Keewaytinook Internet High School
Pilot Project Evaluation
July 11, 2000
A.1 Pilot Project Summary
B.1 Pilot Project Purpose
B.1.1 Project Need
B.1.2 Project Design
C.1 Evaluative Framework
C.1.1 Community Visits
C.1.2 Community Context
D.1. Description of the Keewaytinook Model
D.1.1 Learning Process
D.1.2 Educational Opportunities
E.1 Effectiveness and Strengths of the Delivery
System
E.1.1 Pilot Project Success
E.1.2 Key Strengths
F.1 Challenges that Require Change
F.1.1 Identity
F.1.2 Local Networking Environment
F.1.2.1 Workstations
F.1.2.2 Software Licencing
F.1.2.3 Technical Support Services
F.1.3 Local Learning Environment
F.1.3.1 On-line Workspace
F.1.3.2 Off-line Workspace
F.1.3.3 The School Day
F.1.3.4 Parental Involvement
F.1.3.5 Instructor Competencies/Skills Set
F.1.3.6 Learner Competencies/Skills Set
F.1.3.7 Learner Library
F.1.3.8 Special Needs Learners
F.1.3.9 Peripheral Devices
F.1.4 Distributed Learning Environment
F.1.4.1 Instructor Interaction
F.1.4.2 On-line Learner Library
F.1.4.3 Web Presence - Course Delivery Platform
F.1.5 Administration
F.1.5.1 Coordination and Peer Interaction
F.1.5.2 Instructor Workload (Preparation Time)
F.1.5.3 LEA Communication
F.1.5.4 Archives
F.1.6 Curriculum
F.1.6.1 Seasonal expectations/realities
F.1.6.2 Learner Evaluation
F.1.7 The Internetworking Environment
F.1.7.1 Access Bottlenecks
F.1.8 K-Net Technical Services
F.1.8.1 Communication with Non-technical Users
F.1.8.2 Local Technician Supervision
F.1.8.3 On-line Service Requirements
F.1.9 Conclusion
Appendix A: Recommendations i
Appendix B: Week 7 Lesson vii
Appendix C: Learner Letters of Consent xvi
A.1 Pilot Project Summary (back to top)
Researcher: What's the best thing about the on-line school?
Kids: Donny!
On-line Learner Interview
What we know about on-line learning and web-based curricula is often informed by a broader consideration of technology and its emerging role in society. Discussions tend to focus on wires and boxes - the power of systems, their interoperability and interactivity. For some, technology represents new opportunities and for others technological interventions represent new threats. These technologies are, after all, highly visible and highly valued. Less accessible are the human relationships that are forged and the process of teaching and learning that takes place within networked environments.
Responses like the one cited above are important reminders that on-line learning is essentially a social activity. These learners valued one of their peers more than anything else. Donny helped them solve problems, showed them how to do interesting things with their computers, wrote them e-mail -- and was known to pull a face every once in a while. Other learners valued the distributed environment in a similar way. They contacted learners in other communities, interacted with their on-line instructor, and used web-based resources to complete assignments, expand their view of the world, and satisfy their curiosity.
These values make the Keewaytinook Internet High School a viable model for young adult learners living in remote First Nations communities. KIHS uses information and communication technologies to support learning in face-to-face and computer-mediated contexts. The pilot ran for 16 weeks between February 21st and June 7th, 2000. During the pilot phase, 36 grade eight learners in Deer Lake, Fort Severn, Keewaywin, North Spirit Lake, and Poplar Hill worked together in classroom settings with their community teacher/mentor. They also interacted on-line with each other and with Rocky Landon, their Native Studies Instructor who is based in Kingston, Ontario. (1)
The KIHS pilot was an ambitious project sustained by local need, individual commitment and borrowed resources. KIHS confronted numerous barriers and challenges such as limited telecommunications infrastructures - no telephones in two communities - very slow internet access, community teachers leaving mid-project, steep technical and instructional learning curves, additional workloads for volunteer teachers, and so on. Indeed, KIHS might well have failed. But it did not. Learners completed a 16 week curriculum and on June 13th wrote a final exam.
The pilot showed many structural strengths, particularly in terms of relevance and balance. KIHS presents learners and parents with an alternative to a residential high school experience. Those who are too young or feel a need to stay close to their community will be able to earn Ontario secondary credits through KIHS. KIHS also strikes a good balance between human-teaching/mentoring and computer- mediated instruction.
Local classrooms and teacher/mentors offset concerns that children are unsupported in their on-line learning. Indeed, one of the keys to KIHS success is the capacity of the local teacher/mentor to support and animate lessons delivered on-line. Similarly, KIHS aggregates distributed expertise by siting one on-line instructor in each participating community. Teachers have dual roles: to teach one on-line course in all communities and to support understanding among learners who are taking other on-line courses.
Some challenges remain. All are resolvable over time. KIHS is a unique operational entity. It is a wholly electronic distributed institution. Accordingly, its operation poses functional challenges simultaneously at the local and the network level - a network crisis effects all communities and local problems thread back to network operations.
The KIHS service also raises questions about the best way to support day-to-day technical needs and learning objectives.
These questions and the issues that they reflect provide a focus for the evaluation and the recommendations that are made. These recommendations are intended to strengthen a model that has demonstrated success during the pilot phase - a fact supported by community commitments to participate in the Fall program. The evaluation is organized in three main sections. The first section outlines the research context and the collection of information. A second section describes the effectiveness and strengths of the KIHS delivery system. The third section identifies challenges that require change and proposes recommendations for change so that the impact of challenges can be overcome or minimized.
B.1 Pilot Project Purpose (back to top)
"Going out for high school is a waste of money for these kids; they go out for grade nine and they are back in a couple of weeks."
Local Education Authority Board Member
The purpose of the pilot project was to develop a meaningful, cost effective program delivery process and to monitor processes and usage of technology to ensure an effective delivery system for learners and teachers. Learners in each community download lessons from an on-line instructor. Local teachers facilitate and enable learning, supervise activities, and animate/integrate classroom interaction. Learners complete lessons, assignments, quizzes and exams at local workstations. They interact via e-mail with an off-site on-line teacher and use the internet as a broadly based web resource to relate to course objectives and learning expectations. Learners also engage each other and learn about conditions and practices in other communities. The pilot phase included:
- installing and testing the computer and equipment needs;
- monitoring effectiveness of technological enhancements
- confirming required technical services and community technician needs;
- strengthening computer access skills for learners;
- identifying teacher training needs for effective program delivery;
- preparing adequate learning space for Year 1 - Grade 9 class;
- implementing keyboarding for grades 8 to increase speed and skill;
- evaluating the success of the program and identifying required changes.
B.1.1 Project Need (back to top)
The Keewaytinook Internet Learning pilot project is a response to local concerns that children who graduate from elementary schools are too young and inexperienced to leave the community to attend high school. Parents feel that younger children who leave the community are not effectively supervised. There is concern that they are more vulnerable to distractions, and that they suffer unnecessarily from loneliness and lack of familial support. These factors contribute to a significant number of children failing to complete Grade nine. Many return home before completing their first year of high school. Initial failure often discourages children from returning to secondary studies and from entering the post-secondary system.
B.1.2 Project Design (back to top)
The KIHS pilot project was designed to understand how on-line delivery of accredited Ontario curriculum could be effectively delivered in Keewaywtinook Okimakanak communities. Grade eight students in Fort Severn, Poplar Hill, Deer Lake, Keewaywin and North Spirit Lake participated in a sixteen week Native Studies course and interacted with their instructor via e-mail (web-based bulletin board service). Local Grade eight teachers voluntarily facilitated learning among the students who chose to participate in the course.
C.1 Evaluative Framework (back to top)
"I definitely want to see this type of program in our community..."
Grade Eight Parent
The evaluation of the KIHS pilot project is focussed on improving systems and delivery protocols where required so that Grade nine learners enrolled in the September 2000 semester can benefit from lessons learned during the pilot phase. The research for this evaluation was conducted across three domains. Data was collected...
C.1.1 Community Visits (back to top)
Community-based research was conducted between May 15 and June 14, 2000. On average, the researcher spent four days in each community. Communities were visited in the following order: North Spirit Lake, Keewaywin, Deer Lake, Poplar Hill, and Fort Severn. Upon arrival in each community, the researcher and the KIHS Principal would arrange to meet with the Chief and Council. During this meeting, the KIHS model was reviewed, the evaluation process was explained and the Council was asked to suggest a suitable meeting space where the Keewaytinook Internet High School could be presented to the entire community.
