There are four cross-curricular competencies that together contribute to an individual student’s development within the Broad Areas of Learning. These competencies are synthesized from the Common Essential Learnings. It is important, therefore, that the learning of the Dene language also supports the students in their attainment of these competencies.

Developing Thinking

It is important that within their study of the Dene language, students are engaged in personal construction and understanding of the Dene language and knowledge. This most effectively occurs through student engagement in inquiry and problem solving where they are challenged to think critically and creatively. Moreover, students need to experience the Dene language in a variety of contexts in which students are asked to consider questions such as “what would happen if ...”, “could we find ...”, and “what does this tell us?” Students need to be engaged in a social construction of Dene to develop an understanding and appreciation of the Dene language as a tool which can be used to consider different perspectives, connections, and relationships. Dene as a subject depends upon the effective incorporation of independent work and reflection with interactive contemplation, discussion, and resolution.

Developing Identity and Interdependence

Given an appropriate learning environment in Dene, students can develop both their self-confidence and self-worth. Language is interwoven with the strands of identity, culture and in the contexts of multiple world-views.

An interactive classroom in which the ideas, strategies, and abilities of individual students are valued develops personal and Dene language confidence. It can also help students realize their role in the classroom environment and accept responsibility for choices, decisions, and actions. A positive learning environment combined with strong pedagogical choices that engage students in learning support them in behaving respectfully towards themselves and others.

Developing Literacies

Through their learning experiences in the Dene language, students will be engaged in developing their understandings of the language and their ability to use Dene. Students will be regularly engaged in exploring a variety of representations for Dene concepts and will be expected to communicate in a variety of ways about the Dene language being learned. An important part of learning the Dene language is to communicate one’s own understandings and to develop strategies to explore what and how others come to know Dene. The study of the Dene language will also encourage the appropriate use of technology. Moreover, students will be aware of and able to communicate about the appropriate use of technology in Dene language and learning. It is important to encourage students to use a variety of forms of representation (concrete manipulatives, physical movement, visual, and symbolic) when exploring the Dene language, content, perspectives and communicating understandings. All too often, it is assumed that symbolic representation is the only way to communicate. The more flexible students are in using a variety of representations to explain and utilize the Dene language that is being learned, the deeper students’ understanding becomes.

Developing Social Responsibility

As students progress in their Dene learning, they need to experience opportunities to share and consider ideas, and resolve conflicts between themselves and others. This requires that the learning environment be co-constructed by the teacher and students to support respectful, independent, and interdependent behaviours.

Every student will feel empowered to help others in developing their understanding, while finding respectful ways to seek help from others. By encouraging students to explore the Dene language in social contexts, students can be engaged in understanding the situation, concern, or issue and then in planning for responsible reactions or responses.

Dene as a subject is dependent upon social interaction with others and the community and, as a result, social construction of ideas. Through the study of the Dene language, students learn to become reflective and positive contributing members of their communities through community engagement. The Dene language allows for different perspectives and approaches to be considered, assessed for situational validity, and strengthened.