Session Information
February 7, 2024
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST
Bilingual
CASLT Event Description
CASLT CoLab PLC: Journey of Transformation Series
In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, many language teachers recognized the importance of decolonizing and Indigenizing their classrooms. In 2022, CASLT secured funding from the Government of Canada to develop community-building events and a series of professional learning courses for the CASLT CoLab. These courses will explore strategies for decolonizing and Indigenizing second and additional language pedagogy and highlight the transformative journey of unlearning (decolonization), learning (Indigenization), and relearning (reconciliation).
As part of this project, we’re thrilled to introduce our new virtual series of professional learning community (PLC) events: the Journey of Transformation series. A PLC is a group or network of educators engaging in collaborative and ongoing learning experiences to improve their teaching practices and student outcomes. PLCs are characterized by collaboration, shared goals, reflective practice, mutual support, and accountability.
As part of our Journey of Transformation project, we invite you to take part in these gatherings where you’ll have the opportunity to:
- Learn about the content and objectives of the courses.
- Engage in open discussions to ask questions, share ideas, and exchange experiences with like-minded educators.
- Explore the transformative potential of decolonizing and Indigenizing language pedagogy in your teaching practice.
- Connect with a community of educators dedicated to fostering inclusive and culturally sensitive learning environments.
- Join us on a journey towards educational transformation.
Infusing Worldviews of Indigenous Peoples in L+ Pedagogies
Welcome to the fourth and final gathering in our Journey of Transformation series. Join our facilitators to learn more about infusing Indigenous worldviews into L+ pedagogies. You will learn about the new course, which features knowledge about Medicine Wheels, learning from Elders, oral storytelling, and acknowledging the land. The course also explores how to incorporate this knowledge into your L+ classroom. In this session, we will discuss one of the lesson plans from the course and will practice oral storytelling with other language teachers from across Canada. Breakout room discussions are designed to foster a sense of belonging and collaboration. Be ready to engage in meaningful dialogue, share your thoughts, and build connections with fellow participants.
Location
Zoom
Facilitators
BILINGUAL GERMAN ELEMENTARY TEACHER
Anja Dressler Araujo
Anja Dressler Araujo is a settler Bilingual German Elementary teacher in Calgary of German and mixed-European descent. She was born in Manitoba, grew up on Vancouver Island, and now lives in Calgary in Treaty Seven territory. Anja studied at the University of Calgary, where she received bachelor’s degrees in arts (major: German, minor: Linguistics) and education with a specialization in English Language Learning in 2016 and 2018, respectively. She has been teaching German to students of various ages since 2015 and actively engages in Indigenous education as a researcher and teacher. Melding Indigenous worldviews, knowledges, and literature into her German teaching is one of her passions. She has worked as a Content Manager, Digital Content Development Coordinator, and now Project Manager for the “Books to Build on: Indigenous Literatures for Learning” project with the University of Calgary since 2018.
ARTIST AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER
Jadyn Fischer-McNab
Jadyn Fischer-McNab is a Cree artist and teacher who was born and raised in Calgary (Mohkinstsis), Alberta, on Treaty Seven territory. She completed her studies at the University of Calgary, earning bachelor’s degrees in Kinesiology (2015) and Education (2018). Since 2018, she has been working as a full-time junior high school teacher. Jadyn has worked as a research assistant on the “Books to Build On” project, which aims to create a database of Indigenous resources and accompanying teaching and learning ideas for the public. She also owns and operates a small stationery business, artbyJFM, which sells products online and in various stores. Jadyn belongs to George Gordon First Nation and is an intergenerational Residential School survivor. She is passionate about breaking barriers and educating others by incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing and being into her art, teaching, and life. Jadyn struggles with identity and internalized racism and hopes to use her creativity and art to inspire everyone to be unapologetically themselves.
INSTRUCTOR AND DISTRICT LANGUAGES COORDINATOR
KINDRA HARTE
Kindra Harte is passionate about teaching and language learning and acquisition. She is currently the District Languages Coordinator for the Saanich School District. In 1991, she began her career teaching French and Spanish. In 1994, she began teaching at the University of Victoria in the Faculty of Education, where she continues to work today. She has taught Kindergarten to Grade 12, including French (Immersion and Core) and Spanish AP and post-secondary courses. She has also worked for many years as a Curriculum Writer and Marking Chair at the BC Ministry of Education. Kindra is the current president of the BC Association of Teachers of Modern Languages (BCATML) and serves as a National Council Representative for CASLT.