This post and associated PechaKucha are co-created by Lauren Chum and Kym Elderkin.

Here is some background information about us, our teaching experience, and our environments to provide context for our PechaKucha.

Lauren is a grade 6/7 teacher with 27 students in the class. There are four English Language Learning (ELL) students, five with Individual Education Plans (IEP), and a few in the assessment process. We have access to a lot of technology within the school, including 1 Macbook cart, 3 iPad carts, data projectors, and AppleTV in each classroom, and a reliable internet connection. Although there is access to a lot of technology, it is often difficult to find teaching resources that connect to or support our curriculum in BC, as many resources still need to be developed. There is also the issue of finding sources that are at an appropriate level for many of our students when researching or attempting to access information.

Kym is the Indigenous Education Coordinator at a First Nations school, Pre-K to Grade 12, with 217 students in attendance. We have access to smart boards and tablets in each classroom for students with Individual Education Plans (IEP) who work with Special Education programs. High school students use laptops instead of tablets, and we can access reliable internet. At my school, educators strongly focus on land-based teaching, highlighting its alignment with Indigenous ways of knowing and its deep ties to culture, community, and the land. While technology has its place, it is seen as a secondary tool to experiential learning that occurs through direct engagement with the land. The community wants to ensure that traditional teachings and values remain at the forefront of educational practices, honouring the ancestors’ wisdom and preparing the students to navigate their culture.

During our discussions and interviews for this assignment, we noticed many similarities between the experiences at our schools. When discussing physical and digital resources, we saw a stark divide between those who welcome technology into their classrooms and those who do not. We also acknowledged the lack of resources that properly align or reflect our K-12 curriculum in British Columbia, both physical and digital. This makes it hard for students and teachers to find resources appropriate for their topic or grade level and can impact what teachers choose to bring into their classrooms and what they leave behind. But, multiple types of resources might work for each learning opportunity that needs to be considered. In our PechaKucha below, we discuss how our learner audience needs a variety of learning opportunities to share and build upon their knowledge that appropriate resources, examples, and experiences can support.