CSUEd2013+poster

**abstract**: This poster will illustrate an action research project in an Ontario First Nations community. By means of info-graphics, the images and texts will trouble and provoke the cultural biases of Western/ settler based assessment practices. The project involved an iterative, dynamic process of inquiry, planning, action, and reflection among students, teachers, university researcher and community agencies to deconstruct, and re-emerge an assessment strategy based on an indigenous epistemology and value system linked to traditions and spirituality. The goal was to proactively transform the social landscape of assessment into an engaging, positive, inclusive, and active environment of shared development of assessment practices through oral story-telling, artistic / metaphoric representation of learning, and assessment criteria based on Four Directions teachings and the holistic notion of the indigenous learner. This poster will include a brief review of research on First Nations assessment practices in order to contextualize the research and highlight the important links between indigenous epistemologies, activities, school engagement, and academic outcomes. There will also be a highlight of the students’ voices about assessment, with additional perspectives from the teachers.

**exploration and emergence:** The poster engages the ebb and flow of traditional knowledge along the medicine wheel. I invite you to start your journey using your mind, body and spirit. Begin from the east (gold quadrant). This was the moment of discovery and emergence when we began the process of First Nations control of assessment. Our feasibility study and analysis from the Aboriginal Peoples Survey noted that the community was receptive in teaching their young people of the traditions and meanings. The school in this study was a "Private" high school, and the curriculum could be modified from its subject based roots. Instead of maths, history, science, and English, the framework of study was based on the cycle of ceremonies. The subject material from the Ontario curriculum was be laid upon the turtle's shell and given action of giving thanks by the Mohawk people. As educators, we noted the symbolic significance of the turtle's shell segments and how it connected with the cycle. It supported the Ontario Aboriginal Education Strategy. [|OAES found here]

**process**: Our students were focused on a project-based and inquiry-approach to understanding their world. You can see some of the process here ... [|students' projects] We used a self-reflection model ALACT to develop the assessment practice that was emergent and community developed. Purpose : Relational  + Accreditation Significance : Value of discovering your own truths <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">__Elements of Self-Study Data Gathering__ (adapted from <span class="SpellingError SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">LaBoskey <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"> 2004)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI',Tahoma,Verdana,'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Activity theory as broad umbrella of assessment
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI',Tahoma,Verdana,'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Reflective practice deals with the uncertainty of ideas --> <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">how well have they been explored and developed
 * <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Professionals can and do learn from everyday practices
 * <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Self-initiated
 * <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Focus on the improvement of practice
 * <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Interactive
 * <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Uses primarily qualitative methods
 * <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Validity is defined according to trustworthiness

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI',Tahoma,Verdana,'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">__Knowledge for, in and of Practice__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI',Tahoma,Verdana,'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">For: production of formal knowledge such as effective strategies to solve situations in practice  <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI',Tahoma,Verdana,'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">In: practical knowledge through challenging one’s own assumptions and reconsidering beliefs and actions  <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI',Tahoma,Verdana,'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Of: linking the understanding as one as life-long learner that attempts to problematize one’s practice as well as that of others <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI',Tahoma,Verdana,'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">__Suggested Process of S-STEP / ALACT model__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI',Tahoma,Verdana,'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Reflection: free-writes, critical incident questionnaires, written reflections, blogs, wiki entries, recordings <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI',Tahoma,Verdana,'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Experience: critical friend dialogues, roundtable reflections  <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI',Tahoma,Verdana,'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Exploration: identify and examine assumptions and critical events  <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI',Tahoma,Verdana,'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Interactions: learning about assessment <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI',Tahoma,Verdana,'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">__ALACT cycle__ (adapted from <span class="SpellingError SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Korthagen <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"> et al 2001) conducted on your specific assessment:
 * <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Action
 * <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Looking back / reflecting on the action
 * <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Awareness of essential aspects
 * <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Creating alternatives
 * <span class="NormalTextRun SCX210951479" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri,Sans-Serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Trial


 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">products: **

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">The high school students produced arts-based projects. You may see some their work here ... students' murals