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IC First Nations SchoolNet and KO supports on-line content for FN schools

March 30, 2004 - 7:57pm | by Anonymous

Since the fall of 2003, Keewaytinook Okimakanak, as Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet Ontario Regional Management Organization, has been supporting six different on-line First Nation curriculum and resource development initiatives with different groups from across the province. These online curriculum resources provide a rich variety of First Nation specific educational material resources that addresses a large gap in culturally appropriate, regional content. The people and First Nation organizations engaged in these developmental initiatives joined other educators at the Native Language conference held in Thunder Bay last weekend to showcase their work over these past few months. Watch for new web portals as they become live over the next few days.

1. G8 Supplementary Courses Program Online

The G8 Supplementary Courses Program (

www.g8.firstnationschools.ca) aims to help Gade 8 students transition into high school through the delivery of supplementary courses in Math, Science and English. This online curriculum provides educational resources that fit the needs and abilities of students and teachers in diverse communities.

Fernando Oliveira (

fernandooliveira@knet.ca) is a teacher and curriculum developer who uses the Internet to deliver educational resources for First Nations elementary schools. As the developer and course instructor for the Grade 8 Supplementary Courses Program, Fernando has spend the last year creating an online program that is accessed by students in First Nations elementary schools across Ontario. Prior to this project, Fernando was a teacher in Poplar Hill and Fort Severn First Nations with Keewaytinook Internet High School (KiHS).  

2. NAN Decade for Youth Website

The NAN Youth Decade Website (www.nandecade.ca) has converted existing resource material on suicide prevention and awarness, geared at secondary and post-secondary students, from paper to a web-based format.

This site provides downloadable resource information for students to use personally or as part of class projects, including interactive peer-helping materials.

The site also identifies and provides linkages to mental health, suicide prevention, youth empowerment and peer helping websites.

Melanie Goodchild (mgoodchi@nan.on.ca) is the NAN Decade for Youth and Development Coordinator; she has overseen the compilation of materials and the overall creative design of the NAN Youth Decade website.

3. Noojmowin-Teg Health Portal

Noojmowin Teg Health Centre, on Manitoulin Island, created a health information portal for First Nations that functions as an online student learning tool. The content of this online learning tool was designed to meet the learning objectives set out in the Ontario Curriculum for Health and Physical Education for children in grades 3 to 5 and it focuses on Aboriginal approaches to address health promotion and physical activity.

Marion Maar

 (marion.maar@noojmowin-teg.ca) is the Project Manager for the Noojmowin –Teg Health Portal. Ms. Maar is a medical anthropologist who has worked in the area of Aboriginal health research for 10 years. She has worked as a researcher developing and implementing evaluation frameworks for provincial health strategies as well as community-based Aboriginal health systems. She has worked for the past 6 years as the Research and Evaluation Coordinator at Noojmowin Teg.

4. Ontario First Nations Technical Services Virtual Career Fair

The Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation (www.ofntsc.org) created its Aboriginal Virtual Career Fair website called Cool Careers (http://www.coolcareers.ca) to create an online resource accessible to Aboriginal youth, parents and educators in Ontario.

The Virtual Career Fair offers opportunities for a user to discover information on scientific and technology-based careers - opportunities, educational prerequisites, programs, and institutions and support mechanisms available in Ontario. In addition there is information on emerging sectors of the economy, availability of employment by region and sector, and motivational material, including a role model feature, and activity-based areas.

OFNTSC Project Team

  • Angela Crozier, Information Technology Technician and April Wemigwans, Junior Programmer - technical development of the site
  • Jamie Monastyrski, Communications Officer - site promotion and graphic design
  • Kevin Wesequate - research and content development; and
  • Kevin Sherlock, Skills Development Officer - sponsorship and future site development.

    • 5. Seven Generations Education Institute Native Language Curriculum

    Seven Generations Education Institute has converted existing Ojibway –language teaching curriculum, grades 1-10, from paper text teaching units to an electronic web-based format.

    Included in the materials are interactive worksheets, games, and puzzles for the students to accompany the units and linkage to Aboriginal websites as deemed appropriate.

    Dennis Jones

    Boozhoo indinawemaaganidok. Pebaamibines indigo Anishinaabemong idash Dennis Jones ingikenimigo gaye. Bizhiw niin indoodem. Aapichi jiikinaagozi indoodem. Nigigoonsiminikaaning izhinikaade ishkonigan wenjiyaan.

    Dennis Jones is a band member of the Nicickousemenecaning First Nation where he runs an Ojibwe Language Immersion Camp. He is presently working with the Seven Generations Education Institute as an Anishinaabe Language Advisor for the 2003-04 school year. He is currently on sabbatical from his regular teaching position at the University of Minnesota’s American Indian Studies Department where he teaches Ojibwe Language and Culture.

    Dennis Jones graduated in1982 with a Teachers Certificate from Lakehead University in Thunder Ba. In 1985 he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Native Studies from Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, and is currently working on a Masters of Indigenous Knowledge with the Seven Generations Educational Institute.

    Sheila Orwick

    is a member of Naotkamegwanning First Nation and the Clan Bizhiw, Lynx. She received her BA/B.Ed from Lakehead University and is working on her thesis for a Masters of Science in Education. Over the last 10 years Sheila has taught at the elementary, high school and college levels; she has experience in school administration and teaching native language. She is currently the Anishinaabe Language Researcher at the Seven Generations Education Institute working on language retention and revitalization initiatives, Anishinaabemowin programming, and curriculum development.

    6. Wawatay News Online Student Learning Tools

    Wawatay Native Communications Society (Newspaper Department) produced a digital news archive from examples of newspaper issues from its 30 years of publishing. Curriculum-ready interactive exercises make these news archive materials useful and appealing to students and teachers, especially for students attending high school in isolated communities that now lack culturally relevant digitized resource materials.  A searchable database makes the text more accessible by enabling users to carry out keyword searches.

    Alvin Fiddler

    is the Digital Archive Coordinator responsible for overseeing the digitization of 30 years of English and Ojibway text and images from Wawatay News.

    Alvin has been a Graphic Designer with Wawatay Native Communications Society since July 2001. Duties include the digital layout of the bi-weekly newspaper, numerous design and production contracts, and the coordination of the archive digitization project. He supervises two staff and has experience as a web-designer and Internet instructor with Shibogama First Nations Council.

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