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Continuous Evaluation of the Use of Problem-based Learning to Engage Native American Students in Environmental Issues
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| Presenter(s):
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| MaryLynn Quartaroli,
Northern Arizona University,
marylynn.quartaroli@nau.edu
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| Abstract:
There is a tremendous need for Native American students to pursue careers in science, mathematics, and technology. Tribal agencies desperately search for tribal members who are qualified for professional positions that are crucial in resolving community environmental problems. If these positions are to be filled, educators must find ways to develop enthusiastic, culturally and scientifically knowledgeable students. Can problem-based learning (PBL) serve to engage Native students in the study of environmental issues while simultaneously bridging mainstream and Native cultural differences? For four years, a university-based environmental education outreach program conducted a series of one-week, on-campus Summer Scholars sessions using PBL to provide Native American middle and high school students, incorporating multiple formative evaluation strategies for program development and improvement. Continuous evaluation resulted in the successful use of PBL to investigate current and important tribal issues in ways that honored students' backgrounds while engaging them in authentic scientific inquiry.
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The Necessity of Indigenizing Accountability and Assessment
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| Presenter(s):
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| Katherine Tibbetts,
Kamehameha Schools,
katibbet@ksbe.edu
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| Maenette Benham,
Michigan State University,
mbenham@msu.edu
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| Abstract:
Like indigenous and minority communities worldwide, the North American indigenous community is striving to understand and articulate what it means to do evaluation grounded in traditional, culturally-specific values and ways of knowing. This paper presents the reflections of a group of Native American researchers and evaluators on the implications of traditional values for the practice of evaluation and assessment in culturally-based educational contexts. We argue that an indigenous system of education requires an indigenized framework for accountability and assessment. We offer a perspective on accountability that is always present, always personal, and that reflects the importance of the connections to people, place, spirituality, and time. We also share our views on indigenous approaches to assessment and the importance and power of rigor, respectful relationships, relevance, and reciprocity in assessment.
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