Session 9

Title: “Supporting the Self Identified Learning Needs of Indigenous Communities through Synchronous Technologies”

Session Description:

The Sioux Hudson Literacy Council is making groundbreaking strides to reach adult learners who reside in remote, isolated communities of Northwestern Ontario. In partnership with Contact North/Contact Nord, this literacy organization services learners within the community and surrounding area. These 35 communities, which have a total population of approximately 35,000 people, are often only accessible by plane in the summer months and by ice roads during the winter. Over the last five years the Ontario Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities has provided funding to offer solutions for the learner at a distance. This model has now become part of an International research project working with Aboriginal Australians. This presentation will deliver some research findings, insights and experiences from both the program in Ontario and the research project in Australia and provide some exciting perspectives into what we as educators can do to better support both Indigenous adults and children through synchronous technologies.

Presenter: Michelle Eady

Michelle Eady is the Distance Projects Coordinator for the Sioux Hudson Literacy Council in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada and as a 2007 International Scholarship recipient, a Ph D Candidate at the University of Wollongong, New South Wales Australia. Michelle has six years experience living and working in remote Canadian Aboriginal communities. A qualified teacher, Michelle has been working in the field of education for nearly 17 years. Most recently, Michelle received the 2007 Council of the Federation of Literacy Award for Innovation in Literacy. Currently, her research entitled, “Using Synchronous Technologies to Support Self Identified Learning Needs in Indigenous Communities” has brought her to the remote areas of Australia to research how stakeholders in education can best support Indigenous populations. Michelle has had the pleasure of speaking many conferences including the SABA Summit in Boston 2006 and San Fransisco 2007, the 2006 IADIS “E Societies” International Conference in Dublin, Ireland, the Emerging Technologies Conference, New South Wales Australia 2008, and the Australian Council for Adult Literacy, Queensland, 2008. She looks forward to meeting other innovators in the field of education, sharing information and learning something new!