Dine be iina hozhooga sila4/11/2023 ![]() In researching this phenomenon, I feel a need for a different approach of instruction. As educators how do we bring our children back into learning their cultural heritage and their self-identity? How can we plant the seed of pride and passion back into them so they can understand the importance of their language and culture? What can we do to bring back the pride of living in a world of the beauty way (hozho)? We are at a point where our youth are losing their cultural knowledge, language, clan system, and identity. The NWEA Fall 2018 overall Math scores indicate a high percentage of my students were in the lowest division of Levels - 23% being in the Basic Low level, 50% in the Average Low level, and 23% are in the Hi Low level leaving the remaining 4% in the higher levels or proficient level.Īnother important factor regarding my students is their cultural background. Five students are new, having transferred from other schools. Six of the students are Gifted and Talented students eligible by the Leadership strand, and 2 by academic achievement. ![]() There are 15 residential students and 43 day students. Currently, the demographic data of my upcoming 8 th grade Math class consist of 58 students, ages 12 -15, comprised of 3 Inclusion Special Education students, 55 students classified as English Language Learners. The assessment tools used by our school for evaluating Math area are from local teacher developed formative and summative assessments, resource material unit assessments and daily monitoring techniques, the standardized assessment of Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) for Grades 3 rd – 8 th, and the Northwest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tool for Reading, Mathematics, Language Arts and Science.Ī majority of the students are identified as ELL according to the results of the state sponsored ACCESS/WIDA, given to grades K-8 th to evaluate the five English Language Development standards. All our students are receive free/reduced lunch, which indicates a majority of the student population is from low socio-economic backgrounds. As for our student body academically, we have 18% Special Education students, 98% designated English Language Learners (ELL), 10% Gifted and Talented (GT) students, with majority of 8% GT students placed on referrals for Leadership, leaving only 2% placed by Academic Achievements. ![]() Our student population is 100% Native American in ethnicity, coming predominantly from the Navajo or Dine’ tribe, a few from other tribes such as Zuni, Apache and Sioux. Our school is under the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), classified as a K-8 th Elementary School located in a rural area, about 17 miles east of the nearest city. One approach in reconnecting students to their heritage is by using cultural relevancy in the teaching of mathematics, which is also a recommended approach in closing the achievement gap. These dwellings are an important part of our heritage, a heritage that is fading from the memories of our youth. Over the years the dwellings have changed and some are now only a part of history, but some Native American tribes still build their historical dwellings for ceremonial purposes. Geometry has been a part of Native American history for centuries, as is clear from the study of the architectural techniques of Native American dwellings. Native American Geometric Community by Marnita A.
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