CUL T U RAL L Y THE FRAMEWORK
Emily Roland
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
WHAT IS IT?
Cultural Sensitivity
RE SP ON SI V E
Teaching for Transformation I: Secondary Content, October 2016
Positive Perspectives on Parents and Families
Communication of High Expectations
Reshaping the Curriculum
Student Centered Instruction & Active Teaching Methods
Culturally Mediated Instruction
Teacher as Facilitator
Learning Within the Context of Culture
StudentControlled Classroom Discourse
Teachers have ongoing asdfv asdf participation and dialogue with students, parents, and community members on issues important to them in an effort to keep them informed, gain cross-cultural knowledge, learn more about the students, and collaborate.1-2
“Consistent mesasdfv from both asdf sages, the teacher and the whole school, that students will succeed, based upon genuine respect for students and belief in student capability.”2
Curriculum is “integrated, interdisciplinary, meaningful, and student-centered. It includes issues and topics related to the students’ backgrounds and cultures and challenges the students to develop higher-order knowledge and skills.”1
Instruction promotes student engagement, and learning is collaboartive and student-centered. Students play an active role in crafting the curriculum and are encouraged to direct their own learning.1-2
Instruction incorporates curriculum and content that is socially appropriate and culturally valued,2 while also integrating “diverse ways of knowing, understanding, and representing information.”1 Classroom environment “encourages multicultural viewpoints.”1
In an active teaching environment,2 teachers “act as guides, mediators, consultants, instructors, and advocates for the students, helping to effectively connect their culturally- and community-based knowledge to the classroom learning experiences.”1
Teachers maximize learning opportunities “by gaining knowledge about each of the cultures represented in their classrooms and by adapting lessons so they reflect ways of communicating and learning that are familiar to the students.”1
Students “control some portion of the lesson, providing teachers with insight into the ways that speech and negotiation are used in the home and community.”2
“Instruction is organized around low-pressure, student-controlled learning groups that can assist in the development of academic language.”2
“How people are expected to go about learning may differ across cultures.” Teachers must teach in a way that is familiar to the students. “Instruction that is culturally sensitive recognizes that students are not blank slates. Instead, students are seen as having knowledge and experiences that, if tapped, will accelerate their learning.”2
“Parents are the child’s asdfteacher and are first critically important partners to students and teachers. Constant communication with parents is an important aspect of a child’s educational progress. Involving parents and families in their child’s educational process results in better scholastic achievement.”1
“Effective and consisasdf tent communication of high expectation helps students develop a healthy self-concept and provides the structure for intrinsic motivation and fosters an environment in which the student can be successful.”1
A curriulum provides students with new knowledge, a culturally relevant curriculum uses the students’ personal experiences and interests to allow them “to develop new skills and knowledge,” as well as “make meaningful connections between school and real-life situations.”1-2
Learning is a social process, and “these interactions allow students to hypothesize, experiment with new ideas, and receive feedback.”1 Curriculum is inquiry-based and “encourages students to work together on content which is socially and culturally relevant to them.”2
“Students need to understand that there is more than one way to interpret a statement, event, or action. By being allowed to learn in different ways or to share viewpoints and perspectives, students become active participants in their learning.”1
Content learned in the context of experience is “more significant to the students and facilitates the transfer of what is learned in school to real-life situations.”1 With knowledge about the language and culture of their students, teachers can develop “a firm understanding of the roles which language and culture play in an individual’s identity.”2
Children learn about themselves based on what they see in the world around them, and, as a result, “students from minority cultures may feel pressured to disavow themselves of their cultural beliefs and norms in order to assimilate into the majority culture.” This can can “interfere with their emotional and cognitive development and result in school failure.”1
“Students’ prior experiences cannot form the basis of new learning, if their ways of communicating and making sense of new material are not considered acceptable in school. Once teachers understand home and community norms, they can help students expand their discourse repertoire.”2
Working in small groups allows those students less inclined to participate in whole-group discussion to “speak more freely with peers.” Student-controlled time can also serve as a bridge between social and academic language.
