Teacher Education for Social Justice and Diversity

by Susan Waruingi "Nothing is impossible with a little ingenuity," says Nelressa Faye, a Kotlik school educator, new to Alaska, US. Faye shares a game changing experience to the students of Kotlik after they interacted with 3D printing technology for the first time with Facilities Manager, Kim Riggs from the University of Alaska. Happy and motivated pupils after a 3D Printing lesson The Yupik tribe is the largest of the indigenous people in Alaska known for their keen abilities to invent tools and technology that were highly adapted to survival in Alaska. As hunters and gatherers living in temporary houses, the tribes have used innovation and resources to transition into a mix of modern and traditional. The tough life in the north made it possible for community members to stay together as they executed inventions and performed daily chores in the families. As a result, informal education was passed down to their children. However, with rapid changes in their way of life, mod

My name is Titta Myllyniemi and I have been working as an intern at the University of Lapland for the past three months, from March till June 2021. I have been working with the two networks the University of Lapland is leading: the UArctic Network on Teacher Education focusing on Arctic issues as well as global UNESCO/UNITWIN Network. My study field is Intercultural Teacher Education, with focus on ethics, diversity and sustainability, and in the future, I will be graduating as primary school teacher. The thematic of the networks, Social Justice and Diversity, was the reason to apply for this internship, because they are very closely related to my studies. I wanted to discover how various levels of education related workplaces function and better understand my future work possibilities. The tasks I have been doing during my internship are related to project management. The networks are currently working with six different projects, and it has been an inspiring experience to learn a gre

Written by Anne Burke, Memorial University One of the most striking aspects of childhood in the modern age is the growing trend towards children spending the vast majority of their time indoors. Although the health benefits of outdoor play are well known, the reality of busy parents who rely on schools and after-schools for care is keeping children indoors for most of their days, a trend called “indoorification” (Forest School Canada, 2014, p. 5). As pandemic lockdowns kept children home and in their houses for weeks and months, this trend became even more prevalent.  The Covid-19 pandemic aside, children spending more time indoors is a result of a number of societal factors. Academic expectations placed on children has lead to less time spent outside on the average school day, as schools place a higher priority maintaining high standardized test scores in reading and mathematic outcomes. Growing numbers of two-parent working families depend on organized childcare and after-school ac