Meeting of adult educator minds
Arctic College makes plans for last two years of funding from CanNor
Miranda Scotland
Northern News Services
Published Monday, May 19, 2014
WHITEHORSE, YT
With two years left of funding from the Northern Adult Basic Education program, Arctic College staff took a moment to pause and reflect this past month before moving ahead with further improvements.
Hundreds of educators from across the three territories gathered in Whitehorse April 29 to May 1 for the Inaugural Northern Adult Basic Education Symposium.
They attended sessions, speaker events, workshops and, on the last day, met with educators from their territory for a caucus meeting.
"It was an opportunity to step back from the busy work (staff) do everyday and do some deeper reflection," said Daniel Page, manager of adult basic education programs at Arctic College, of the meeting. "As we turn toward the last few years, we want to direct input from our staff on where we should go, where we should invest, what enhancements still need to be done, how can we build on what we have done in the last three years, are there any gaps, things like that.
"It really was an opportunity for a meaningful conversation."
Arctic College is to receive $11 million over five years, 2012 to 2016, through a program managed by the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. The Northwest Territories and Yukon are also receiving funds.
The purpose of the symposium was for adult educators to walk away with new tools and ideas they can use when they start teaching in the fall. And that's just what happened, said Page.
Arctic College educators were very excited by Yukon College's digital storytelling project and immediately saw how it could be used in their classrooms. Instructors are pushing for greater access to learning technologies because they see how it can enhance student learning, added Page.
"It's clear our staff want to go there," he said. "So we will be doing that in the next couple of years."
Staff were further inspired by how Yukon College focuses on supporting students individually throughout the duration of the school year. It's proven to be an important factor in ensuring success at the institution, said Page.
"Something like a symposium like this, it guides you to go into new directions but it was also an opportunity to reaffirm the directions we took."
Arctic College recently overhauled its adult basic education programming to add a greater emphasis on the Nunavut perspective, hands-on learning and course integration.
Steps were taken to enhance its Inuktitut curriculum and pair language and cultural learning.
The institution also developed the ABE Essential Skills program.
The next step is to evaluate those initiatives to ensure they're working for students. It ensures another layer of accountability, said Cindy Cowan, director of community programs for the college.
Ultimately the hope is to move away from the current ABE model, which is based on the idea that students didn't finish their elementary and/or high school education, she added.
"That's what we want to change," said Cowan. "I think we've made great strides in the three territories to changing that attitude to beginning from a strength-based perspective and saying this is who you are and these are the strengths you have and this is the strength your culture brings to the learning environment."