The community meetings provided a broadly-based public forum for reinforcing the KIHS model, for answering questions from community members and for promoting the Fall program as an alternative for grade nine students reluctant to leave the community in September. Focussed meetings were also held with Local Education Authorities, school teachers and administrators and with learners.
C.1.2 Community Context (back to top)
An extensive amount of time was also spent directly observing how on-line learning happens in each community. Over the course of several days in each community, the researcher was able to observe how learners cope with very long internet wait times, how computer problems are reported, how local technicians are located, how technicians troubleshoot problems, how teachers supervise or animate learners, how questions are anticipated and/or answered and how networks are configured in different communities. These observations provided an important context for understanding interview responses and learner output.
D.1. Description of the Keewaytinook Model (back to top)
"I made a four-wheeler by fixing an old one and it took me four days to get it running."
An online-learner describes in an e-mail the best thing that happened last summer
The Keewaytinook project is a hybrid on-line system for First Nations learners. It couples educational technologies with community-based instructional and mentoring resources. The pilot project incorporates on-line learning system innovations developed and refined over the past decade and reflects a growing trend in the delivery of on-line primary and secondary school access in Canada (see, for example, http://www.e-bus.com).
D.1.1 Learning Process (back to top)
The Keewaytinook Internet High School aims to motivate and support young adult learners. Learners in each community download lessons from an on-line instructor. Local teachers facilitate and enable learning, supervise activities, and animate/integrate classroom interaction. Learners complete lessons, assignments, quizzes and exams at local workstations. They interact via e-mail with an off-site on-line teacher and use the internet as a broadly based web resource to relate to course objectives and learning expectations. Learners also engage each other and learn about conditions and practices in other communities.
D.1.2 Educational Opportunities (back to top)
The role of the educator is constantly changing. Nowhere else is this more apparent than within the virtual or on-line domain. On-line teaching requires a new type of teacher - someone who can facilitate learning by integrating current learner experiences (the everyday life and reality of community) and potential experience (the resources and knowledge that are grabbed and assimilated from the internet). This transition partly reflects the shared understanding that high school teachers simply can not be experts in everything. It also recognizes the important enabling role that teachers assume. The shift has been described this way by one educator:
From the sage on the stage...
To the guide on the side...
To the mentor in the centre...
This shift is a positive change for learners. Learners benefit from the teacher's expertise and their knowledge and experience. For learners in remote and isolated First Nations communities, it also means that they can enjoy new forms of (knowledge intensive) access. All of the teachers at the Keewaytinook Internet High School do not have to work in every community - experts in different areas can live in different First Nations - or in other communities. This means that all of the on-line learners have an opportunity to establish learning relationships with their on-line instructors and their community teacher/mentors as well as learning from learners in other settings.
E.1 Effectiveness and Strengths of the Delivery System (back to top)
"The elder has seen people learning from the radio and from computers. It is hard to say which is a better medium but he says the children seem to like the computers more."
Translation for Community Elder
The Keewaytinook Internet High School (KIHS) is an amalgamation of intensive local demand for secondary school alternatives and the implementation of distributed networks among Keewaytinook Okimakanak First Nations. KIHS provides an important new alternative for young First Nations adults who must get on aeroplanes each year and fly to Sioux Lookout or Ear Falls, Kenora or Thunder Bay so that they can go to high school. KIHS gives them and their parents an opportunity to continue secondary education without breaking their ties to the community. It does this by opening a new electronic frontier - a place where distant learning resources and local facilitation and support are equally abundant.
For learners, KIHS provides a transition between the intimate experiences and generalized expectations of intermediate learning and the more anonymous existence and focussed demands of a high school education. For parents, it provides a kind of safety net - a chance for their children to grow up a little bit more so that they have a better chance of succeeding. For communities, KIHS builds capacity. It is a new service that the First Nation directly participates in and influences. It is also a way to overcome old barriers to communication and understanding.
E.1.1 Pilot Project Success (back to top)
During its short pilot phase, KIHS showed these strengths and exceeded the expectations of many observers. The success of this demonstration project is largely due to the tenacious administration of the project by its Principal, the patience and intensive interest of community learners, the dedication and flexibility of the on-line instructor, the endless innovations and customisation performed by community teacher/mentors, the presence of local service technicians, the network and logistical support provided by K-Net Services and the backing of local political and educational bodies. Simply put, the effectiveness of KIHS reflects the development of a broadly-based coalition interested in educational alternatives for young First Nations adults.
Despite innumerable obstacles - power outages, mid-term loss of community teachers, slowness of the internet system, technical and interface adjustments - the KIHS program managed to complete the first semester in its entirety. For 16 weeks, learners in five remote Aboriginal communities pointed a flashlight at a previously dark corner of educational history. They - learners, teachers, administrators, communities - showed how secondary learners could meaningfully participate without adopting a residential solution.
E.1.2 Key Strengths (back to top)
Perhaps the most material expression of learner interest is their own written work. The weekly newsgroups show the development and refinement of verbal and digital literacy skills and demonstrate a growing engagement with the on-line learning process. More than 350 messages were archived during the semester. (2) The Week 7 lesson and a sample of assignments completed are attached as Appendix B. Overall, they show learner comfort with e-mail as a form of expression. Participating in class isn't just a matter of putting your hand in the air. Rather, it is writing something down so that you can share it with your instructor and all of the other on-line learners who live in different communities. In the first week, one learner introduces herself in this way:
My name is Violet Reddress [not her real name]. I have my birthday in the spring. I have 2 brothers and 1 sister. My oldest brother is 15 years old and my sister is 10 years old and my little brother is 2 years old. He's special because he's the baby. I walk around every night with my friends.
Her story answers questions asked, provokes other stories, and shares information about her everyday life. It suggests relationships to others in the community. As the semester progressed, learners used e-mail to express complex ideas and to describe their thoughts and feelings. Learners appear to be more comfortable with e-mail interaction and demonstrate greater descriptive and analytical capacities. The excerpt below summarizes one learner's job shadowing experience. Writing to his teacher he reconsiders his own preconceptions about the job and reflexively connects the work of making electricity to the work of writing an e-mail:
I was surprised at how much work was done in the amount of time I was there, and of all the safety concerns that took place in and around the power plant. I expected it to be boring but it was interesting and I learned new things about that job such as the safety concerns and dangers of hydro electricity. Also how important this job and hydro electricity is in this community, because with out it there would be no community like this where I can communicate with you on the Knet.
A final example is drawn from week
16. Learners had been asked to compare and contrast their community with another
community in Keewaytinook. This learner writes a lucid assessment of community
life. He synthesizes local history with community values:
The role of the chief and the councillors in both communities are very similar. Their jobs are to ensure the community members needs are met and that the community is prosperous and safe from harm.he role of the elders in both communities also seems to have a great deal of similarities. Their job is to pass on their experience and wisdom to the young children and to watch over them.
Both communities main source of survival in the earlier years focussed on hunting, fishing, trapping, and seasonal government jobs. Both communities agree that a higher degree of academic skills and job training skills will be needed to provide a better life for both communities. The roles of the elders, grandparents, men, women, and teenagers in each community seem to be the same.
There are also striking differences in the ways each community evolved. People settled in Fort Severn because of its access to transportation; while Andrew Strang chose the area that is Poplar Hill today because of its excellent fishing and hunting.
These samples demonstrate an association between learner interest and meaningful "classroom" interaction. Most learners learned how to use e-mail quickly and extrapolated this knowledge - they signed on to Aboriginal chat rooms and registered for additional e-mail accounts with services like hotmail and yahoo. Over the course of the semester, learners used e-mail more often. Newsgroup records show a gradual increase over the 16 week run of the course. Finally, samples of student work show that e-mail is a functional platform for learners to interact with their on-line instructor and with other learners who live in other - geographically remote - communities.
| 4 | Active and engaged community
teacher/mentors are a base KIHS strength. During the pilot phase, local
grade eight teachers voluntarily participated. They assumed the extra work
that came with the pilot and invented roles for themselves within the project.
Some local teachers provided a creative and enthusiastic base for integrating
lessons within knowledge bases and across subject areas. They supported
students in the work they were doing and supervised classroom behaviour.
