Enriching teaching practice through place, arts and culture: resources for in-service teachers of the Bering Strait School District

Abstract

The SILKAT (Sustaining Indigenous and Local Knowledge, Art and Teaching) project joins together the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Bering Strait School District in an effort to celebrate the rich cultural arts and Indigenous knowledge of northwest Alaska and bring the knowledge and ingenuity of local artists and culture-bearers to the forefront of teaching practices and curriculum. This work presents the content and format of one teacher professional development module based on one of seven arts and place-based core teaching practices-the ability to elicit student thinking and facilitate reflective thinking in students. It also examines the development of two Art and Culture units, grade 3-Natural Landforms, and grade 5-Responsibility to Community, both rooted in the cultural values and knowledge of artists and culture-bearers from the region. The research completed for this project examines the supporting literature that forms the backbone for both the professional development module and the Art and Culture units, including core practices, the implications of place and culture-based arts education, Visible Thinking routines, protocols, Studio Habits of Thinking, and Understanding by Design. Following the research is a synopsis of the methods used to create the PD module and Art and Culture units, as well as the plans for dissemination within the Bering Strait School District to enhance the skills and knowledge of in-service teachers in arts and culture.