When designing curriculum for students to be successful and allows students to engage in deeper learning takes a concerted effort. Ideas, research, trends, psychology, instructional methods, type of media, choice of technology; are just a few of the items required to develop curriculum. Ruth Clark in her book, Developing Technical Training, gave us an good outline to follow. The model for our latest cohort reading was the SITE model, an acronym for Socio-cultural, Information, Technical, and Educational. The area of the SITE model that is important to me is the Socio-Cultural. The model address that no learning occurs within an individual in a vacuum. Their individual values are based on family and community. Therefore, it is imperative to know both the Socio element and the cultural element of our learners.
The school site where I teach is an even mix of cultures and ethnicity's. The breakdown of demographics is 30% African American, 30% Latino, 30% Asian with 10% being Pacific Islander, and Caucasian. It is critical for success to a Culturally Responsive teacher. I have heard this phrase used in professional development but I never truly understood what it meant and how I can use it in my teaching. This summer, I have taken the Culture exit and am spending time in learning what Culturally Responsive means and how I can apply it. In addition to the cohort learning this summer, I am taking a class with Zaretta Hammond on How to be an effective Culturally Responsive teacher. Gloria Ledson-Billings states that culturally relevant pedagogy rests on three criteria:
1) Students achieve academic success.
2) Students maintain cultural integrity.
3) Students develop a critical consciousness through which they challenge the status quo.
Hammond adds that many of our cultural learners are dependent learners and this is one of the reasons for the achievement gap. Her goal for being a cultural responsive teacher is to move these learners from dependent learners:
a) relying on the teacher to take most of the cognitive load,
b) unsure how to tackle a new task,
c) cannot complete a task without teacher scaffolds,
d) if stuck will sit passively until the teacher intervenes,
e) doesn't retain information well, and
f) says "I don't get it" and "I don't understand"
to independent learners. The characteristics of an independent learner are:
a) relies on the teacher to carry some of the cognitive load temporarily,
b) utilizes strategies and processes for tackling a new task,
c) regularly attempts new tasks without teacher scaffolds,
d) has cognitive strategies for getting unstuck,
e) has learned to retrieve information from long term memory,
f) says "I see" or "It's related to.."
According to Hammond, each culture has unique tools for learning. We need to be able to recognize the use of the tool, respond favorably, and mimic the tool in the classroom and we are building the foundation for culturally responsive teaching. What are these tools and how can be build them into our Instructional Design so all students can become independent, resourceful, and life long learners.?
1) Students achieve academic success.
2) Students maintain cultural integrity.
3) Students develop a critical consciousness through which they challenge the status quo.
Hammond adds that many of our cultural learners are dependent learners and this is one of the reasons for the achievement gap. Her goal for being a cultural responsive teacher is to move these learners from dependent learners:
a) relying on the teacher to take most of the cognitive load,
b) unsure how to tackle a new task,
c) cannot complete a task without teacher scaffolds,
d) if stuck will sit passively until the teacher intervenes,
e) doesn't retain information well, and
f) says "I don't get it" and "I don't understand"
to independent learners. The characteristics of an independent learner are:
a) relies on the teacher to carry some of the cognitive load temporarily,
b) utilizes strategies and processes for tackling a new task,
c) regularly attempts new tasks without teacher scaffolds,
d) has cognitive strategies for getting unstuck,
e) has learned to retrieve information from long term memory,
f) says "I see" or "It's related to.."
According to Hammond, each culture has unique tools for learning. We need to be able to recognize the use of the tool, respond favorably, and mimic the tool in the classroom and we are building the foundation for culturally responsive teaching. What are these tools and how can be build them into our Instructional Design so all students can become independent, resourceful, and life long learners.?