Local teachers were also identified as important sources of information for the on-line instructor. Community teacher/mentors can react to learner challenges with assignments and assist learners and the on-line instructor adjust. During the pilot they did this by foregrounding material that would be introduced later on and by communicating directly with KIHS administration and the on-line instructor about learning or technical issues that were affecting learner performance. (3) |
| 5. | The KIHS program exists within
classrooms that are part of the K-Net network. K-Net serves five Keewaytinook
Okimakanak communities and has, over the past ten years, developed into
a regional clearinghouse for First Nations telecommunications. Recently,
K-Net won a national competition to become the Aboriginal SMART community
for Canada - a three year project that will see K-Net deploy advanced information
and communications technology to support the development of a range of health,
education and community and economic development services. This network infrastructure provides KIHS with many benefits. KIHS has access to a range of technical support services. K-Net provides rapid responds to critical system failures and also provides Helpless services to local technicians who may be unable to repair or troubleshoot a community technology problem. K-Net's inter-organizational connection to KIHS also provides an opportunity to influence network planning and community connectivity. K-Net procurement services keep the on-going costs of technology down and provide a framework for ensuring that systems are rugged enough for community use and are interoperable. |
KIHS draws on many strengths. The
items listed above represent a baseline of groups, characteristics, skills and
capacities that likely will carry over in to the Fall 2000 semester. Like any
organization, Keewaytinook Internet High School's main strengths are its people
and the relationships that they form. The pilot phase has demonstrated that
the KIHS model provides a sound structure for developing positive learning relationships.
Further, the administrative and technical systems that have been implemented
have been both rigorous and flexible enough to manage the KIHS pilot project
to a successful outcome. Together - the people, the model, and the systems -
provide a secure base of strengths that KIHS can build on next year.
F.1 Challenges that Require Change (back to top)
I think the Government should put more money instead of 5 bucks maybe like 20 bucks every July so you can buy more stuff like fruits and food.
On-line Learner responding by e-mail after reading Treaty 9
F.1.1 Identity (back to top)
Although community members closely identified with the school's purpose - to reduce learner stress induced by residential high school experiences - they were generally uncertain about who was involved and how on-line learning worked. Many parents of students who were enrolled in the project were unaware or only marginally aware that their sons or daughters were participating in an on-line Native Studies program. Similarly, some grade eight learners were unable to distinguish the on-line course content from their regular classroom activities. This situation relates to several factors that include:
Recommendations:
F.1.1a: Implement the new organizational name - Keewaytinook Internet High School (KIHS) - and reinforce its use with internal (learners, teachers, parents, LEA) and external (Aboriginal educational and political organizations and federal and provincial officials) stakeholder groups.
F.1.1b: The local KIHS classroom should be clearly identified as a distinct place in each community.
F.1.1c: KIHS should establish a single web presence (portal) that would meet the service needs of many different KIHS user groups (potential new learners, on-line learners, parents, teachers, administrators, and so on...).
F.1.1d: Parents should be encouraged to participate in the school. For example, KIHS could hold an internet training open house for parents or ask computer literate parents to help to supervise the computer room during evening access hours.
F.1.2 Local Networking Environment (back to top)
The local network environment reflects extremely rapid community adoption of computer and internet services. It also reflects clever solutions to very short-term problems such as where to add new computers, where to find a "spare" hub, and how to get internet access at home. However, local networks in all Keewaytinook communities are dangerously unstable. Critical network servers sit in open areas where they are sometimes turned off. (4) There are no technology maintenance routines - for instance, dust is not cleared from cases although machines accumulate inordinate volumes of dust. Service packs and virus software are not updated. Power supplies are often overloaded; indoor cabling is strung out of doors. There is no network log book in any community. There are no network maps for quickly tracing service outages, nor are there any tip sheets for troubleshooting common problems. Many of these areas are a result of a lack of awareness and adequate training. Steps have been taken address this situation.
This network configuration risks interruption of high school classes in one or all of the participating sites. This problem is particularly acute because of the limited human resources that K-Net is able to deploy and the expectations placed upon them. Rapid response to a local computing crisis . (5) may not be possible.
Recommendations:
F.1.2a: Establish local networking standards (log books, network diagrams, tip/troubleshooting sheets, maintenance routines).
F.1.2b:Rationalize (label/rewire/upgrade) local networking infrastructure so that it can be routinely maintained.
F.1.2c: Develop/deliver a specialized training program to reinforce and support new routines.
F.1.2.1 Workstations (back to top)
Most computers used in the pilot project were Celeron/PII processors. In some communities, students were still using P75 processors because of inadequate funding. These machines do not support the use of theWindows98 operating system and should be replaced. Standard software included a typing program and the Corel Office 2000 Suite. Unfortunately, the hard drive is not partitioned and so learner software and learner documents exist on the same drive. In the event that the hard drive needs reformatting all learner documents would also be erased.
Recommendations:
F.1.2.1a: Replace all P75 or older computers with 400 Mhz or faster systems.
F.1.2.1b: A binder of "how-to/self-help summary pages should available at each learning site and should be periodically updated to reflect changes in the software/hardware environment.
F.1.2.1c: Create a ghost - template system - CD that can be used to quickly and uniformly reinstall standard KIHS software.
F.1.2.1d: Ensure that learner documents are stored in safe and stable environments - for example, a document partition of the hard drive, a folder on the local file server, a ZIP disk.
F.1.2.2 Software Licencing (back to top)
It is unclear if software loaded on each workstation is licenced. Various names appear under the licencing information - sometime the technician, sometimes the Principal's name, but mostly no name appears at all. If software is not licenced, learners, teachers and administrators are in violation of Canadian copyright and could be sued.
Recommendation
F.1.2.2a: Procurement and licencing of workstation software should be included in the KIHS/K-Net service agreement. Licencing agreements should be maintained in a central filing system and be easily accessible.
F.1.2.3 Technical Support Services (back to top)
As noted above, local technical staff provide only skeleton coverage of high school systems. Repairs are generally reactive and crisis driven. In addition, local technicians have no apparent supervisor. They are difficult to locate and sometimes raises authority issues when teachers and administrators must provide direction or follow-up on repair or installation commitments.
Recommendations
F.1.2.3a: Job descriptions for local service technicians should be reviewed by K-Net and used as a task reference by technicians.
F.1.2.3b: Local service technicians should be accountable to a supervisor.
F.1.2.3c: Services rendered to KIHS by local technicians should be identified within the KIHS/K-Net service agreement:
F.1.2.3d: The local service technician should be available to KIHS on a .5 FTE basis. At a minimum the technician should ensure theat the system is fully operational Sunday evening and each weekday morning before school begins. The technician should supervise the computer lab four hours each week, routinely maintain the KIHS workstations/server (clean, upgrade software/service packs, ensure that all systems/peripherals are functional) and be available on an as needed basis to diagnosis/repair workstation/server problems and to troubleshoot/restore network services.
F.1.2.3e: Local technicians should participate in regular skills upgrading and service provision courses and programs.
F.1.3 Local Learning Environment (back to top)
F.1.3.1 On-line Workspace
During the pilot project learner workstations were strung together in various configurations. Some were located in classrooms and some were housed in alternate sites such as spare classrooms, resource rooms, and computer labs. Most of the workstation sites were temporary solutions designed to get the pilot project up and going. Consequently, none of these sites adequately accommodates learners who spend a good part of their day on-line. Although the physical space will vary from one community to another, learners and teachers should be supported by work-related standards and technologies.
Recommendations
F.1.3.1a: Learners should have at least 100 cm on one side of their workstations to accommodate written/print work resources.
F.1.3.1b: A binder of "how-to/self-help summary pages should available at each learning site and should be periodically updated to reflect changes in the software/hardware environment.
F.1.3.1c: Learner repetitive strain injury (RSI) risks should be reduced through the use of adjustable chairs and appropriate mouse/pointers.
F.1.3.1d: Learner workstations should be situated to facilitate teacher surveillance of on-screen activity.
F.1.3.2 Off-line Workspace (back to top)
The pilot project showed that learners require off-line workspace as a complement to their on-line workstations. Students would sometimes gather at a table to work in groups or would sit quietly reading assignments or downloaded documents.
Recommendation
F.1.3.2a: Learners should have access to a large open table space where projects can be planned and researched.
F.1.3.3 The School Day (back to top)
The on-line learning environment provides new forms of flexibility that might be used as a way to encourage and motivate grade learner. Two communities suggested staggered school days - starting at 10:00 am or 12:00pm and finishing at 5:00 or 7:00 pm. Another practical concern for learners is access to the computer facilities after hours. Likely learners will not have home-based access to computers next year and so making facilities available at alternate times would provide them with opportunities to complete assignments and do extra-curricular work.
