Infusing interactive whiteboard technology into initial teacher education

The aim of this project was to raise awareness of Aboriginal cultures among students in elementary and secondary schools, and teacher candidates at OISE. The process involved the administration of a student awareness survey that was created and initially distributed in 2000. The results of the survey in 2008 show that student awareness of Aboriginal issues remains low, with 80 per cent reporting they had inadequate opportunity to learn about these issues and 74 per cent reporting no understanding of current Aboriginal issues. A professional development symposium, Kimaaciihtoomin e-Anishinaabe kikino’amaageyak (Beginning to Teach in an Indigenous Way) was held in April 2008 to inspire teacher candidates to take action and to include Aboriginal examples and methods in their work. In this context, the project provided an opportunity for teachers to share best practices and advice. A resource kit produced for the conference is available from the Indigenous Education Network (IEN) and will continue to be updated by and for teacher candidates in future years. project focus • How does Aboriginal awareness among students in 2008 compare to that of students who took the Aboriginal awareness survey in 2000? • How can the awareness of Aboriginal issues and their relative absence in schooling be increased among teacher candidates and their students? • How can momentum and networks be developed with beginning teachers to address the lack of attention to and awareness of Aboriginal concerns?