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Field Trip Reflection
Field Trip Reflection
CassidyShostak
February10,2017
ThefieldtriptoFrankSlideandHeadSmashedinBuffaloJumpwasrepresentativeof
howfieldtripscanpresentspecificknowledgeandcreateitsownsocialcontext.Duringthevisit
toFrankSlide,IhadchosentoparticipateinthePromisesofParadiseandKillerMountain
programs.TheknowledgepresentedbyFrankSlideinthePromisesofParadiseisaprogram
commonlydeliveredtostudentswhoareingradefourthroughsix.Theknowledgepresented
wasonthebasisofEuropeansdesiretomovetoCanadawiththehopeofabetterlife.The
programleaderpresentedpostersandscenariosofEuropeansthatwoulddrawthemtocometo
Canada.Theknowledgegavewaspurelybasedonperspectivesfrompoorunderprivileged
EuropeansratherthanintegratingdifferentEuropeanperspectivesonresettlementandtheNative
Americansoutlookonwhatitwaslikefornewpeopleintegratingintotheirterritory.Thisgapof
perspectivegivesanarrowoutlookonhowearlyimmigrationwasviewedintheCrowsnestPast.
TheactivitythattheprogramofferedremindedmeoftheGameofLifewherestudentsgotto
makechoicesbasedonmoneywhentheywereresettlinginCanada(thisuseofgamificationisa
whichisateachingstrategyIwanttouse).Therewerediverseidentitiesthatstudentsweregiven
basedoneconomicstatus,familystatus,homecountries,andgenderrepresentingdifferent
groupsofpeoplethatsettledinCanada.Theknowledgepresentedinthegamewasalsovery
shallow.Informationwaspresentedinanondescriptivewayornotgivenatallforexample,that
thefarmlandwasunsuitableforfarmingandthatfireswereanrealissueforthesepeopleorthat
theirwasinequalityofmoney.Ifoundthattheprogramhaditsowngapsonthebasisofcertain
factslikehowmanypeopleactuallyresettledinWesternCanada,howmanyofthesewentback
toEurope,howmuchlandwasoccupiedbytheimmigrants.Ienjoyedthattheprogramleader
startedtheprogramwithonposingthequestion,whohereisanimmigrant?Allstudents,other
thanNativeAmericanstudents,shouldraisetheirhand.Thisgivesstudentsinsightson
immigrationtodayandthemindsetweshouldhaveinregardtoimmigrants.Thisknowledge
wasnotexpandedforaclassdiscussiononimmigration;however,asateacherwecouldbeuse
thisideathateveryoneoncewasanimmigrationtoaddressimmigrationintheclassroom.The
issueofprivilegedandnotprivilegedalsocouldhavebeenaddressedduringthisprogram.
Specifically,thatsomeimmigrantsinthegamehadanadvantagebeforesettletoCanadawhere
othersdidnothavethatsameadvantage.
DuringtheprogramKillerMountaintheprogramleadermentionedthattheFirstNations
peoplewerewearyofthemountainandclaimeditasthemountainthatmoved.Itisinteresting
thattheFirstNationsperspectivewasignoredandpresentlyiscontinuallybeingignored,for
exampletheissueofStandingRock.Ironically,theFirstNationsperspectiveontheslidewasa
knowledgegapofwhatwaspresentedinthemovieandduringthewalk.Themoviepresented
thehumanaspectofFrankSlidepresentingknowledgefromdifferentperspectivesof
Europeansurvivors,whichagainpresentedperspectivegaps.Thewalkfocusedonthescientific
geologyoftheTurtleMountain.Thisscienceknowledgeofthemountainisimportantespecially
whenanalyzingthemountainforfutureslides;however,Ifelttheprogrambeingnoninteractive
tookawayfromtheslideandthesignificanceofthedamage.Themoviealsohighlightedthe
importanceofwhiteimmigrantsthathaddied,specificallywhitemaleimmigrants;however,the
moviedidnotmentionanyotherethnicitiesthatwouldhavebeenworkingonthemineandany
FirstNationperspectiveontheaftermathoftheslide.Ifeltasthoughmanyperspectiveswere
lostinFrankSlideexhibitsandeasilycouldhavebeenintegratedtocreateabetteroutlookonthe
slide.
