Cree learning in northern Quebec moves online

Faced with COVID-19 school shutdowns until at least May, the Cree School Board in northern Quebec has launched an online platform offering lessons in English and French and some resources in East Cree.

The idea is to get students back to learning in a culturally relevant way either at home or in the bush while schools are closed.

"We didn't know what would come from the [Quebec Ministre de l'ducation], but we knew it wouldn't suit us because we teach Cree language all the way from pre-K to secondary 5 [Grade 11]," said Kim Quinn, the director of school operations for the Cree School Board (CSB).

"So we had to develop resources for families to learn at home, and keep engaging with the language."

Exceptional times are calling for exceptional solutions.- Abraham Jolly, director general of the Cree School Board.

The CSBOnline Learning Platform, or OLP, offers books, games, puzzles, songs, videos and projects in many different subjects, including math and science, for students from Grade 1to 11. It draws on resources prepared by the Quebec ministry of education, as well as the CSB's own curriculum and other educational resources.

"Exceptional times are calling for exceptional solutions," said CSB director general Abraham Jolly, in a press release about the new tool,which launched on April 3 for Grades 1 to 3.

The siteis being made available progressively toother grades, with a plan to update the materials and lesson plans weekly.

"This platform gathers grade-specific material into a user-friendly experience that can be easily accessed at home," said Jolly.

Materials adapted for bush life

The site also includes a section called "In the Bush" and many of the materials are being made available in a format more easily adapted to bush life, according to CSBdirector of operations Kim Quinn.

She says it'simportant because many Cree families are heading out for the annual goose break holiday, atradition among Cree in northern Quebec.

"Families are going away. We're trying to make sure that there are PDF documents that could be printed," said Quinn.

For the lower grades the exercises are not mandatory, she said, but older students in Grades 10 and 11will be able to complete projects to improve their grades.

Schools across Quebec have been shuttered since March 13and will remain closed until at least May 4.

Provincial exams, which are mandatory for Grades 10 and 11 students in Quebec, have been cancelled. The Cree School Board has also cancelled its exams, according to Quinn.

Students paired up with mentors

Over the last several days, more than500 Cree students in Grades 10 and 11have been paired up with a mentor who will support their at-home or at-camp learning during the shutdown.

The board has also launched a separate platform for Grade 11students to workmoreintensively andmake sure they have the credits necessary to graduate.

"All of the students we've spoken to have expressed their willingness to graduate or work toward graduation," said Quinn.

The online learning platform came together through a lot of hard work and collaboration between the departments of school operations, education services and communications and community relations, according to Quinn.

"Wesee it as a way in the future for us to continue to build on language development and other skills that maybe the families don't have the resources for at home."