Recommendation
F.1.3.3a: Learners should have access to their workstations before or after school hours for a minimum of eight hours each week.
F.1.3.4 Parental Involvement (back to top)
The prospect of on-line learning proposes a new challenge for involving parents in their child's education. As noted above, most parents were unaware that their children were participating in an on-line pilot project. Their lack of awareness relates mostly to the private interaction that learners experience between themselves and instructors and among other learners. Most parents expressed an interest in getting involved in the school and or participating in some way.
Recommendations
F.1.3.4a: KIHS should solicit learner/parent contributions to a monthly community newsletter.
F.1.3.4b: A Parent's On-line workshop should be offered during the first week of each semester.
F.1.3.4c: KIHS should establish a moderated parent conferencing site where parents can participate in/help to organize high school activities and programs.
F.1.3.4d: Local teachers should meet with the parents of the learners that they are teaching.
F.1.3.4e: Parents should be invited to supervise the computer room during evening access hours.
F.1.3.5 Instructor Competencies/Skills Set (back to top)
All local teachers had some computing skills shortages that made them less effective in a networked environment. Some teachers were admitted "techno-phobes" and others were quite confident on-line. No teachers felt that it was their responsibility to build or create course content for the web. Two teachers suggested that if this work were to be done, then it should be done with someone who has those skills.
Recommendations:
F.1.3.5a: Teachers should have knowledge of the ways that computers work and applied skills in their use.
F.1.3.5b: Teachers should be digitally literate. They should be comfortable browsing the Internet, sending e-mail attachments and using on-line tools such as file transfer protocol, audio files, and image software.
F.1.3.5c: Teachers should participate in an intensive workshop that addresses issues such as on-line learning strategies, strategies for keeping on-line learners on task, course design, and on-line tools and techniques.
F.1.3.5d: Teachers should be open to collaboration with colleagues, be flexible - have the ability to adjust to sudden or unexpected changes in the form or content of learning materials, be good written communicators and have the capacity to motivate and supervise young adult learners.
F.1.3.6 Learner Competencies/Skills Set (back to top)
Most learners did not have basic digital literacy skills when they entered the pilot project. The most problematic skills deficit is keyboarding. Learner production is related directly to input time and most learners struggled with the keyboard. Many learners were observed using the typing tutor software. One teacher had instituted keyboarding as an everyday activity so that students would increase their proficiency. Learners also appeared to struggle with reading activities.
Recommendations
F.1.3.6a: Digital Literacy (reading [speed/comprehension], keyboarding, computer mediated communications [e-mail/BBS/chat/surfing]) should be assessed prior to KIHS admission.
F.1.3.6b: The first week of classes during the Fall semester should be focussed on building on-line learner skills.
F.1.3.7 Learner Library (back to top)
Grade nine learners will have extremely limited access to learning resources. Learners in the pilot project relied on the internet for most of their primary material. Whether or not teachers will be able to accumulate sufficient on-line resources to support core curriculum is questionable.
Recommendation
F.1.3.7a: All KIHS learning sites should include access to a core library of reference materials - for example a contemporary atlas, cultural texts, dictionaries).
F.1.3.8 Special Needs Learners (back to top)
There were at least two special needs learners enrolled in the pilot project. One child had a profound sight disorder and the other a significant hearing disorder. It is likely that other learning disabled children will enroll in the program in the Fall. The program faces a significant challenge by accommodating these learners - either within the Grade nine environment or by referring them to more appropriate learning venues.
Recommendations
F.1.3.8a: All KIHS learners should be screened for special needs - (sight, hearing, movement, and developmental delays) prior to admission.
F.1.3.8b: Each KIHS learning site should include at least one accessibility workstation for use by physically disabled/challenged individuals.
F.1.3.9 Peripheral Devices (back to top)
Peripheral devices such as printers, scanners and projection units are standard devices that on-line learners regularly use to prepare for activities and to complete their assignments and projects. Three of the five communities did not have functional printers in the room where their computers were located. In one community some of the computers were networked to the printer and some were not. Scanners presented a similar problem. They were located elsewhere and only certain machines could interact with them on-line.
Recommendations
F.1.3.9a: All KIHS learning sites should be outfitted with a standard printer/scanner.
F.1.3.9b: Local Education Authorities should be given the option to cost-share the purchase of a digital projection unit with KIHS.
F.1.4 Distributed Learning Environment (back to top)
F.1.4.1 Instructor Interaction (back to top)
E-mail is the primary means of communication between teachers and learners and among teachers. Although most teachers were engaged in the delivery and evaluation of pilot project curriculum, they were reluctant to share ideas or concerns on-line. Learners did not see their local instructors on-line and may have interpreted this as a lack of interest or involvement in the school project.
Recommendations:
F.1.4.1a: Instructors should send a minimum of one e-mail each day.
F.1.4.1b: Instructors should check their e-mail at least twice each day.
F.1.4.1c: KIHS should design a web space where instructors can meet and share information with each other
F.1.4.2 On-line Learner Library (back to top)
The addition of hard copy texts will provide learners with a limited amount of reference material. Most publishers are now making electronic editions of their texts available at a reduced rate. Similarly, there are a number of historical documents whose copyright has lapsed that could be converted to a digital readable format. Likely learners will positively react to full-text on-line documentation strategies, particularly if the resources are focussed and easily accessed.
Recommendation
F.1.4.2a: A menu of core texts should be identified and digitized so that they are accessible for KIHS learners in portable document format.
F.1.4.3 Web Presence - Course Delivery Platform (back to top)
The local learning environment is variable for each community. Attempts during the pilot project to customize access to certain learner services (e.g. newsgroups through Outlook Express) were fraught with technical and user learning curve problems. Most learners chose to use the K-Net web interface because of its reliability (it always worked though slowly) and its multi-functionality (learners had access to a menu of tools within one portal).
Recommendations
F.1.4.3a: All school services should be accessible within the KIHS Portal.
F.1.4.3b: the KIHS portal should include services such as a customized bulletin board interface, learner webpage development space, inter-community classroom chat, validated educational websites, on-line educational resource library, electronic Staff Room for instructors, administrative information (registration, course description, policies and procedures) and a What's Happening Board (for teachers and learners to post local/regional events).
F.1.4.3c: KIHS should negotiate access to a web designer to develop and maintain the Portal site and to assist teachers with development of on-line tools such as web quiz interfaces.
F.1.4.3d: The KIHS Portal should be password protected.
F.1.5 Administration (back to top)
None of the local teachers who were interviewed identified with the distant teacher in a collegial way. The short time frame that the pilot project was carried out in may have contributed to their dissociation. Similarly, news about what was happening in each community, changes to the course content, and coordination of group activities (the final exam, for instance) was uneven. All teachers - local and remote - expressed a need for better communication among peers and between themselves and the school administrator.
Recommendations:
F.1.5.1a: Regular e-mail contact among instructors should be supplemented by bi-weekly phone conferences moderated by the KIHS principal.
F.1.5.1b: Instructors should be encouraged to prepare and present computer-mediated summaries of subjects that are relevant to their peers.
F.1.5.2 Instructor Workload (Preparation Time) (back to top)
Ideas for supporting each class are important to teacher/mentors. This was a matter of considerable concern for local teachers. They expressed frustration in not being able to have adequate time to prepare for material that was delivered in their e-mail boxes each Monday morning. Most teachers felt that required more lead time to prepare meaningful support materials for classroom use. During the pilot project the on-line instructor prepared for the course on the weekend and submitted weekly outlines late Sunday night. This is not a sustainable practice for full-time instructors who are based in the community.
Recommendation:
F.1.5.2a: All teachers should prepare a term summary of their course that identifies key learning expectations and outcomes.
F.1.5.2b: Teachers should have at least one hour per day to prepare and grade learning materials.
F.1.5.2c: On-line instructors should share weekly course outlines and solicit ideas for supporting each course from community teacher/mentors.
F.1.5.3 LEA Communication (back to top)
Local education authorities were only nominally aware of the Native Studies pilot project. In addition, several LEAs had substantial membership turnover between February and September. The Advisory Committee structure maintained communication flow during the pilot period. Likely, LEAs will have increased interest in the success/failure of the on-line environment and will be eager to find a way to stay up-to-date with progress in each of the communities.
Recommendations
F.1.5.3a: KIHS should maintain its community advisory structure.
