Path of The Elders Blog

Track Rabbits and Trap Martens Online!

2010-05-31T06:43:00.000-07:00

So, how are you at reading animal tracks and hard-nose bargaining?

The neat thing about the Trapping Game is that it involves a lot more than simply catching animals.

First of all, you need to understand animal behaviour, learn how to read animal tracks, and figure out which traps are suitable for which type of animal.

Here I’m triumphantly collecting a rabbit!

Then once you’ve got your furs, you need to negotiate the price of your pelts with the factor at the Hudson’s Bay Company trading post.

That means that not only do you need to have some pretty sharp negotiating skills, but you also need to know what’s a fair price for the different type of furs.

Here I am in deep negotiations:

Oh yes, you also have to do all this while avoiding being mauled by hungry wolverines, falling into freezing water, or starving in the frozen wilderness!

As you can see, I failed to avoid the freezing water!

We wanted the Trapping Game to be entertaining, but we also wanted it to express the cultural significance of ndoho (the Cree word for hunting, fishing, and trapping in the bush); we wanted to explore the First People’s reciprocal relationship with the land and animals.

If you’re a teacher, the Trapping Game provides a great opportunity to talk about the historical relationship between the First Peoples and the Hudson's Bay Company.You can find detailed lesson plans in our Teachers’ Guides.

Good luck trapping! We'd love to hear about your adventures!

(And hopefully you’ll have better success at avoiding the wolverine than I did!)

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com.

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Are Schools a Production Line?

2010-05-28T04:38:00.000-07:00

“... we have sold ourselves into a fast food model of education. And it’s impoverishing our spirit and our energies as much as fast food is depleting our physical bodies.” – Sir Ken Robinson.

When I was in grade 5, my teacher constantly told my class that we needed to start preparing for university now.

For him, the entire K-12 system was merely prep for that final goal. Not once did he talk about why university was so important, or what life after university might look like. Not once did he consider any alternatives, such as the trades or the arts.

Of course, my grade 5 teacher was not alone in his views. Our education system is built around the idea that you pass from grade to grade until you ultimately go on to post-secondary education.

But what effect does this myopic focus have on students?

Linearity and Conformity

These are the two diseases plaguing our education system according to Sir Ken Robinson in his latest TED talk, "Bring on the Learning Revolution!"

Like David Williamson Shaffer’s egg-crate school, Robinson argues that our schools are modeled on an outdated system that is focussed on creating cookie-cutter workers.

Schools that are designed to simply move a student from grade to grade to college to job are not part of an education system. They are part of a production line.

So, what’s the answer?

Robinson advocated moving from an “industrial model of education” to one based “on principles of agriculture”:

“We have to recognize that human flourishing is not a mechanical process, it’s an organic process. And you cannot predict the outcome of human development; all you can do, like a farmer, is create the conditions under which they will begin to flourish.”

What do you think? Is our education system in need of a revolution?

And if you haven’t already, check out Robinson’s previous TED talk on creativity and education!

Free Aboriginal Resources for Teachers

2010-05-26T03:26:00.000-07:00

After you watch the Elders’ Stories video collection at PathoftheElders.com, check out “The Battle for Aboriginal Treaty Rights” in the CBC’s Digital Archives Website.

Through 17 short video and radio clips, the archives let you watch media coverage of Aboriginal issues spanning from 1971-1999.

Stories includes the 1985 Haida blockade, the funeral of Anthony Dudley George in 1995, the standoff at Gustafsen lake in 1995, and the Donald Marshall victory in 1999.

These digital archives are fascinating not only for their content, but also for seeing how media coverage of Aboriginal issues changed over the 30-year span: compare the interviewer’s language and attitude in the first clip in 1971 with the final clip in 1999!

1971: "Why Treaty Rights are Worth Fighting For"

Why Treaty Rights are Worth Fighting for.

The CBC Digital Archives Website.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Last updated: March 10, 2004

1999: Donald Marshall wins Supreme Court Victory

Donald Marshall Wins Supreme Court Victory

The CBC Digital Archives Website.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Last updated: March 16, 2004.

If you’re a teacher looking to introduce Aboriginal issues into the classroom, these video and audio clips provide a great starting place for discussing land claims and treaty rights with your students.

You could also compare the experience of watching the media coverage to watching the Elders’ videos on Path of the Elders.

While CBC’s digital archives give an overview of some of the major challenges facing Canada’s Aboriginal peoples, the Elders’ videos allow a more intimate glimpse of the day-to-day experiences growing up in an Aboriginal community.

For more free resources like the CBC’s digital archives, check out the Teachers’ Guides at PathoftheElders.com!

Elders' Stories Video Collection Lets You Share in the Oral Tradition

2010-05-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

While you’re busy getting ready for the upcoming contest by playing the games at PathoftheElders.com, don’t forget to check out some of its other features!

The Elders’ Stories video collection is one of the most valuable resources at Path of the Elders.

Honouring the oral tradition, here you have the rare opportunity to listen to Elders share their stories and memories.

Often recorded in Cree, these videos not only give you compelling glimpses into Mushkegowuk culture and history, but they are also part of our efforts to preserve and promote the Cree language.

While the Elders' Stories video collection is fascinating for its content, it’s also an important record of our country's past from an Aboriginal perspective.

Are you an educator?

Our Teachers’ Guides provide detailed information on how to integrate the Elders’ Video Collection into your lesson plans.

Here are some of my favourite videos:

1) Staying in school - Path of the Elders

This video is a fascinating glimpse into some of the challenges Aboriginal students faced in residential schools as they struggled to maintain their traditional way of life. Edmond Edwards describes having difficulty paying attention in class because he was thinking about getting ready for the fall hunt, and how it was difficult to learn English when his parents only spoke Cree.

2) Life then and now - Path of the Elders

How was life different in the early 20th century? John Kataquapit describes some of the changes he's seen over his lifetime, including moving from dog teams to ski-doos, and the advent of running water.

3) Starvation - Path of the Elders

Emile Sutherland shares some of the stories his father told him about the methods his people used to combat food shortages. He talks about how everyone used to share in the food when a caribou was killed.

4) Marriage, parents, responsibilities - Path of the Elders

What was life like from a woman's perspective? Anna Bella Solomon talks about her wedding, her experiences raising her siblings and her own children, and her duties towards her parents.

Do you have a favourite video?

How Games Affect Our Lives: From Job Training and Education to Stories and Politics

2010-05-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

From using game-based learning (GBL) for job training, to how Nazis used game boards as part of their propaganda campaign, here are this week’s top links!

What stands out for me in these articles is the tremendous influence games have on our lives. Not only can we learn specific skills from games, but they also affect our perception of the world and ourselves.

Enjoy some Friday reading, and we look forward to hearing your comments!

And don’t forget!

Path of the Elders will soon be announcing the details of its upcoming contest!

Make sure you’re ready to compete – visit PathoftheElders.com to practice your trapping, hunting, and canoeing skills!

1)   OK, game-based learning is fine for kids, but is it really useful for adults?

This is the question Helen Routledge, GBL Instructional Design Manager at Pixelearning, answers in her interview posted on G-Cube Solutions’ blog, “Game-Based Learning – Fad or Future?” Routledge talks about some of the ways game-based learning is being used in the corporate world.

From the type of learner best suited to game-based learning to the challenges game designers face, this is a quick introduction for anyone interested in the use of game-based learning outside of the classroom.

2)   As the world watches the environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, students get a timely opportunity to experience first-hand what’s involved in heading a major clean-up operation.

This week, the Educational Technology blog gives us a link to an article from the New York Times that looks at how schools are using the online game “Spill”. In the article “Avatars go to School, Letting Students Get a Feel for the Work World,” students talk about their experiences playing a role-playing game (RPG) that lets them help the mayor of New York clean up the city.

