CRT

Learning CRT

Culturally Responsive Thinking (CRT) is a method of teaching that allow students to learn about their surroundings in an entertaining and creative way. When Paula Savikko came in to present projects for science classes, she expressed important detail in field trips, interactions, community participation, and group thinking.

Paula showed slides about field trips where she took her class to Sandy Beach on Douglas island. She divided her students into groups and suggested roles for each group that needed to be fulfilled. The students decided what each role they fit best and were granted the freedom to pick the place for their research to be developed.

This particular field trip allowed students to demonstrate the knowledge that they obtained from previous classes. Paula demonstrated how to use each tool that would be needed on the upcoming field trip.

While the students were demonstrating their knowledge they were able to emerge themselves in the surroundings of the place they live. Beyond that, the students had a free range of ability to think. Instead of having a single answer to a single question, all questions were open-ended with no wrong answer. This allowed each student to reflect and respond in their own way and understanding.

Side Note:

The math trail was also a very entertaining exercise and demonstration of CRT. There is a way to incorporate CRT into any subject.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Reflection – Part I

Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) 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).

1. What are some of the characteristics of culturally responsive teaching?
Authenticity. Resources. Place-based.
I enjoyed Paula Savikko’s examination of her place-based science classes because of her ability to find ways to connect her students both to one another and also to the area in which they live. Paula built a community of students by building her lessons on a shared topic; in this case the place they live in, Juneau. Also, by tying her lesson to a community issue (health of Lemon Creek) and having the students present their findings to a public audience, students may feel more connected to the topic and find more value/purpose in their education. I definitely remember being in certain science classes while growing up and thinking but how does this apply to my life.

I also really appreciated what the Tlingit Elder Paul Marks had to say in regards to embracing our cultures by respecting the resources around us. Paul Marks spoke about how it is the Tlingit way to respect the natural resources for what they have provided for us, because there is a spiritual aspect to all things, and because of this, they (the resources) will also remember how humans have treated them. Paul Marks then tied this to Western science, and how scientists have relatively recently come to understand the value of trees and how it provides oxygen and life for human beings. I think this connection between the two cultures allows students to come to an appreciation of a culture not of their own by means of reflecting on their similarities. If CRTs “[shape] the thinking process of groups and individuals,” perhaps Paul Marks’ teaching was one way to transform students from anthropocentric attitudes to more nature-appreciative ones.

2. What are some ways that these CRT strategies can be extrapolated to social studies, music, English, or other content areas?
Extension to other content areas. Using community resources.
I feel that the CRT strategies can easily be facilitated through social studies classes because it “acknowledges, respond to, and celebrates fundamental cultures,” and gives the traditionally facilitated study of cultures (dominant looking at marginalized cultures) more depth, more perspectives, and more authenticity. As social studies teachers educating students about the various cultures and systems that shape the diversity of the world, I think it is crucial to have students also examine the risk that comes with it…cultural appropriation and exoticism, objectification, complacency in personal biases, and even propaganda to an extent. I want students to be able to seek the truth and in every lesson be able to challenge themselves to ask the significance of the topic, the reason it is being studied, and how it relates to their own lives.

*Update 6/30/16: (Part II Addition Link)
Additions include personal reflections on Scott’s Lecture, Alberta’s Lecture (as presented by Angie), and Ernestine’s Reading. I feel that the best way to capture the significance of these lessons for me, is to recall a relevant experience from my own life.

Image source: http://asiasociety.org/files/imagecache/centers_articles_pages/gcen-teaching.png

Essence of CRT

Update to CRT
Bluebirds are overrated anyway

Ernestine Hayes, author of Blonde Indian and Professor at UAS visited our class to share with us her perspective on the current situation in education and society as a whole as it pertains to the established colonialism that we see ground into our social fabric. It was a pleasure to sit, listen, and let her words evoke vivid mental imagery of the passages.

Ernestine is up front, opinionated and unapologetic however to hear such a strong voice is something of a shock for many people and could easily cause someone to get a bit defensive. I felt like that is part of the point though as she indicated, that there is not an easy way out of a bad spot; and we are in a bad spot. I can see why she is celebrated for she found a way to summon “the courage to show up”, do the work, face-off against adversity and win. A couple other nuggets that spoke to me outside of the readings were here break-down of how she achieved success stating that it was 1% genius which everyone has at least that much of, 2% luck (who you know, but didn’t help her), and the other 97% is determination (dare I say “bootstraps”). Additionally, sharing a personal story of success (her son) being built up from what sounded like a desperate beginning was also meaningful as her determination and subsequent success carried over to her son and will carry on to echo across generations.

Now, I know that we’ve spoken a lot about barriers lately but today it was refreshing to see and hear someone who has not only ignored the status quo, but has thrown a brick through that ‘glass ceiling”. Brute force isn’t a clean or delicate method, but sometimes just sometimes its needed to get the dirty jobs done. However, there might be a need to issue a disclaimer about the rules of the game and how the world at large responds to this or at least ‘charge ahead challenge the establishment but please do so cautiously.’

Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRT) Essentials.