HeadSmashedinBuffaloJumpwasaverymovingexperiencewheninteractingwiththe
Elder.IfoundthattheinsightsthattheElderofferedusonthebasisofhowtranslationand
knowledgebecomeslostandmiscommunicatedbetweendifferentlanguageandculturethemost
surprisingbutalsoresonatedmostheavilywithme.ItwaseyeopeningthatEnglishwordsare
unrepresentativeofFirstNationtribesandthehistoricalsightsofFirstNations.TheElder
prayedwithus,displayedartefacts,andallowedustoaskquestionsinanopenandsafecontext.
Hetoldstoriesinanonlinearwaydisplayinghisstorytellingcultureandgaveusunderstanding
tohislanguageaswellastheculturessignlanguage.Thisideaofamarketedname,language
misconception,andfalseartefactsprovidesgapsinhowthepublicperceivesknowledgeand
howwemustabsorbknowledgecritically.Thisknowledgeispresentedfromthosewhoarenot
NativeAmericanpeoplesbutthosewhoareassumingtheircultureortryingtomakemoneyoff
oftheways.ThishistoricalsightisconsideredaUNESCOWorldHeritageCentre;however,one
oftheonlyCanadiancentresthatrepresentsourFirstNationspeopleandtheirculture.TheElder
gavemeanewperspectiveonFirstNationculture,language,andwaysofknowingthathelped
medevelopadeeperunderstandingandappreciation.Ifoundthisportionofthefieldtripthemost
rewardingandthegreatestlearningexperience.Irealizedtheimportanceofcreatingpartnerships
withFirstNationspeopleisimportantinschoolsandhowmoremeaningtheinformationhelp
whenitwasgiveninarawandinteractivemanner.Themovieshowntousbythecentregavean
accurateunderstandingofhowFirstNationspeopletraditionallyhuntedthebuffalo.Ifoundthe
moviefascinatingbecauseIwasunawareofthetechniquesandthestrategicplanthattheFirst
Nationspeopleusedintheirhunting.IamfrustratedthatIhavenotbeenabletodevelopan
accurateunderstandingandbetterknowledgeonCanadashistoryandNativeAmericanculture
sincecomingintouniversity,specificallytheEducationprogram.Thisshowsthegapsof
knowledgeinourschoolssystemsandhowthisgapcancausenegativeimplicationstoward
NativeAmericanssuchasstereotypingandracism.
WhilereflectingonthefieldtripIsawtheimportanceofaddressingtheknowledgethat
willpresentinafieldtripbothbeforeandafter.Additionally,theknowledgegainedfromthe
fieldtripcouldbeusedtodriveanassignment.Havingstudentsparticipateinafieldtrip
unpreparedandwithoutapurposemayriskthestudentsnotabsorbingappropriateinformationor
feelingoverwhelmedbywhatispresentedtothemandnotlearninganythingatall.Additionally,
Ithinknottakingthetimetoprepareanddebriefstudentsheightensthepossibilityofthe
knowledgebecomingonlystorytermforstudents.Todebriefstudentsateachercouldaddress
somequestionsstudentsmayhaveandalsohelpclarifytheknowledgethatwasgiven.This
couldbedoneinavarietyofways,forexample,agraffitiwall,amindmapbasedaroundother
questions,posingquestionstostudentsaboutessentialknowledgepresent.Usingthesequestions
fromstudentsandkeyknowledgethatwastakenawayfromthefieldtripcouldbeusedas
formativeassessmenttodrivefutureinstructionorinquiry.Inregardtobiasesorlackof
perspectivethatsometimescanmyinvolvedinfieldtripsisalsoveryimportanttoaddressinthe
classroom.Recognizingtheknowledgefromafieldtripandwhatmaybemissingcanalsobe
usedininstructionandisessentialtodiscuss.Asaneducator,itisimportantthatwefillinthe
gapsofknowledgesostudentsaredevelopinganonbiasperspectiveofknowing.Wealsohave
topresentknowledgemaybetranslated,whichmaymeanitisunreliable,likewehadseenat
HeadSmashedIn.Thiswillhelpstudentsunderstandthatnotallknowledgeisabsoluteand
furtherallowstudentstohaveopportunitiestobecriticalaboutknowledgeandhowitis
presentedtothemmakingthembettercriticalthinkersandbetterlearners.