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View all the Teaching & Learning Centre Spark Plugs!
by Naomi Go, Project Manager, eLearning Specialist in the Teaching & Learning Centre
One of the best aspects of working at the Teaching & Learning Centre is the chance to explore professional development (PD) opportunities. A PD course that is open to all faculty is SKODEN: Teaching, Talking and Sharing about and for Reconciliation, which is facilitated by Seneca faculty members Darcey Dachyshyn, Randy Pitawanakwat, and Camille Di Iulio. “Skoden” is Anishinaabek slang for “Let’s go then!” and has become a rallying cry for reconciliation and recognition of Indigenous rights. The main goal of the 12-week Skoden course is to help faculty and staff consider how they can actively decolonize their mindsets and hopefully their teaching practices.
So why should you take this course? As we are all treaty partners, we are responsible to learn more about Indigenous ways of knowing, Canada’s colonial history, and the current issues Indigenous people face today. This course directly addresses the Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action #62, and supports learners as they try to begin implementing a “two-eyed seeing” approach in their professional and personal lives. The textbook for the course is an open educational resource (OER) of the same name, which was was created by Darcey, Randy, and Elder Blu Waters, with support from the Teaching & Learning Centre, and illustrations by Born in the North. Each week of the course aligns with a chapter in the book, and the course material is discussed in the weekly, online synchronous 1.5h session.
As a recent graduate of the Skoden course, my experience in the course was educational and impactful. Every week, Randy, Camille, and Darcey provided a safe space for all of us to share ideas, ask questions, and to receive guidance. Each of us had an opportunity to share during our virtual sharing circle, and each week I felt that my understanding of Indigenous knowledge, of my role in reconciliation, and of myself became clearer. Sometimes the issues, especially the contemporary ones facing Indigenous communities, became very heavy, and you could sense the emotional weight it had on all of us, moving some of us at times, including myself, to tears. But to be vulnerable and show emotion should not be something we are ashamed of, and if we are to move forward and live “in a good way,” we need to learn how to decolonize our perspectives and actively work towards reconciliation.
As members of the Seneca College community, we have the opportunity to practice active allyship — take one of your first steps towards reconciliation by signing up for Skoden!
Teaching & Learning Day Winter 2023 is on Monday, February 27, 2023 at Newnham Campus! It is a one-day conference dedicated to showcasing and sharing ideas and activities about how to enhance teaching and learning. The focus of Teaching & Learning Day Winter 2023 is on Educational Technology.
More details will be coming soon!
Photo source: Skoden pressbook, 2022
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