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• Parent surveys (in asdf their native language when applicable) • Parent-teacher organizations and opportunities for volunteering in the classroom, at school, or on trips • Meetings, conferences, home visits, and phone calls • Participating in community events • Conversations during drop-off or pick-up times
• Teacher providing asdf timely encouragement, praise, feedback, and constructive critisism
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Classroom resources and texts are diverse and inlcude people and places from all walks of life Stories and concepts are related to students’ personal lives Open lines of frequent communication with family members Students allowed to bring their own texts to class Discussion is open and inclusive
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Students are makign their own choices and asking thought-provoking questions School data tracking Communicating clear expectations with assignments and classroom behavior
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Curriculum is student-centered and related to the students’ real lives “Utilizes a variety of learning strategies, such as cooperative learning, whole language, and diverse learning styles”2 Facilitate conversations that celebrate diversity Students complete research on issues in their communities
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Use of journals to bring student ideas and experiences into the classroom Public classroom display that allows students to offer ideas for curriculum, topics, or other kinds of input Lessons are tied in to current topics or issues the students are facing Students select their own texts Projects include the community
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Instruction includes content and discussion relevant to students’ lives Teacher-student relationships are built “congruent with the culture of each student”2 Teachers seek out other teachers of the same cultural background of students to gain insight and instructional techniques1 Classroom environment embraces culture and encourages diverse discussion
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Activities are relevant to students’ cultural experiences Members of the community come to speak to class Student-centered discussions, Socratic Seminars Students participate in book clubs or literature circles Teaching accommodates “diverse learning styles and language proficiency”1
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REFERENCES Education Alliance, Brown University. (n.d.). Culturally responsive teaching. Retrieved August 8, 2013, from http://www.brown.edu/academics/education-alliance/teaching-diverse-learners/strategies-0/culturally-responsive-teaching-0 Education Alliance, Brown University. (2008). Culturally responsive teaching. Retrieved from http://www.brown.edu/academics/education-alliance/sites/brown.edu.academics.education-alliance/files/uploads/KLOOM_crt_entire.pdf 3 InTime. (n.d.). Culturally responsive teaching. Retrieved July 22, 2016, from http://www.intime.uni.edu/multiculture/curriculum/culture/teaching.htm 2
Small Group Instruction and Academically Related Discourse
“To maximize learning opportunities, teachers gain knowledge of the cultures represented in their classrooms and translate this knowledge into instructional practice.”2
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f r amew o r k s
TEAC HI NG
Cooperative learning Gradual release of information and tasks Role playing Culturally relevant research topics and texts “Bridge cultural differences through effective communication”1 Discuss topics relevant to what the students are facing Attend community events Embrace and celebrate differences
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Lessons include the language and customs of other cultures “Students allowed to bring their own stories into the classroom discussion, thereby broadening everyone’s understanding of their diverse experiences”2 Students are given choice in how they complete assignments Students select topics for curriculum
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Student mentors have regularly scheduled one-onone time Students frame relevant questions Students help solve problems and create plans of action or implementation Students make their own choices and are unfraid to disagree Students show their work and explain it to others
CRT Frameworks © 2016 Emily Roland
KEY INSIGHTS & REFLECTION Becoming a culturally responsive teacher is not something that happens overnight; nor can the frameworks of culturally responsive teaching be accomplished all at one time. The infographic (left) is arranged in a way that each framework builds upon the previous practice. Before a teacher can actually implement CRT in the classroom, she must first evaluate her own biases or micro-aggressions and truly practice cultural sensitivity. If cultural sensitivity is not at the forefront of the mind of the teacher, the rest of the frameworks fall apart. “Ladson-Billings explains that culturally responsive teaching develop[s] intellectual, social, emotional, and political learning by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes.”3 Without first learning the cultures of the students, teachers cannot effectively practice CRT. Once a teacher has embraced cultural sensitivity, she can then build relationships with the students and their families, while also rebuilding her curriculum and adjusting her teaching methods. The focus is no longer on the teaching, but on communicating and facilitating student-focused and student-led learning.