The video that I have chosen to go along with my learning pod’s Interactive Learning Resources topic, Indigenous Community Research Project: How to Reflect and Create a Relationship With the Land and Community, is Our Connection to the Land. This music video was written and created by Indigenous students across Queensland, Australia. The video focuses on the importance of staying connected and building connection with the land and our community as well as how the land is a part of our identity. The land we live on, what exists there, and how we interact with it helps make us who we are. Please watch the video below!

I think that this video connects well to our chosen topic as it allows kids to explore and brainstorm how they are connected to the land in their community, even here in Canada. Students are encouraged to think about important places in their community that are meaningful to them and why. How does this place help make you who you are and how can you builder deeper a connection with that land and place.

  1. In what way are they likely to respond to the video on their own, e.g. make notes, do an activity, think about the topic (learner-generated)?

2. What activity could you suggest that they do, after they have watched the video (designed)? What type of knowledge or skill would that activity help develop? What medium or technology would students use to do the activity?

The activity that I imagine could accompany this video would be a Individual, small group, and whole class (ex. standard 25 student class) brainstorm and discussion activity.

Step 1: How are you connected to the land? How can we better connect to the land? (Individual activity)

  • As students are watching the video, they will be encouraged to make notes or sketch note representing their thinking of the above prompts. The notes are meant to allow students to visualize how their thinking and how it changes through the viewing of the video.

Step 2: Think, Pair, Share. (Small groups).

  • After the video ends, students will be asked to turn to those around them and share some of the ideas that they came up with and why. (Creation of small groups would be more clarified and structured while in the classroom)
  • After some sharing, small groups will be asked to write down some of their big ideas on a piece of chart paper.

Step 3: Sharing Our Ideas. (Small group presentations)

  • Small groups will be asked to share their chart paper and big ideas with the class. (Extra prompt: Why and how did you come up with these ideas?)

Step 4: Class Discussion. (Whole class discussion).

  • Students will brainstorm together.
  • What were some connections that we noticed between all of our big ideas?
  • Are there some other ways that you think of now after listening and discussing with your peers of how we are connected to the land and how we can build a deeper connection?
  • If students bring up ideas and topics that stray from the original prompt but bring up other ideas surrounding connects to the land and community, build upon them. (ex. favorite places and why they are important, etc.)

This activity would allow students to build upon and develop their skills in critical and creative thinking as well as communication and collaboration of ideas while working with their peers and classmates. I also would allow students to build skills in transformative thinking (Adrienne Gear) but rather than with fictitious stories, students will use discussion and real-world provocations to transform their thinking.

3. How would students get feedback on the activity that you set? What medium or technology would they and/or you use for getting and giving feedback on their activity?

Feedback for this activity will come through discussion with the whole class while brainstorming their thinking throughout and after the video. Individual feedback would occur either through written comments our student-teacher interviews after handing in their notes, sketch notes, and chart paper brainstorms.

4. How will you address any potential barriers for your learners in the use of this video to ensure an inclusive design?

  • Handing in of notes, sketch notes, and chart paper brainstorms, will allow students who feel uncomfortable speaking outlaid or within a large group to share and discuss their ideas with the teacher and still receive feedback.
  • Video can be played with a higher volume (visual impairements) or with subtitles (hearing loss).
  • A print out of a video transcript could be provided for students with hearing loss. This could also be beneficial for students who may have missed parts of the video or have forgotten by the time they need to brainstorm.

Connections and Comments:

This week as I read some my classmates’ posts and I found them to be very interesting and it was awesome to see some of the other topics that other learning pods are exploring.

The first post I read was Kiera’s Post. I really liked the topic that her groups exploring. Maintaining and supporting positive Mental health while in school can be very hard but there are many organizations and individuals that eager to find new ways to support student’s. Her idea about personal journalling is great! This in itself is a way to support mental health while in school as students do not need to feel pressured to share their thoughts. I wonder, while note taking and journaling their ideas, is sketch noting something you would allow, if students find it difficult to quickly write their ideas in note form?

I also read Alison’s post. The topic that her group chose for their Interactive Learning Resource is a very interesting one. I think this topic is a very important one that I don’t hear talked about often enough. I love that she chose to discuss how the YouTube video she provided was successful in terms of interactivity as well as her personal experiences with class interactivity, good and bad. I am wondering how this video would be used with your student’s within your Interactive Learning Resource?

Resources:

Josh Arnold – Small Town Culture. (Aug 23, 2017). Our Connection to the land. [YouTube]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av3SeQpn37o