Reflect on what you have seen and heard this week. Think about the panel of Elders, our visit to the Goldbelt Heritage Institute culture camp, the lesson on math trails presented by Tina Pasteris, the lesson on developing place-based science lessons by Paula Savikko, and the lesson on testing the absorbency of moss presented by Angie Lunda.
Now think about culturally responsive teaching (CRT). According to Gloria Ladson-Billings:
Culturally Responsive Teaching is a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students’ cultural references in all aspects of learning. Culture is central to learning. It plays a role not only in communicating and receiving information, but also in shaping the thinking process of groups and individuals. A pedagogy that acknowledges, responds to, and celebrates fundamental cultures offers full, equitable access to education for students from all cultures (Ladson-Billings, 1994).
Please respond to the following prompts in a blog post:
- What are some of the characteristics of culturally responsive teaching? Give examples from the lessons in which you participated, witnessed, heard about during your interviews with students, or gleaned from the Elders?
- The focus this week has been on CRT strategies in math and science. Even if you are not a math and science teacher, what are some ways these CRT strategies can be extrapolated to social studies, music, English, or other content areas? If you are a math or science teacher, how might you integrate other disciplines into your CRT lessons?
References:
Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishing Co.
Image source: Photo taken by Jerry Demmert on 6/17/16.