If you’re interested in how schools are using game-based learning, this article is a must!

3)   How does repetition affect a game’s story?

In “The Incoherence of Reincarnation: Story vs Telling in Videogames,” Peter Mawhorter provides a thoughtful and articulate article about the use of repetition in games. If a hero can repeatedly die and then come back life is the story no longer believable? Does the fact that characters often have repetitive conversations in game ruin the effect?

If you’re in the mood for some Friday afternoon reflection, you’ll find this short article thought-provoking.

4)   Think games don’t influence people?

In “The Political Power of Games,” Jorge Albor blogs about his visit to the Jewish Museum in Berlin.

What’s fascinating (and disturbing) is his discovery of a series of board games made in Germany during the Nazi regime.

If you’ve ever doubted the influential power of games, this post will convince you otherwise.

Do you have a link you’d like to share? Let us know!

Upcoming Contest at Path of the Elders!

2010-05-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

Think you’ve got Path of the Elders all figured out?

Prove it.

Path of the Elders is getting ready to announce its June contest!

So, have you been practicing your canoeing and portaging skills?
Can you shoot a moose from a canoe?
Do you know how to use medicinal plants?
Can you read Cree syllabics?

If not, you had better hop over to PathoftheElders.com and brush up on your skills. Competition is going to be fierce!

Better start practicing.

Keep watching for contest details!

Learn Cree Language During a Scavenger Hunt!

2010-05-17T06:11:00.000-07:00

The Healing Game: This Week's Feature!

One of the most popular games at PathoftheElders.com, the Healing Game is modeled after an old-fashioned scavenger hunt!

It’s up to you to collect and administer 10 traditional medicinal plants. Along the way, you must avoid dangerous animals, navigate mazes, and read Cree syllabics!

Here you can see my less than successful encounter with a black bear:

One of the neat features about this game is that each plant comes with:

Its Cree name and syllabics
An English translation of its Cree name (which wasn't always easy to find!)
An explanation of how this plant has been used in traditional bush medicine.

So, as you can see from the picture below, the Cree name for Labrador Tea is “Kakike-Pokway”, which means “Infinite Plants” – so-called because they stretch for as far as the eye can see. Labrador Tea is used for treating diarrhea, arthritic pain, chest pain, and backaches!

If you’re using Path of the Elders in the classroom, the Healing game is a great opportunity to talk about traditional bush medicinal and to discuss Aboriginal medicinal practices were affected by the new diseases brought by European settlers.

Check out our comprehensive Teachers’ Guides for innovative suggestions for integrating the Healing Game with your lesson plans!

So, are you up for the challenge? Let us know how you do!

(Oh, and be careful not to fall in the lake....)

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

This Week in Education and Serious Games

2010-05-14T04:42:00.000-07:00

Are you a teacher looking to use online games in the classroom? Interested in issues relating to education and technology?

Check out this week’s top links!

1) Assessment is always a hot topic in education!

In “Looking Where the Light is Bad,” J.P. Gee and D.W. Shaffer argue that we need to revolutionize the way we assess students by making tests more like games. According to them, our current forms of assessment, such as standardized testing, are no longer a relevant or accurate depiction of progress.

Accessible and engaging!

2) If you’re an educator looking to use games in the classroom, you might be interested in Thorkild Hanghoj and Rikke Magnussen’s “The Role of the Teacher in Facilitating Educational Games: Outlining a Game Pedagogy.”

While most papers focus on students' interaction with games, this paper takes a different approach by looking at how the teacher’s role changes with games in the classroom!

It’s a bit heavy going, but if you’re interested in a different perspective on gaming and teaching it makes a fascinating read.

3) For something lighter, check out Oliver J. Chiang’s article “Video Games that Can Change the World.” It's a great overview of some the advances being made in the world of serious gaming. (You might also be interested in Jane McGonigal's talk, "Gaming Can Make a Better World"!)

4) OK, it’s Friday afternoon – time to kick back and watch a video. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Sir Ken Robinson’s classic TED talk on schools and creativity:

And finally, if you're interested in all things related to gaming, education, and technology be sure to check out the 7th Annual Games for Change Festival!

Have a link you would like to share? Let us know!

3 Ideas for Using Path of the Elders in the Classroom

2010-05-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

You can find comprehensive Teachers’ Guides for grades 4-10 at PathoftheElders.com, but to get you started here are 3 easy ideas for integrating On the Path of the Elders into the classroom!

1) The Canoeing Game stresses the importance of working together while drawing attention to the historical circumstances surrounding the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Before playing the Canoeing Game, use geometry to lead into a discussion about the events surrounding the treaty signing!

Give each of your students a set of tangrams and ask them to create a series of specific shapes. (Click here for a tangram outline). Insist that they work on the problems individually and give them a short time limit.

Once your students have failed to complete all the puzzles in the given time, divide the class into small groups and allow them to work on the problems together.

Ask each group to share their results with the class. Discuss how working as a group changed the problem solving process.

Explain that during the negotiations for Treaty No. 9, the government representatives approached each Aboriginal band individually. Discuss as a class how the treaty negotiations may have been different if all the bands had been able to work together. You can use the Interactive Treaty Map to guide your discussion!

2) The Trapping Game shows how the Mushkegowuk and Anishinaabe peoples depended on their trapping and hunting skills to survive during the long winter months in Northern Ontario.

Have your students read Chapter 1 of the Essay ("Who Are the Anishinaabe and Mushkegowuk Peoples?") and browse through the Deschatelets Archive photo collection.

Discuss how location and climate affects our way of life. Ask your students to think about how their lives would be different if they were cut off from the amenities that we take for granted. As a class, brainstorm what life would have been like for the Cree and Ojibway people living in remote areas of Northern Ontario prior to European encroachment. Think about the skills and knowledge needed to survive. Discuss what similarities and differences might exist between the past and present way of life.

Have your students draw a picture or write a story detailing what their day-to-day life would have been like had they lived in northern Ontario in the 1800s.

3) The Healing Game draws attention to the importance of passing down traditional skills and knowledge.

Have your students play the Healing Game and watch some of the videos of Elders sharing their memories and stories.

Talk about the importance of oral history, and discuss the differences between oral and written history. Ask your students to share some of the skills or stories they have learned from their own parents or grandparents.

Let your students experience the oral tradition. Arrange a visit to another classroom and have your class tell a story or teach a skill to younger students. Discuss their experiences afterwards.

How have you used Path of the Elders in the classroom? Share your ideas!

The Deschâtelets Archive: This Week's Feature!

2010-05-10T06:18:00.000-07:00

While you’re busy avoiding black bears and trying not to sink your canoe at PathoftheElders.com, don’t forget to check out our extensive photo gallery!

Browse through pages of rare photographs of the James Bay area from the Deschâtelets Archive at St. Paul University.

Some of my personal favourites are:

The Deschatelets Archive photo collection - Father Bilodeau and his motorbike - Path of the Elders

The Deschatelets Archive photo collection - Example of life in Moose Factory - Path of the Elders

The Deschatelets Archive photo collection - Cree children watching a movie - Path of the Elders

The Deschatelets Archive photo collection - 1900s example of a snowmobile on skis - Path of the Elders

The Deschatelets Archive photo collection - Winter view of downtown Moosonee - Path of the Elders

Are you from the James Bay area? Do you recognize any of your ancestors?

Let us know what your favourite photos are!

Interested in Online Games and Education? Check Out These Links!

2010-05-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

All worn out from moose hunting, trapping, and canoeing on PathoftheElders.com?

Check out this week’s interesting articles on education, technology, and games!

1) Nicola Whitton’s blog about game-based learning is always a pleasure to read (Play Think Learn). This week she draws attention to a school (Quest to Learn) that has based its entire curriculum around gaming principles!

