Kate G. Assignment #4c Blogging

In Monday's class we learned about the Indian Education For All Act. Each group was given a different topic which they would teach the rest of the class about. Katie and I taught about the Boarding School Era. One thing that I remembered from this topic was that the whites told the Indians that they lost their land because they were uneducated so they should send their children to the boarding schools. Some things I learned from the other groups were that most tribes used sign language, facial expressions, pictures etc. to communicate with other tribes. The thing I found most interesting was that Native American students learn better doing hands on things. Some activities I would like to do with my class would be to have them all write a short story and draw a picture about a time when they were away from home and might have felt the same way the Indian children felt when they were taken to boarding schools. The second activity I would like to do would be to have a prominent native from one of the local reservations come in and talk to my class about what their culture is and anything they can share to help the children understand better.

Stephanie Sharbono

I learned about all of the seven different reservations in Montana. Also, I learned a lot of information for each reservation including the tribes that live on each reservation, size, population, location, and economic activities. I also learned about how they communicate through pictures, sign language, and smoke signals. If I was teaching a health enhancement class I would find some games that have cultural meaning, and have them play these games as a warm up in class. If I was teaching an art class I would have the kids draw something that would tell a story by using some common symbols from the tribe.

Mike Rider IEFA 4c

The IEFA learning lesson was a valuable one. There are two things that I learned last week that stick out in my mind. The first one is that there are 12 tribes located throughout Montana. It is crazy I did not know that considering I have lived here for 20 years. The second thing that sticks out in my mind and is something I learned is the idea of boarding schools and getting rid of native american culture and such. I was completely unaware that they tried doing that and I now have a better understanding of the subject.

As an elementary teacher, I would do two things as far as IEFA. I would teach my kids about the particular tribes that are located in their state and show them a video of a pow wow so they can get a feel for the music, culture and environment. Both of those things would spark their interest and stil be a learning experience.

Amber Y. #4C

Class last Monday was very interesting. I learned many new things including, Montana has 7 Indian reservations and that the government took Indian children from their homes to "educate them". Growing up in Upper Michigan where there is one Indian Reservation, I was amazed at the number of reservations here and the percentage of Montana land that is Indian reservation. I had also never heard that the government had taken Indian children from their homes to educate them.

As a future elementary teacher I would divide the class into 7 groups and have each group research a different reservation and then have them present each reservation to the class. Another activity I would do would be to have each child write a brief story of when they were away from home and how they felt and how it was similar or different.

Michela T 4c

I think that it is pretty amazing that I have lived in Montana my whole life, and I did not know that Montana is home to 12 different tribes. I knew that Native American children were sent away to boarding schools, but I had no idea that so many children were sent away. I feel that it is very important for students to learn about Native Americans and their culture and their history. As a future high school History and Government teacher I will have many opportunities to teach my students about Native Americans. One activity would be to have students map out the territory of the 12 different tribes before the reservation system, and then to map out the territory of tribes after the reservation system. Then as a class we would discuss how drastic the change was, and how it impacted the lives and culture of those tribes. Another assignment would be to research how boarding schools also impacted the culture and life of the Native American children.

Chelsea Lehner assign #4C

I thought that Monday’s class was extremely eye-opening. I had no idea how many young Indians were taken from their families to go to boarding schools. The atmosphere that they were put into must have been very difficult to endure. The idea of “killing the Indian to save the man” is such a racist ideology. Another thing I thought was interesting was that the war dance was actually a representation of each mans encounters during their battle. I think it is critical to incorporate technology when we teach children about Native Americans. I know I wouldn’t have had the faintest clue as to what the war dance looked like without the different videos we found on youtube.

Grant Geiger Assignment #4c

I learned that there are twelve tribes that still exist today in Montana. I also learned that the Navajo tribe is the biggest in the United States.

You could help your students learn about the Native American cultures by learning how they communicated from music and why there are so few tribes left in the United States. I think that by teaching them about why there are so few tribes left would be a very important thing to learn.

IEFA Sarah Hanen-Bauer #4c

I found it fascinating to begin to scratch the surface of the nonverbal communication that each tribe used. I would enjoy researching this topic further and use the information to help teach my students about Native American life and modes of communication.

I also found the information about the Montana tribes and reservations to be interesting. I would love to dig deeper into this arena of knowledge because I am sadly lacking in information about my neighbors. After all, knowledge begets understanding.

As a future teacher of English as a Foreign Language, sign-language is key. Communicating without words is an important facet in breaking down the language barrier. Using words as well as actions would be a powerful way to help communicate information about Native Americans to my students. Native American life is an important part of our culture as Americans and teaching English is more than understanding grammar. It is about understanding connotations behind words in order to help the students find a meaning to a word or phrase that will stick in their heads. I would love to have my students research this topic more in-depth, then give a demonstration about what they learned, using actual Native American sign-language, followed by a statement in English to help sum up the main ideas being presented. This would be a great way for my students to gain a deeper understanding of the indigenous people of the United States and it would help them develop three key ingredients to language: reading, speaking and listening.

For a cultural assignment, I would love to have my students research an historical event in the United States from both the European and the Native American viewpoints, then present those ideas in class using all of the grammar we have been learning and practicing in class. This would be a great exercise for using conversational English, listening to English, as well as reading substantial information in English.

