Box Elder School: The Story Is Being Written

• In Event: Supporting Meaningful New Learning Opportunities Through Technology in High-Poverty Schooling Contexts

Abstract

A chapter in the 21st Century history of America’s Original inhabitants is being written by The People in our school. Stories of our ancestors have been preserved. Amazing journeys have been documented. Hopes, dreams, laughter, tears, and friendships have been etched in the fabric of our community.

The 395 students who attend the Box Elder K-12 School District in Box Elder, Montana reside mainly on Rocky Boy’s Reservation which is home to The People, Anishinaabe, Ne-hi-yo Tribe, as well as students with Tribal affiliations with each of the seven reservations in Montana and Tribes across the United States.

Historically, American Indian students in rural and reservation communities have performed below state and national testing norms. The students in Box Elder are no exception, facing historical trauma, generational poverty, inadequate funding, all on top of the struggle to improve infrastructure, access, and opportunity. Our school serves 95% Free & Reduced lunch, as our students come from a community with nearly 50% of adults unemployed. We are working to overcome the challenges of poverty with hope and opportunity.

Since 2015, ConnectED has helped us bridge that opportunity gap for our students with state of the art technology tools. Students are not utilizing iPad as a time-filler but rather are using it as a tool for creation and sharing their voice. A student tech-team is in place to support teachers with iPad integration, a student news program is produced and shared daily, and our high schoolers were able to FaceTime a state senator as well as documentarians and researchers in order to produce a podcast shedding light on the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic. Students have new ways to communicate what they are going through outside of school to their teachers without drawing attention to themselves, and teachers are able to communicate with parents through tools they use every day.

The journey has been challenging. Like many ConnectED schools we navigated Administrative turnover when the grant was first awarded. After utilizing the professional development days allotted by Apple, we added more staff training at our own expense. We have had three educators apply for Apple Distinguished Educator, with one earning the distinction in 2019. With training, infrastructure, and motivation we are unlocking potential and developing solution driven critical thinkers. We continue to support, encourage, try new things, and think outside the box so that our teachers and students can be creators as well as consumers of knowledge.

Our journey is ongoing and has not been quick or easy. We’ve overcome bumps in the road and will prepare for new challenges ahead. We will continue efforts to replace the challenges of poverty with hope and opportunity.

The 21st Century of Indian Ed in the U.S. is the chapter we are working to create. The story about consistent success in Native schools has yet to be written, but we are putting together our pages in hopes to write one of the first chapters of the book.

Authors

• Julie MacDonald, Box Elder School District

• Jeremy MacDonald, Box Elder Schools