2) In a theoretical frame of mind? Check out Alex Kendall and Julian McDougall’s latest article, “Just Gaming: On Being Differently Literate,” in Eludamos: Journal for Computer Game Culture. They examine how players understand their role in the game’s story. (It’s heavy going, but the snippets from players’ journals make it worth the read!)

3) Deidre Kelaher explores the link between games, learning, and motivation in her blog post “The Effectiveness of Educational Gaming and the New Possibilities of Engaged Learning.” This is a fairly quick read that will give you some basic information about the benefits of using games in the classroom, and point you towards other resources.

4) Looking for something classic? Take a look at Marc Prensky’s article “The Seven Games of Highly Effective People.” Here the renowned expert on education and technology looks at how gaming contributes to the development of Steven Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.”

Have you come across an interesting video or article about education and technology that you want to share? Let us know!

Preserving Cree Language: Path of the Elders as an Archive

2010-05-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

Do You Know What “Pine” Means?

We ran into a problem during the creation of On the Path of the Elders: we couldn’t find the literal translation of “pine”.

Maybe this doesn’t sound like such a big deal. After all, it’s just one word.

But it symbolizes how much of the Cree language we have already lost.

One of the goals of On the Path of the Elders is to encourage the preservation and transmission of Aboriginal language.

Not only do the interviewees in the Doug Ellis Audio Collection speak in their native language, but we have also integrated Cree throughout the role-playing games.

For example, for medicinal plants in the Healing game both the English and Cree names are provided, along with the Cree syllabics and an English translation.

So, the Cree name for Labrador Tea is Kakike-pokwa, which means “infinite plants”-- so-called because they stretch as far as the eye can see.Or Cattail is Pashekanushk, which means "exploding" because they seem to explode when they spread their seeds!

But we couldn’t find the literal translation of “pine” no matter how hard we searched. Even the oldest Elder didn’t know.

So sure, it’s just one word.

But it’s also a reminder of the real threats facing Aboriginal language and culture. As fewer and fewer youths are taught Cree or other languages, we risk losing not only the language itself, but also a vital part of the First People’s culture.

After all, language is a key part of our identity. Our words determine how we understand the world and ourselves.

Through its historical resources and adherence to Mushkegowuk and Anishinaabe culture, On the Path of the Elders is more than a game: it’s an archive of the First People’s language and history.

But we still need to ask ourselves what’s missing from this collection, and how can we prevent further erosion of the language in the future.

A Case for Irrationality

2010-04-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

Looking for a little inspiration? Check out Adora Svitak’s recent TED Talk, “What Adults Can Learn from Kids”:

Just twelve years old, Adora has published two books, been interviewed on numerous radio and television stations, and has had speaking engagements throughout the country.

And as if these accomplishments weren’t enough, last February Adora gave an impassioned and provocative speech at the TED 2010 conference, a prestigious event reserved for the world’s foremost thinkers and doers.

Standing alone in front of an audience filled with eminent scientists, artists, politicians, and intellectuals (the majority of them more than twice her age) she is calm, poised, and articulate -- a task most of us would find daunting.

In fact, the thought of giving a speech in front of a uniformly brilliant international audience at an event renowned for its intelligence and creativity is enough to make most of us want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over our heads.

It is this fear, these self-imposed restrictions, that Adora’s speech addresses. She argues that adults need to learn from kids because kids haven’t yet learned to be rational.

She asks, “who’s to say that certain types of irrational thinking aren’t exactly what the world needs? Maybe you’ve had grand plans before, but stopped yourself, thinking: That’s impossible, or that costs too much or that won’t benefit me. For better or worse, we kids aren’t hampered as must when it comes to thinking about reasons why not to do things.”

Kids are risk takers. They want to explore and learn. They haven’t learned to be afraid of failure. They haven’t learned to be afraid of taking the stage and voicing their ideas – until we teach them.

Adora draws a provocative comparison between top-down school systems and oppressive regimes:

“Now, adults seem to have a prevalently restrictive attitude towards kids from every ‘don’t do that,’ ‘don’t do this’ in the school handbook, to restrictions on school internet use. As history points out, regimes become oppressive when they’re fearful about keeping control. And, although adults may not be quite at the level of totalitarian regimes, kids have no, or very little, say in making the rules, when really the attitude should be reciprocal, meaning that the adult population should learn and take into account the wishes of the younger population.”

Of course, experience is vital. We need to grow up. A society of utterly naive and overly idealistic adults is as disturbing and dangerous as one full of hyper-rational and restrictive adults. However, Adora’s argument that adults and kids have things to learn from each other is important. We need to help kids gain the experience they need to be responsible and contributing adults, and we need to learn from kids how to dream.

It’s up to us to develop an education system that encourages kids to gain experience without losing their drive to achieve the impossible. After all, that’s who many of the speakers at TED are: adults who have refused to give up the capacity to imagine.

All too often we shape our dreams to fit reality, when what we really need to do is shape reality to fit our dreams.

Education is constantly in flux. How should technology be integrated into the classroom, what is the best way to assess a child’s learning, is social media a help or hindrance to participatory learning – these are just some of the questions that struggling with. During the creation of On the Path of Elders, we were constantly trying to find ways to empower students and to encourage exploration, rather than risk aversion.

But sometimes it’s refreshing to have a reminder of what we’re struggling for: while not every child may be a published author, mathematical genius, or musical prodigy, Adora Svitak represents future generations of citizens who are confident, hard-working, thoughtful, sincere, and passionate. If we dare to dream it.

What Does New Media Mean for Oral Traditions?

2010-04-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

Listen to Mary Linklater describe women’s work in the Mushkegowuk Cree community:

Women’s work - Path of the Elders

Or listen to Gilbert Faries recount a Cree myth:

Why the squirrel has red eyes - Path of the Elders

Video and audio clips are just one of the ways On the Path of the Elders seeks to reinforce the Aboriginal tradition of oral history.

In addition to the extensive video and audio collection, On the Path of the Elders’ role-playing game (RPG) encourages players to learn from their Elders through conversations and observation. Furthermore, the difference between the government and the Aboriginal’s view of the spoken word is highlighted in the Negotiating Game, where the player renegotiates the signing of Treaty no. 9.

Through each of its features, On the Path of the Elders is committed to celebrating the oral tradition. Indeed, one of the site’s original purposes was to provide a familiar space where youths could listen to and learn from their Elders.

But what does it mean that we’re blending oral tradition with new media?

The chosen method of transmitting knowledge throughout generations reflects a community’s fundamental values and beliefs.

In the oral tradition, the individual becomes an integral part of the transmission of culture. Each time a story or legend is told, it changes. The tone, the facial expressions, the potential for interruptions, the physical interaction between speaker and listener – these are ever-changing variables that affects the story’s essence.

Conversely, a society based on the written word is one that values stability and facts. In a book, the words are static, unchanging. Readers can gain new knowledge, and they can contribute their own writings, but the author and the reader cannot have the same relationship as the speaker and the listener.

So where do videos, audio clips, and role-playing games fit?

Is new media breaking down this spoken/written word dichotomy?

On one hand, websites, online games, and multimedia displays reinforce the importance of the individual’s narrative.In the video and audio clips on PathoftheElders.com, Elders recount their memories and stories while passing on vital cultural knowledge and history. You can watch their facial expressions, and you can listen to their natural cadences and turns of phrase. You are immersed in the moment, listening to the speaker share his or her life.

On the other hand, these videos and audio clips are frozen in time. They will always play the same way, repeating the same intonations and gestures. You cannot ask questions, and you are physically separated from the Elders by a screen.

And there are other factors in play:

Perhaps the video and audio clips are unchanging, but they are also teaching the act of storytelling, encouraging today’s youths to pass on this knowledge to their children in the future.
Likewise, the role-playing game teaches youths a method of learning based on talking with and listening to the Elders.
As the urban population increases, sites like On the Path of the Elders encourage the transmission of cultural skills and knowledge even when Aboriginal youths are no longer living in their communities.

