Media.Knet.Ca

A new "course" has been established by Fernando Oliveira, the on-line Grade 8 Supplementary Courses instructor, to support First Nation educators to explore and discuss different features required to support the creation of an effective e-learning environment for First Nation learners. First Nation educators are invited to join in this effort by signing up for an account at http://moodle.knet.ca

The open source Moodle environment was selected to be the main platform because it is presently being used in at least three First Nation e-learning programs with participants from across Ontario and Northern Saskatchewan. Participants in the two day planning workshop held in Balmertown and on-line produced a set of recommendations, one of which was to continue this planning work on-line using this tool. The workshop was made possible through funding from Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program and the Ontario Regional Management Organization.

The agenda and workshop report along with some video clips are posted on-line within the MoodleFN course.

As part of Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program, Cal Kenny (http://calkenny.myknet.org) joined seven students, three staff and the expedition leader (Burton Penner - http://canada-dogsled.com) on a two day dog sledding wilderness adventure.

Cal is the Graphic and Web Site Designer at Keewaytinook Okimakanak, the Regional Management Organization for the First Nation SchoolNet Program. His work is becoming more and more involved in video production and publishing this material on the internet.

Three video clips from this adventure are now available on the internet for everyone to view. As well, a special series about this educational adventure is being published in the Chronicle-Journal (click here to read the first article from the Feb 5 issue). A write up about the 2004 dog sledding trip is contained in the Wawatay Newspaper - April 8, 2004 

The three video clips include (click on either High - high speed connections or Lower for dial up type connections to view):

1. Heading out to the camp -
   High Quality  or  Lower Quality
   
2. Trapping Beaver -
   High Quality  or  Lower Quality
   
3. The Return Trip -
   High Quality  or  Lower Quality

Everyone is welcomed to share their dog sledding stories and thoughts about these videos and this experience that the students undertook.

Please check out our regular updates of our educational trip to Ottawa, ON. online at http://www.nnec.on.ca/pffnhs/specialevents  

Eight Co-op students are leaving Sunday for downhill skiing, lunch on the hill, visit with MP Valley, tour of Ottawa U and to attend the BFF Conference.

Seventeen First Nation grade 8 classrooms are participating in the next round of on-line Math supplementary course material being offered to First Nation schools across Ontario. Visit http://g8.firstnationschools.ca to see a list of the communities involved in this Math course. There are over 180 students registered to participate in this experience that is made possible through funding provided by Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program.

This year, many of the grade 8 classrooms are being supported by youth workers who have been hired by Keewaytinook Okimakanak to work in the different First Nation schools across Ontario providing technical and web support for their local schools and community groups. To date over 45 youth have been employed by this project.

As part of Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program, Keewaytinook Okimakanak works with First Nation schools across Ontario searching for ways to get them connected to broadband connectivity infrastructure necessary for video conferencing and other applications. On Feb 2, three Eagle Lake First Nation representatives travelled to Sioux Lookout to discuss various applications and opportunities for getting their local school a broadband connection that would support these applications.

Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation (OFNTSC) is partnering with a number of programs, including Keewaytinook Okimakanak's Regional Management Organization (a project funded by Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program) to bring the popular presentation "Soar with Science" to First Nation classrooms across the province. Twelve showings of this program are now scheduled ... click here to read more about this program and the shows

Contact Kevin Sherlock at (807) 623-9595 or ksherlock@tbay-ofntsc.org for more information.

On Wednesday January 26th 2005, Canada Connects moderated  a National Round Table Discussion on how broadband technologies could be used for the competitive advantage of Canada and Canadians.

The event was webcasted using the K-Net Breeze presentation platform and is available for viewing at http://breeze.knet.ca/p78044893/. An article about the meeting and discussion was published in the latest ORION newsletter (click here to read the article).

Everyone is invited to participate in a much larger debate that will provide all Canadians with an opportunity to take part in the exploration of how our businesses, institutions, communities, citizens and country can adapt to the new opportunities provided by broadband infrastructure and connectivity.

To register for the National Vision announcement list, or to find out how you can be heard in this national debate please visit: http://www.canadaconnects.ca/nationalvision

Assembly of First Nations National Chief States Expected Outcomes from the Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable Follow-up Discussions

OTTAWA, Jan. 27 /CNW Telbec/ - January 26th marked the close of the final follow-up session to the Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable. The Roundtable, convened by Prime Minister Paul Martin o­n April 19, 2004, was an opportunity for the Assembly of First Nations and other Aboriginal organizations to engage directly o­n a new agenda and a new relationship with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. In follow-up, six "sectoral sessions" were held over the past months to deal with priority issues that emerged from the Roundtable: Health, Lifelong Learning (Education), Housing, Economic Opportunities, Negotiations and Accountability (which wrapped-up yesterday).

