Honouring the Voices of Children

This booklet can be read as pdf online or download here.

Building Social Inclusion by Combating Racism

You will find lesson plans here!

Integrating Aboriginal Perspectives into Curricula

This booklet can be downloaded here.

First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Holistic Learning Models

Interactive site here.

Our Words, Our Ways

You can read online or download chapters here.

Holistic Teaching Research - diagram

This is a diagram for holistic teaching I did based on the article, The Buddhist Approach to Education: An Alternative Approach for Sustainable Education; Sant Chansomsak and Brenda Vale authors. (Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Vol.28, No.1, March 2008. pp.35-50).

Culturally Responsive Schools - exemplar

Download booklet here,
or click on the image.

Equitable Assessments

Curriculum-embedded assessments compliment culturally responsive teaching/learning. Assessment is drawn from the class assignment, teacher instruction, and student performance. Since objectives can vary from one subject or lesson to another, assessments are varied too. Assessments can be formal and/or informal.

Curriculm-embedded assessments are discussed with more depth by Audrey L. Qualls, and E.W. Gordon in the articles linked below.

According to Gordon,
"The assessment process may be made more instructive and supportive of diverse learning experiences, the varied contexts in and vehicles through which students can demonstrate their competencies may be determined, test items may be more process-sensitive, and emphasis may be given on tests to narrowly defined products. Yet, in the final analysis the assessment procedure is ultimately most likely to reveal the effectiveness of the teaching/learning to which students have been exposed. Thus, diversity and pluralism may have more serious implications for teaching and learning than for equitable assessment technology and practice." (pp 360-361)

Gordon, E.W. Toward an Equitable System of Educational Assessment. Journal of Negro Education. 64(3). pp. 360-372. (1995). http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3626/is_199507/ai_n8731445/?tag=content;col1


Qualls, Audrey L. Culturally Responsive Assessment: Development Strategies and Validity Issues. Journal of Negro Education. Summer, 1998. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3626/is_199807/ai_n8790217/pg2/?tag=content;col1

4 directions teachings

Four Directions Teachings shares teachings from five diverse indigenous oral traditions. It honours the process of listening with a traditional teacher, and beautiful animation. There is also curriculum packages. Click on the image.

Unlocking the Potential of Aboriginal Students (Web Cast)

(Webcast 60:00) Presents approaches to Teaching/Learning Aboriginal, Metis, and Inuit Students.

From the Society for the Advancement of Excellence in Education & Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat.

FAQ

How can culturally-relevant pedagogy benefit your teaching?
Culturally responsive teaching, and classrooms, reflect the community where students develop and grow. Teachers grow as well and get beyond their own biases and preferences and establish patterns of learning that sustains students participation and achievements.

How will students benefit from this approach?
Students learn to own their learning, accept and explore differences, understand through classroom interactions to identify potential conflicts that come from assumptions.

more to come.

Culturally Responsive Teaching - First post

Communicate High Expectations
Communicate specific expectations for students to meet. Encourage and praise students as they reach them.

Students Make Choices
Students produce class topics, generate lists, and select materials:

• Share in the responsibility of instructing class,
• Inquire and discover projects for community matters,
• Create a community of learners, e.g. shared learning, cooperative learning.

Teachers Communicate with Parents and Families
Teachers talk with parents and/or extended family members through home visits, phone calls, newsletters, and/or parent meetings:

• Teachers find out what parents and extended family members expectations are, concerns, and suggestions for students, and for school administrators/teachers.
• Teachers gain cross-cultural skills necessary to communicate with families in the future.

Learning Styles Reflect the Community

• Seek out learning experiences and styles of learning in the community, i.e. talk to members of the community, ask about preferences, observe learning at community events.
• Create different ways for students to succeed, and to measure student's success,
• Involve culture relevant class culture, e.g. students share their knowledge in the class, class management styles are taken from the community, teach students to question and challenge their beliefs and actions and ask students to do the same.

The Curriculum Reflects the Community

• Use the community as a resource, e.g. talents, gifts, family, groups. Use resources other than the text book.
• Develop projects from various viewpoints, provide students with information.
• Develop learning activities that are more reflective of student's background.

Facilitate Teaching

• Have students share artifacts, talk about traditions, research different aspects about their culture.
• Vary teaching approaches to accommodate different learning styles,
• Use the community as a resource, have a member of the community teach lessons.

Develop an Appreciation of Diversity

• Vary teaching strategies, e.g. collaborative, role play, independent work, provide choices to complete a project, and/or use community issues for projects.
• Teach and talk about cultural differences, i.e. Between individuals, learning styles, cultural events.