What’s the future of oral histories?

There’s no neat conclusion to this post, only questions:

How is new media affecting the transmission of knowledge and culture?
How can we draw boundaries around what constitutes oral tradition?
Do we need to redefine what it means to be a speaker? A listener? A reader?
What types of beliefs and values are reflected in this mode of transmitting history?
Is new technology an extension or alteration of the oral tradition?

As we continue to adapt new technologies and discover new forms of communication, these are just some of the questions that we need to keep in the back of the minds.

On the Path of the Elders is one attempt at exploring the oral tradition through a new medium.

What do you think the future looks like?

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

5 Free Educational Interactive Websites with an Aboriginal Focus

2010-04-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for innovative ways to connect your students to Aboriginal culture and history?

While creating On the Path of the Elders, we found a surprising lack of interactive online resources for educators trying to integrate Aboriginal content into the classroom.

While there are numerous excellent websites devoted to providing information about various issues relating to First Nations, few sites try to engage directly with Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal youths.

So, to save you from further frustration, here are 5 quality resources to get you started in your search:

1) On the Path of the Elders (PathoftheElders.com)

A graphically sophisticated site (and this blog's namesake), PathoftheElders.com immerses you in the culture and history of the Mushkegowuk Cree and Anishinaabe Ojibway of Northwestern and Northeastern Canada.

An innovative role-playing game lets you experience a variety of cultural practices while learning traditional skills and values: you can hunt a bull moose, learn about medicinal plants, ride in a canoe, lay trap lines, and renegotiate Treaty no. 9 (James Bay Treaty).

Furthermore, this comprehensive site features a number of rich historical resources, including video and audio clips of interviews with Elders, an essay on Treaty No. 9 written from an Aboriginal perspective, an interactive treaty map, and archival photographs.

PathoftheElders.com includes downloadable Teachers’ Guides for grades 4-10.

2) FourDirectionsTeachings (www.fourdirectionsteachings.com)

FourDirectionsTeachings.com is a visually captivating celebration of First Nations’ oral traditions.

You can listen to a diverse array of audio narratives from five indigenous cultures: Blackfoot, Cree, Ojibway, Mohawk, and M’ikmaq. The narratives are enhanced by engaging animations that vary in style and format. Written transcripts are also provided, and the narrators' full biographies are available.

FourDirectionsTeachings.com includes a downloadable Teacher’s Resource kit divided into three learning groups: Junior (grades 1-6), Intermediate (grades 7-9), and Senior (grades 10-12).

3) Native Drums (http://www.native-drums.ca/)

As its name suggests, Native Drums is a wide-ranging site devoted to exploring First Nations’ music and culture.

This easy-to-navigate website features interviews with Aboriginal musicians, detailed explanations and pictures of a variety of Aboriginal drums, a gallery of masks from the Pacific Northwest cultures, and a wide array of myths and stories. By tracing the significance of the drum through various Aboriginal societies throughout Canada, Native Drums provides an engaging and unique exploration of First Peoples’ traditions and cultures.

Native-drums.ca includes downloadable Teachers’ Resources for grades 9-12.

4) Native Dance (http://www.native-dance.ca/)

A sister site to Native Drums, Native Dance is a comprehensive examination of First Nations’ dance traditions from various regions all over Canada.

In addition to browsing through a large collection of pictures and reading in-depth interviews and articles about different dances’ historical and cultural significance, you can watch over 100 videos of regional dances. Eight Aboriginal cultures are featured, including the Mi’kmaq, Innu, Algonquin, Eeyou, Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Dene, and Kwakwaka’wakw.

Native-dance.ca includes downloadable Teachers’ Resources for grades K-12.

5) Dust Echoes
http://www.abc.net.au/dustechoes/

Unlike the previous four websites, Dust Echoes does not have Canadian content. However, it is worth checking out its series of beautifully crafted animations that depict 12 Australian Aboriginal narratives.

Not only can you watch these twelve depictions of traditional oral narratives, but you also have the option of creating your own one-minute versions of the stories. Each narrative is accompanied by a study guide, online quiz, and glossary.

While less comprehensive than the other resources, Dust Echoes is an excellent introduction for discussing different Aboriginal cultures with young children.

Do you know of other resources you would like to share?

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

How Gaming Survived the Gothic Renaissance

2010-04-09T11:56:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed there is a surprising overlap between early epic (quest-based) video games and Victorian Gothic novels?

If you’re unfamiliar with the Gothic genre, think Dracula or Frankenstein. They usually involve some dark -- often supernatural -- force that lurks below the surface. They’re the stories that make you feel a little uneasy; they’re the stories where the world is just a little bit dark.

No, epic video games are not all about vampires or zombies (although they might be!). It’s not in the content that epic video games overlap with Gothic novels, it’s in their shared nostalgia for an idealized past.

You may not normally associate epic video games with nostalgia, but think about the opening sequences of popular games you’ve played -- particularly those from the 90’s or early 2000’s: the world is harmonious and verdant, and then a sinister darkness descends. Perhaps someone is kidnapped, or perhaps there is an impending cataclysmic disaster, but something occurs which throws this idyllic world off-kilter.

As John C. Beck and Mitchell Wade (authors of The Kids are Alright: How the Gamer Generation is Changing the Workplace) put it:

“The world portrayed to you in those moments of lush full-frame video needs to be saved.”

And in these early games, unlike in Gothic novels, you had the power to save it: you had the power to return the world to its pre-darkness state!

So for a time a balance was struck: game designers could respond to the human tendency to long for an idyllic state, and players could satisfy their desire to restore balance to an unbalanced world.

Then along came the dark forces of multiplayer and online games and the world was thrown off-kilter...

How do you win World of Warcraft? What is the final goal of Farmville? How does Second Life end?

OK, multiplayer and online games are not actually “dark forces” (they are in fact incredibly innovative and exciting forces). But they have irrevocably changed gaming, and, consequently, they have changed the way we think about the world.

The growing number of these types of unending games indicates that we are increasingly shedding our need to return to an imagined past, that we’re shrugging off our desire for stability.

Our gaming habits reflect our growing comfort with change, unpredictability, fluctuating goals, and states of unknowing.

We now feel comfortable shaping games to meet our own changing needs: do you play World of Warcraft to accumulate points, explore the terrain, or meet new characters? Do you like Second Life because you get to re-imagine yourself, because you enjoy the games, or because you get to chat with different people?

It doesn’t matter how you answer. Any answer is “right”.

In other words, we’ve moved past Gothic novels into Choose Your Own Adventure.

Which is better?

Neither the Gothic novel nor the Choose Your Own Adventure approach to gaming is inherently better. Both bring their own unique challenges and strengths.

The point is not to advocate for one type to the exclusion of the other, but to be aware of the social and ideological implications behind each approach.

We need to be aware not only of the game’s content and objectives, but also the implications in the game’s structure – especially when it comes to game-based learning and using games in the classroom.

As with most things in life, balance is needed. Living in a state of constant flux with no vision of the future is as detrimental as being fixated on a need for stability and consistency.

So is Path of the Elders a Gothic novel or a Choose Your Own Adventure?

Both. Neither.

Yes, On the Path of the Elders has an end-goal.

Yes, it deals with a disruption to an established society (the encroachment of the settlers and developers on Mushkegowuk and Anishinaabe land).

No, “winning” does not equate with a return to a past state.

In my previous posts on winning in game-based learning and the issues surrounding online history games, I discussed some of the dilemmas we faced while deciding on the ending of On the Path of the Elders.

