The Intelligentsia

Group Members

Meagan Treasurer Angela Vice President, and Taryn President

Critical Incident

Two Korean EAL students in Grade 5 are currently feuding because one student caused the other to lose face during a game at recess. The students' parents became involved in the issue because losing face is of great significance to the Korean culture. The parents had words with each other and asked the school to become involved in settling the issue. When the parent of one child had angry words with one of the students on school property this critical incident became an issue that the school had to help the two families work through.

Magolda's Model 1992

Stage 1: (dualist or absolute knowing) - That's now how we think in Canada. You should not go and belittle another student.
Stage 2: (transitional) - Teacher is confused, doesn't know what to do.
Stage 3: (independent) - Let the parents/families work it out.
Stage 4: (contextual) - Ask for assistance from principal and interpreter to work collectively with the families to resolve conflict.

Engaging Aboriginal families to support student and community learning - Chodkiewicz et al. (2008)

Question 1: What issues did the authors identify as a problem related to Aboriginal education?

Lack of connection between aboriginal community and education community.
Lack of parental involvement in school community.

Theoretical Explanations:

Difference- children have different language practices
Structural inequality- schools actively reproduce social inequalities in school
Resistance theory- certain groups of students actively resist white middle class schooling values.

Question 2: How did they analyze this problem? (e.g. What has created this problem? Why does it need to be solved?)

Need to refocus on engagement rather than content of program.
Way that aboriginal families had experienced colonization was very diverse so this was a way to analyse the problem.
Solved it by identifying that challenge lies in working to engage parents in aboriginal communities.
Also, schools have to address imbalance in the power control and resources between schools and families.

Question 3: What was their ‘solution’? (What needs to change and why?)

Strengthening the school links with parents and community by carrying out a more detailed mapping of school community.
Developing a network of local human services and community organizations in the school community.
Exploring ways of engaging aboriginal parents by asking parents about their views.

Question 4: How did they implement their solution? (How did they envisage change to happen?)

Mapping key organizations and people in the local community and involving stakeholders.
Setting up focused learning partnerships with key local aboriginal community organizations to support school curriculum in being more culturally relevant.
Offering courses in local aboriginal languages and organizing projects that record aboriginal families and stories.
Working with trusted advocates to assist parents in their contact with the school.
School commitment of resources to support aboriginal parents around learning.