Week Three Colleague Responses

Alaskan History- A Newcomers Perspective:  Claire made some really great points throughout her blog.  I didn’t realize how disrespectful can be regarding the environment up here.  I have noticed the lack of recycling.  I agree that people should look at the world through a cultures perspective to understand the culture more.  Father Oleska’s definition was really interesting.  I did a lot of searching for definitions that I really agreed with.

Gary’s Alaska Blog: The illustration that shows the observable and non-observable parts of culture is an interesting way to break down culture.  There is so much that can be said to define culture.  I want to use this in my classroom as a discussion piece.  Thanks Gary!  I have really enjoyed seeing the Native Youth Olympics since I have been up here.  It would be neat to see these games take place with different Native groups in the lower 48.

Investigate Alaska: I liked how Betty pointed out that Native values have developed through subsistence, and that their culture has been shaped by means of survival.  I spent some time in Kotzebue.  Being up there I was able to see how much people rely on the land around them for survival.  It is fascinating learning the many ways Natives utilize what surrounds them. 

Week Three Module

What is culture?  How can it be defined?

No one should assume an understanding of any culture without years of contact, observation, and learning.  I really liked this statement from part C of Module III.  It is easy to make assumptions about cultures.  When I went to college and people would ask me where I am from, as soon as I would say WY, I would get asked if I rode horses to school.  I did not ride a horse to school.  I have also experienced assumptions of how people view Alaska.  Friends in the lower 48 are always asking me how I deal with it being pitch black and below freezing outside all the time!!  It is not always dark and “below freezing” cold.

Culture is also defined by values a group of people have.  Alaska Natives respect the land and utilize the nature around them as way of life.  For example the Gwich'in Tribe wanted to protect the Porcupine caribou herd from proposed oil drillers in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  The caribou calving ground is a sacred place to the Gwich’in tribe.  The tribe didn’t know who to contact first to voice their concerns.  They did the needed research and found the resources and contacts to help protect this sacred place because it was important to them. 

"Gwich'in Tribe Protects Caribou and Culture." Teachers' Domain. 13 Jan. 2009. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.life.eco.gwichin/>

In the beginning of Part A of Module III, I read what I think is a wonderful definition of culture.  Culture can be defined in the simplest and broadest of terms, as all the life-ways a group of people identify themselves.  An example of the simplest terms of culture would be how the Inupiaq tribe still hunts whales a certain way.  To the broadest of terms which would be looking at all the specific native values that all have respect in their definitions. 

I didn’t realize how large of a scope it was to define culture and list specific details defending my definition until I started this essential question.  I can say I was caught up in the stereotypes and the easy definitions of culture.  I am interested to look further into how I define my own cultural identity now.

How do you explain your own cultural identity?

The first thing that comes to my mind when I look at the definition of my own cultural identity is The Irish Blessing.  Which is, May the road rise up to meet you.  May the wind always be at your back.  May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields.  And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.  Each time I would open a new chapter in my life my mom would always make sure I had a copy of this blessing.  Heritage is part of my definition.

I grew up in a very small town in Wyoming.  I didn’t grow up with shopping malls and freeways.  When Wal-Mart came to my town my friends and I would go walk around the store when we were bored.  It was also cool to drive down Main Street and see how else was driving the same road!!  I love a simple life.  Knowing what makes me happy is a big part of describing who I am.

downtownsheridan.org

Another part of cultural identity is how others view you.  I have always been a giver.  I thrive on making other people happy.  In college when I was deciding on my major I knew I wanted to help others.  I think that the majority of society views teachers as givers.  Being able to work with students with emotional/behavioral needs is very rewarding and allows me to give. 

Evaluation

I took a lot of good information away from this module.  Really dissecting culture and what defines it is a big job and overwhelming.  When I was reflecting on my answers to the questions that I choose to I could have gone on for much more than I did, I wanted to take different avenues and it was challenging to pick one path.  I am interested to read others definitions of culture.

Week Two Colleague Responses

Northward Bound

Brad shared some really neat facts!!  I always like to hear interesting facts about where I am at.  These are the facts that I found really interesting.  I didn’t realize that Alaska is the absolute NW portion of North America.  I knew that Alaska was big but I didn’t know that it was 3x the size of California.  Knowing that fact you can start to believe that it is 16% of the United States land area.