While we wanted the players to work towards an end-goal, we did not want to group Mushkegowuk and Anishinaabe culture with the non-existent, idyllic, past worlds of so many other games. Aboriginal culture continues to grow and thrive today; while colonization and European expansion has dramatically affected Aboriginal groups across the country, Aboriginal peoples continue to adapt and make their voices heard.

Any ending to On the Path of the Elders had to reflect this state of potential.

On the Path of the Elders ends with the renegotiation of Treaty No. 9. We want players to understand that the Elders negotiated the best agreement possible given the historical circumstances surrounding the treaty negotiations, but at the same time, we want players to think about what a more equitable treaty might look like, and what changes they might make to the treaty given the opportunity.

The goal of On the Path of the Elders is not to return to the past, but to envision the future.

How will it all End?

Of course, On the Path of the Elders is not the only game that bridges this gap between the Gothic and Choose Your Own Adventure, and there are many other non-epic games that defy both categories.

However, as we plunge forward in our quest to either explore new and diverse forms of game-based learning, or else to return education to some imaginary pre-gaming state, it is worth considering what values are being communicated through the game’s format.

So which quest are you on?

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Why On the Path of the Elders Matters

2010-04-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

A fatality inquiry into a Tsuu T’ina teenager’s suicide demonstrates the urgent necessity for more Aboriginal-focused resources like PathoftheElders.com:

Fatality report into Tsuu T'ina suicide shows struggles of native teens (Calgary Herald)

In this article, provincial judge Catherine Skene draws attention to the pervasive and systematic lack of support Aboriginal youths face:

“CF struggled as she grew up in an atmosphere of neglect, emotional injury and chronic parental alcohol abuse ... CF’s suicide was not the result of a single event ... she did not have the social support systems in place that a child in a traditional, stable, nuclear family would have.”

At the launch event for PathoftheElders.com, Dr. John Medicine Horse Kelly Cle-alls spoke of how many Aboriginal youths feel disconnected from their culture and history: “we need Aboriginal youths to look in the mirror and see somebody, a person, a real person, not a stereotype... right now, they look in the mirror and see nothing.”

In other words, this teenager’s tragic death is not an isolated act: it is symptomatic of the isolation felt by many Aboriginal youths disengaged from their culture.

It is our hope that PathoftheElders.com will help Aboriginal youths reconnect with their culture and past; furthermore, we hope that PathoftheElders.com will pave the way for more resources dedicated to helping youths understand they are an integral part of a rich tradition and culture.

No youth should feel so invisible and isolated that suicide becomes a preferable option.

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

“We have to start making the real world more like a game”

2010-04-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

This is the revolutionary but easily overlooked statement Jane McGonigal makes during her Ted talk on how gaming can make a better world.

“We have to start making the real world more like a game”

Notice that she doesn’t say, “We have to start using gamers’ skills in the real world,” or “we need to figure out how gaming relates to real world activities”.

No. She says we need to start adapting our society to compliment the values and beliefs of gamers.

It’s not about bringing gamers into the real world; it’s about bringing the real world in line with gaming.

This is the same message found in John C. Beck and Mitchell Wade’s The Kids are Alright: How the Gamer Generation is Changing the Workplace.

Beck and Wade argue that gamers approach their work -- and their life -- from an entirely different perspective than non-gamers. Just as the values and beliefs of the baby-boomer generation irrevocably altered the way we think about the world, so too are gamers slowly changing our social landscape.

And given the ever-increasing number of gamers, this change is inevitable and immanent. If we attempt to continue to adhere to pre-gaming ideals, then we are setting ourselves up for a great deal of frustration.

So what does a gaming world look like?

Citing extensive research, Beck and Wade present a number of characteristics that are common in gamers in the workforce. Amongst other traits, gamers

“ believe that winning matters” (81)
“care more about the organizations they work for than other groups do – not less” (82)
“expect high rewards for the value they create” (92)
“believe in themselves and in their own ability to create exceptional value” (94)

In other words, if companies want to capitalize on their employees’ skills, they need to create environments where employees feel empowered to make meaningful change; that provide clear rewards based on merit; and that encourage a greater focus on peer-driven learning and improvement rather than top-down management.

If these conclusions sound familiar, it is probably because companies are increasingly conforming to these structures as gamers continue to make up a bigger percentage of the workforce.

But what does this mean for education?

Beck and Wade’s results clearly show that gamers want to be passionately involved in their companies and their work: gamers believe they can make a difference.

We need to think about how to model our schools to tap into this drive and passion.

Wade and Beck provide several specific suggestions about how to adapt the workforce to the gamer generation that could be applied to an educational setting, but more important is first embracing the notion that gamers have a fundamentally different worldview than previous non-gamer generations. This new worldview is neither better nor worse than the one it’s replacing, but it does require a shift in our approach to educational strategies and objectives.

This does not mean simply adding technology into the classroom, even in its most creative and innovative forms.

This means trying to understand how gaming continues to influence the worldview of upcoming generations, and reshaping our educational system to accommodate, not stifle, these new value-systems.

On the Path of the Elders

Making the real world more like a game does not mean turning our backs on everything that is important to us.

On the Path of the Elders, an online educational resource exploring Mushkegowuk and Anishinaabe culture and history, is one example of how we can integrate a gamer worldview with traditional teachings.

At the launch event for PathoftheElders.com, Dr. John Medicine Horse Kelley Cle-alls spoke of the need to maintain Aboriginal culture and traditions while adapting to new developments; he spoke of adaptation itself as an Aboriginal tradition.

As resources such as PathoftheElders.com demonstrate, there are ways to strike a productive balance between maintaining important beliefs and adapting ourselves to gamers’ values; however, this balance can only occur when we stop trying to simply force gamers into pre-existing structures.

References
Beck. John C. and Mitchell Wade. The Kids are Alright: How the Gamer Generation is Changing the Workplace. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2006.

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

How Can Gaming Save the World?

2010-03-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

This is the question Jane McGonigal asks in her inspired Ted Talk, “Gaming Can Make a Better World”:

After launching On the Path of the Elders last week, it was rewarding to listen to McGonigal’s compelling talk. Not only does she reconfirm the value of gaming, but -- more importantly -- her argument speaks to many of the ideals at the heart of PathoftheElders.com.

McGonigal argues that gaming develops skills and beliefs vital for solving some of the world’s biggest challenges. In particular, she claims that gaming produces individuals with a strong conviction that they are capable of changing the world. Too often, however, these individuals limit their influence to a virtual landscape.

As game designers, educators, and role-models it is up to us to convince these gamers that their skills have real value: the same optimism, team-work, resourcefulness, and determination that makes gamers successful in online worlds can and must be brought to real world problems.

But how much difference can gamers make?
McGonigal brings some hard-hitting statistics to the table:

Today, the average youth in a country that has a large gaming culture will have spent 10 000 hours playing online games by the age of 21 (to put that number in perspective, they will have spent 10 080 hours in school between grades 5 and 12).

Globally, we spend 3 billion hours a week playing online games.

There are currently 500 million virtuoso gamers (defined as people who have spent at least 10 000 hours gaming).

As gaming companies continue to expand globally, there will be a billion more virtuoso gamers in the next decade

In other words, the number of highly skilled gamers is increasing exponentially. If we don’t start figuring out how to use gamers’ abilities to solve real world problems, we’re wasting a huge resource.

Our Vision

From the beginning, using gaming to solve real world problems has been one of the aims of On the Path of the Elders. It is our hope that PathoftheElders.com will serve to:

reconnect Aboriginal youths with their culture and history
decrease Aboriginal youth suicide rates
create a bridge between Non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal cultures

By promoting leadership, negotiation, and decision-making skills, PathOfTheElders.com will demonstrate to players that they have the ability to become advocates for change. We want youths to recognize their connection to a rich and vibrant culture, and realize that the skills they use in the role-playing games are the same skills needed to be leaders in their communities.

