This article seeks to extend our understanding of the processes of learning that occur within and at the intersection of diverse world views and knowledge systems, drawing on experiences derived from across Fourth World contexts, with an emphasis on the Alaska context in particular

Until recently there was very little literature that addressed how to get Western scientists and educators to understand Native worldviews and ways of knowing as constituting knowledge systems in their own right, and even less on what it means for participants when such divergent systems coexist in the same person, organization or community.

issues on a two-way street, rather than view them as a one-way challenge to get Native people to buy into the western system.

Connected knowers believe that truth is "personal, particular, and grounded in firsthand experience" (Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, and Tarule, 1997, p. 113). They attempt to find truth through listening, empathizing, and taking impersonal stances to information, whereas separate knowers completely exclude their feelings from making meaning and strictly rely on reason. The last way of knowing that Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger and Tarule define is constructed knowledge, where one integrates their own opinions and sense of self with reason and the outside world around them.

Mary Field Belenky "works with a variety of educational and community organizations interested in supporting marginalized people to develop a voice, claim the powers of mind, and have a greater say in the way their families and communities are being run" (Instructor Bio, n.d.

Nancy Rule Goldberger researches "diversity in ways of knowing, exploring how culture, social power differentials, and the bicultural experience in the U.S. affect individual strategies for knowing (p. xxiii).

ues: Provides emotional and psychological closure to the classroom thereby reducing awkwardness. Acts as an opportune time to summarize central ideas and review content. Wraps up the class in ways that add to students' entire semester-long experience and sense of accomplishment.

Give students some memento from the course experience. Just as with a memorable trip, people enjoy having something to remember important events in their life.

Contribute to a sense of accomplishment. In one sense an activity can put closure on the class from an academic or learning based perspective. Completing your class should be seen as something worthwhile and important.

Eisner (2003) claims that it is appropriate to take into account a learner’s frame of reference.

While, the educational value of using a social constructivist approach is supported in educational literature (Jonassen, 1998; Garrison & Anderson, 2003), individual constructivism and self-directed learning (Merriam & Cafarella, 1999) are also valid educational strategies

Online education, on the other hand, is declared to be “a more student-centered, collabora- tive, and egalitarian learning environment” (Weisenberg & Hutton, 1996). In this new paradigm, students become self-motivated managers of their own learning instead of passive bystanders, with the ability to select learning activities that best fit their backgrounds, interests, and careers

(Zhang and Nunamaker, 2003), while instructors move away from the roles of an oracle, lecturer, and purveyor of knowledge toward those of a facilitator, guide, and mentor (Bernard et al., 2000; Eastmond, 1996; Leidner & Jarvenpaa, 1995; Murphy & Cifuentes, 2001; Raymond, 2000; Shedletsky & Aitken, 2001; Weisenberg & Hutton, 1996). In essence, it is believed that the online forum breaks down the teacher-student hierarchy (Weisenberg & Hutton, 1996).

Our conclusion after reviewing the various points of view on this issue is that the notion of stu- dent-centeredness needs to be further clarified before one can even start determining whether or not the student-centered philosophy is a precondition for effective online IS courses

Here are some roles/tasks that are pertinent for online weekly discussion groups. Information and opinion giver. Offers facts, opinions, ideas, suggestions, and relevant information to help group discussion. Information and opinion seeker. Asks for facts, opinions, ideas, suggestions, and relevant information to help group discussion. Summarizer. Pulls together related ideas or suggestions and restates and summarizes main point discussed. Coordinator. Shows relationships among various ideas by pulling them together and harmonizes activities of various subgroups and members. Diagnoser. Figures out sources of difficulties the group has in working effectively and the blocks to progress in accomplishing the group's goals. Reality tester. Examines the practicality and workability of ideas, evaluates alternative solutions, and applies them to real situations to see how they will work.

"Each of us has a typical way of acting in a group. Some people like to lead, some act to keep the group focused on the task and some serve to keep the group from taking itself too seriously." (Svinski, 2006

Mayer et al. (1996), showed not only that students remember more of the important material when it is presented as a summary but that they also better understand the material.

Cognitive presence is the process of constructing meaning through collaborative inquiry.

Social presence is the ability to project oneself socially and affectively in a virtual environment. You achieve social presence by being a real -- three-dimensional -- person to your students. Another way of saying this is that you let yourself be known as a person with a life in addition to your role as a teacher/mentor.

teaching presence is the work of teaching both before and during the course. It includes the designing and developing the course and in directing and supporting the learners during the course delivery. Teaching presence is manifested in the course materials -- in the syllabus, assignments, choice of readings and discussions. Teaching presence is also manifested in everything the faculty member does to guide, support and shape the learners' experiences. Effective teaching presence sets clear expectations and supportive guidance.

Cognitive Presence is the extent to which a group of learners are able to 'construct meaning through sustained communication.' (Garrison, 2006)

A person or thing that exists or is present in a place but is not seen

Speaking conversely about F2F learning, does that medium not dictate its own set of constraints?

In this course we are experiencing our teachers presence in our discussions and that is a large part of her presence in the course. She is guiding our learning by questioning our thoughts, and asking for data to back up our opinions. And we are taking part in each students learning process, by reading their posts and reading Professor Picketts response.

My role in the discussion forums is that of a "silent facilitator". I provide daily private feedback - corrective and supportive - to the student discussants.

focused on humanist practices in education by Sonia Nieto, Carl Rogers, and bell hooks (available on You Tube). All educators were passion about being open in the classroom, being mindful, being compassionate, educating out of respect and not out of love for students, and delivering education that is affective. These ideas are also implied in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need (available on You Tube).

The 4 essential skills of a mindful teacher are: Stewardship of the Group; Talking with the Group; Guidance (not performance, but connection); Curiosity About Participants Experiences

being available and around are what I believe you define as "teaching presence." But the kind of presence I mean, or mindfulness, comes from being present (in Buddist terms), being aware of every step, listening, paying attention to details, and stepping outside of oneself to assess the learner environment and relationships within it - without bias or judgement.