First Nations Technological Divide 1

First Nations Technological Divide

Kevin Kaiser 88480975

University of British Columbia

ETEC 511 64B

Marianne Justus, Ph.D.

November 29, 2006

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First Nations Technological Divide

Do the current plans for teacher training and governmental input place the focus

of First Nations education in line with the pressing needs of First Nations learners in the

current and looming digital age?

Introduction

In order for First Nations students to be successful in the current practice of

education, they need to be engaged in the material. Further, the curriculum must bridge

the old with the new, and embrace technological advances while respecting traditional

ways of knowledge. By mixing the old ways of knowing with technology, First Nations

learners can empower themselves and ensure that learning is not static. The current

educational divide with respect to First Nations education must be bridged by all levels of

government, and all First Nations organizations in Canada to incorporate real global

knowledge for the students.

Educational Divide

Historically, in Canada, there are many aspects of the education system that have

failed First Nations learners. From residential schools and the abuse tied to the residential

schools, to contemporary public schools and the low graduation rates. While it is easy to

track the numbers of failures, it is not so easy to track and pinpoint the successes. First

Nations people once spoke multiple languages just to do business with the surrounding

people and early settlers. This proved their capability to adapt to new surroundings and

thrive in a new world. Technology in First Nations education is another idea that is being

implemented in some schools, but it needs time, understanding and educated

professionals to reach its full potential for First Nations learners. Technology has the
 First Nations Technological Divide 3

capability to help many social aspects of life, but for this paper, educational technology

will be the focus. The various bands, all levels of government, the many students and

streamlined funding are needed to act harmoniously in order to achieve the success of

technological implementation with regard to First Nations learners.

Hiwarde and Rajyalakshmi state, “The term digital divide refers to the socio-

economic difference between communities with regard to their access to computers and

the Internet. The term also refers to gaps between groups in their ability to use

Information Communication Technology (ICT) effectively, due to users' differing literacy

and technical skills, and the gap in availability of quality and useful digital content.”

(Hiwarde and Rajyalakshmi, 2006) At the heart of the divide is the success rate of the

learners themselves. Dealing with First Nations education requires that the people

attempting to enhance graduation rates of First Nations learners fully understand the task.

Narrowing the digital divide will take incentives from all levels of government and

implementing the technologies that will respect and enhance First Nations culture.

Each level of government has its own incentive, and there must be viable reasons,

outside of the need to help First Nations youth, to implement real plans for the future of

First Nations youth. Hiwarde and Rajyalakshmi state, “Bridging the digital divide also

means making sure that people, wherever they may live, can obtain access to digital

content that is localized, culturally relevant and available for use.” (Hiwarde and

Rajyalakshmi, 2006) The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) state in their pre-budget,

“The First Nations population is burgeoning, young, diverse and mobile. The First

Nations population is a potential resource to address labour shortages in Canada.” (AFN,

2005. p.2) The incentive of the AFN is for the betterment of First Nations as a whole, but
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they must place any money into viable, working options for the various communities –

specifically teacher training. First Nations tribes across Canada are as diverse as the land

across Canada, and each has its own needs, but technology in education can be the one

common goal for all bands across Canada.

Implementing Strategies

The government of Canada funds organizations such as the AFN. This means that

the AFN must abide by the wishes of the Canadian government. Also, the AFN is

attempting to please the First Nations population with policies geared toward cultural

sustainability. This is a good and noble goal, but it comes at a large price to the

immediate needs of First Nations youth in terms of real help in providing a viable

relevant plan in an increasingly digital dependant education system and work force. With

3.9 billion dollars to work with, the AFN has the means to implement many strategies.

(AFN, 2006. p. 6).

The isolation that many of the First Nations reserves experience is part of the

problem that needs to be addressed by organizations like the AFN and the Canadian

government. One of the ways to overcome this issue, in terms of education, is distance

learning through the Internet. Various levels of government and First Nations

communities in partnership with businesses have to work together to make these plans

become a working reality.

First Nations Schoolnet (FNS) aimed to be part of the solution by bringing

knowledge of communication technologies through web based video, audio and text

conferencing. The program has been cut back, but there are positive aspects of the

program. More specifically, the FNS curriculum is comprised of two seventy-hour

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courses that provide hands on experience in the IT sector. “Specifically, students learn

how to build a computer, install and run operating systems and gain a base understanding

of local area network (LAN) architecture and networking protocols… The IT Essentials

II course is also 70-hours in length and incorporates hands-on learning to give students an

overview of network operating systems. The course is a stepping stone to help prepare

students for careers in the IT field.” This program fit the needs of the remote

communities and provided an entry point in a previously unexplored field for many First

Nations communities.

