Education for Literacy and Motivation

Running Head: EDUCATION FOR LITERACY AND MOTIVATION A Personal Educational Model for Aboriginal Students Struggling with Literacy and Motivation to Learn

Stephen Hawkins Public School Educator Student, MET Program University of British Columbia

Submitted to: Marianne Justus Faculty, MET Program University of British Columbia December 9, 2008

Education for Literacy and Motivation

A PERSONAL EDUCATIONAL MODEL FOR ABORIGINAL STUDENTS STRUGGLING WITH LITERACY AND MOTIVATION TO LEARN

According to the Caledon Institute of Public Policy, 58% of Aboriginal peoples aged 2024 living on reserve in Canada did not graduate from secondary school in 2001; this compares to 16% for the rest of the population in the same age group (Mendelson, M, 2006). During their secondary school years, many Aboriginal students from reserves drop-out, fail, or are put on modified education programs. Modified educational programs result in a leaving certificate rather than a regular academic grade 12 Dogwood certificate. These students become academically modified for a variety of reasons; two possible factors to consider are literacy and motivation. Many teachers who modify such students with deficient literacy and motivational skills could enable these students to graduate successfully in the regular graduation (Dogwood) stream by providing a heavily adapted personal education plan. An infusion of Aboriginal ways of knowing and being, inclusive instructional design, and educational technologies can meet the needs of this adapted plan, and may assist these students with not only a grade 12 Dogwood diploma, but with the pride and self-determination to succeed in all aspects of their lives. I teach at a remote school in British Columbia that serves an Aboriginal reserve of Approximately 140 people. All but one of our 22 students are status First Nations. Students I teach, struggle with literacy and are often several grade levels below normal. Our students are normally kept with their peers during elementary school and are graduated through to grade 8 to begin their secondary education. Their challenges with literacy and motivation can be the primary reason educators have put these students on modified educational programs for their secondary education. Modified programs change the learning outcomes mandated by the

Education for Literacy and Motivation province of British Columbia and the student receives a leaving certificate upon completion of graduation. This certificate is not recognized by many educational and occupational institutions in BC and Canada as having met the requirements for completion of regular grade 12 courses. This analysis will proceed with an exploration of some factors causing literacy and motivational challenges for rural Aboriginal students, and an exploration of modified personal education plans. This will follow with a review of how traditional Aboriginal ways of knowing and being can be used in conjunction with inclusive, open-ended instructional design, and educational technology to create a suitable, holistic, adapted education plan for motivationally and literacy challenged students. Literacy Challenges Findings from the 2003 Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey indicate that only 58% of Canadians aged 16-65 score high enough on the survey to be considered able to manage daily literacy (reading) requirements (Statistics Canada, 2005). A literate workforce is linked to economic growth, and those people with higher literacy skills will tend to obtain the higher paying employment opportunities (Willms, 1997). High literacy skills are obvious attributes to

achieving economic and personal growth in life that affects not only individuals, but our country and global economy as a whole. Considering that 58% of Aboriginal youth (aged 20-24) living on reserve in Canada did not graduate from secondary school in 2001 (Mendelson, 2006), it is highly probable that their level of literacy and academic attainment is holding them back from personal and economic growth. In the book First Nations Education in Canada, Ron Mackay and Lawrence Myles (1995) report that educators from Ontario agree that poor English literacy skills are a significant reason for all youth to drop-out of school. When considering Aboriginal students in particular,

Education for Literacy and Motivation these teachers couple instruction with social and economic factors as reasons for the deficiency in English literacy skills. Parents education and literacy skills, and the value placed on reading in the home can have great impact on a childs engagement with reading. Lack of books at home, television, and lack of library resources on reserve can also have an impact (Mackay & Myles, 1995). These factors are echoed on the reserve where I teach. Many parents have low

English literacy skills, reading is not always valued at home, books have limited availability, and many children and youth are occupied with television and video games. Several of my students are hesitant readers and limited writers, and can easily become discouraged when faced with print resources. Considering the vast amount of material students receive in school is textually based, it is difficult to imagine what it must feel like for a literacy deficient student to be constantly bombarded with textual information. Students who struggle with literacy often avoid or simply give-up when faced with tasks that involve reading (Alvermann & Phelps, 2005). If these reading obstacles are not noticed and supported within learners immediately, the motivational effects could compound over repeated occurrences. When confronted with reading assignments students will often use tactics to deflect their misunderstanding of text and preserve their self-esteem. Students may claim that they are too distracted to read, that they have too much work, or they may resort to copying and cheating (Alvermann & Phelps, 2005). These avoidance techniques could result in students not receiving the necessary attention and support needed to build upon their literacy skills. What can result is a student who has little motivation to engage in most academic situations in school that require reading, and a literacy skill set that is preventing them from success. For literacy challenged Aboriginal students, managing the plethora of textual

