Embedded Files
by Priel Isaac Felton
Learning Targets
Teachers should be able to define cultural inclusivity
Teachers should be able to accurately identify and define different cultural groups
Teachers should possess tools to accurately interact with students of varying racial, sexual, economical, and religious backgrounds
What is cultural inclusivity?
What is cultural inclusivity?
A growing concept in the modern age, cultural inclusivity is the idea of acceptance for people of different cultural backgrounds. While this may seem simple, in our current day society, diversity is growing at an exponential rate. In order to best educate today's classrooms it is important that teachers understand what cultural inclusivity is, and how to promote it. The University of Sunshine Coast Australia defines cultural inclusivity as addressing "...the needs of people from diverse cultures" and "...ongoing awareness raising, where negotiations and compromise may be necessary" (UniSC, n.d.).
Diversity is an underrated and often overlooked aspect of both the classroom and children's social lives. Children can build relationships based off of similarities or differences. Children may also not even realize how they treat each other based off of diversity, which is why it is even more important for teachers to create an environment where students can feel safe in who they are.
Attached is a Ted Talk by Nadiyah Herron, discussing the importance of diversity.
The importance of being able to identify different cultural groups
The importance of being able to identify different cultural groups
Attached is my voki, explaining why it is important to be able to identify different cultural backgrounds. References from (McLoughlin & Oliver, 2000).
As a teacher, either knowingly or unknowingly, you interact with a student not only based off their academic success but what you know about them. Lacking information about a student's background can lead you as a teacher to neglect them.
The importance of possessing tools to interact with culturally diverse students
The importance of possessing tools to interact with culturally diverse students
Many students of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds can be seen as "different." The danger in this lies with how people may treat them, both peers and teachers. This is why it is important to know how to interact with students of different backgrounds. There may be language barriers or lifestyle differences that can hinder a students learning experience (Waitoller & Kozleski, 2013). The role of a culturally inclusive teacher/classroom is to help a child feel as though these differences don't make them "different" in a negative sense.
Some examples of tools that a teacher can learn to employ:
Positive language, encouraging a diverse environment
Non-verbal language (physical touch, body language) that can be used with non-english speaking students
Having literature from different cultural backgrounds in the classroom
Hanging or placing items from different cultures around the classroom i.e. flags, ornaments, or statues.
(Tennessee State Government, n.d.)
Conclusion
Conclusion
We as a race are living in an increasingly diverse world, and the need for education will always exist. It is the role of teachers to shape their curriculum, environment, and overall experience as inclusive as possible. An educational experience can shape a child's life. It is crucial that as teachers, we provide an experience that will be positive and memorable to students.
2020 U.S. Census for racial distribution
(UNH, 2023)
What can a teacher do to foster a culturally inclusive environment
What can a teacher do to foster a culturally inclusive environment
A. Positive verbal and non-verbal language
B. Curriculum from different cultural backgrounds
C. Items from different cultural locations placed around the classroom
D. All of the Above
Mr. Felton lives in a diverse, middle class neighborhood. In preparation for his first day of teaching a 1st grade class, he should:
Mr. Felton lives in a diverse, middle class neighborhood. In preparation for his first day of teaching a 1st grade class, he should:
A. Prepare his classroom with Dallas Cowboys memorabilia
B. Hangup American flags with books only about American history
C. Include literature from different backgrounds, and teach a diverse curriculum
D. Have a completely blank room with nothing but desks, and a chalk board
Correct answers: D, C
References
Culturally inclusive practices. Tennessee State Government - TN.gov. (n.d.). https://www.tn.gov/education/families/student-support/special-education/culturally-inclusive-practices.html
Designing culturally inclusive teaching and learning spaces. UniSC. (n.d.). https://www.usc.edu.au/about/work-at-unisc/staff/cultural-diversity/cultural-diversity-and-inclusive-practice-toolkit/designing-culturally-inclusive-teaching-and-learning-spaces
Designing learning environments for cultural inclusivity: A case study of indigenous online learning at tertiary level. McLoughlin, C., & Oliver, R. (2000). Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.1822
New Census reflects growing U.S. population diversity, with children in the forefront. UNH. (2023, November 21). https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/new-census-reflects-growing-US-population-diversity
Working in boundary practices: Identity development and learning in partnerships for inclusive education. Waitoller, F. R., Kozleski, E. B., Avalos, B., Bartholomew, S. S., Florian, L., LePage, P., McIntyre, D., O’Neill, J., Robinson, R., Williams, J., Ainscow, M., Akkerman, S., Akkerman, S. F., Alsup, J., Arnaiz, P., Artiles, A. J., Barrett, M., Cochran-Smith, M., Corbett, J., … Fraser, N. (2012, December 25). Teaching and Teacher Education. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X12001709
TedxTalk. (2021, June 11). Affirming Diversity In The Classroom Why it Matters to Your Students | Nadiyah Herron | TEDxCSUSB [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqUPSnSTFKE
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