Artifact #8: Culturally Responsive Teaching Activity

The eighth artifact I have chosen for this portfolio is from the Cultural Competencies as

an Emancipatory Pedagogy course within my Master of Science in Education program. This

Cultural Awareness, Responsive Teaching, and Learning Experience assignment was built on the

skills I acquired during the course. Culturally responsive teaching is woven into the fabric of the

activity, I exercise sensitivity to a variety of students from varying socioeconomic status (SES),

abilities, languages, students with IEPs, backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities. The class

makeup was given to us as a real depiction of what we could potentially have in our teaching

careers and we were to create a culturally responsive teaching activity based on what we have

learned in the course. Culturally responsive teaching is essential to teaching students to be proud

of their cultural and ethnic identities, and teachers must embrace the cultural mosaic of their

classroom (Gollnick and Chinn, 2017, p. 269). We were assigned this activity within the first two

months of the Master of Science in Education. During this time, I used my resources and asked

my mother and her colleagues for guidance and ideas. After gaining their input on best practices

for their experiences with these various diversities, I carefully planned this activity. Having

completed this activity in the infancy of my program, this artifact demonstrates my planning

abilities, commitment to professional collaboration, professional dispositions, and being sensitive

to diversity.
 Connections to Standards

InTASC

Standard #2: Learning Differences

The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and

communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high

standards.

Standard #3: Learning Environments

The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and

collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in

learning, and self motivation.

Standard #5: Application of Content

The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to

engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to

authentic local and global issues.

5(g) The teacher facilitates learners’ ability to develop diverse social and cultural

perspectives that expand their understanding of local and global issues and create novel

approaches to solving problems.

Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration

The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for

student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals,

and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.
 CAEP

Claim 2: Medaille College graduates meet the needs of diverse learners through

effective pedagogy and best teaching practices.

Claim 3: Medaille College graduates are caring educators.

NYS Code of Ethics for Educators

Principle 5: Educators collaborate with parents and community, building trust and

respecting confidentiality.

Educators partner with parents and other members of the community to enhance school

programs and to promote student learning. They also recognize how cultural and linguistic

heritage, gender, family and community shape experience and learning. Educators respect the

private nature of the special knowledge they have about students and their families and use that

knowledge only in the students' best interests. They advocate for fair opportunity for all children.

Principle 1: Educators nurture the intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and civic

potential of each student.

Educators promote growth in all students through the integration of intellectual, physical,

emotional, social and civic learning. They respect the inherent dignity and worth of each

individual. Educators help students to value their own identity, learn more about their cultural

heritage, and practice social and civic responsibilities. They help students to reflect on their own

learning and connect it to their life experience. They engage students in activities that encourage

diverse approaches and solutions to issues, while providing a range of ways for students to

demonstrate their abilities and learning. They foster the development of students who can

analyze, synthesize, evaluate and communicate information effectively.

 Ontario Teacher Ethical Standards

Care

The ethical standard of Care includes compassion, acceptance, interest and insight for

developing students' potential. Members express their commitment to students' well-being and

learning through positive influence, professional judgment and empathy in practice.

Respect

Intrinsic to the ethical standard of Respect are trust and fair-mindedness. Members

honour human dignity, emotional wellness and cognitive development. In their professional

practice, they model respect for spiritual and cultural values, social justice, confidentiality,

freedom, democracy and the environment.