Building PathoftheElders.com has been an intense, challenging, and thought-provoking journey. Speakers like Jane McGonigal remind us why we have invested so much of ourselves in this project and what might be its rewards for future generations.

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Launch Party for PathoftheElders.com a Success!

2010-03-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

The public launch of PathoftheElders.com on Wednesday, March 24th was celebrated by the project’s collaborators and select members of the public at Carleton University’s Art Gallery.

Terry Hoganson, member of BlackCherry Digital Media, describes the event as magical: “It was amazing to have all of these people, who have dedicated countless hours and limitless energy into making On the Path of the Elders a reality, come together and share their stories. Really inspirational.”

Speakers included Mr. John Mark Seck, president of BlackCherry Digital Media; Stan Louttit of Neh Naak Ko; Greg Spence of the Mushkegowuk Council; Dr. Kimberly Matheson, Carleton University Vice-President (Research and International); Franziska von Rosen of Our Incredible World (formally Pinegrove Productions); Dr. Elaine Keillor and Dr. John Medicine Horse Kelley Cle-alls, co-directors of Carleton's Centre for Indigenous Research, Culture, Language and Education, known as CIRCLE.

Each of the speakers spoke with a passion and intensity that demonstrated their deep commitment and dedication to PathoftheElders.com.

Amongst the many memorable moments were:

Dr. Cle-alls performing a opening prayer.

Mr. Louttit vividly describing his own experiences growing up, and the need to give today’s youth access to Aboriginal perspectives on history.

Ms. von Rosen recounting with obvious emotion the experiences she and her team had while interviewing and recording Elders for the website.

Dr. Cle-alls giving an impassioned speech about the disconnect in Aboriginal communities that has arisen as a result of disastrous colonial interventions such as residential schools, and the need for resources such as PathoftheElders.com to show Aboriginal youths that they are part of a deep and meaningful tradition and culture.

Mr. Seck unveiling the site’s stunning graphics and high-quality animation to a captivated audience.

But what was most striking about the launch party was the vision everyone was carrying for the future.

It was clear that each person at the launch believed PathoftheElders.com will make a difference in helping Aboriginal youths reconnect with their culture and history.

And of course, during the reception everyone was eager to play the role-playing games, and explore the archival photographs, watch the videos, and listen to the audio clips!

Visit PathoftheElders.com today and let us know what you think!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

On The Path Of The Elders Launches Today!

2010-03-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

We’re pleased to announce the launch of PathOfTheElders.com!

What:

PathOfTheElders.com is a free online educational resource exploring the culture and history of the Mushkegowuk Cree and Anishinaabe Ojibway of Northwestern and Northeastern Ontario, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Ideal for youth aged 13-17, PathOfTheElders.com reconnects Aboriginal youths with their past, while developing leadership, negotiation, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.

Features:

Six innovative role-playing games

Video and audio clips of Elders

An essay about Treaty No. 9 written from an Aboriginal perspective

Over 300 archival photographs

Downloadable Teachers' Kits and Curriculum Connections

Visit PathOfTheElders.com today and let us know what you think!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com!

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Part 2: Winning through Game-Based Learning

2010-03-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

Reading my previous post, you may have come to the conclusion that I am against the concept of winning in game-based learning.

This is not true.

Winning defines the majority of our lives: we’re always struggling to achieve our own definition of success, whether that means getting a B- instead of a C, completing a project ahead of schedule, or having the courage to push for a sale.

At its best, winning creates a sense of mastery; it shows what you are capable of achieving; it demonstrates you have the ability to develop and sharpen your skills.

Winning becomes a problem when:

A)    Winning becomes the sole focus of the activity
B)    The reward for winning is extraneous to the required action
C)    Your ability to win is decided solely through comparison with others

There must be a rational and significant link between what you do and how and what you win.

But does it really make a difference?

Yes - especially if you’re dealing with game-based learning.

Consider M.R. Lepper and D.I. Cordova’s findings as published on Carleton College’s website:

“1) If it is possible to "win" an educational game without learning, 3rd-5th-grade students will learn less than if taught traditionally, playing in a "rapid, repetitive, mindless fashion....

3) Students offered an extrinsic reward for finding the correct answer were less effective at problem solving and less confident.”

More recently, prominent thinkers such as Alfie Kohn and Daniel Pink have spoken out strongly against the use of external and unrelated rewards for particular behaviour. Just as Lepper and Cordova found in 1992, studies continue to show that external rewards can actually decrease your ability and achievement level.

You may object that winning a game is not an external reward, but rather it is a direct result of the player’s actions. Often this is the case; however, not every win is meaningful or relevant. Consider the example raised by Professor Jesse Schell where in the future a person could earn points for reading a book from cover to cover. How does the rewarding of points connect to the act of reading a book? If this future person were to have more points than all his or her friends (thereby “winning” the game), does this make them a better reader?

Playing a game, even an educational game, will not help learning if you are only focussed on an arbitrary end result.

What does this mean for On the Path of the Elders?

We had to think long and hard about what winning PathOfTheElders.com would look like.

One of the objectives we had in making this online educational resource was to promote leadership and positive self-identity in Aboriginal youths. It was not enough for the player to simply complete all of the role-playing games on the website: winning had to promote a sense of purpose, it had to reconnect the player with their past in a way that would create a sense of urgency about the present.

To win PathOfTheElders.com, the player has to complete a series of games, each of which is tied to one element of self-governance: security, health, economy, culture, education, and self-government. The games are designed to teach players about their culture and history, and to help them learn traditional skills. In order to succeed, the players must learn to cooperate, negotiate, share, and listen to their Elders.

We want players to understand how they play a pivotal role in their community.

Beyond “winning”, we hope that the players’ reward will be the conviction that they have all the skills needed to become a voice of leadership and change in their community.

Have you come across any games that have a good (or bad) reward? We would love to hear your thoughts!

References:
Carleton College. Game-Based Learning. http://serc.carleton.edu/resources/1609.html.

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

On the Path of the Elders launches March 24, 2010. Check it out at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Part 1: Winning through Game-Based Learning

2010-03-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

You may remember my first post discussed how game-based learning gives students freedom from failure.

So I think it’s time we talked about winning.

Gaming vs Reality

Jesse Schell, Professor of Entertainment Technology at Carnegie Mellon University, gave an impassioned and compelling speech at the 2010 DICE (Design Innovate Communicate Entertain) summit. He argued that the divide between “real life” and gaming is becoming increasingly blurry: games are “breaking through into reality.”

Even if you haven’t played them, you’re probably familiar with some of the past year’s most successful games, such as Farmville, Mafia Wars, Club Penguin, Webkinz, and Wii Fit.

Prof. Schell argues that each of these games crosses the boundary between reality and fantasy. The player is encouraged to invest money, compete with friends, or perform physical activities to play the game.

Most significantly, Prof. Schell mentions a case where Lee Sheldon, a professor at the University of Indiana, gives his students “experience points” instead of grades. Consequently, Dr. Sheldon has seen increased class attendance and participation and higher quality work.

In other words, gaming increasingly affects our actions in real life.

Prof. Schell goes on to imagine a future where, thanks to improved technology such as sensors, every action in our daily lives has become incorporated into a game. You could get points for:

•    Brushing your teeth for the right amount of time
•    Eating the right type of cereal
•    Taking the bus instead of driving
•    Getting to work on time
•    Reading a book from front to cover

In each of these imagined scenarios, you would gain points for performing the desired action, and your points would be compared against your friends’, thus causing you to repeat that action.

In the meantime, of course, you’re also being encouraged to buy the right brands, perform your civic duties, act environmentally responsible, or whatever it is the organization or company wants you to do.

But ... this is not game-based learning. This is window-dressing.