Public and private money was implemented to boost the use of the Internet in

remote communities across Canada. First Nations Schoolnet was the major project

implemented under this strategy. “From 1993-1999, Industry Canada spent $7.3 million

to pay for one computer in each of the 420 schools to be connected to the satellite

technology DirectPCTM…Initially, feedback was positive…” (Carr-Chellman, 2005).

While it seemed that a magic bullet for First Nations education was found, there were

usability barriers and lack of understanding implementing this initiative.

The First Nations Education Council did a comprehensive study on technology with

regards to First Nations schools. Their findings were reported in 2003. “The top three

barriers to ICT usage are: lack of teacher training, outdated/slow/not enough equipment

and lack of knowledge on how to integrate ICTs into classroom/school use.” (FNEC.

2003, p. 4). These findings are represented right across Canada, which means that there is

a general lack of understanding when technology and the classroom are concerned -

specifically with Schoolnet. The same study reports, “Most schools listed at least one

main educational need of the school. The three most common responses from the schools
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include: budget, training and space (lack).” (FNEC. 2003 p. 9). The Ministry of

Education has spent time and money on Schoolnet, but there is a large divide on

effectively implementing the program Canada wide. Canadian students have been toted

as the trial students for Schoolnet, and even after the federal money has been stripped

down, educators must learn from what has worked and what has not worked with

Schoolnet. Teacher training and updating computers, with the majority of computers

being Pentium I, are essential before setting up any type of distance education course.

The key component to improving First Nations education with technology is

addressing the First Nations student’s needs. Many middle schools in British Columbia

are implementing a laptop program for all students in the grade seven year. “In 2005 the

Ministry of Education provided $2.1 million to support 12 school districts in piloting the

use of wireless student laptop computers in schools.” (Ministry of Education, 2005). First

Nations students, in remote areas, will be behind the rest of the student body once again

unless IT education is implemented quickly and efficiently. “Thus, the school becomes

the key place where this technology is available for students to use and become

familiarized with. For this fact, the communities believe it is crucial that Internet access

as well as training be made available to the communities.” (FNEC. 2003 p. 22).

If a First Nations student enters into the middle school years behind in IT skills,

that student will have a greater chance of dropping out of school altogether. Again, the

school system will have failed the First Nations community by failing to adequately

address the long-term needs of the learners. The whole point of IT solutions are to make

things easier for students to deal with the growing needs of the labour force. This is not

something that can sit on a shelf somewhere in Ottawa. This needs to be addressed to
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ensure the mistakes of the past regarding First Nations learners and the public education

system are not repeated. By being proactive, the policies that are put forth will undergo

less scrutiny by the First Nations populace.

Many teachers get tired of the same rhetoric regarding First Nations education.

All too often First Nations youth slip through the cracks left open by teachers, and the

dropout rate continues to rise in First Nations communities. David Rattray stated the

uphill battle educators face when working with First Nations youth.

1) Pain at home... one or more parents with addictions.

2) Extreme skipping from classes....they may go to school and 'wander' the halls

much of the day.

3) When skipping, they usually go with one or two other students and smoke

pot/etc.

4) Can not focus for any length of time in a class before their problems surface

and they end up 'running around in circles' trying to solve problems they don't

have the skills/knowledge/attitudes to deal with.

5) Lots of drug, alcohol, violence, sexuality, stealing, selling.

6) Many suicidal and/or cutting.

7) A few are mentally challenged but not enough to qualify for serious behavioral

support.

8) They ALL 'want the pain to go away' Because of their behaviors/attitudes,

many teachers do not like working with these students....it's easy to

suspend/expel/do nothing with these students.

(D. Rattray, personal communication, November 23, 2006).

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All of the technology in the world will not solve the problems of the

disadvantaged youth. There is a need for professionals that are able to not only implement

the technology, but professionals that can work with the technology. The First Nations

population is in dire need of people able to do both of these at once for a sustained period

of time. Too often people have had the right idea, but were without financial backing, or

they were in the financial position to do something, but did not have the right idea. There

are excellent programs available, but if they are not delivered with passion and relevance,

they will fail like every other program used as a magic bullet for First Nations education.