NYS P-12 Common Core Learning Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1a

Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways,

listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.5

Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add drawings or other visual displays to

stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

Ontario Curriculum Expectations

Grade 2 Social Studies

Strand A: HERITAGE AND IDENTITY: CHANGING FAMILY AND

COMMUNITY TRADITIONS - A3. Understanding Context: Tradition and Heritage

A3.4 describe some significant traditions and celebrations of their families, their peers,

and their own communities, as well as of some other communities in Canada (e.g., fall fairs; faith
holidays such as Easter, Passover, Eid ul-Fitr; special days such as Remembrance Day, Canada

Day, National Aboriginal Day, Kwanzaa, Earth Day; religious ceremonies; ethnocultural

festivals)

Grade 2 Oral Communication

Active Listening Strategies 1.2-

demonstrate an understanding of appropriate listening behaviour by using active listening

strategies in a variety of situations (e.g., demonstrate understanding of when to speak, when to

listen, and how much to say; restate what the speaker has said and connect it to their own ideas;

express personal interest in what has been said by asking related questions: I like what ______

said about ______)

Interactive Strategies 2.2-

demonstrate an understanding of appropriate speaking behaviour in a variety of

situations, including paired sharing and small- and large-group discussions (e.g., make

connections to what other group members have said; demonstrate an understanding of when to

speak, when to listen, and how much to say)

Visual Aids 2.7-

use a few different visual aids, (e.g., photographs, artefacts, a story map) to support or

enhance oral presentations (e.g., use a family photograph as part of an oral recount of an event;

use a story map to retell a story)

NYS Learning Standards

Grade 2 Social Studies: My Community and Other Communities

2.2a People living in urban, suburban, and rural communities embrace traditions and

celebrate holidays that reflect both diverse cultures and a common community identity.

 Students will examine the ethnic and/or cultural groups represented in their classroom.
  Students will explore the cultural diversity of their local community by identifying activities that

have been introduced by different cultural groups.

 Students will identify community events that help promote a common community identity.

Council for Exceptional Children

Standard #1: Maintaining challenging expectations for individuals with exceptionalities

to develop the highest possible learning outcomes and quality of life potential in ways that respect

their dignity, culture, language, and background.

Cultural Awareness, Responsive Teaching, and Learning Experience

Meghan Alicia O’Driscoll

Medaille College

ECI 535: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Dr. Batchelor

October 21st, 2017

 In fictional Urban City School #100, I am teaching a second grade social studies class. I

have created a learning activity, keeping in mind these key factors: national origin, disability,

different learning styles, religion, and gender. Among the students’ files, I noticed that most of

my students are reading below grade level, so I have decided to do an oral activity that could last

over the course of a few days, or even a week. I would like the students to ground themselves in

diversity: in discovering that everyone’s family is different in many ways, and exploring each

other’s cultures. We will be opening up the concepts of culture, heritage, and, to a certain extent,

family through discussions of our favorite events, traditions, sports, or celebrations from our

communities.

For this activity, I will be using a carpeted section of my classroom divided into four

clusters with chairs at each corner of the carpet. The students speaking will be sitting in the

chairs, and the students listening will be at their feet, seated on the carpet. There will also be two

desk-area clusters not too far away from those on the carpet. I will model the activity on the

carpet with the students seated in front of me by presenting a drawing of my own favorite

cultural tradition, speaking clearly and audibly, and being sure to express my excitement and

love for this tradition. I will conclude with the prompt question, “What is your favorite tradition,

celebration, sport, or event?” I would not prompt favorite food because my school is in a high-

poverty area where the government provides the children with a nutrition program at school, and

I would not want to make any student feel uncomfortable. Each speaker will be instructed to pick

the next speaker and remind them to choose someone they know was really listening, which will

encourage the students to pay attention to the presentations.

After my share, the students will return to their desks where they will privately draw what

they would like to share with the others. I will give them a large piece of paper for them to draw
on, offering them the option of a drawing-only paper or a paper for a drawing with a blocked

space beneath it for a mini-story. Presumably, these drawings and/or mini-stories would take the

remainder of our class and possibly be completed next class. Once they have completed their

drawings, they will gather on the carpet into their pre-arranged clusters. Each student will have a

share role and a listen role, in order to practice respectful listening and speaking strategies. I will

be monitoring for appropriate shares, behavior, and offering prompts, as needed, for the students

to get back on track. Though they are free to share any topic they choose, my prompts will not be

