North Bay teacher to offer virtual Indigenous language courses

The Near North District School Board is offering secondary school students virtual Indigenous language courses for Ontario students.

Starting early next year, the courses will help students acquire upper-level Indigenous language credits.

For the last few years, teacher Falcon McLeod has been working to create the Indigenous language e-learning curriculum to reach as many students as possible. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)

For the last few years, teacher Falcon McLeod has been working to create the Indigenous language e-learning curriculum to reach as many students as possible.

"So that they can get a systematic understanding of Ojibwe as a whole and then apply it in their own learning and experiences," McLeod said.

Starting in February, he will be leading virtual Indigenous language courses for students in 56 school boards who are members of the Ontario eLearning Consortium.

"Taking the dictionary and doing word-for-word kind of swaps into Ojibwe doesn't work," he said.

"It's a poly synthetic language where it requires manipulation of prefixes and suffixes onto your nouns and verbs … So, without that knowledge, it's not a proper representation of Ojibwe."

Previously, Level C and D Ojibwe language courses have only been offered through in-person learning.

"We recognize the importance of Indigenous language revitalization and preservation in fulfilling the Calls to Action related to language and in forwarding Truth and Reconciliation,” Sarah Spence, the board's principal of student achievement and well-being said in a news release.

The Near North District School Board is offering secondary school students virtual Indigenous language courses for Ontario students. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)

"The board is situated on the Robinson Huron Treaty Territory, specifically on the lands of seven Anishinaabe First Nations. We are honoured to have exceptional language holders who can offer such calibre of language teachings to not only students in NNDSB, but across all of Ontario."

The e-learning opportunity is meant to eliminate timetable conflicts, low enrolment and potential course cancelation.

"I'm finding more students want to learn Ojibwe. I've been raised going to the Anishinaabemowin Teg language conference in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and I remember being one of the few kids I used to be there," McLeod said.

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Students will cover one grammar concept each week and then build on that the following week. Each lesson consists of a pre-recorded video of the in-class lesson available on YouTube, a PowerPoint presentation from the video going over the lesson, a worksheet and an opportunity for them to seek help.

"We take students from almost no knowledge to exponential growth, to being able to express hundreds of thousands of sentences," Mcleod said.

Students also receive audio files of McLeod speaking Ojibwe at regular and slow speeds for learners to transcribe and translate.

Mcleod says he’s honoured to be part of the rollout and is excited to get to work next semester.

Students interested in registering for the courses can do so through their school guidance departments.