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
Recommended Citation
Autio, James D., "Teaching the Cultures of Minnesota Native American Tribes: Reported Comfort Level of Teachers in Meeting Minnesota English Language Arts Standards" (2016). School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations. 4242.
https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_all/4242