Unit 3: Effective Practices - Positive Learning Environments

Return to: Andrea Stowell's Mini-Course | Unit 1 | Unit 2

Lesson 1- What It Takes to Become a Culturally Responsive Educator

Objective: I can indicate what it takes to be a culturally responsive educator.

Introduction
Referring back to figure one on the main page on this mini-course, it should not come as a surprise that the number of English language learners is rising and has continued to increase over the years. Regardless of location, whether it be Missouri or New York, every state has English language learners, averaging out at 9.5%. With this statistic in mind, it is critical for teachers to become culturally responsive educators. Teachers must be prepared to teach any student. Even if a teacher goes years without having a student that comes from a different cultural background than the other students, one day they might and must be ready to respond to their needs appropriately.

Development
When you click on the links and want to go back to, click the back button because the link doesn't create a new tab!

• Please revisit Culturally Responsive Teaching and thorougly read thorugh each section.
  
• Please read Why Culturally Responsive Teaching Matters Now More Than Ever
  
• Please take the time to watch Culturally Responsive Pedagogy to learn about the importance of being culturally responsive.

Closing
You will be interviewing another teacher at your school. First, I would like you to come up with five questions that address what it takes to be a culturally responsive educator. Then, add a slide on the Google Slides I provided (I would provide one for each real-life professional development taught) and post your questions. Review a minimum of five slides and leave comments for at least two. You may modify your questions before you interview your coworker. After the interview, write a 150-250 page summary of your colleague's answers making sure to address how they implement culturally responsive practice in their classroom or how you suggest they can improve. Paste your summary on the original slide you created after you have deleted the original content (your first draft questions). If you cannot find a coworker to participate in the activity, do not worry! Please complete the first half of the assignment (making five questions) and then email me privately.

Lesson 2- Creating a Culturally Responsive Learning Environment

Objective: I can modify and illustrate how I will use specific techniques and non-instructional strategies to create my own culturally responsive learning environment.

Introduction
Vavrus (2008) explains that “culturally responsive teaching acknowledges and infuses the culture of such students into the school curriculum and makes meaningful connections with community cultures” (pg. 56). For the closing assignment in lesson two of unit two, you either wrote or voice recorded how you could address a particular situation with culturally responsive instructional strategies. We have spent some time learning about specific instructional strategies to create a culturally responsive learning environment, so now it is time to discuss non-instructional strategies that help create the same outcome. As we know, the main reason students attend school is to learn, but there is much more that goes on behind the scenes.

Development
When you click on the links and want to go back to, click the back button because the link doesn't create a new tab!

• Please revisit Moving Toward Cultural Responsiveness but focus on pages four and five.
  
• Please take a look at Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Practice and read through pages 17, 20-24, 28-40, and 43-53.
  
• Please watch Becoming a Culturally Responsive Teacher starting at :16.

Closing
For this final assignment, you will submit a short video (2-5 minutes long) that demonstrates how you implement a non-instructional strategy to create a culturally responsive learning environment. Please view at least three of your classmate’s videos and respond to two. After everyone has given feedback to one another, you will write a 150-300 page summary on how you can modify your strategy for the future. I will create a private YouTube account and will provide the login information. Please post your video in this account. I will also create a Google Slides where you can leave feedback for each other. When you add a slide, put your name as the title and then write two of your classmate’s names with the feedback as the bulk of the slide.

References

Vavrus, M. (2008). Culturally Responsive Teaching. In Teacher Preparation and Current Issues in Teaching (pp. 49-56). Olympia, WA.