Today we had the good fortune to be involved in a number of culturally relevant scenarios where we were exposed to culturally responsive teaching essentials. The importance of cultural reference was illuminated during both sitting in with the Culture Camp and the Elder Panel session as well as with the two guest educators that shared their wisdom with us.

First and foremost, I have to acknowledge the example that is being set for us. We are not only being told to set up our future students for success, but how to, through the various sources of encouragement and support we are receiving.

We discussed and identified several essential characteristics of CRT. Among the many, the two that stood out were accessibility and place-based lessons. Making and keeping the opportunity of learning accessible to everyone is of utmost importance. We can ensure access by being prepared, extending lessons into other disciplines, and focusing on what was done right as the power our words can have such impact. If we too encourage students this way, we can facilitate their learning. The importance of providing a place of cultural relevance cannot be under be overstated. “Keep it close to home” is another way to say it, as that is, “Where the heart is”. We can engage the community and produce real products that serve that community. It would seem we are attempting to achieve the balance found some biological communities, a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship. Communities of organisms living in close proximity to one another and the byproduct of how each of them live together benefits them all.

Sidenote:

I will confess though my favorite take-home point shared by the Elders today is from Seitan. I believe his advice will not only be helpful out in the forest but in front of our students as well.

He told us about a bear in a berry patch, his thoughts,and his response. The point made, “It’s the smell of fear that makes the animal attack”.

We can show students love, compassion, support and encouragement, but not fear. This too may be ‘essential’

Come on, give me that CRT!-updated 6/23

Culturally responsive teaching is a multifaceted approach to education that takes into consideration the importance of an individual’s culture. In CRT, several strategies are employed in order to emphasize and experience various cultures. Bringing in community involvement, grounding the lesson in a specific place, and setting up all of the students for success are some of the features that help contribute to effective CRT.

Paula Savikko shared with us many different strategies that could be used to bring the students’ education to be focused on Place. Field trips, outdoor science experiments, and community involvement were key to her style of education. I think the most powerful tool she used was in getting the students involved in the community and the community involved in her students. The involvement from the students by making fliers and public service announcements allowed the students to feel like there was a purpose to the tasks they were being asked to do. I have no doubt that this increased most of the students’ confidence, and it may have given them the courage to take on more challenges in the world around them. The involvement from the community also showed the students that they had the support from several different people. It was not just their parents and teachers that wanted them to succeed, but it was their neighbors, friends, community leaders, Elders, politicians, and local celebrities that all took part in the growth of the student. Imagine how awesome it must have to feel as if you had an actual impact on the community as a young teenager, and that the community was rooting for you!

Though we saw CRT examples in science and math classes, combining different disciplines to allow different students’ talents to shine is necessary in CRT. English classes can be used to write short stories or poems depicting science or math lessons. Songs and pictures could be created by students to help understand and learn about complicated cycles and processes with biology and chemistry. History classes can be used to help put different scientific discoveries into context for a specific time period and region. As CR teachers, we are not only expected to teach within our own disciple, but we are expected to combine different subjects in order to teach the students in a more holistic fashion.

David Katzeek said something that really touched me. I do not have the direct quote, but it was something along the lines of, “it is food to the Spirit when we acknowledge, accept, and respect another being”. I believe that this statement gets at the core of CRT. Without appreciating the history that an individual brings to the table, we, as educators, fail that person. We fail to acknowledge their history, we fail to accept them for who they are, and we fail to respect the core of their being. When we fail to be a CR teacher, so much is lost in the classroom. And the things that are lost may never be able to be recovered.

Scott came to class a few days ago and gave his lesson on combining a large lesson plan with several disciplines as a way to make the tasks and activities more relevant to a larger number of students. His lesson was very well organized and showed a variety of ways to use CRT in the classroom. However, the biggest takeaway from his lessen was a much simpler idea.

Almost in passing, Scott mention and recommended that we should try and shadow a student for an entire day. I had never thought of this idea before, but I think it could be an incredibly valuable and rewarding experience. All of us have been out of high school for at least four or five years, and many are more removed than that. Following a student for a day would allow us to see many different teaching styles, experience the monotony of sitting in class, and feel the excitement and anxiousness of being in a new situation. If nothing else, this type of experience could open our eyes and make us more cognizant of what the student sees while sitting in their desks. I fully intend to try and work this into my internship in the fall.

Featured image from http://www.livescience.com/images/i/20946/i02/cool_image_colored_proteins.jpg?1318450243

Culturally Responsive Teaching & Gratitude

Again, it was powerful to see a panel of Elders speak about growing up here in Southeast Alaska. Everything about the teaching I saw on Friday both at the camp and within our classroom was culturally responsive. In one day we were able to watch carvers in the hallways and eat salmon berries on the math trail. Everything felt grounded in the place and its surrounding cultures.

John Martin spoke about how the knowledge of hunting and gathering was moved from a person’s head into hardworking hands. I really liked this concept of how intelligence could also be physical. It made me think about the importance of ensuring kinesthetic learners have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding in a classroom.