specifically aimed at religion, home, or family for several reasons: I have a multitude of religions

within the class; I have a homeless student; three of my students’ families are being investigated

by Child Protective Services; more than twenty students live with one parent or grandparent at

home; I have a student with an incarcerated parent; two students with a parent deployed

overseas; and I have two students who have lost a sibling due to violence. This sharing process

could potentially last for one to two classes. Once a group has completed all the shares, the

students of that cluster will return to their desks to color and decorate their drawing. If they so

choose, they may plan a dramatization of their drawing and/or mini story for next class and

another round of shares. This option is fun, entertaining, and educational for everyone, if the

students decide to perform in traditional clothing or with props.

For the American curriculum component of my learning activity, I have chosen the

English Language Arts Common Core Learning Standard in the Speaking and Listening strand.

My activity meets the Comprehension and Collaboration standard CCSS.ELA-

LITERACY.SL.2.1a: following appropriate rules for discussions, and proper speaking and

listening behaviors (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2017). The activity meets this

standard in that the students each have a speaking and a listening role, they know that when they
have the chair they are the speaker, and when they are on the carpet they are the listener; for

those working in the desk area, they are to share one at a time, exchanging the listening and

speaking roles. Additionally, this activity meets the Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.5: adding drawings or other visual displays to their

stories or depictions of experience to provide emphasis and clarification (CCSSI, 2017). My

activity meets this standard in that students will be incorporating a drawing and/or dramatization

of their cultural experience in order to give the class a visual addition to their presentation.

For the Canadian curriculum, my activity meets the following Ontario Curriculum

Expectation for grade two Social Studies: Strand A. Heritage and Identity: Changing Family and

Community Traditions (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2017). My activity meets the

Understanding Context: Tradition and Heritage standard A.3.4: describing their families’

significant traditions and celebrations, as well as those from other communities (OME, 2017).

My activity meets this standard in that the students are learning about different traditions and

heritages by sharing with each other a favorite aspect of their respective cultures. Based on the

previously listed American State Common Core Learning Standards, the following are the

corresponding Ontario Curriculum Expectations in the Oral Communication strand. My activity

meets the Listening to Understand expectation 1.2: Active Listening Strategies, which requires

students to develop an understanding of appropriate listening skills and behaviors (OME, 2017).

My activity meets this expectation in that each student plays a listening role and understands that

they must listen intently if they are going to have a chance to be the next one to share with their

group. My activity also meets Speaking to Communicate expectation 2.2: Interactive Strategies,

which requires students to demonstrate appropriate speaking skills and behaviors, including in

small- or large-group discussions (OME, 2017). My activity meets this expectation by having
distinct sharing roles where the students learn to speak in turn, as well as learning how to

participate in discussions in a small-group setting in their clusters and/or desk partners. Finally,

my activity meets Speaking to Communicate expectation 2.7: Visual Aids, which has students

using visual aids to enhance their oral presentation (OME, 2017). My activity meets this

expectation in that they are using a drawing and/or dramatization to support their share.

I chose this learning activity for my second grade social studies class because it is

beneficial for the class as a whole, as we all learn something about each other, respect our

differences, and recognize our similarities, despite the color of our skin, our religion, our national

origin, or any other key factors that reflect the class’s diversity. It also works for individual

students because it is a gender-neutral activity that respects various disabilities and learning

styles. It is student-centered, as each child decides what they would like to share about

themselves, be it family, religion, national origin, or anything they feel comfortable with.

The clusters work well for developing appropriate discussion behaviors. Also, rather than

one student sharing in front of thirty-two students, the children will be in four smaller groups of

seven, with two desk-area clusters of two students each. This design is sensitive to students who

are shy, introverted, or having difficulty fitting in with the rest of the class, like my Yemeni

English as a New Language (ENL) students, Yasser and Jamil. The desk-area clusters are for my

two students with disabilities, Jazmin and Nia, who need a calmer, quieter space. Furthermore,

having certain clusters comprising of one, two, or even three speaker chairs placed together is

beneficial to students, as having another speaker beside them can make someone who may be

less likely to share feel more at ease.