To be clear, Prof. Schell’s speech was not intended to be about game-based learning. However, if we’re moving towards a future filled with games that intentionally change our behaviour, we need to question what type of learning is occurring at the same time.

For a speech about the future of gaming and technology, and that contains so many intriguing ideas, Dr. Schell gives a very limited vision of gaming.

Essentially, Dr. Schell’s vision of the future is a society motivated by the desire to earn technologically-enhanced carrots.

Consider those students in Lee Sheldon’s classroom, who are being rewarded experience points instead of grades:

•    Will this encourage them to be intrinsically motivated to learn?
•    Does this experience encourage deeper thinking? More sophisticated analytical skills?
•    What kind of society will these students create in the future?

Maybe the answer to all of these questions is yes! Or, maybe the answers don’t matter as long as the students are performing better in this class!

But before applauding the short-term benefits of replacing grades with points, or moving towards a society immersed in competitive games, these are the types of questions we need to consider.

Let’s not depreciate gaming.

We should not conflate gaming with competition. Consider David Williamson Shaffer’s (How Computer Games Help Children Learn) definition of a game:

“What makes a game a game is neither ‘fun’ or ‘winning and losing’ but rather the fact that it has some particular set of rules that a player has to follow” (23).

Remember when you were a kid and you would play games like “house” or “school” or “firefighter”?

Mr. Shaffer writes, “In playing games, children are doing explicitly, openly, and socially what as adults they will do tacitly, privately, and personally. They are running simulations of worlds they want to learn about in order to understand the rules, roles, and consequences of those worlds. They are learning to think by examining alternatives in play.” (25)

You don’t earn points by playing “house”, but you do learn about what it means to be a mother, father, child, aunt, uncle and more.

I’m all for a future that openly celebrates gaming

I am looking forward to new technology that incorporates new and innovative games into our lives.
I think that games like On The Path Of The Elders will be excellent and influential resources for tomorrow’s youths.

The best games go beyond the narrow definition of “competition” and “winning”. In particular, the experience of immersive, role-playing games – such as On The Path Of The Elders – is an experience that encompasses much, much more.

References:
Shaffer, David Williamson. How Computer Games Help Children Learn. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2006.
Schell, Jesse. “Design Outside the Box”. DICE Summit. 2010.

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

On the Path of the Elders launches March 24, 2010. Check it out at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Game-Based Learning: Revolutionary or Reactionary?

2010-03-13T08:42:00.000-08:00

Do you “walk and use your feet” to get to work? Do you “work and write a report”?

Of course not. The “and” is self-evident.

So why do we use phrases like “education and technology” or “education and gaming”, as though gaming, technology, and education were entirely separate?

Why does education carry around this “and” like its very own force field?

The “egg crate school”

In How Computer Games Help Children Learn, David Williamson Shaffer argues the Industrial Revolution warped our thinking about education:

“The modern game of School as we know it was invented during the Industrial Revolution, at about the same time as the modern game of Baseball, in fact. And some of the same historical forces – urbanization, industrialization, and immigration and migration – formalized and spread both games across the United States” (34).

He argues the current system, with its emphasis on standardization and specialization, is modelled on an outdated factory model, creating the “egg crate school” (35).

We are no longer living in a factory-based society, so the factory-based school model is no longer relevant.

In fact, clinging to the factory-based model hinders our children’s ability to compete in a society that increasingly values innovation and creativity.

The belief that the factory-based model is intrinsic to education creates the “and” force field.

But what does this have to do with Game-Based Learning?

Promoting the use of game-based learning and interactive technology in the classroom is not “leading the way into the future” or any such cringe-worthy phrase. If anything, it marks a return to a much older theory of learning, one that is based on hands-on discovery and observing those around you.

This slow return to learning through experience and interaction is particularly relevant to On the Path of the Elders, an online educational resource that reconnects Cree youth with their history and culture.

The imposition of residential schools – the imposition of the egg-crate school – was a major factor in disrupting the transmission of culture and traditions. Furthermore, it promoted a way of learning that was entirely different from the traditional Aboriginal education based on experience, observing, and hands-on learning.

Do resources like PathOfTheElders.com allow youths to experience traditional Aboriginal educational practices through new media?

Even though modern game-based learning takes place through an online community instead of through physical interactions, the same elements are there. At PathOfTheElders.com, historic resources, such as audio and video clips, allow students to listen to and watch the Elders. An elaborate role-playing game encourages students to gain skills through direct experience.

So, perhaps game-based learning marks a return to older forms of learning; or, perhaps the technological element means an entirely new form of learning is starting to emerge.

If we don’t yet know the answer to these questions, we can at least start to be aware of the way we think about education in society. Next time you start to say “Education and...” consider whether or not the “and” is necessary.

Something to think about while you drink and tip a cup of coffee towards your mouth, while you’re relaxing after a long day of completing tasks and gaining professional knowledge...

References:

Shaffer, David Williamson. How Computer Games Help Children Learn. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2006.

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

On the Path of the Elders launches March 24, 2010. Check it out at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with the Mushkegowuk Cree, Carleton University, BlackCherry Digital Media, and Pinegrove Productions.

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

How Self-Governance Can Save Lives

2010-03-13T08:26:00.000-08:00

“Not all Aboriginal communities experience youth suicide. ... 90 per cent of the suicides take place in just 10 per cent of B.C. communities.” (Honouring Life Network)

These were the findings by researchers Michael J. Chandler and Christopher E. Lalonde in 2008. They conclude:

“individual and cultural continuity are strongly linked, such as that First Nations communities that succeed in taking steps to preserve their cultural heritage culture, and that work to control their own destinies, are dramatically more successful in insulating their youth against the risks of suicide.”

In other words, there is a direct link between self governance and lower suicide rates.
What Can We Do?

I had the fortunate opportunity to sit down with Stan Louttit of Neh Naak Ko in Moose Factory and one of the originators of the online educational resource, Path of the Elders.

During our conversation, it became clear that Mr. Louttit’s original goal of reconnecting Aboriginal youths with their elders had grown into a much larger project: one that has great ramifications for the future, particularly in the area of self-governance.

On the Path of the Elders is focused on the historical events leading up to Treaty no. 9, events which continue resonate in the present.

As Mr. Louttit remarked, “It’s about resource development. We need the community to understand what the treaty said about resources, and understand what goes into negotiating these types of agreements.

Think of all the wealth in Northern Ontario, coming from lands that Aboriginals thought they were looking after. Even today, there’s going to be more mines and hydro dams and exploration companies looking to stake claims. As Ontario moves towards green energy projects, all this is not going to go away – they’re going to be coming, so the better people understand their own treaties and their own communities, and understand the wider context and how it’s all tied into economics, the better off they will be.”

At a time when governments and companies are struggling to “go green”, northern Ontario remains a rich site for a multitude of natural resources. Today’s Aboriginal youths may very well be called upon in the near future to renegotiate those agreements concerning the use of their lands.

We need to start fostering negotiation and leadership skills in both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youths to create the groundwork for a future based in self-governance, self-respect, and collaboration.

References:

“Honouring Life Network,” July 7, 2009, http://www.honouringlife.ca/en/youthCorner/suicideFacts/suicideFactSheet (accessed March 9, 2010)

Chandler, Michael J. and Christopher E. LaLonde. “Cultural Continuity as a Protective Factor Against Suicide in First Nations Youth,” 2008, http://www.psych.ubc.ca/~chandlerlab/Chandler%20&%20Lalonde%20%282008%29.pdf (accessed March 9, 2010)

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

On the Path of the Elders launches March 24, 2010. Check it out at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with the Mushkegowuk Cree, Carleton University, BlackCherry Digital Media, and Pinegrove Production.