IEFA-Michele Concienne

In class on Monday, I learned several new things about Native Americans that I had not known before. Not being from Montana, I had no idea that there were so many reservations in Montana. It was interesting to learn about the different ones; where they are, how big they are, the different economic activites, and especially the interesting facts. In working on Learning Center #7, about teaching strategies, I learned that Native American students are hands-on learners and require an even balance between a strong academic environment and a culturally supportive classroom.

As an elementary education teacher, I hope to teach the 3rd or 4th grade. Classrooms are quickly becoming very diverse, so I plan on incorporating culture into every aspect of my classroom. I want to educate my students on Native American history and culture. One fun activity could be teaching them about different kinds of powwow dances and celebrations. I can do this in several ways, from showing them video clips of powwows, to having a Native American come in and talk to them about the history of powwows and teaching them part of a dance or celebration, or even take the class to see part of a powwow. Another good activity might be to have them look at the different symbols that Native Americans used in the past, and use them to make their own stories. It is important for the students to understand the cultural differences of their peers, and doing it in a hands-on way is the best way for them to learn.

Michele Concienne

Katie Oliver 4C

In Monday's class we talked about how the Indians were put into boarding schools against their will. This was to "kill the Indian, save the man." It is interesting to see the effects that the school had on the people's attitudes about school in general. I think the activity of drawing a picture in a paint program on a computer about how that would have felt to be an Indian. This would help the kids think about what that would feel like and also give them a chance to practice the computer a little more.

I also found it interesting how they were able to communicate through sign language and symbols. It is neat how they were able to communicate trade through symbols. A fun activity would be for the kids to make their own symbols and try to trade things in the classroom using only those symbols.

Aaryn M #4C

I found Monday’s class to be very interesting. The presentations were a good way to gain a general understanding of the number of topics you could explore with your students regarding Indian Education for All. I found it very interesting that if any article of clothing is dropped during the dancer’s performance at a Pow Wow they will be disqualified. I also learned that generally speaking, Native Americans learn best through hands on experience and when there is a positive relationship between their academic learning and their culture.

I think that one important activity in the classroom would be to read two history books written from different perspectives and talk to your students about why there are different perspectives in history (example: Native American Perspective vs. European Perspective). Another good activity would be to have your class research the boarding school in Montana. Then they could compare and contrast our public schools today vs. the boarding schools Native Americans were forced to attend.

Katie T. Assignment #4c

Learning about Native Americans in class on Monday was very informational. I learned all about Pow Wow celebrations, Native American Boarding Schools, Non-verbal communication among Native American tribes, and much more.
What I found most interesting about Pow Wow celebrations is that the drum is considered the "heartbeat" of the music. It is also fascinating that during the War Dance, the body movements tell a story of the warrior's journey through battle. That is an incredible way to show family and friends, upon their return, what the warrior had experienced on the battle field.
The Native American boarding schools was a whole new topic that I had never heard of before. I found it incredibly sad that the children had to leave their families unwillingly, cut their hair, and suppress their natural heritage.
Overall, learning about Native American culture through the numerous presentations in class was very informative and fun!

A couple of ideas for activities in the classroom would be to construct a drum out of paper and possibly wood, and have the students create their own Native American beats. It would also be interesting to have the students research about the Native American boarding schools in Montana and have a discussion about what that would be like.

Katie Thompson

Lyndi S. Assign #4c

I learned many new facts about Native American culture, but there were two that stood out in my mind.  I found it interesting that sign language was commonly used within the tribes and that it was used mostly for trading purposes.  Also, I learned that in Montana there are twelve Native American tribes and seven reservations.  A good activity to use with my students would be to incorporate sign language into the curriculum and then expand on this subject by talking about the culture of Native American sign language.  This would be particularly beneficial for an elementary classroom.  For upper level classes, such as a high school or junior high social studies class, a fun activity would be to break students up into groups and have each group research a specific Native American tribe.  They could all present their research to the class and do comparisons on all the different tribe rituals.  

Heidi H Assignment 4C

I learned some useful information about Native Americans that I could incorporate into my classroom. Non-verbal cues were used for trade because of the language barrier. The Navajo Nation is the largest in the United United States. After listening to the presentations, I gained a better understanding of Native American culture and thought of ideas to share with my students.

In the classroom, I could first teach the students about the Native American culture. After they have an understanding, we could design games similar to games that Native American children played and then play them. We could also design a Navajo rug and create a math lesson to teach symmetry.
Heidi Hedstrom

Indian Ed For All-J.Diehl

Before class today, I didn't know much about Native Americans.  Now I do feel like I have a general understanding of some of the tribes in our area.  I found out that 12 tribes make up 7 reservations in Montana.  I also learned that the non-verbal communication that tribes had with each other was a big part of their lives.  Although it has lost popularity in the Native American world, tribal members are trying to incorporate it into their culture once again.  

In a family and consumer science class, culture can be included in the curriculum in almost every aspect.  One idea would be making food traditional to the tribe that is being studied.  Another idea could be creating a costume for a Pow Wow, using traditional materials and methods.  

Jamie Diehl  

#4c JCook

#4c Write two specific things you learned about Indian Education for All and at least two ideas/activities that you might use with your students- consider specific content areas and the inclusion of Indian Education for All.  Your comments can be about teaching strategies to include all students or about teaching culture, facts,  etc. about Montana Indians.  After posting, read the ideas of others in your class and provide comments- remember to given your name so you receive credit for posting/commenting. J Cook