Where I'm From: Reflection

Traditional approaches to teaching literacy tend to disregard cultural aspects of the students, and aim to "normalize" student literacy by teaching the content in a way that promotes "Standard English". The cultural nuances and experiences of the students are innately belittled as the content corrals them into learning the reading and writing "skills" of the power elite. It seems obvious that children would struggle in an environment where their cultural differences are viewed as a stumbling block, a hurdle that must be cleared and left behind in order for them to become successful. Children will only become motivated to learn literacy when they feel empowered by their culture - not handicapped by it.

"Children come to school with different experiences. The experiences they have as young children are culturally driven. Within this, I see literacy use as cultural practice. It is cultural practice because reading and writing are woven into the everyday experiences of people, and these everyday activities, attitudes, and beliefs help to define and distinguish among cultural groups." (Purcell-Gates)

Culturally responsive teaching occurs when cultural experiences and differences are viewed as cultural capital, and are embraced and fostered. Acknowledging the funds of knowledge within the students, using this cultural capital to design lessons, coordinate activities, and promote literacy instruction yields a far more rewarding experience for the students, and allows them to learn in an environment similar to that of their culture. When literacy instruction is personal, and emphasizes cultural aspects, the students can learn in an environment that feels natural to them. This will allow the students to retain more information, engage more in class discussion, and feel more motivated to learn. As stated above, literacy is a cultural practice that is unique to each culture, and when content is delivered with this uniqueness in mind, the entire class benefits from it.

". . . the secret to literacy instruction is for schools to investigate and tap into the "hidden" home and community resources of the students." (Moll)

Acknowledging that a change must be made from standard literacy instruction is a crucial step - but it is only the beginning. An equally difficult question is that of implementation. How can an instructor integrate culture into a classroom in a way that fosters growth and development on literacy skills? While the answer can differ between classrooms, schools, and locations, there are some common traits that all classes should implement. A simple adjustment of reading material is a good start - by allowing the students to read material written by an author who is culturally similar to them can empower them; they will be able to see that their cultural uniqueness is an asset, and can be connected intimately to their literacy development. Also, content written in their cultural dialect or language will make the material significantly easier to read for them.

Another important factor is the community outside of the school. Integrating members of the outside community into the classroom experience to create a large, synergistic support network for the students increases their odds of literacy success significantly. Including these support network members in different parts of classroom projects and homework assignments will allow students to be assisted by their own families and friends, which creates a culturally responsive learning environment. The key is to instruct them in a way that affirms that their cultural difference is not cultural deficit. No student should believe that any culture innately decreases the capacity to learn. It is the job of the instructor to show them that their culture will impact their abilities to read and write - in a positive way.

It is critical that literacy instruction be remedied. "Cultural deficit theory justified the belief that certain groups were intelligently inferior to others, particularly to the group in charge." (Bolima) For the longest time this error in perception crippled the reading instruction of minority students, and students from low income families. It was easy to blame other factors for their failure - even easier to say that this failure was predetermined. By encouraging the use of cultural dialects in speaking and writing, instructors can create a more positive link between cultural variances and "Standard English" than they could by teaching in a way that insinuated that the cultural dialects and languages of the students were innately flawed or inferior to those of the power elite. "By using their own words to describe these [language] patterns, students move from what they intuitively know about language to an understanding of language variation and how it works in different settings and with different audiences." (Epstein & Herring-Harris, 2011)

The "Where I'm From" project is a really great component to use in a classroom where cultural differences are valued, and each student's heritage is respected. By allowing each student to share their culture with the class, the class gets to know one another better, which contributes to a sense of community and group synergy. Teaching students to respect one another is crucial; once they are respected by their peers, they can begin to respect themselves. The primary benefit of the project is that it gives value to a student's culture. The project generates a positive image about what it means to be from a certain cultural group, which empowers the students.

In mathematics, cultural responsiveness has to be handled slightly differently. Cultural dialects and languages have to be valued, but terms and postulates have to be defined and memorized in a very particular way. Most mathematical principles and concepts have to be done in a precise, routine way, which allows little room for cultural variation. However, integrating cultural aspects into the questions that are asked, and the projects that are assigned is important. By creating a link between math problems and the culture of the students, and showing real world applications that fit neatly within their cultures, one can increase learning and create a culturally responsive math classroom.
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Sources:

Purcell-Gates, V. (2002). As soon as she opened her mouth.. In L. Delpit & J. Dowdy (Eds.), The skin that we speak: An anthology of essays on language culture and power. (pp. 123-140).

Moll, L. (n.d.). Fund of knowledge: A look at luis moll's research into hidden family resources. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B38BSV_Zo7aHSGVoMWEtOFRGMVE/edit

Bolima, D. (n.d.). Contexts for understanding: Educational learning theories. Retrieved from http://staff.washington.edu/saki/strategies/101/new_page_5.htm

Epstein, P. & Herring-Harris, L. (2011, September 15). Honoring dialect and increasing student performance in standard english. National Writing Project, Retrieved from http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3655