Seasonality: Inviting the rhythms of place and literacies of land into the learning space
This professional development is designed to combine Indigenous literature and literacies with land-based pedagogy. The intention for this training is to offer practical content and strategies that are suitable for all students and to encourage open discussion about how to meaningfully incorporate Indigenous literacy and tenants of land-based pedagogy in diverse learning settings. Upholding a warm and welcoming space for multi-lingual learning and Indigenous languages is a foundational aspect of this offering.
Participants can expect to leave the workshop with a selection of new strategies and prompts, a recursive strategy for classroom use, and suggestions for bringing literature informed by Indigenous languages into the learning space. This two-hour workshop will fulfill OSPI’s Continuing Education clock hours (2) for all state educators and meets the requirements for ongoing Racial Equity Training for teacher certification.
This course will offer free resources and is suitable for teachers and learners of all ages including adult learners. Writers may also find the content useful.
Educators will leave this class with a bundle of teaching resources including suggested readings, activities, thinking strategies, engagement techniques, and culturally responsive standards alignment. Additionally, each professional development will address one institutional challenge and pose thinking strategies to address it.
- Creative writing and thinking prompts to engage with place and season
- Classroom ready discussion strategy to encourage noticing and building on observations
- Classroom ready reading and writing strategy to encourage visual thinking
- Consideration of an institutional challenge: Static view of literacy and language in the learning space and a land-based alternative
- Connection to other content areas: science and art including standards alignment suggestionsResources and places to learn more
Laura Da’ is a poet and teacher. A lifetime resident of the Pacific Northwest, Da’ studied creative writing at the University of Washington and the Institute of American Indian Arts. She is Eastern Shawnee. Her first book, Tributaries, was published by the University of Arizona Press and won a 2016 American Book Award. Da’ has held residencies at the Richard Hugo House, Tin House, and Jack Straw. Her newest book, Instruments of the True Measure, is the winner of the Washington State Book Award. Da’ lives near Seattle with her husband and son.