“Culturally and linguistically responsive teaching involves teaching practices that connect students’ social, cultural, family and linguistic backgrounds to what they are learning and their sense of belonging”.
Inclusive Education Policy Document,
NS Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2019.
Use of terms
Balance of work and play
Sense of personal space
Values regarding finance
Role assumed in the family
Knowledge of disabilities and source of information
Beliefs about causality
View of the inner working of the body
Sources of social support
Acceptable amount of assistance from others
Degree of importance attributed to physical appearance
Degree of importance attributed to independence
Sense of control over things that happen
Typical or preferred coping strategies
Style of expressing emotions
“Valuing Background and Experiences students with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds deserve access to instruction that meaningfully highlights and values their backgrounds and experiences”.
Soto and Yu 2014
Support linguistic diversity in a range of online resources, translation options online, Apps or extensions on a device and within Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices.
Provide picture books in multiple languages in hard copy and digitally via an accessible device.
Consider cultural priorities when designing visual schedules and when programming AAC devices consider which images are appropriate to choose.
Use resources (books, eBooks, online resources, handouts) where students see themselves including students with disabilities, students with varied ethnicities and students with varied gender identities.
“To Promote Equity, We Use Cultural Proficiency as: A lens for examining how we can include and honor the cultures and learning needs of all AT users”
Culturally Responsive Assistive Technology Services (Beth Poss)
Culturally responsive teaching through technology recognizes the importance of including students' cultural and linguistic references in all aspects of learning. Educational technology can enhance instructional design and practice to facilitate a culturally and linguistically responsive learning environment that meets the needs of all students. Educational technology can assist teachers in:
Personalizing learning to meet the needs of individual students.
Strengthening relationships and connections with families.
Developing and organizing coherent and relevant units, lessons, and learning tasks that build upon students' cultural backgrounds and experiences
Facilitating classroom projects that involve community-based topics and/or community members.
Increasing and improving instructional strategies to accommodate diverse learning styles and languages.
Enabling students to communicate and collaborate with diverse audiences, including peers and experts in the community, state, country, and internationally.
Facilitating collaborative classroom projects among heterogeneous student groups.
NYSED Gov. Culturally Responsive Instruction through Technology
"Responsiveness means the validation and affirmation of indigenous (home) culture and language for the purpose of building and bridging the student to success in the culture of academia and in mainstream society."
Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching and Learning - Sharroky Hollie (2011)