Term

Fall 12-14-2016

Capstone

Thesis

Degree Name

MAEd

Primary Advisor/Dissertation Chair

Barbara Swanson, EdD

Secondary Advisor/Reader One

Wren Walker Robbins, PhD

Peer-Reviewer/Reader Two

Ikhlas Abdelkhalig, MA

Abstract

The issue of how to teach about Minnesota Native American tribes in elementary school intrigues me because of my personal experiences growing up as an Ojibwe/Finnish person. As an adult, I became an educator and wanted to improve my craft while also helping other teachers to feel better about working with this topic. The Minnesota English Language Arts standards specify a need for second- and fourth-grade teachers to teach about Dakota and Ojibwe people, but teachers report varying levels of comfort. This paper examines similar state-mandated situations in Montana and Alaska, and different ways in which the schools tried to meet their standards. Through interviews with teachers at a small suburban public elementary school, data was collected about the level of comfort and knowledge reported by second- and fourth-grade teachers. The analysis included identifying trends in thoughts and opinions about comfort level, available resources, and how to best meet the standards.

Research Methodology

Interview, Observation

Keywords

Multicultural Education, Staff Development, Teachers/ Teaching, Minnesota Native Americans

Included in

Education Commons

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