Click here to read the entire AFN press release

Click here to read the AFN background and position papers for each of the roundtable discussion forums

SUMMARY OF AFN'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SIX CANADA-ABORIGINAL PEOPLES ROUNDTABLE SECTORAL SESSIONS
        ------------------------------------------------------------

At the Health session, First Nations called for a clear commitment to facilitate sustainable, accountable and culturally sensitive First Nation health systems. Specific recommendations included the implementation of commitments made at 2004 First Ministers Meeting o­n Health with Aboriginal leaders:

    - critical investments upstream in key areas such as diabetes; and
    - a reasonable rate of growth based o­n real cost drivers to ensure the sustainability of all First Nation health programming.

    In addition, AFN brought forward the need for First Nations public health infrastructure to promote prevention and supportive programming as an integral aspect of transforming health outcomes of First Nation peoples.

    In Lifelong Learning, First Nations participants carried the message that First Nation control of universal, holistic and sustainable First Nation learning systems is required. Specific targeted outcomes are expected in several areas including:

    - Ensuring comparability with the general population in all aspects of K-12 education for First Nation students
    - Developing First Nation education authorities to provide critical supportive infrastructure
    - Addressing gaps and needs as they relate to early childhood education and child welfare

    AFN also recommended a thorough review of federal and provincial skills training programming to ensure that the young First Nation population is equipped to take their rightful place in the Canadian economy.

    In Housing, the AFN advocated for:

    - urgent action to eliminate the backlog of housing and shelter needs confronting First Nations people;
    - the longer term goal of implementing First Nations control of housing through new entities that will govern, maintain and manage First Nations housing systems in a sustainable, secure manner.

    In Economic Opportunities, the AFN advocated:

    - the need to position First Nations as integral players in the Canadian economy through recognizing First Nations' rightful place in resource development, environmental stewardship, job training and business development.

    An initial concrete action in this regard would be updating Canada's Aboriginal Economic Development strategy to ensure it is serving the economic interests and requirements of First Nations.
    In the Negotiations session, National Chief Fontaine stated he was particularly pleased with the dialogue that converged with focused recommendations, including the Minister of Indian Affairs' public instructions to his departmental negotiators to be flexible and creative in their discussions with First Nations. The AFN stated that:

    - a new approach is required for First Nation negotiations which reflects court rulings over the last decade and is inclusive of self-government, land claims and treaty implementation;
    - reconciliation must become the common goal of negotiations, which can be achieved through new, multi-dimensional, multi-jurisdictional approaches.

    At the Accountability session that wrapped up this week, First Nations challenged the government to:

    - commit to reciprocal accountability from the federal government to First Nations and not simply more reporting by First Nations to the federal government, based o­n principles of a government-to-government relationship
    - a broad First Nation accountability framework that will provide meaningful assessments, equipping First Nations and the Governments of Canada to track real progress in addressing the shameful conditions facing the majority of First Nations communities;
    - ensuring accountability to First Nation citizens first and foremost; and
    - developing supportive institutions such as a First Nations Auditor-General.

On Wednesday morning, three members of the Wahsa teaching team (Doug LeConte, Al Morrison and Marvin Osmond) meet at K-Net to get a tour of some of the e-learning tools being utilized by members of Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet team. Some of the potential program and course delivery strategies being explored and developed for students enrolled in the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council include:

• using video conferencing to share high school courses between Wahsa Distance Education Centres located in First Nations across the north, Pelican Falls First Nations High School in Sioux Lookout, Dennis Cromarty High School in Thunder Bay and Eagle Nest High School in Ear Falls;
• developing content and delivering programs and courses using the macromedia Breeze platform;
• integrating and complementing these different delivery tools with an e-learning platform that meets their needs, for example the moodle environment.

On Thursday morning, four members of the Wawatay team met at K-Net to discuss possible program and service delivery strategies for their organization that would support a stronger o­n-line presence in all their operations (newspaper, radio and television). Martin Tuesday, Alvin Fiddler, Leroy Fiddler and George Witham (via telephone) discussed various strategies for developing their infrastructure to support a variety of o­n-line applications that would see and support local First Nations being able to develop and deliver a wider range of community radio programming by linking radio stations o­n-line. Wawatay's web presence is now delivering current news stories and radio programming with the directions lead by Alvin and Leroy.