F.1.5.3b: E-mail interaction among Advisory Committee members should be actively encouraged through access to training workshops and supplemented by monthly telephone conferences.
F.1.5.3c: The principal should visit each community twice in the Fall semester to meet with Local LEAs and ensure that KIHS operations are on track.
F.1.5.3d: The Principal will work with the Advisory Committee to develop a set of indicators to monitor KIHS learner progress and success.
F.1.5.4 Archives (back to top)
The pilot project produced more than 500 messages between student and teacher and documented the thought/action processes behind the development of the Native Studies course. These documents represent an important learning resource for instructors (to see how others have tackled similar issues) and for students (to see how others have prepared for or interpreted course assignments). Currently, these items are archived within the K-Net BBS. There are higher function formats within which this data can be stored, searched and retrieved.
Recommendation
F1.5.4a: All KIHS on-line materials should be archived within an on-line searchable database.
F.1.6 Curriculum (back to top)
F.1.6.1 Seasonal expectations/realities (back to top)
Teachers emphasized the variation in energy/attention levels based on seasonal changes. Students tended to sleep in more in deep winter, be absent more often in late spring, work harder just before and after Christmas. Other teachers also noted the importance of integrating seasonal community activities in to the curriculum
Recommendation
F.1.6.1a: The one week teacher forum in August should be used as a way for on-line instructors and community teacher mentors to share information and develop ideas for integrating seasonal realities in to the curriculum delivery process.
F.1.6.2 Learner Evaluation (back to top)
Methods of student evaluation (assignments/projects) presented a challenge within the pilot project. Worksheets sent to the newsgroups tended to be copies of other people's work, oral presentations could not be validated by the on-line instructor. These are expected problems for broadly-based on-line learning initiatives. Evaluation needs to be done differently in a CAC environment. Consequently administrators, Ministry officials, teachers and learners will have to determine the proper balance among participation, production, and performance criteria.
Recommendations
F.1.6.2a: On-line instructors should avoid the worksheet format unless they are asking each student to respond to similar questions across different knowledge bases (e.g. asking learners to respond to the same question in different ways) or if they are using them to collect group project data (e.g. what is the elevation of the land in your community?).
F.1.6.2b: Instructors should be encouraged to develop on-line quizzes that learners can complete using their web browser within a specified time period.
F.1.6.2c: Longer or multi-media assignments (essays, reviews, presentations, jPEG) should be submitted to the instructor as e-mail attachments and should be formatted using software common to all KIHS learners, instructors and administrators.
F.1.7 The Internetworking Environment (back to top)
Community internet service is delivered through a 9600 baud outbound satellite telephone connection to the Education Network of Ontario server in Ottawa. Page requests are rerouted through the DirecPC hub in Toronto and returned via satellite to the community server at speeds up to 384 kilobytes per second.
This send/return path was originally designed to accommodate a limited number of educational users in each community. However, the popularity and utility of internet access - particularly in communities with no telephone system - has created large local user groups. Consequently, on-line learners compete with local government, education, policing and health services users for access to the external network. K-Net Technical Services has also noted a substantial reduction in DirecPC performance in the first quarter of 2000. The high number of community subscribers - each networked to multiple hubs and workstations - have created a similar bottleneck at DirecPC's hub in Toronto.
F.1.7.1 Access Bottlenecks (back to top)
Bottlenecks all but eliminate the internet's interactive capacities for on-line learning. Page requests often time out or take several minutes to load. On-line learners deal with long load times by talking with each other, opening computer game applications such as solitaire, opening a chat window, staring at the screen and by clicking multiple times in and around the page object that they had requested. This last strategy often takes on-line learners several links past their intended destination. When the page finally does load they are "lost," i.e. in the wrong place and not quite sure how they got there. They then have to request the URL again and reload.
The slow send and transmit times reduced learner capacity to perform. On-line learners might spend an entire computer session finding, loading or working with a string of pages. The time they spent finding and loading pages reduced the time available to process the material, document their results or to respond to questions. Narrow bandwidth also meant that culturally relevant interactive pages such as the Iyash Legends site were inaccessible. Academic performance was also limited by network access. In Fort Severn, for instance, learners took up to six hours to complete their final exam. (6) Answering some questions required that learners to go to search engines and web sites that were slow to open.
The extremely high latency of internet traffic was a significant challenge for the local learners and facilitators involved in the Native Studies pilot course. Continuing this insufficient level of service in the Fall will most certainly effect the viability of delivering full semester on-line high school curriculum. A four course load under the same conditions will undoubtedly cause intense frustration on the part of learners and teachers and make internet delivery an impractical option for Grade nine learners and their parents.
Recommendation
F.1.7.1a: Course delivery should be restricted to communities with assured minimum functional bandwidth of 56 kbps.
F.1.8 K-Net Technical Services (back to top)
Internet access is managed and supported by K-Net Services. K-Net provides telephone and e-mail advice and problem-solving expertise to local technicians. During the pilot project K-Net Technical Services also assisted teachers and administrators with day-to-day hardware, networking and software problems when the local technician was not available. K-Net Technical Services primarily is a network manager.
Although technical staff have made great efforts to serve these different needs, there is concern about the present level of support services. This is partly the result of the uncommonly high (local) system failure rate and the high system latency. Low satisfaction with technical support is also related to language issues - communication with non-technical users/facilitators - unfamiliarity with the full service requirements that a structured on-line learning environment requires, and inability to effectively supervise local technician performance.
F.1.8.1 Communication with Non-technical Users (back to top)
Although community teachers praised the effort that Technical Services extended, teachers all emphasized that they were not technicians. They did not feel that they possessed the vocabulary necessary to describe or diagnose problems in their domain nor did they possess the technical skills to repair or troubleshoot problems over the phone. Teachers expressed frustration in not being able to understand what technicians were talking about. In some communities this resulted in teachers ceasing to report problems.
Recommendation
F.1.8.1a: A technician familiar with KIHS network, workstation, and service requirements should be designated as the primary contact/support person within K-Net Technical Services.
F.1.8.2 Local Technician Supervision (back to top)
No successful supervisory or training relationship exists between Technical Services and local technicians. Local technical services depend more or less on where the technician happens to be on any given day and, in some cases, on whether the technician chooses to repair or troubleshoot a given problem. Consequently, local technical service is insufficient. Community teachers and administrators do not feel that they should be expected to supervise technicians - though technicians clearly need direction.
Recommendations
F.1.8.2a: K-Net should review local technician job descriptions so that they reflect routines and institutional needs of KIHS.
F.1.8.2b: K-Net should ensure local technicians are accountable to a supervisor.
F.1.8.2c: Services rendered to KIHS by local technicians should be identified within the KIHS/K-Net service agreement.
F.1.8.2d: The local service technician should be available to KIHS on a regularly scheduled basis and on-call during school hours.
F.1.8.2e: K-Net Technical Services should recruit Aboriginal technicians who would be better able to communicate with local technicians in their first language.
F.1.8.2f: Local service technicians should notify their K-Net supervisor and arrange for a mutually acceptable replacement if they plan to leave the community during the regular work week.
F.1.8.3 On-line Service Requirements (back to top)
The on-line learner environment presents a number of unique service challenges and user expectations. Primarily users expect the high school to function like any other institution. Barring a catastrophic event, school should be open and fully operational each day. Monitoring potential network problems, (7) notifying users about network changes and upgrades, documenting common processes, and coordinating local maintenance and support are baseline expectations for maintaining institutional and user well-being. These challenges and expectations should be identified in any future service agreement between K-Net and the high school project.
Recommendations
F.1.8.3a: K-Net Technical services should document network services and processes and make these reference materials available for local technicians.
F.1.8.3b: K-Net Technical services should implement a user notification system to communicate changes in service, network downtime and product upgrades.
F.1.8.3c: The K-Net Help Desk should be open during regular school hours and during evening access hours.
F.1.9 Conclusion (back to top)
Keewaytinook Internet High School - with its on-line course delivery and local teacher mentors - represents a viable model for high school learning in remote First Nations communities. It is an effective method for delivering secondary courses and for supporting young adult on-line learners. The challenges identified in this evaluation point to areas where change is desirable or needed. Resolution of these challenges will produce a demonstrable improvement in the level and quality of KIHS services.
The aim of the recommendation section has been to provide a framework for action so that the KIHS program is even better for learners enrolled in the Fall 2000 semester. Some changes will no doubt be more urgent than others and the researcher expects that the evaluation will animate a planning process among key stakeholders. This process has in some respects already begun. Many of the technical issues identified - including the critical issue of bandwidth accessibility - are now under review by K-Net and will no doubt be resolved during the summer months.