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Online History Games Pose a Challenge to Education

2010-03-05T06:05:00.000-08:00

The benefits of integrating online games – particularly role-playing games – into the classroom are endless:

Rather than passively absorbing content to be regurgitated at a later date, students are encouraged to take control of their own learning
Creativity, critical thinking, decision making, and leadership skills are employed to achieve desired goals
There is freedom from failure, so students can try out different solutions in unfamiliar situations and can feel comfortable relying on their own abilities

In other words, role-playing games shifts the power in the classroom: educators are able to act as facilitators, rather than directors.
But what about games based on historical events?

What is history? What does it mean to teach history? To learn history?

Is it about “facts”: memorizing the correct dates, the key players, the pivotal events?
Or is it more subjective: thinking about why certain events played out the way they did, how might have things turned out differently, questioning why only certain people and dates show up in the history texts?

And how do role-playing games, which by their very nature encourage different outcomes and new solutions, fit in?

How much leeway should educational role-playing games have in allowing students to alter the historical “facts”?

There is an immense difference between reading, discussing, or even acting out historical events and actually interacting with historical figures in an online environment. There is an almost Freudian quality to the idea players should re-play the same events over and over again with the same outcome.

And when games explore politically and emotionally charged events, it becomes a weighty ethical question – one that’s not easy to answer.

On the Path of the Elders is a site rich with historical resources, including rare archival photographs, audio and video clips of Elders, and an insightful essay discussing Aboriginal perspectives of Treaty No. 9.

It also features an engaging role-playing game exploring Cree and Ojibway history. The game is specifically designed to encourage leadership and negotiation skills, but it is also intended to expose the student to some of the historical elements at play during the signing of Treaty no. 9.

The question emerged: how do we balance historical accuracy while encouraging self-governance?

This balancing act became most marked while making the Negotiating game.

This game is the culmination of a series of five other games, and it is based on the actual signing of Treaty no. 9. Each of the previous games encourages Aboriginal self-governance and negotiation, leadership, and cooperation skills.

The basic question we had to answer was: at the end of the game, does the player sign the original treaty – thus staying true to historical “fact” – or is he or she allowed to propose a new treaty? One that is more representative of what the Mushkegowuk and Anishinaabe Peoples thought they were agreeing to at the time?

Both versions could be argued from an historical standpoint – the written document was the one signed and ratified, but it is not an accurate representation of the oral agreement the Mushkegowuk and Anishinaabe Peoples believed was binding.

These dilemmas have no clear answers. What is clear is that as gaming becomes increasingly used in the classroom, and as students have greater interaction with the content material, these questions will keep arising.

We need to be prepared to rethink how we’re teaching history.

Here Marshall McLuhan’s famous phrase rings true: the medium is the message, and the act of changing the medium for teaching history inevitably changes the message.

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

On the Path of the Elders launches March 24, 2010. Check it out at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with the Mushkegowuk Cree, Carleton University, BlackCherry Digital Media, and Pinegrove Productions.

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

How Can Online Gaming Foster Positive Self-Identity?

2010-03-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

This was one of the questions we faced while creating On the Path of the Elders -- a free, online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, in particular the signing of Treaty no. 9.

It’s not an idle question:

In 2008, the Educational Policy Institute submitted a report concerning Canadian Aboriginal Self-Identification. It states, “Canada’s Aboriginal population grew 45 percent in the past decade and now exceeds one million people, comprising 3.8 percent of the nation’s population. This population surge can be accounted for in two ways: the high birth rates of Aboriginal people and a population that is increasingly choosing to self-identify as Aboriginal” (emphasis added).

Yet at the same time Health Canada reports “Suicide rates are five to seven times higher for First Nations youth than for non-Aboriginal youth.”

So, at a time when more people than ever are choosing to self-identify as Aboriginal, the suicide rate amongst Aboriginal youths is sky-rocketing.

We wanted On the Path of the Elders to have an effect on this appalling suicide rate, and we thought an online role-playing game would be a relevant way for youths to celebrate and explore their culture. Even though youths are increasingly using the Internet for socialization, education, and entertainment, there are surprisingly few quality online resources aimed at aboriginal youths.

To be effective, we knew that On the Path of the Elders had to:

1) enable youths to identify with characters, drawn from their culture and history and outside the mainstream gaming personas

2) be based in Cree and Ojibway concepts of negotiation and cooperation, as opposed to the usual “I win/you die” gaming premise

3) and, of course, it had to be fun.

In other words, On the Path of the Elders had to re-conceptualize what it meant to connect education and technology.

On the Path of the Elders is a significant (and entertaining) game. It allows youths to freely explore different facets of Cree and Ojibway culture, to drive their own narrative, and to take control of their own learning process.

But it goes even deeper than that...

The website contains a rich archive of historical and cultural materials. Archival photos, historic audio recordings, video interviews with Elders and a detailed essay examining the treaty from an Aboriginal perspective, all enrich the user’s experience.

On the Path of the Elders is revolutionary, and a groundbreaking resource for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. We hope that On the Path of the Elders is only the first of many such educational games and online resources that help youth explore their culture in a positive, entertaining manner.

Have you come across any online resources you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

On the Path of the Elders launches March 24, 2010. Check it out at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with the Mushkegowuk Cree, Carleton University, BlackCherry Digital Media, and Pinegrove Productions.

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Educational Gaming Redefining Failure

2010-02-25T12:50:00.000-08:00

One of video gaming’s attractions is that you are free to fail: in fact, you’re encouraged to fail! How much fun would a game be if the first time you played it you, you won? Instead, your character dies and you re-start, the time runs out and you miss slotting in that last puzzle piece, or you can’t think of the answer quick enough and you’re back to zero.

This freedom to fail is often mentioned as one of the benefits of educational games. Students are encouraged to discover solutions in a safe environment.

But do games really offer freedom from failure? And is that what we want?

If you’re an educator, you’re probably aware of the current debate surrounding the “no-fail policy”. Some regard the no-fail policy as the latest step in sacrificing education for feel-good programs; others argue that it promotes greater learning by avoiding burdening students with a stigma early on in their education.

Whether or not you support it, the no-fail policy is an indication of how prevalent the notions of “pass” and “fail” are in both the school system and in larger society.

And perhaps nowhere is the subject of passing and failing stronger than in Aboriginal education. In 2008, the Educational Institute published a report stating, “2001 Census numbers showed that nearly 59% of on-reserve Aboriginal people and 44% of off-reserve Aboriginal people have not graduate high school, compared to 31% of the population as a whole”. Similarly, the Council of Ministers of Education states in the overview of the Aboriginal Education Action Plan, “Aboriginal students, both male and female, perform at lower levels than other students”.

In a system that lauds the idea of passing and failing, our Aboriginal students are being failed.

So, how does this relate to video games?

The education system is built around preset definitions of “pass” and “fail”, to the point where success has become a synonym for pass.

Games question this premise.

Games redefine what failure means.

In fact, using words like “fail” when it comes to gaming shows how far we still need to go: we don’t yet even have the vocabulary to talk about gaming outside of this pass/fail duality. But when a character dies in a game, when you don’t quite fit that puzzle piece, when you need to re-start the game four hundred and ninety-nine times (knowing that you’ll probably need to re-start it that five hundredth time!), that’s not failing. It’s learning how to learn. It’s finding out something integral about you, something relating to determination, hard work, and perseverance.

Of course we need to focus on making sure students pass. Of course we need to make sure students are being given the ability to succeed. But perhaps we also need to show them that they can redefine what passing and failing mean.

Online games give students – even if only temporarily – the ability to exist outside the continuum of pass/fail. And perhaps that freedom is needed as much, if not more, than a no-fail policy which simply refigures where the students sit on the same old continuum.

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

On the Path of the Elders launches March 24, 2010. Check it out at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with the Mushkegowuk Cree, Carleton University, BlackCherry Digital Media, and Pinegrove Productions.

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.