APPENDIX

E. Journals, Conferencing and Sharing Circles

How does the Dene Kede Program help to develop cultural self-awareness and promote self-development?

1. Reflection as a Stage in Learning

In the section "How is Dene Kede Taught?" (page 17-49), three stages in learning were described.

In the "Reflection" stage of learning, students, with the help of the teachers:

• decide what interests they have,
• consider what interests they will pursue,
• examine what they are having trouble learning,
• think about what is getting in the way of their learning,
• decide the next course of action: to review or reinforce, and
• reflect on what has been learned or present the result of their learning to the community.

Teacher feedback to the students is geared to the individual and his or her needs but is also based on cultural expectations and needs. The students are helped to understand their feelings toward what they are learning to enable them to find a place for themselves within the cultural community.

Traditionally children were very aware of the cultural and community expectations. With those as their reference point, children were encouraged to develop through self-monitoring, self evaluation and self-motivation. The good "students" were the ones who learned well independently through careful observation and listening.

Individualized and independent learning is discouraged when all students learn the same thing at the same time and at the same rate. In the Dene Kede program cultural key experiences enable students to learn in a more culturally familiar way: to observe, to listen, to try, all based on self-motivation and self-evaluation. But because the cultural way of beaming has been somewhat lost with formal schooling, it is necessary to supplement the reflective stage with activities such as conferencing-and sharing circles.

2. Methods for Creating Cultural Self-Awareness

There are several basic methods recommended to promote student reflection:

Journal Writing

• Students keep daily journals
• Feelings and thoughts about their experiences with the thematic units, the resource materials, the resource people, and the cultural activities are invited.
• Students are also invited to give input to follow-up activities or suggestions in other areas having to do with the Dene Kede program.
• The teacher can look for evidence that reveals students' attitudes toward their culture, language and perspectives being taught. Indications of growth, confusion, or negativism will be revealed in the journal. (Students may reveal a burning curiosity about certain topics or, conversely, a lack of understanding, disinterest, or lack of pride in their achievements.)
• The teacher should be appropriately discrete about the information that the student chooses to trust the teacher with.
• The teacher should respond helpfully and positively to the journals without making the students feel threatened or punished for what they have written.
• This is an opportunity for the students to practice their written language, but it should not be the focus. Teachers should not correct spelling or language unless meaning is not clear. During language arts or Dene Second Language lessons, the teacher can take recurring mistakes made in journal writing as a basis for a language lesson. At this time, do not reveal very personal information shared by the students. Reveal only as much as necessary to teach the language patterns or spelling.

One-on-One Conferencing

Teachers meet and talk with students individually.

• Conferencing can happen weekly, monthly, or after each thematic unit.
• This is an important time for the teacher to deal with things which have been revealed through the journal, or through observation of the student during class time or after cultural experiences and activities. It is a time for the teacher to provide feedback to the student on an individual basis about the student's work and feelings.
• Teachers should encourage, students to be reflective: to think through the complexities of things that have happened and to express their observations, concerns or feelings.
• The conference should be non-judgmental and encouraging. Allow for the student to evaluate his own work or behaviour. The student should be kept realistic in this.

Sharing Circles

• Students and teachers meet as a group to discuss the Dene Kede program.
• They may deal with topics such as how they feel about being Dene after a certain activity, or the importance they attach to a certain skill they have learned, or even how they feel about particular instructors.
• Students are encouraged to share their thoughts and feelings with one another. This is a student centered sharing circle and should not be dominated by the teacher.
• These are important opportunities for the teacher to model culturally appropriate ways of interacting with others to be maximally influential without being aggressive. The students should follow basic rules of interaction.
• Begin sharing with a free flow of comments and thoughts to create a comfortable atmosphere.
• Criticisms should be constructive.
• Oral sharing of ideas and feelings with others, be it just the teacher or other students, requires trust and risk-taking. It is, in itself, a valuable attitude to develop. Students learn the value of expressing themselves clearly so as not be misunderstood. Students learn the value of being sensitive and encouraging to others because they want to be treated in a similar way during these sharing times.
• Conflicts between individuals and families should be dealt with by the teacher in a non-judgemental and calm way.
• Once problems are identified, the group can be encouraged to think of solutions together. It is important for the teacher to support the students and help them put their solutions in place.

Conferences and Exchanges

• If resources allow, Dene Kede students from different communities should be given opportunities to meet and learn with and from each other.
• Students themselves should be involved in the planning and preparation of the conferences and exchanges for ownership purposes.
• Conferences can occur through computer modems and, where resources exist, by live satellite link-ups between communities.
• Conferences can be a sharing time for the students, to display for each other what they have learned or how they feel about what they have learned in their programs. It is an opportunity to build a Dene identity larger than the community.
• Teachers and principals can arrange for students to make presentations or prepare displays at teachers' conferences, Dene Nation Assemblies or other inter-community gatherings.

3. Cultural Self-Awareness: Teachers and Communities

Cultural self-awareness is not growth expected only of the students. Over the next few years, as the Dene Kede program grows, the participating teachers, schools and the communities will grow in their cultural self-awareness as well. In the same way that students need experiences and opportunities.to share their concerns and ideas with others, the Dene Kede teachers and community resource people would also profit from sharing circles and conferences in much the same fashion as the students. Such opportunities can be built into teachers' conferences and workshops both within and between regions. Even at the community level, school staff and Community Education Committee or parent groups can meet frequently in sharing circles.