Working Initiatives

One very successful project that addresses the needs of a community is in Canim

Lake BC. Canim Lake has just over five hundred members, with seventy five percent

living on reserve. Canim Lake is partnership with Gonzaga University and UNBC where

the Universities allow the band members to complete a seven-year degree in business or

education without leaving the reserve. By allowing band members to earn a degree on the

reserve, the members will have more reason to stay and work on the reserve. They have

had twenty-one graduates from this course, and continue to enroll band members. This

scenario gives the youth some local people to emulate, and parents who set high

standards for their children. The success lies within the community being an active part of

the solution to First Nations education.

This shift in thinking towards Canada’s remote communities by the Universities is

one of the very success stories that must be emulated across Canada. Dr. Jago states,

“Rather than viewing these protocol agreements as concessions, UNBC sees them as

progressive and enlightened adaptations of established Western university traditions –

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adapted to the realities of a post-colonial society, where cultural diversity is celebrated

and different peoples are accorded respect.” (Jago, Dr. Charles.) The helpful aspect of the

new technology is the fact that it is mobile, and it is immediate. Distance learning, online

learning’s precursor, had too many problems to list, but the main problem was lack of

motivation, by the students, to finish the course. In a rather short time period, distance

learning has grown to suit the needs of the people taking courses at home, but as they

continue to evolve, they need to be implemented in the right places.

The Ministry of Education is one of the key players in First Nations education,

and even their most modest initiatives have had some success. Abnet, implemented by the

Ministry of Education, is a listserve that brings professionals together on one forum

where they can discuss First Nations issues relating to education. “As a communication

tool, Abnet is shown to be effective for information-sharing and keeping people

connected throughout the province about Aboriginal education. In addition to providing a

discussion site on relevant issues and trends in Aboriginal education in British Columbia,

the listserve is used to post upcoming events, activities, current literature and information

about Aboriginal education here and in other jurisdictions.” (Ministry of Education,

2005). To the many people that work with First Nations students, Abnet has proven to be

a good resource to share ideas, and address needs with workable solutions for First

Nations education.

Abnet has many passionate professional members who contribute to the growing

list of ideas regarding First Nations education on a regular basis. The listserve allows

people to say what they feel is right with education, and what they feel is wrong with

education. After sharing ideas on what in place for First Nations education, a quote from
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John Hudson’s Aboriginal Learning and Healing in a Virtual World appeared in an online

conversation. “Today Aboriginal peoples on Turtle Island are on the threshold of a new

wave of colonialism, propelled by the new religion of corporate globalism, and the

Internet is the contemporary missionary of that new religion.” (F. Hughes, personal

communication, November 23, 2006). Getting all parties on the same page regarding

education is a major obstacle, and will remain that way until there First Nations education

is on equal footing with the rest of Canada.

Conclusion

In order for technology to be successful for not only the grey area students, but for

all students, IT learning needs to be distributed across the curriculum and across

generations. It must give the students a sense of belonging, in both their past and their

future. The challenge is to blend them together in a way that is effective, and relevant to

the learner. Understanding the needs of the schools, the extended family and the

community will help all learners acquire the skills to be successful in the present and the

future.

Blending the old with the new is not the problem. It is the goal. Emancipation

through strength, belief and understanding is needed to realize this goal, but there remain

many financial hurdles to jump over and historic hoops to jump through. Government

incentive to help alleviate the issue of enhancing the First Nations education issue needs

to be fully addressed. Money spent on programs such as Schoolnet is expensive, but the

small successes can be expanded into future projects. Universities delivering the proper

training for teachers and communities are needed for First Nations to keep pace with the

non-native population, and the present digital age.

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Resources

Assembly of First Nations, 2005. First Nation Education Action Plan. Retrieved
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November 14, 2006 from, http://www.afn.ca/cmslib/general/Education-

Action%20Plan.pdf

Carr-Chellman, A. (Ed.) (2005). Global Perspectives on E-Learning: Rhetoric and

Reality. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

First Nations Education Council, 2003. First Nations Schoolnet. Report on the

Comprehensive study of Schools Needs. Retrieved November 18, 2006

from, http://www.cepn-fnec.com/eng/index.html

Hiward, M., Rajyalakshmi, 2006. E-content Awards. An Initiative for Bridging the

Digital Divide in India and Worldwide. Retrieved November 20, 2006 from

http://www.dlib.org/dlib/november06/hirwade/11hirwade.html - 1

Jago, Dr. Charles, 2004. Breaking with Tradition. Retrieved November 16, from

http://www.affairesuniversitaires.ca/issues/2004/junejuly/breakingtradition_01.ht

ml

Ministry of Education, 2005. Aboriginal Education. Retrieved November 16, from

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/subscribeabnet.htm

Ministry of Education, 2005. Laptop Initiative. Retrieved November 16, from

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/onetoone/