I was excited to hear women speak about their lives and culture and I’m impressed at the attention to creating gender balance at the camp. This is an example of culturally responsive teaching. Irene Cadiente told a series of beautiful short stories about the different moments in life when a spirit had guided her. She went far beyond the concrete parts of culture and looked deeper into the concept of faith.

After the Elders finished speaking, we watched the students first Ravens then Eagles, thank the Elders. The thank yous were heartfelt and authentic. You could feel the gratitude in the room and hear the call and response of “Gunalchéesh!” from the Elders. Our class was invited to participate which made us feel included, but also showed the importance of the practice of sharing moments of appreciation.

This sharing of gratitude reminded me of when Tina and Paula came to teach us about math and science lessons. Both teachers encouraged “social debriefing” after students worked together as a group. They encouraged their students to ask questions like: What worked? What didn’t? What could we improve? Why were some groups more successful than others? Why was the data different? As David said, it is okay to be corrected. That is when learning happens. Tina also mentioned it is a good time to have groups compliment one another and build connections. Both the experienced educators and Elders stressed the importance of valuing each and every student, encouraging learning, and expressing gratitude.

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?

Some characteristics of CRT are including the local places, people, history, and linguistic uniquities of the region. From the Math Trail, we did math using the space and cultural symbols around us. In the science lab, we analyzed an indigenous form of diapers as it correlated to modern variations.

Cultural material for CRT can be used in social studies by incorporating local history and current events into the curriculum. Local music can be analyzed for meter, syncopation, dynamics, and phonics. Legends can be compared and contrasted with Western folklore in the English content area.

If I were a math or science teacher, I could incorporate other disciplines to help create a larger picture of the culture aspect the students were studying.

Update: New information

Scott Christian shared with our class a project he collaborated on with other teachers in Nikiski. The 2-month unit included various subjects using the local surroundings and people. The culmination of the unit was a booklet the students produced and printed. It appeared that the students were more involved in the work as they were in their local environs and were producing something tangible they could distribute to community members.

A fine lady named Alberta visited us and brought books! We explored some children books and thought about how we could incorporate our book into our subject area. There are myriad resources available at the Friends of the Library, as teachers can take (some) books for free!

Characteristics of Culturally Responsive Teaching

After hearing the elders speak this week I have learned about the power that they feel with the connection with nature, as well as how much respect elders get. I loved hearing David talk about how the trees are the lungs of the earth, and how all people need to eat. Eating, in most cases was referred to in more of a spiritual and knowledgable way as opposed to eating physical food. I loved hearing this and I believe it really gave a good look into the his culture. The thing however, that most resonated with me was when David said that the best speech, was just the words ,”thank you”. That simple statement said so much, and is a powerful statement.

One example of culturally responsive teaching I enjoyed in the last few days was the diaper experiment. It was a great way to not only show how much one object could absorb compared to another, but it also allowed for a teaching moment in native american culture with how diapers used to be made. It also taught us one of the many things moss can be used for. The lesson we did earlier in the day with the various math problems was another example because we learned about native alaskan artwork, the animals in Alaska, and the occasional salmon berry while completing math problems. This was useful because math is a universal language, so everyone can understand it, and we learned about the area while doing the scavenger hunt too.

Some ways I could use CRT in my classroom (English) were said in the class today. I loved the idea of incorporating learning about mosses or tree leaves into poems, I thought that would be a great way to connect ideas form multiple disciplines into one cohesive unit. I also liked the idea of sitting outside in nature to write either a poem, a story, or just to describe the area. I can remember when I was a student, we would have to sit in nature sometimes and it really helped me describe nature because I felt more of a connection to it, because I was in it. Which is also something that elders kept telling us, how we should be in nature, and experiencing nature. If I was a science teacher I would use stories of the past, to explain and help the students learn about something such as the wilderness, or local wildlife. The history of the land would be a great tool to utilize in a science class in order to help teach. Such as mapping or where some books/historical events took place.

Scotts lesson:

I really enjoyed Scotts lesson because it gave us a chance to talk to each other, get to know each other a little better, and it made us think. By making us think too, it showed me what we knew and didn’t know, and how we all differed in that. For instance, one person in my group knew everything about their great grandparents, and I couldn’t even give you a first name for any of my great grand parents. However, there were other parts where I knew a lot more than other people in the group such as about the water, and the heritage of where I am from. This showed me that we all bring something different to the table, and it also showed why it is so important to talk to people and get ideas from them because we all know something different from each other.

Alberta:

While I did not get to see Alberta give her presentation, I watched Angie give an incredibly presentation on it. I loved it because it taught me a lot about having elders be invited into the classroom. I thought this was important because we need to know how to respect our resource, and how to get the class prepared. For an example, I would not have thought to bring a gift like salmon, or a jam as a gift, knowing this I definitely will now.

Ernestine:

This is a strong woman, who knows how to hold an audience. She said some very powerful words, and words that a lot of people do not like to hear. I enjoyed it because it was a way to get us to change, to get us to be the best educators that we could be for all of our students, and to help end the racial divide that occurs in schools here in Alaska. It was impossible to sit there and not take away that powerful message that she shared with us.