Four positions with the new Northern o­ntario School of Medicine (NOSM) are being advertised. Three of the positions as the Aboriginal Community Coordinator will be spread across Northern O­ntario with offices located in Timmins, Sault Ste Marie and Sioux Lookout. The fourth position, Program Coordinator – Aboriginal Affairs will be located in Thunder Bay. See below for the complete job advertisements ...

JOB POSTING

Competition Number	2004-100-KG
Position Title	Aboriginal Community Coordinator (3 positions available)
Salary Grade	To Be Determined
Unit	UME
Location	1 position located in Timmins 1 position located in Sioux Lookout 1 position located in Sault Ste. Marie
Category	One (1) year contract (Full time)
Internal Control Report
Competition Closing Date	February 11, 2005 at 4:00 p.m.

PRINCIPLES:

The Northern o­ntario School of Medicine (NOSM) is a joint venture of Laurentian University and Lakehead University.With main campuses in Sudbury and Thunder Bay, the School will have multiple teaching and research sites distributed across Northern o­ntario, including large and small communities.

As an organization, the School is committed to achieving its vision, mission and values through a strategic plan articulated through a series of strategy documents which provide the context for specific operational plans of Medical School groups, units and teams and position descriptions of individual team members.This position’s contribution will be measured by its ability to contribute to the achievement of the goals, vision and mission of the Northern o­ntario School of Medicine.

Reporting directly to the Associate Dean – Undergraduate Medical Education (UME), or his/her designate, this position will be responsible for assisting the Distributed Sites Office in annual preparation of and arranging for first-year medical student placements within Aboriginal communities.The Coordinators will be responsible to coordinate within their region the details of ensuring the distributed sites are o­n board and ready for students.These positions will also act as ambassadors for the School to champion local collaboration between communities and the School.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Tasks may include but are not limited to the following:

• Coordination of the detailed operational logistics of first-year student placements in Aboriginal communities that meet the program needs and also meet the remote placement guidelines.
• To liaise with community leaders, medical and health care staff to coordinate the details of student placements and establish local working groups.
• Identify issues with placements and coordinate the development of solutions within the community.
• To make formal and informal presentations to community groups about the School and Aboriginal placements
• To coordinate meetings with local community groups such as Chief and Council and Health Centres, Nursing Stations which may include other Medical School staff participating.
• To identify living accommodation options for students.
• Act as a role model for the organization within the northern communities.
• Significant travel o­n behalf of the organization to and from various Northern communities.
• Participate in remote site program evaluation
• To support the formalization of the commitment between communities and the Medical School to host students long –term through a variety of agreements such asMemorandums of Understanding, Band Council Resolutions and Affiliation Agreements

Key Results Required

• Evidence of community engagement (information distribution, coordinating information sessions etc.).
• Evidence of contribution towards community commitments (Memorandums of Understanding, Band Council Resolutions, Affiliation Agreements, etc).
• Evidence of the School’s accountability to communities (concerns notes and directed, suggestions forwarded to appropriate staff etc.).

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

• Post-secondary education in a related field (Business Administration, Social Sciences, Health Administration, Indigenous Studies) or its equivalent in knowledge and experience.

Experience:

• Demonstrated experience in community development
• Demonstrated familiarity with various computer software applications.
• Demonstrated experience working in Aboriginal communities

Knowledge of:

• Various health programs, regulations, and procedures of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and other Federal/Provincial Governments as they relate to health care and funding arrangements with the First Nation
• Aboriginal culture and traditions
• Cultural diversity of Northern o­ntario
• Rural and remote community living experiences
• Medical resources in rural and remote communities
• Socio-economic conditions of the First Nations of Northern o­ntario
• The Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations that apply to the work being performed

Ability to:

• Respond to a variety of information requests in a timely manner
• Prepare and deliver presentations to both small and large groups
• Communicate at a high level of expertise.Strong verbal and written skills will be essential in completing a variety of communication tasks, such as report writing.
• Deliver high quality work
• Work independently and as part of a team
• Travel (by car or plane) o­n behalf of the organization as needed

Personal Suitability:

• Familiarity with northern health services
• Mental and physical fitness to perform essential job functions including travel
• High tolerance for change and ambiguity
• Balanced life-style
• Confidence; enthusiasm
• Interpersonal skills

Language:

• Must be able to communicate effectively in English (verbally, written and comprehension).
• Aboriginal language skills would be a considerable asset.

Interested candidates are invited to submit a resume along with the Competition Number 2004-100-KG to:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 JOB POSTING

Competition Number	2004-134-BH
Position Title	Program Coordinator – Aboriginal Affairs
Salary Grade	To Be Determined
Unit	Aboriginal Affairs
Location	Thunder Bay campus
Category	One (1) year contract
Internal Control Report
Competition Closing Date	February 11, 2005 at 4:00 p.m.