Explore Alaska Class

I enjoyed reading Claire’s blog this week.  Thanks for the link to better describe how each system works and is interconnected.  It is a lot of information to take in and the link broke it down nicely.   I agreed that it is really important to remember how connected each system is and that we need to take care of earth as a whole planet.  I was blow away to know that a degree or two change up or down can affect how an entire system works!

Awareness through Adventure

One comment that Diane stated that stopped me and I had to write down is “knowledge is power”.  If students could realize how phenomenal a gift this is, watch out!!  Climate changes really do affect an area in so many ways.  When she shared the information about buying a house on permafrost it became more apparent.  Another point she made was climate change is huge, however if we do our part it is powerful and huge.

Week Two Module

How does knowledge of natural systems inform our understanding of cultural systems?

Alaska’s landscape has changed in many ways over the years. Sea levels have risen and fallen, and they continue to do so.  This change has made it possible for cultures to access different regions that would normally be covered by water.  Years ago you could travel from Alaska to Asia on dry land.  On the flipside people at one time were able to walk across miles upon miles of ice, and today they are unable to.  Now this change limits regions that cultures can inhibit easily.  The change in the landscape brought a change to wildlife populations too, meaning throughout the world people have followed animals for a food source.  

As more people come to an area one change they bring that directly effects natural systems is the amount of carbon dioxide that is produced.  Some areas rely heavily on industrial technologies (increased carbon dioxide production) like Anchorage, whereas some areas rely heavily on agriculture practices (decreased carbon dioxide production) like Fairbanks.  Carbon dioxide production also varies differently in regions that depend on snow machines more than automobiles, or even ships.  With cultures producing more carbon dioxide as the years go the earth’s temperature continues to rise resulting from the greenhouse effect.  This change is seen through physical changes in the landscape.

Cultures that rely on nature for their existence notice change quicker than others who are not so directly submerged in nature.  The people who live in the village of Shishmaref are affected from global warming directly.  For example the sea ice is melting.  This leaves the village more susceptible to strong winds and a rise in water levels.  Violent weather can hit the village because of this.  The sea ice is also important because villagers need to be able to travel miles on this ice to hunt for subsistence during winter months.

What are some differences between traditional Native knowledge and Western science?

Traditional Native knowledge has a holistic view.  For example people, community, nature and spirituality are all interconnected.  So if someone is sick it could be viewed as a result of disharmony between the different sources of life.  In Western Science people take a part to whole view.  If someone was to break their leg you would treat that injured part of the body and wouldn’t think about treating something else inside that person’s life. 

How information is shared varies from culture to culture.  Traditional Native stories can’t be just retold.  The young person who was told the story by an elder couldn’t go out and just retell the story.  They had to hear the story over and over again.  Then the young person had to retell the story to the elder who had told the story to them. Being able to “tell” a story was granted by the elders.  This is an example of oral traditions were handed down in a structured way.  Western Science has thrived on passing down information or taking in information that is written down and can be seen.

www.akhistorycourse.org

Native Alaskans have stories that have been passed down from generation to generation explaining why different things exist.  One explanation of how the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights were created was to provide light for lost travelers.  Where Western Science would say you see the Northern Lights because collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun enter the earth's atmosphere. As a result these lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres.  

Evaluation

I am excited to learn more about the Alaskan Native culture in more detail.  The last portion of the module when we were able to research about specific climate change and human migration gave a small glimpse of the lifestyle people have created in this region of the world.  I want to learn more about how they continue to use old traditions and immerse them with new technologies.

Northward Bound Module 1

Brad brought up a lot of interesting questions throughout his blog.  One of which I am curious about the answer.  How many educators of that 10% population (students in Juneau without internet connection) are fluent in today’s learning technology?  Another point I liked was that it is important as educators to help connect students to places outside of Alaska.

Investigate Alaska Module 1

I really liked Betty’s views on how important it is to get to know an area before making judgments.  One saying comes to my mind “You can’t judge a book by its cover”.  I also agreed with her in that you need to be flexible to your surroundings if you are in a new place.  The land a people of this country have been around a lot longer than we have. 