Education for Literacy and Motivation information required in a school setting would undeniably have an affect on their motivation to learn. Motivational Challenges Aboriginal students have inherent feelings placed on education that is undoubtedly shaped by their families and related historical events. Consider the unstable relationship Aboriginal peoples of Canada have and continue to have with our public educational systems. For more than 100 years, under the guise of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND), the Canadian federal government assumed that European methods of education were superior to traditional Aboriginal ways of knowing and being (Battiste, 1995). This Eurocentric style of pedagogy was forced upon Aboriginal people and many youth were

sent to residential schools (Hawkins, 1999). Children were removed from their parents influence and were not allowed to speak their traditional languages or practice traditional customs. Their entire worldview was negated and considered inferior to the white Eurocentric model of knowing and being (Hawkins, 1999). When children left residential school they were so far removed from their traditional roots that they were not accepted within their own communities (Hawkins, 1999). These children were stripped of their pride and lacked the necessary skills to even subsist in the white Eurocentric society that changed them. The socioeconomic problems that have resulted from residential schools and cultural assimilation are immense and to this day include low self-esteem, loss of parenting skills, addiction, and poverty (Hawkins, 1999). Many people from my community attended residential schools and the students I teach are grandchildren, or relatives of these people. Some community members have such vivid recollections of residential schools that the thought of even entering our current public school

Education for Literacy and Motivation emotes hesitation. The serious socioeconomic effects on residential school survivors are prevalent today and observed in the students I teach. Some of my students come from homes of poverty and addiction; homes directly affected by residential schools. Without question many Aboriginal students motivation to learn is greatly affected by these socioeconomic problems resulting from residential school and cultural assimilation. Eleanor Hawkins (1999) conducted interviews with people who attended secondary school in Prince George, BC in the 1970s and 1980s. One student in particular named Peter, attended Prince George Secondary School in the 1970s while living in poverty. His father attended residential school in Williams Lake, BC during the 1950s. Peter reflected on his schooling experience at Prince George Secondary School and shared the following:

Its awfully hard to concentrate on school work that means absolutely nothing to you and has no interest for you especially when youre hungry or just plain stressed out from things. No one really gave a damn anyhow so you might as well quit as soon as you can. (p. 136) This reality that Peter faced in the 1970s sounds all too familiar to the stories many of my Aboriginal students are living today. Many of them are faced with so many socioeconomic problems in their lives that it is difficult for them to focus on the school work I provide. Considering many of these children are relatives of residential school survivors, it is understandable that they may have inherent feelings of hesitation and distrust towards our school. For students living these lives, motivation to learn may not be something that they will acquire with ease. Modified Personal Education Plans Modified personal education plans for students are created for those individuals who are identified as needing alternative learning outcomes in place of the regular learning outcomes mandated by the province of BC. Students who complete their secondary school education on a

Education for Literacy and Motivation modified program are given a leaving certificate, which recognizes the students duration in secondary school, but not successful completion of the regular academic program. Many postsecondary institutions and workplaces do not recognize these certificates as equivalent to the Dogwood certificate (completion of grade 12); students bearing these certificates may have a difficult time obtaining jobs or furthering their education.

Students can be placed on modification programs for a variety of reasons, and often these include physical or mental exceptionalities. Students with physical and mental exceptionalities are often not able to achieve the learning outcomes of the regular academic program, and need a modified program that outlines the new learning outcomes better suited for their ability. Literacy and motivation are two other reasons students are put on modification programs. A student who is deficient in their reading and writing ability may be considered by educators as not able to meet the demands that literacy requires in the academic stream. Student motivation irregardless of exceptionality can also be a reason to qualify for a modified personal educational program. Due to lack of motivation, such students may not complete enough learning outcomes in their courses to receive passing grades. Teachers have the option to implement a modified educational program that will recognize these students duration in school, but not successful completion of BCs Dogwood program. Holistic Personal Educational Plan The student focus of this paper is on those individuals who are Aboriginal and are lacking literacy skills and motivation to achieve success in the regular (Dogwood) academic stream of public education in BC. Modified educational programs remove students, sometimes physically, from the collective learning goals of the classroom. These students are given alternative learning outcomes to focus on while their classmates unite in a learning community. This reality isolates a

Education for Literacy and Motivation student from their peers academically, and removes them from a learning environment rich in collaborative process. The concept of open, inclusive education would argue that by isolating a student academically from their peers is providing a learning environment where not all students are accepted (Hutchinson, 2007). As stated by Nancy Hutchinson (2007), schools have a legislated responsibility to prepare all children and adolescents to participate in an inclusive democracy (pages 145-146). The implication of this statement is that teachers should provide an environment for their students that promotes acceptance of everyone (Hutchinson, 2007). Modified education programs have their merit for students who are not able to meet the regular learning outcomes, but when used for students who are deficient in reading and writing, and are lacking motivation, they may result in further isolation of the student from the learning community.