PRINCIPLES:

The Northern o­ntario School of Medicine is a joint venture of Laurentian University and Lakehead University.With main campuses in Sudbury and Thunder Bay, the Medical School will have multiple teaching and research sites distributed across Northern o­ntario, including large and small communities.

As an organization, the Medical School is committed to achieving its vision, mission and values through a strategic plan articulated through a series of strategy documents which provide the context for specific operational plans of Medical School groups, units and teams and position descriptions of individual team members.This position’s contribution will be measured by its ability to contribute to the achievement of the goals, vision and mission of the Northern o­ntario School of Medicine.

Reporting to the Director of Aboriginal Affairs, this position’s primary purpose is to provide assistance in the development of initiatives and programs which will be aimed toward the successful partnership of the Medical School and the Aboriginal groups as stated in the Report of the Aboriginal Workshop.This position will also serve as a resource person for the development of curriculum and Aboriginal initiatives.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Tasks may include but are not limited to the following:

• To assist in the development of culturally appropriate community engagement activities that will bring Aboriginal communities o­n board for the Year 1 Aboriginal Placement
• To assist in the coordination and development of initiatives recommended in the Report of the Aboriginal Workshop and as mandated by the Aboriginal Groups
• To participate in the preparation and setting of agendas for workshops and meetings related to Aboriginal initiatives
• To research Aboriginal learning materials that will complement the oral teachings of Aboriginal culture and traditions
• To assist in development of protocols/policies that are sensitive and responsive to the needs of Aboriginal people and communities
• To assist with the establishment of a mechanism or process for o­ngoing communication with Aboriginal groups
• To represent the Director and Unit at meetings, conferences etc. when appropriate
• To prepare briefing notes/updates o­n activities as required by Director.
• To coordinate the day to day activities of other Aboriginal Affairs Unit staff in the absence of the Director
• To maintain a contact database of the various stakeholders in the Aboriginal communities across the North
• To work collaboratively with the Admissions and Student Affairs Unit to identify opportunities to increase the awareness and participation of Aboriginal people in the development of the Medical School, including outreach activities and services for potential students and medical students
• To ensure, in consultation with the Director, that the curriculum developed within the Aboriginal medical education programs is appropriate and responsive to the needs of Aboriginal people
• To act as a role model of the organization’s values in daily activities
• To perform other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

A diploma in Aboriginal Studies, Business Administration, Nursing or Health or Human Sciences from a recognized institution with Canadian accreditation or its equivalent in knowledge and experience.

Experience:

Three years related experience

• Experience in the development of community-based health or education initiatives is essential
• Experience in the health care, social work or related fields particularly in Northern o­ntario
• Experience working with or strong understanding of Aboriginal communities, political structures, and healthcare systems within remote and Northern communities

Knowledge of:

• Computer office software (e.g., word processing, spreadsheets, databases, email, internet)
• Office practices and procedures
• University administration policies and procedures is an asset
• Aboriginal health care systems, o­n and off reserves
• Federal and Provincial legislation pertaining to Aboriginal peoples
• The Occupational Health & Safety Act and Regulations that apply to the work being performed

Ability to:

Multi-task in a high volume work environment

• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Effectively communicate: face-to-face, phone, fax, email
• Understand and follow instructions and work with minimal supervision
• Work independently and as part of a team
• Operate a PC and work comfortably in a computerized office environment
• Gather and analyze data, compile information and draft reports
• Plan, organize and prioritize work
• Analyze and solve problems typically associated with responsibilities
• Use discretion and maintain confidentiality
• Exercise initiative and judgment and make decisions within position’s scope of authority
• Identify with the Northern o­ntario experience and/or issues common with rural and northern communities
• Work effectively under pressure
• Work evening and/or weekend hours when needed
• Work within established organizational practices, protocols and policies
• Work in a consultative and collaborative fashion with a variety of other units to further overall school strategic objectives
• Work with a variety of diverse groups and individuals while being sensitive to cultural differences

Personal Suitability:

• Mental and physical fitness to perform essential job functions
• High tolerance for change and ambiguity
• Balanced life-style
• Confidence; enthusiasm
• Interpersonal skills

Language:

• Must be able to communicate effectively in English (verbally, written and comprehension)
• Ability to communicate in o­ne of the Aboriginal languages of Northern o­ntario (Ojibway, Oji-Cree or Cree) is an asset

Interested candidates are invited to submit a resume along with the Competition Number 2004-134-BH to: