ABSTRACT
This chapter debates a study of pedagogical innovations developed by teachers to support play, traditional storytelling and land-based pedagogy in online Sámi language classes with six- and seven-year-old children. It was executed through close cooperation between researchers, teachers and project workers of the pilot project on distance education in Sámi languages. The study was carried out in two phases. First, children, parents and teachers were interviewed. Based on these interviews, the second phase involved implementing pedagogical innovations in online classes of the Inari, Skolt and Northern Sámi languages. This chapter describes how pedagogical innovations taking advantage of land-based pedagogy, play and storytelling sought to support children's identity as Sámi and their inclusion in the language community. The results reveal that teacher expertise plays a key role in developing Sámi culture-based innovations. This chapter discusses these culturally responsive pedagogical innovations, which can model similar pedagogical practices for other teachers and practitioners and encourage them to develop culturally and linguistically meaningful learning contexts in Sámi language education.
