty 4 negotiations is on display at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. The display showcases a two-panel illustration, made by Chief Paskwa in 1883, depicting the treaty negotiations and promises made by the Crown.
Chief Paskwa pictograph on display at Royal Saskatchewan Museum:
CBC News · Posted: Jan 06, 2017 5:36 PM CT | Last Updated: January 6, 2017
A pictograph of the Treaty 4 negotiations, illustrated by Chief Paskwa. It is considered rare as it is the only depiction of the treaty negotiations from a First Nations perspective. (Royal Saskatchewan Museum)
A historic document is getting a modern showcase at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
On display is a two-panel graphite and ledger depiction of the Treaty 4 negotiations between the First Nations people of what is now southern Saskatchewan, and parts of Manitoba and Alberta, and the Crown, represented by then-Lt.-Gov. Alexander Morris.
The pictograph was drafted by Chief Paskwa in 1883, nine years after the signing of the treaty in 1874.
- Rare First Nations drawing returns to Sask.
- Historic pictograph is First Nations view of treaty talks
It is the only document depicting Treaty 4 negotiations from an Indigenous perspective, Evelyn Siegfried, curator of Indigenous studies at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, told CBC Radio’s Blue Sky.
“It’s priceless. It’s very significant.”
A social commentary:
“It basically is a comment on what the treaty was about, items that were promised by Lt.-Gov. Morris on behalf of the British crown, and then what had been received by Treaty 4 peoples following the signing of the treaty,” Siegfried said.
This was like a social comment from the chief and his advisers about what was happening in Treaty 4.- Evelyn Siegfried, curator of Indigenous studies, Royal Saskatchewan Museum
The left side of the pictograph depicts the interpretation of the negotiations from the perspective of the Pasqua First Nation.
The right side shows the supplies promised in the treaty, such as agriculture tools and the outfits promised to the chief and headmen.
“There were people in the First Nations who began to complain about what was happening with the treaties after they were signed,” Siegfried said.
“This was like a social comment from the chief and his advisers about what was happening in Treaty 4; what they were seeing.”
How it got to the museum:
During a powwow in the Qu’Appelle Valley in 1883, an English traveller named William Henry Barneby and two companions were visiting in the area, Siegfreid said.
Barneby was part of a small group of others that decided to drop by the event, where they met seven chiefs. Chief Paskwa was among them.
After a few hours, the group departed and continued visiting around the area, possibly looking for business, Siegfried said. Days later, Chief Paskwa approached Barneby and handed him the pictograph, Siegfried said, citing a section of Barneby’s memoir.
She said the pictograph’s original intent and expectation, according to oral history, was that it would go to the Queen. Instead, Barneby had it framed and hung it on the wall of his home in Bredenbury, a village in England. It stayed there until 2000, when Barneby’s family put it up for auction.
An anonymous buyer purchased it, held it for seven years and then put it back on the market. It was then bought by the Pasqua First Nation, with the help of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the Saskatchewan government and other donors.
Shannon’s Dream:
https://fncaringsociety.com/shannens-dream
National Indigenous Peoples Day takes place every year and in 2018 it was held on June 21st.
Leanne Reiman 
Nov 14, 2017 @ 22:28:51
You’ve given me homework now! Lots of great resources for me to explore.