Recommendations for Change to Overcome or
Minimize Impact of Challenges
F.1.1a: Implement the new organizational name - Keewaytinook Internet High School (KIHS) - and reinforce its use with internal (learners, teachers, parents, LEA) and external (Aboriginal educational and political organizations and federal and provincial officials) stakeholder groups.
F.1.1b: The local KIHS classroom should be clearly identified as a distinct place in each community.
F.1.1c: KIHS should establish a single web presence (portal) that would meet the service needs of many different user groups (potential new learners, on-line learners, parents, teachers, administrators, curious web surfers, and so on...).
F.1.1d: Parents should be encouraged to participate in the school. For example, KIHS could hold an internet training open house for parents or ask computer literate parents to help to supervise the computer room during evening access hours.
F.1.2a: Establish local networking standards (log books, network diagrams, tip/troubleshooting sheets, maintenance routines).
F.1.2b:Rationalize (label/rewire/upgrade) local networking infrastructure so that it can be routinely maintained.
F.1.2c: Develop/deliver a specialized training program to reinforce and support new routines.
F.1.2.1a: Replace all P75 or older computers with 400 Mhz or faster systems.
F.1.2.1b: A binder of "how-to/self-help summary pages should available at each learning site and should be periodically updated to reflect changes in the software/hardware environment.
F.1.2.1c: Create a ghost - template system - CD that can be used to quickly and uniformly reinstall standard KIHS software.
F.1.2.1d: Ensure that learner documents are stored in safe and stable environments - for example, a document partition of the hard drive, a folder on the local file server, a ZIP disk.
F.1.2.2a: Procurement and licencing of workstation software should be included in the KIHS/K-Net ser agreement. Licencing agreements should be maintained in a central filing system and be easily accessible.
F.1.2.3a: Job descriptions for local service technicians should be reviewed by K-Net and used as a task reference by technicians.
F.1.2.3b: Local service technicians should be accountable to a supervisor.
F.1.2.3c: Services rendered to KIHS by local technicians should be identified within the KIHS/K-Net service agreement:
F.1.2.3d: The local service technician should be available to KIHS on a .5 FTE basis. At a minimum the technician should ensure theat the system is fully operational Sunday evening and each weekday morning before school begins. The technician should supervise the computer lab four hours each week, routinely maintain the KIHS workstations/server (clean, upgrade software/service packs, ensure that all systems/peripherals are functional) and be available on an as needed basis to diagnosis/repair workstation/server problems and to troubleshoot/restore network services.
F.1.2.3e: Local technicians should participate in regular skills upgrading and service provision courses and programs.
F.1.3.1a: Learners should have at least 100 cm on one side of their workstations to accommodate written/print work resources.
F.1.3.1b: A binder of "how-to/self-help summary pages should available at each learning site and should be periodically updated to reflect changes in the software/hardware environment.
F.1.3.1c: Learner repetitive strain injury (RSI) risks should be reduced through the use of adjustable chairs and appropriate mouse/pointers.
F.1.3.1d: Learner workstations should be situated to facilitate teacher surveillance of on-screen activity.
F.1.3.2a: Learners should have access to a large open table space where projects can be planned and researched.
F.1.3.3a: Learners should have access to their workstations before or after school hours for a minimum of eight hours each week.
F.1.3.4a: KIHS should solicit learner/parent contributions to a monthly community newsletter.
F.1.3.4b: A Parent's On-line workshop should be offered during the first week of each semester.
F.1.3.4c: KIHS should establish a moderated parent conferencing site where parents can participate in/help to organize high school activities and programs.
F.1.3.4d: Local teachers should meet with the parents of the learners that they are teaching.
F.1.3.4e: Parents should be invited to supervise the computer room during evening access hours.
F.1.3.5a: Teachers should have knowledge of the ways that computers work and applied skills in their use.
F.1.3.5b: Teachers should be digitally literate. They should be comfortable browsing the Internet, sending e-mail attachments and using on-line tools such as file transfer protocol, audio files, and image software.
F.1.3.5c: Teachers should participate in an intensive workshop that addresses issues such as on-line learning strategies, strategies for keeping on-line learners on task, course design, and on-line tools and techniques.
F.1.3.5d: Teachers should be open to collaboration with colleagues, be flexible - have the ability to adjust to sudden or unexpected changes in the form or content of learning materials, be good written communicators and have the capacity to motivate and supervise young adult learners.
F.1.3.6a: Digital Literacy (reading [speed/comprehension], keyboarding, computer mediated communications [e-mail/bBS/chat/surfing]) should be assessed prior to KIHS admission.
F.1.3.6b: The first week of classes during the Fall semester should be focussed on building on-line learner skills.
F.1.3.7a: All KIHS learning sites should include access to a core library of reference materials - for example a contemporary atlas, cultural texts, dictionaries).
F.1.3.8a: All KIHS learners should be screened for special needs - (sight, hearing, movement, and developmental delays) prior to admission.
F.1.3.8b: Each KIHS learning site should include at least one accessibility workstation for use by physically disabled/challenged individuals.
F.1.3.9a: All KIHS learning sites should be outfitted with a standard printer/scanner.
F.1.3.9b: Local Education Authorities should be given the option to cost-share the purchase of a digital projection unit with KIHS.
F.1.4.1a: Instructors should send a minimum of one e-mail each day.
F.1.4.1b: Instructors should check their e-mail at least twice each day.
F.1.4.1c: KIHS should design a web space where instructors can meet and share information with each other
F.1.4.2a: A menu of core texts should be identified and digitized so that they are accessible for KIHS learners in portable document format.
F.1.4.3a: All school services should be accessible within the KIHS Portal.
F.1.4.3b: the KIHS portal should include services such as a customized bulletin board interface, learner webpage development space, inter-community classroom chat, validated educational websites, on-line educational resource library, electronic Staff Room for instructors, administrative information (registration, course description, policies and procedures) and a What's Happening Board (for teachers and learners to post local/regional events).
F.1.4.3c: KIHS should negotiate access to a web designer to develop and maintain the Portal site and to assist teachers with development of on-line tools such as web quiz interfaces.
F.1.4.3d: The KIHS Portal should be password protected.
F.1.5.1a: Regular e-mail contact among instructors should be supplemented by bi-weekly phone conferences moderated by the KIHS principal.
F.1.5.1b: Instructors should be encouraged to prepare and present computer-mediated summaries of subjects that are relevant to their peers.
F.1.5.2a: All teachers should prepare a term summary of their course that identifies key learning expectations and outcomes.
F.1.5.2b: Teachers should have at least one hour per day to prepare and grade learning materials.
F.1.5.2c: On-line instructors should share weekly course outlines and solicit ideas for supporting each course from community teacher/mentors.
F.1.5.3a: KIHS should maintain its community advisory structure.
F.1.5.3b: E-mail interaction among Advisory Committee members should be actively encouraged through access to training workshops and supplemented by monthly telephone conferences.
F.1.5.3c: The principal should visit each community twice in the Fall semester to meet with Local LEAs and ensure that KIHS operations are on track.
F.1.5.3d: The Principal will work with the Advisory Committee to develop a set of indicators to monitor KIHS learner progress and success.
F1.5.4a: All KIHS on-line materials should be archived within an on-line searchable database.
F.1.6.1a: The one week teacher forum in August should be used as a way from on-line instructors and community teacher mentors to share information and develop ideas for integrating seasonal realities in to the curriculum delivery process.
F.1.6.2a: On-line instructors should avoid the worksheet format unless they are asking each student to respond to similar questions across different knowledge bases (e.g. asking learners to respond to the same question in different ways) or if they are using them to collect group project data (e.g. what is the elevation of the land in your community?).
F.1.6.2b: Instructors should be encouraged to develop on-line quizzes that learners can complete using their web browser within a specified time period.
F.1.6.2c: Longer or multi-media assignments (essays, reviews, presentations, JPEG) should be submitted to the instructor as e-mail attachments and should be formatted using software common to all KIHS learners, instructors and administrators.
F.1.7.1a: Course delivery should be restricted to communities with assured minimum functional bandwidth of 56 kbps.
F.1.8.1a: A technician familiar with KIHS network, workstation, and service requirements should be designated as the primary contact/support person within K-Net Technical Services.
F.1.8.2a: K-Net should review local technician job descriptions so that they reflect routines and institutional needs of KIHS.
