Language Science Talks: Indigenous Storybooks: Protocols and Educational Possibilities​

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Exploring Protocols in Digital Territories: Dr. Sara Florence Davidson, an Assistant Professor in Teacher Education at the University of the Fraser Valley, will discuss the complexities of honouring protocols in digital spaces. Specifically, she will focus on how the Indigenous Storybooks project is being used to support community Indigenous language revitalization efforts and how the platform is being used to support educators to honour existing protocols associated with the sharing of traditional Indigenous stories in their classrooms. 

Digital Literacy in Canada and Beyond: Dr. Bonny Norton (FRSC), a Professor in UBC’s Department of Language and Literacy Education (LLED), will discuss the relationship between Storybooks Canada, Indigenous Storybooks, and Global Storybooks, and introduce the team’s current collaboration with an Indigenous language project in Mexico. In March, 2019, The Province newspaper identified Storybooks Canada as one of four reading app recommendations by local librarians, noting its multilingual features and its connection with Indigenous languages. 

Digital Literacy and Indigenous languages: Liam Doherty, a PhD Candidate in UBC’s Department of Language and Literacy Education (LLED), will discuss how an approach leveraging open licenses and open content can help to address some of the challenges presented by the digitization and distribution of material in Indigenous languages in a manner that is respectful of practices and protocols surrounding access. When combined with an open source development strategy such an approach can also maximize the impact and reach of digital tools for working with Indigenous languages across communities by reducing duplication of effort, improving accessibility, protecting (individual and community) privacy, guarding against platform obsolescence, and encouraging a digital culture of knowledge and resource sharing.

RSVP here.