Educational technologies can significantly increase a teachers ability to adapt curriculum for Aboriginal students who struggle with reading and writing and motivation to learn. An adapted personal education plan still requires the student to acquire the learning outcomes mandated by BC, but provides the student with extraordinary supports to achieve these learning outcomes. Successful completion of an adapted program will culminate in a Dogwood certificate for the student. Educational technologies are not limited to physical artefacts, and include our activities, knowledge, and motivation (Petrina & Feng, 2008). There are many physical artefacts and objects that can support a student struggling with reading and writing, and provide them with an alternative outlet to collect or express their knowledge. Reading programs such as Kurzweil can assist a student with text by reading any digitally scanned document to a user while highlighting words, phrases, or paragraphs as it

Education for Literacy and Motivation progresses. Word processing programs, as exemplified by Smartwriter, support a learner by recognizing and inputting words and phrases the student may be incorrectly trying to type. There are many activities a teacher can utilize to support a student struggling with reading and writing. If it is not required for a student to have a textual output that demonstrates their understanding of a concept, teachers may choose to allow the student to use alternative

forms of expression. The simplest may be to engage in oral discourse with the student. I recently provided my grade 4-7 class with a printed question asking the students to write their understanding of what was being asked. One of my students immediately decided he couldnt perform the task and started to initiate avoidance tactics. I knew my student understood the concept, and quickly stepped in for support. I asked him the question verbally, and then wrote his correct response on the chalkboard for him to copy. I immediately praised him for his understanding of the concept, and his response exuded pride in what he accomplished. This is but one example of an activity to support a student who struggles with literacy. Providing students with alternative methods to express their understanding of concepts can significantly increase their motivation as described above. While literacy may be a common challenge for Aboriginal students, motivation to learn can be a formidable barrier to their success. Many students are coming from very difficult socioeconomic backgrounds; the effects of which have rippled down from the events of residential schools (Hawkins, 1999). Aboriginal students are entering a system that has caused significant damage to their culture, and it is a system that is still very much based on Eurocentric ideals so foreign to their traditional worldview. Infusing traditional Aboriginal ways of knowing and being into a schools or classrooms curriculum could provide the necessary relevance to encourage the students engagement and motivation to learn. Relevancy is a key component in

Education for Literacy and Motivation motivational instructional theory that can significantly increase a students engagement with learning (Shostak, 2006) I teach at an elementary/junior secondary school that serves a small community of BC Aboriginal people. While our school is public, we regularly infuse cultural traditions into the curriculum. Led by the wisdom of elders we participate in smudging ceremonies, sacred circle

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meetings, and various oral teachings. In my own classroom instruction I utilize many traditional forms of knowledge transference such as circle meetings, and oral story sharing. I invite community leaders into my classroom regularly and draw upon their traditional land as a point of reference. My observation of this learning environment is that whenever there is an infusion of my communitys traditional ways of knowing into the curriculum, the learning engagement of my students is increased. Conclusion It is disconcerting that 58% of Aboriginal people aged 20-24 living on reserve in 2001 did not graduate from high school (Mendelson, 2006). These Canadians deserve to succeed in all aspects of their lives, and for various reasons have not been able to achieve high school graduation. Not all of these students have exceptional learning difficulties. Some of these people struggle because of literacy and were simply not motivated to learn. This situation exists in our school today. Often these students are put on modified education plans that push them through the system resulting in minimal qualification to obtain employment and further their education. The socioeconomic effects of cultural assimilation and residential schools have left many Aboriginal people impoverished, facing addictions, and with innate distrust towards an education system that has done them so much damage. As a result, Aboriginal children often have little motivation towards school, and deficient literacy skills that hold them back from successful

Education for Literacy and Motivation completion of their grade 12 program. Teachers have the technological knowledge available to

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them to create programs of success for these students. The utilization of educational technology can provide students with the necessary tools to succeed in school, and the infusion of cultural traditions can provide the relevance for motivation.

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References Alvermann, D. E., & Phelps, S. F. (2005). Content reading and literacy: Succeeding in today's diverse classrooms (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Battiste, M. A. (1995). Introduction. In M. A. Battiste, & J. Barman (Eds.), First nations education in Canada: The circle unfolds (p. vii). Vancouver: UBC Press. Hawkins, E. M. (1999). Aboriginal youth in the public school system: Working towards a partnership in education. In D. P. del Mar (Ed.), Prince George in context (pp. 132-148). Prince George: UNBC Copy Services. Hutchinson, N. L. (2007). Inclusion of exceptional learners in Canadian schools: A practical handbook for teachers (2nd ed.). Toronto: Pearson Education Canada. Mackay, R., & Myles, L. (1995). A major challenge for the education system: Aboriginal retention and dropout. In M. Battiste, & J. Barman (Eds.), First nations education in Canada: The circle unfolds (pp. 157-178). Vancouver: UBC Press. Mendelson, M. (2006). Aboriginal peoples and postsecondary education in Canada. Ottawa: Caledon Institute of Social Policy. Petrina, S., & Feng, F. (2008). Primer for defining and theorizing technology in education, pt. 1. Vancouver: Tech no-Printing Press. Shostak, R. (2006). Involving students in learning. In J. Cooper (Ed.), Classroom teaching skills (8th ed., pp. 79-103). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Statistics Canada. (2005). Adult literacy and life skills survey. Retrieved November 17, 2008 from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/050511/dq050511b-eng.htm Willms, J. D. (1997). Literacy skills of Canadian youth Ottawa: Statistics Canada, Special Surveys Division.