F.1.8.2b: K-Net should ensure local technicians are accountable to a supervisor.
F.1.8.2c: Services rendered to KIHS by local technicians should be identified within the KIHS/K-Net service agreement.
F.1.8.2d: The local service technician should be available to KIHS on a regularly scheduled basis and on-call during school hours.
F.1.8.2e: K-Net Technical Services should recruit Aboriginal technicians who would be better able to communicate with local technicians in their first language.
F.1.8.2f: Local service technicians should notify their K-Net supervisor and arrange for a mutually acceptable replacement if they plan to leave the community during the regular work week.
F.1.8.3a: K-Net Technical services should document network services and processes and make these reference materials available for local technicians.
F.1.8.3b: K-Net Technical services should implement a user notification system to communicate changes in service, network downtime and product upgrades.
F.1.8.3c: The K-Net Help Desk should be open during regular school hours and during evening access hours.
Week 7: Lesson And Student Responses
7:1 OVERVIEW: Week 7
Greetings Students: Welcome to Week 7 of KSS Native
Studies.
I hope you have had good week. Some of the web sites that you visited
should have been interesting.
RE: Your work last week
As usual, many of you shared some good ideas. Many of you wrote some
interesting stories, for example "life near the airfield" and some
interesting legends like how the caribou lost his antlers' or how the bear
got a short tail. All of these stories are great. Again, I would
encourage you all to read each other's STORIES; that is how we learn from
each other. Please continue writing in full sentences in the assignments
that you submit.
RE: Your mark for Week 6
I have sent a personal email note to each of you who has submitted
assignments with a mark.
I have forwarded a copy of the note to your classroom teacher.
If you sent in assignments and do not receive a mark, please SEND ME A
MESSAGE.
RE: Week 7
This week, we will all be doing the same lesson. You will get a chance to
do more internet surfing. We will look at different types of Native art.
So be prepared to WAIT; DOWNLOADING images takes a ton of time. You may
want to have some math or other work while you wait.
Rocky
7:2 TOPIC FOR WEEK 7: Introduction to Aboriginal art styles.
This week we will continue to learn how the internet can be used. We will
also learn about different art styles. When you have finished this lesson,
you should be able identify and recognize four different ways that OJIBWA
AND CREE ARTISTS use to paint their stories. We will also share what we
learn with others.
By the end of the week, you should be able to:
- recognize four different types of Aboriginal painting styles
- list two features that are unique to each art style
- write a story based upon one Aboriginal painting.
We will focus on learning about different ways of painting stories. I
believe that all artists have a story to tell. For those of you that
visited the James Simon site, http://ww2.isys.ca/ncliche/james.html you
were provided with a variety of paintings that had a code or set of symbols
that the artist used to make his message known. I have found that other
artists do the same thing, for example Norval Morriseau who used a painting
style, that is now known as x ray art (images that you can see through
(click here to see a sample of this style
http://indy4.fdl.cc.mn.us/~isk/art/morriss/art_morr.html ).
X RAY ART
Morriseau (along with other artists such as Carl Ray (Sandy Lake), Josh
Kakegamic (Keewaywin), Goyce Kakegamic (Keewaywin), Robert Kakegamic (Sandy
Lake), Saul Williams (Weagamow Lake), and Roy Thomas (Muskrat Dam) (click
here to see how Roy paints
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/artists/thomas_roy.html)) created an art style
that became associated with legend painting.
I want you to look at the images from the two web sites closely. What
features seem to stand out? Make a list of three or four.
I am sure many of you have seen this style of painting around, it usually
has animals painted on it, and sometimes has an animal inside or maybe a
lot of different colours.
REALISTIC ART
Other artists see the world differently. Some artists tell their stories,
by painting exactly what they see such as Arthur Shilling (Rama Reserve)
did. Click on this site to see how Arthur Shilling painted
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/artists/shilling.html
Another artist who paints in similar way, except he focusses upon animals
is Hugh McKenzie (Bear Island at Temagami). He paints a lot of animals,
blue jays, cardinals, moose and geese. Check out his website.
http://www.avag.ca/artists/hughmckenize/index.html
Don Ningewance is also another northern artist who paints like this but
does not have a website featuring his work. Don works out of Sioux Lookout
and is originally from Lac Seul.
MINIMALIST ART
Hugh McKenzie paints in two styles: realistic and minimalist (which means
using as few lines as possible). At his website,
http://www.avag.ca/artists/hughmckenize/index.html, look at his geese.
There is a lot of white space around the images. Someone else from Sandy
Lake who paints in this way is Saul Mamakeesick, but Saul adds a little
colour to his work, sometimes red and blue lines.
MANITOULIN ART
Another way of painting is called Manitoulin art. James Simon paints in
this manner and will use a multicoloured backround with wonderful stories
painted on top. Click on this web site to see the work of James Simon
http://ww2.isys.ca/ncliche/james.html
There are many different Aboriginal artists and many do not have websites.
If you want to look for more art styles, check out my set of art links
at
file:///Hard%20Disk/Desktop%20Folder/Doctorate%20work/Web%20Activity%20/ROCKY%27S%20ABORIGINAL%20ART%20PAGE
Rocky
Activity #1. NEW THINGS LEARNED. (To be submitted by Wednesday, March
29),
1.1 Visit the five websites and make a list of two features that show each
style of art being different from each other. Use the following format.
X ray Art;
1. Each set of images reflect a story or legend.
2.
3.
Minimalist Art
1. There is a lot of white space used.
2.
3.
Realistic Art
1. The art is a mirror image of what you would see (people, or animals or
land).
2.
3.
Manitoulin Art
1. The background is painted with hued colouring.
2.
3.
Activity #2: YOU WRITE A STORY. (To be submitted by Friday, April 1st.)
I would like you to select a Aboriginal painting that you have seen during
your internet surfing. I would like you to write and send me a story that
is based upon your selected image. The story should be at least 100 words
and when you send the story to me, you will need to send me the web site
address of where your painting is located.
The story does not have to be true but must be related to the painting that
you select. For example, a selected painting on geese should have a story
theme based upon geese.
Enjoy.
Rocky
7:4 TOPIC FOR WEEK 7: Daily Schedule
Here is what you should do each day for the Native Studies Project.
Monday: March 27
M1: Read all the notes and assignments for the week.
M2: Send a message to someone in the Coffee-8 Shop.
For example: Tell them about your favourite movie star and why.
Tuesday: March 28
Tu 1: Start completing the assignments, by visiting the first websites
(Morrisseau and Thomas sites) and checking out the art and other links (you
should be able to look at other parts of the web page, not only the one
listed).
Make a short note about what you see, describe what the art looked like and
what you like or dislike about the art.
Visit the second set of web sites (Shilling and McKenzie) listed and
complete the same activity.
Tu 2: Go to the Coffee shop, and write another note by responding to
someone or giving some information.
Wednesday: March 29
W 1: Visit the other website listed (Simon). Check out two or three of his
sub links. Make a list of three symbols and their meanings.
W 2: Complete Activity #1 (See note 7:4). Send your answer in
Conference 42 (week 7).
Use the subject line: "Week 7 Activity 1"
Thursday: March 30
Th1: Work on Assignment #2
Th2: Write a note in the coffee shop. Answer the following question, what
I would like to do this weekend is.....
Friday, April 1
F1: Complete Activity #2. Send your answer in conference 42: Week 7.
Use the subject line: "Week 7 Activity 2".
It is OK to send your work BEFORE Friday if you have done your best.
Rocky
The name of the aboriginal painting that I picked is called MANITOU. It is
located at http://ww2.isys.ca/ncliiche/manitou.html. I like this painting
by James A. Simon, because it looks like a dream. There's lots of people
in the picture, and there is an old man. It reminds me of a kind of
heaven. Because those people could be dead and now they are in heaven and
being cared after the old man. I like that it looks like a dream, because
it makes it look mystical.
There was this one time, When my friends and I were going hunting, along
the way, We see lots of grouses, maybe about ten of them
.We went into the bush. We went to go look for them, but they were hiding
on use so.
We decided
out smart them but that didn't work because one of my friends were being so
loud and the grouses took off.
We lost them all, then we were riding down the road and we didn't see any
But W,hen we were going home we saw five of them one of use only caught one
each, and on our home we didn't see anything.