 Additionally, the art portion of the activity enables one of my students, who is

biologically male but identifies as female, to express self-identity through drawing and creativity

without concern for gender conformity.

Finally, I decided to offer a drama option to the activity because it would enable students

to take on a role; this acting can make them feel more comfortable - especially those students

who may not want to represent themselves or their family, but rather dramatize as someone else

to share their choice. Drama also offers a medium for my gifted and talented student to express

their creativity. It also gives an outlet to Yasser and Jamil, who could demonstrate a game of

Sepak Takraw together, for the class to learn about a sport they often see the pair playing at

school.

This activity uses the students’ cultural experiences and differences as a way to learn

about each other and the world around them, and connects to several culturally responsive

teaching (CRT) strategies. For instance, Teacher as Facilitator stipulates that teachers are not

only instructors, but also guides, mediators, and knowledgeable consultants. My role in this

activity is to monitor the shares and mediate where necessary, and to offer support and direction

throughout the various stages of the exercise. Additionally, I would educate myself on my

students’ various cultures and respective important celebrations; this would allow me to properly

assist and support them in developing their shares, which is representative of the Cultural

Sensitivity CRT strategy. Finally, this learning activity meets the Positive Perspectives on

Parents and Families of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students CRT strategy in that it

includes an experience important to these students, one that they want their classmates to learn

about, which helps to create an open dialogue in our classroom.

 In addition to connecting to CRT methods, this activity also employs various Dignity for

All Students Act (DASA) strategies. We will be building a community by embracing each

other’s differences, and strengthening our classroom bond by getting to know each other better.

Also, this activity is making connections, as we all surely have something in common. I could

prompt, “Who else loves this?” or, “Does anyone do something similar to this in their culture?”

Another DASA strategy I would use is to set high expectations in asking them to be excellent

listeners, in speaking one at a time, both audibly, and respectfully, as well as in being respectful

to towards each other’s share.

My plans for this gender-neutral activity reflect the diversity of classroom learners in

several ways. First, having the option of a draw-only or drawing-and-story paper enables

students from varying reading and writing levels to choose how they want to contribute to the

activity. Having a few speakers seated together provides peer-to-peer mentoring and scaffolding,

as the students will be the second or third person to share; they will receive prompts and

demonstration, and the activity will be less intimidating by the time it is their turn. Similarly, the

desk-clusters help students like Jazmin and Nia. Jazmin has an auditory processing disorder, so

she has difficulty processing what she hears, and a noisy environment can be upsetting to her;

therefore, having a one-on-one cluster set a little aside from the carpet is beneficial to her. Nia is

classified as Emotionally Disturbed, so keeping her at her desk with a peer beside her changes

the social dynamic of the activity for her and it requires less transitions, both of which will create

a sense of ease and calm for her. The peer-to-peer partnership of the desk-clusters accommodates

the activity for both these students and the goal remains the same: to share a piece of their

backgrounds or communities with members of the class so we can all learn about our different

heritages, families, and traditions.

 Moreover, the groups will be rotating, as each one will be working at its own pace, which

allows flexibility for students who learn and process information at different levels; this also

eliminates any waiting period and lack of attention span that could occur if we were presenting

as an entire class and had to wait for the completion of thirty-two shares.

The activity I have chosen develops respectful listening and speaking behaviors, it also

uses our classroom diversity and favorite parts of our respective cultures to explore our

differences, as well as to recognize where we are similar. It is important for each student to

decide what and how much of their culture, family, and life they would like to share. Most

importantly, we are using each other’s lived experiences to learn about not only each other in the

classroom, but also about the world, its languages, and its multitude of cultures and cultural

experiences.