Weytk - The Importance of Introduction in Indigenous Culture

Presenter:  Roxane Letterlough

In Indigenous settings there is time set aside for the protocol of introduction, where everyone shares who they are and where they come from. This situates people, but also allows time for connections and conversations that build on relationships. I always do this when starting any class (K-16) and anyone can use this strategy, which is a step towards Indigenization.

The Culture of Curiosity: Inductive Teaching keeps them Engaged

Presenter:  Dian Henderson

Knowing that our students are not blank slates and aiming to invite and stir curiosity about the course content, led Jerome Bruner to define a strategy based on student inquiry called Concept Attainment. This approach to introduce students to new concepts draws upon inherent human curiosity into a problem solving approach where students explore the attributes of a concept before naming it. This structured inquiry approach helps bring meaning to new concepts and engages students to explore, explain and provide examples. I have used this strategy in classes from elementary school through to university to teach science concepts and the rules of grammar or citation. Students love it because it is an alternative to being passive recipients of concepts to fully engaged allies in the learning process.