I went to http://ww2.ca/ncliche/james.html and I liked the picture. It
is called "Spirits of Southbay Mouth" and the colours were pretty. The
hills remind me of the ones we near the bank of the river. The eyes in the
sky are so cool. I really like the picture because it reminds me of Fort
Severn where I have been living for the fourteen years of my life. I wish I
could draw like that. James Simon is a very good artist, he sure can draw.
I have seen all his pictures and they're all good and pretty. But I like
"Spirits of Southbay Mouth" the most. That's why I wrote about it. It also
reminds me of the Bay we have in (community) , and it is called Hudson Bay.
My painting is located on
http://www.avag.ca/artists/hughmckenzie/index.html
when you go on it, it is
the picture of the buck.
One time my uncle took my brother and I fishing. We took shotguns
just in case if we saw any geese. We were going to a place called
Niskibee, we were fishing at the mouth of the river we killed sixteen
speckle trout in a half an hour altogether. So we moved down inside the
river with our four wheelers. When we got to a different spot my uncle
looked where we were before and saw one herd of caribou of about one
thousand. We had no rifle to shoot them. But we got close to the herd
about fifty yards away from the herd. We went back fishing and killed
about thirty fish altogether and five geese. On the way home we saw a
polar bear. It start to run away from us towards the bay. We kept driving
and saw goslings with its mother we caught them and then we let them go.
As we drove further we saw the herd again far near the tree line. We
didn't go near them because it was getting dark out and we had to get home.
Art
Title; Untitiled 19 {Hugh Mckenzie}
www.avag.ca/artist/hughmckenzie/index.html
Story: Why the Eagles Flew South?
Many, many years ago, there were eagles every where around a lake that had
many fish. They had nests and caves to live in all around. But one day, a
baby eagle hatched and was acting like all baby eagles were.......crying
for food. The new born quickly grew up and his mother was teaching him how
to catch fish and hunt for food. The young Eagle young eagle grew up quick
and he was happy living with the other eagles.
But one day, it became dark and there were no sun. The eagles were getting
the caves ready for the day when they have to get food for storage. The
Eagle's mother told him to get lots of fish and small animals for the
winter. The Eagle's mother told him what winter is and what it looks like.
The next day snow came down and all the eagles flew down to the caves for
protection. The snow was terrible for the eagles, but some times some of
the older eagles will come out and find some food. Some eagles died of
being too cold.
Finally months past and spring came, and the sun was up. All of the eagles
went out to look for more food around the lake. One day the young Eagle
meet a young Hawk. The young Hawk asked the Eagle why they didn't go south
for the winter. The young Eagle didn't know what the south is or where it
is, so the Hawk told everything about the south and told him that when the
snow falls you go south where the warm sun is. And you can also come back
when the snow is over. The Eagle was amazed and went back to the lake to
tell the others. The eagles were happy to know that they don't have to
suffer from starving or getting frozen.
During the summer they lived their lives and were happy as usual. When the
clouds grew dark again and there were no sun. The next day the snow came
down and everybody flew to the air and followed the rest of the birds that
were flying south. The eagles reached south and found a lake that has lots
of fish like their lake up north.
Finally spring came in the north and the eagles flew back to the lake. From
that day on the eagles now fly south for the winter. END
Mother Earth
Mother earth was sleeping on the ground that she had made and her
blanket was the grass . Suddenly she was awakened by a loud noise and saw a
machine digging on her head. She got up and told the people in yellow coats
to get lost, but they kept coming back. She got so angry that she blew the
people in yellow coats away with a big gust of wind and she went back to
bed to have her nap.
The painting is located at;
http://ww2.isys.ca/ncliche/james.html
This is the wed site I went to
http://ww2.isys.ca/ncliche/james.html
This picture is very pretty. This story is about my friend that came to me
and said" Lets go to that mountain, and I replied "okay. We went to that
mountain. We didn't see the colour of the geese yet. Not until my friend
fell down the mountain into the water. She yelled out to me to come down
to look at the beautiful geese that were in the water. After that, we went
home to tell our parents what we saw. They didn't believe us when we told
them. The next day , we showed them where the mountain where. They were
shocked when they saw it. And we went home.
THE MAN THAT GOT LOST IN THE WILDERNESS
ONE DAY A MAN NAMED DANNY WAS SITTING IN THE TEEPEE WITH HIS FAMILY.
THEN ONE DAY HE WONDERING AROUND THE WOODS WITHOUT ASKING WHERE
HE WAS
HEADING.THEN HE FELL DOWN THE RIVER AND SHOUTED"HELP".THEN HE WAS VERY
SCARED TO DIE,BECAUSE HA DOESN'T WANT TO LEAVE HIS FAMILY YET.THEN
HE TRIED
TO SWIM BACK TO SHORE,AND COULDN'T MAKE IT.THEN HE THOUGHT THAT HIS FAMILY
WILL COME TO RESCUE HIM.BUT DANNY TALK TO HIMSELF AND SAID"I
SHOULDN'T OF
WONDERED AROUND THE WOODS".NOBODY CAME TO SAVE DANNY IN THE
WOODS NOT EVEN
HIS FAMILY.DANNY DIED ON THE BOARD AT THE SIDE OF THE RIVER BECAUSE HE
FROZE TO DEATH.
http://ww2.isys.ca/ncliche/strawberryisland2.jpg
THE ESCAPE
ONE DAY I WAS WALKING BY THE NORTHERN STORE AND. THEN I SAW CHYNA RUNNING
FROM THE STORE.SHE WAS RUNNING FASTER THEN DARYL SO SHE GOT A WAY
FROM HIM.
SHE BODYSLAMED JIMMY GOBASSHIE AS HARD AS SHE COULD TO THE
GROUND.SHE THEN DROVE
GARY'S CAR TO THE AIRPORT AND JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND THEN SHE RAN
AWAY
DEEP IN TO THE WOODS OFF OF THE AIRPORT.BACK IN ____________ THE POLICE WERE
CALLED BECAUSE THE NORTHERN WAS ROBBED.THE ___________ POLICE BEGAN LOOKING
FOR CHYNA IN THE WOODS BY THE AIRPORT.THEY SEARCH FOR HOURS AND
NEVER DID
FOUND CHYNA.MEANWHILE CHYNA CAME UPON A RIVER AND LAYED DOWN
BESIBE IT.SHE
BEGAN THINKING OF ALL THE BAD THINGS SHE HAD DONE.SHE DESIDED TO GO
BACK TO
____________AND TURN HERSELF IN TO THE POLICE.
THE GEESE'S REVENGE
One hot summer day the geese had a meeting. The meeting
was about,who wants to fly north. All the geese had names.
The meeting was over and only four geese wanted to fly north.
Their names were JEFFREY,BOBBY,SHAWN,AND ARMAND. They didn't
know which place to fly. One day in (community) there was going
to be an hunting festival. The geese didn't have no idea what
was going on. While they were flying they heard lots of geese
flying behind them. So they landed. The other geese landed on
the same spot too. It was morning that day and foggy. They
rested and swam all morning until they saw a decoy. They thought
that goose died and freezed. They saw a strange thing and it
was big and red. They didn't"t know what it was until they heard
a shot. So they escaped and flew away. Their one friend was killed
and his name was SHAWN. The geese got sad and mad. Then one
geese said lets go scared them. The other geese said sure.
So that night they went to the woods and cracked some trees
and howl like an monster. The men went to their boat as quickly
as they could and they drove off. After they scared them they
celebrated and lived there until the next winter.
I've selected a painting and it has a mother and her child lying down.
The address was http://ww2.isys.ca/ncliche/james.html,
and I've made up a
story.
Long, long ago, in the time of giants there lived a man who was in a war.
He was a great warrior, he killed people, families, and innocent children
that was not in his tribe. His name was Miikwaan, he was a mean, and rowdy
man. Sometimes Miikwaan regretted killing innocent families. A few years
later Miikwaan became chief of the tribe. He was tired of war. He called
for peace for the tribes all around the land. Then he married a woman.
Miikwaan had a son, he was proud to have a son. Then a few months later,
an evil spirit came and the whole tribe became sick and some people died of
that sickness. His wife and son became sick. Days later the wife and son
died of that sickness. Miikwaan cried for days and wondered why didn't he
die of that sickness. Miikwaan went to the evil spirit and then Miikwaan
asked the evil spirit,"Why didn't I die?" the evil spirit replied,"You
didn't die because you are one of us." Miikwaan became angry and fought
the evil spirit until Miikwaan died.
Appendix C:
Consent Forms for Learner
Participation in Evaluation Interviews
