IEFA Online Book Study May 15 - July 15, 2018 

Costs: $85 Per Registrant

American Indian Boarding Schools - SWMSS Book Study Course

Join us for this online book study course to deepen your knowledge, get familiar with available resources, and find ways to incorporate Indian Education for All into your instruction. This study focuses on the topic of Indian Boarding Schools. Earn 30 renewal units for completing the required reading and course assignments *at your own pace*.

Course Description: You will receive three books and 30 CEUs during this three-month independent study involving classroom applications. The mentor read-aloud text is Sweetgrass Basket, a poetry - prose genre by Marlene Carvell. Supporting books include historical fiction journal My Name is Seepeetza by Shirley Sterling and picture book award winner Shi-shi-etko. Discover how to use all three books in classroom book club structure that transcends curriculum. 

Background on Topic: From the 1870s through the present day, Indian children of all ages, from thousands of homes, from hundreds of diverse tribes and reservations, have entered federal boarding schools. Indian students' experiences at boarding schools have been as diverse as the students themselves. For some, the federal government's attempts to eradicate "Indianness" were unbearable; for some, tragically, they were successful. For others, time at boarding school represented a chance simply to get an education, or to gain knowledge of other Native cultures and celebrate all that it means to be Indian. (Away from Home: American Indian Boarding School Experiences 1879-2000)

Requirements include:

• Three online facilitated sessions (under 1 hour each) using video conferencing through Zoom platform;

• Using Google Classroom to reflect, share, and participate in discussions with course instructors and participants;

• Integrating learning from the course into the classroom;

• Sharing classroom instruction experiences with course participants across Montana.

Note:  SWMSS will provide you with copies of all three books (they will be mailed to you within 2 business days after registering for this course). About one week prior to the course start date, the instructors will send the link to the Google Classroom login you will need for the course.

Course instructors are available to help with any questions along the way. They will periodically review your work during the course and confirm completion at the end.  

Course Instructors:

Melissa Tovaas, mtovaas@swmss.coop

Kim Quigley, kimquigley03@gmail.com

Register Now!