On November 13, 2023, My class received a visit from Noelle Pepin. Noelle taught my class a lesson using beading and coding called Beaded Tweets. Noelle explained how she came up with her lesson from a desire to incorporate traditional Indigenous practices into her classroom in a new way. Noelle uses 8-bit code to create beading patterns in traditional beading formats. This was a really cool way to teach coding at the same time as teaching traditional arts and crafts. The lesson was interesting because I knew almost nothing about coding or beading but also because I was able to see and understand how a lesson can do both. Noelle explained that her classes have been highly engaged in these types of activities and because the activity is hands on in provides students with a physical representation of a digital concept. I love this idea and it makes me consider what other ways I can incorporate traditional activities in modern contexts and skills. Noelle showed impressive creativity in her lesson plan, and this is something I will definitely try to do in my classrooms as well. Noelle also designed her lesson around a specific group of students where beading was part of their culture. The ability of Noelle to consider the cultural backgrounds of her students and then incorporate this into her lesson in a meaningful way was the concept I liked the most. I hope this is a skill that I can develop in myself and take with me to every community I teach in. I hope to be able to understand and respect the culture of my students in every setting and bring those practices into the classroom in new ways. Noelle explained that these ideas also helped her students become engaged with the lesson. The importance that Noelle placed on both Indigenous learning and digital literacy were really cool Noelle made sure that her students were also developing a set of skills that is applicable to the digital age. This showed that both Indigenous learning and Digital literacy are valued in Noelle’s lesson and that students should be inspired to learn and pursue both sets of skills. I plan to make my classroom the type of place that develops students skills in this manner and engages them in multiple ways that are relevant to them culturally while remaining applicable in modern changing landscapes.
My 8-bit Beaded Necklace.