A Newcomers Perspective Module 1

Claire did a really nice job bringing personal experiences into her explanations that tied back to life in Alaska.  She also pointed out how much history is all around us in AK.  It made me want to research more about the area that I teach in and discuss the history and culture of that area with my students.     

Week One Module

• How can educators use new media to better reach and teach Alaska's students?

First educators can use new media to better reach and teach Alaska’s students because they are able to have immediate access to information.  One day I was talking about how back home there are a lot of antelope.  My students had no idea what one looked like so being able to google a picture and show them was very convenient.  Granted this is a very simple example however it was a teaching moment.  When I was taking Spanish in junior high we would have pen pals in different Spanish speaking countries.  With technology today students can Skype and instantly be connected to someone miles and miles away. 

Also educators can use new media to better reach and teach Alaska’s students because of the wide variety of discussion it can generate.  Students are able research topics with more media options than books and newspapers.  Information is easier to find and students are able generate questions quicker.  This then can lead to more in depth conversations.  Some students in Alaska have never been to the lower 48.  With technology they can experience what students in other states go through growing up and relate it to their lives.

Last educators can use new media to better reach and teach Alaska’s students by helping to engage and keep students wanting to learn.  When students are using a form of technology they are more likely to stay engaged and on task.  This can also reduce behavioral problems in the classroom.  With all that students have access to i.e. ipods, ipads, kindle, and always video games, teachers have a lot to compete with.  While I was exploring Teachers’ Domain I was interested in looking at the videos of the bears in Yellowstone Park even though I am from Wyoming. Students being able to see different parts of Alaska would benefit them.

• Why is an awareness of Place important?

The awareness of Place is important because it is a part of who you are.  In the Place and Pedagogy section of Module 1 this statement was made, “It is how many students live and learn every day, whether or not they are in school. And for Alaska Native students, it's how they've survived since they arrived.”  Being able to know the background of your culture gives you a sense of pride. When you are able to identify with a place and own it as your own you take on responsibility for it.  Students can take on that responsibility to care for the land and life around them in Alaska.  I am excited to learn about all the rich culture that gives Alaskans an awareness of their Place. 

Also the awareness of Place is important because it can bring a community together as one.  While exploring the Alaska Native Knowledge Network two of the guidelines for Native Elders that stood out to me are:

·         Make a point to utilize traditional ways of knowing, teaching, listening

        and learning in passing on cultural knowledge to others in the community.

·         Assist willing members of the community to acquire the knowledge and 

        skills needed to assume the role of Elder for future generations.

These two guidelines stood out to me because this concept creates a community that stands together and is proud of where they have been and where they continue to go.  Cultural accuracy also reflects this point.  Cultural accuracy is cultural information that is accepted by the members of a particular society as being an appropriate and accurate representation of that society.  In a region where so many miles separate groups of people it is important to be able count and trust on your neighbor for food and safety if the need arises.

Guidelines for Respecting Cultural Knowledge

Next the awareness of Place is important for safety.  I know this may sound very simplistic but if you do not know about the area around you, you could put yourself in dangerous situations.  For example how I would reach running along the road and coming across an elk or deer back home is completely different than I would handle coming across a moose in Alaska.  Yesterday a friend and I were running when we came along the same path as a cow and calf.  I turned to start running in the opposite direction where as my friend told me to just stay still and patiently wait for them to cross in front of us.

 Evaluation  

I took away some great resources from Module 1.  I am going to explore the Teacher Domain site more and find way to incorporate it into my classroom.  My students are really into nature.  I also enjoyed learning about how elders are still respected in villages and have such a strong role.  Students today frequently are disrespectful to adults. 

Big Horn Mountains!!

Mountains have always been a huge part of who I am.  When I was young my dad would put a couple bottles in a pack and into the Big Horn Mountains we would go.  The older I got I still continued to spend a large amount of time in the mountains.  When I would come home for holiday breaks throughout college after hugging my family I was headed up the mountain!!

I will never live somewhere where I can't see, and enjoy snow covered mountains!!