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Developing Culturally Specific Curriculum: Supporting Aboriginal Early Learners Kinzel, Cheryl Alena

Abstract

This graduating paper explores a selection of scholarly articles about Aboriginal early childhood education in Canada with specific focus made on enriching ecological systems theory with Aboriginal epistemological concepts of Spirit, Heart, Mind, and Body as a foundation for the construction of a culturally specific early learning curriculum. The specific themes encountered are: Eurocentric education and assessment used as cultural suppression, the need for early childhood education to support Aboriginal children in both dominant and traditional contexts (Spirit), local community driven curriculum development and Heritage language instruction and support (Heart), and the importance of a culturally based Indigenous pedagogy and epistemology (Mind/Body). The author concludes that based upon this review it is vitally important for the success of Aboriginal children and communities that individual Aboriginal communities and Nations develop a culturally specific early learning curriculum.

Item Metadata

Title
Developing Culturally Specific Curriculum: Supporting Aboriginal Early Learners
Creator
Kinzel, Cheryl Alena
Date Issued
2015
Description
This graduating paper explores a selection of scholarly articles about Aboriginal early childhood education in Canada with specific focus made on enriching ecological systems theory with Aboriginal epistemological concepts of Spirit, Heart, Mind, and Body as a foundation for the construction of a culturally specific early learning curriculum. The specific themes encountered are: Eurocentric education and assessment used as cultural suppression, the need for early childhood education to support Aboriginal children in both dominant and traditional contexts (Spirit), local community driven curriculum development and Heritage language instruction and support (Heart), and the importance of a culturally based Indigenous pedagogy and epistemology (Mind/Body). The author concludes that based upon this review it is vitally important for the success of Aboriginal children and communities that individual Aboriginal communities and Nations develop a culturally specific early learning curriculum.
Subject
Early childhood education--Canada; Curriculum planning--Canada; Indigenous children--Education--Canada
Geographic Location
Canada
Genre
Graduating Project
Type
Text
Language
eng
Series
University of British Columbia. ECED 590
Date Available
2015-06-08
Provider
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada
DOI
10.14288/1.0075881
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/2429/53779
Affiliation
Education, Faculty of
Campus
UBCV
Peer Review Status
Unreviewed
Scholarly Level
Graduate
Rights URI
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ca/
Aggregated Source Repository
DSpace

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada