Theme 2
Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students Using Humanizing and Critical Pedagogy
Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students Using Humanizing and Critical Pedagogy
Lesson 1: Changing the narrative. The use of students’ lived experience in critical pedagogy
Time: 2 hours
Overview:
This is the introductory lesson of theme 2. Teachers will get familiar with Funds of Knowledge (Moll et al.) and Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso), and explore how multilingual students’ lived experiences can be used as pedagogical assets rather than deficits. This lesson will help teachers conceptualize what culturally responsive teaching looks and feels like in classroom.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, participants will be able to:
Define and explain key principles of asset-based pedagogy and its variations.
Reflect on existing assumptions and biases about multilingual learners.
Apply the Funds of Knowledge and Community Cultural Wealth frameworks to analyze classroom scenarios and develop inclusive learning practices.
The essential questions to be asked during the lesson:
What assumptions do I hold about culturally and linguistically diverse students?
How can I reframe my understanding of student 'challenges' and make them their assets?
What does humanizing pedagogy look like in multilingual classrooms?
How can I redesign instruction to reflect and honor the identities, backgrounds and knowledge of my students?
Content/Theories:
Humanizing Pedagogy (Freire)
Funds of Knowledge (Moll et al.)
Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso)
Culturally Responsive Teaching (Gay, Ladson-Billings)
Activities:
Case Study Analysis: Teachers read short profiles of students labeled as “struggling” and work in groups to reframe their narratives using Funds of Knowledge principles.
Video Analysis: Teachers watch a short clip of asset-based teaching and discuss observed strategies of humanizing pedagogy.
Inventory: Teachers brainstorm simple tools or questions to uncover students’ cultural, familial, and linguistic assets, then start drafting a sample inventory they could use in their own classrooms.
Formative Assessments:
Annotated case study and peer discussion on reframed narratives.
Exit ticket and reflection post: How did your thinking about multilingual learners shift today? Share one change you would make to a past lesson to reflect students’ cultural wealth.
Video analysis.
Summative Task:
The summative task “Reflective journal” is introduced, however the submission is by the end of the theme one. The focus of the lesson plan is to apply Funds of Knowledge concept/Community Cultural Wealth and includes culturally responsive strategies. It would be presented more clearly at the next lessons.
Materials for Instructor and Participants
For Instructor:
Case studies of multilingual learners
Slides with key terms and theory overviews, discussion questions
Handout template for “Inventory” creation, prompts for activities
For Participants:
Printed or digital copies of case studies
Devices for activities
Paper/whiteboard or Jamboard access (or similar websites: Padlet, Trello)
Sticky notes
Lesson structure:
Before Class:
Assigned readings in order to have a short overview of humanizing pedagogy. Initial question for reflection about the assumptions/issues you’ve encountered about multilingual learners in school settings.
Assigned Readings:
Ladson-Billings, G. (2002). But that's just good teaching! the case for culturally relevant pedagogy. In S. J. Denbo & L. M. Beaulieu (Eds.), Improving schools for African American students: A reader for educational leaders (pp. 95–102). Charles C Thomas Publisher, Ltd..
Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms. Theory into Practice, 31(2), 132-141.
Yosso, T. J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race ethnicity and education, 8(1), 69-91.
Beginning (20-25 minutes)
Warm-up (5-10 minutes): Recall a time when a student was labeled in a way that influenced your or others’ expectations (e.g., “struggling”, “gifted”, “ELL”). Think about how that label shaped teacher or peer perceptions and how it may have helped or hindered the student's experience. Discuss how such labels can reinforce deficit perspectives from teachers and peers.
Instructor’s lecture + Discussion: Overview of the theories. Teachers discuss how these concepts might apply to their own schooling and teaching. Focus on shifting deficit thinking and identifying assets in students’ lived experiences (15 minutes).
Middle (70-75 minutes)
Activity 1: Case Study Analysis (25 minutes)
Teachers read short profiles of students traditionally labeled as “struggling” and work in groups to reframe their narratives using Funds of Knowledge principles. Groups present reframed student profiles.
Activity 2 : Video Analysis (25 minutes)
Participants watch a mini-documentary (for instance a segment from The Pushouts or other video suggested by the teacher). Teachers identify strategies that demonstrate asset-based teaching and humanizing practices. After that group discussion happens.
Activity 3: Design an “Inventory” (20 minutes)
Teachers brainstorm simple and practical ways to learn about students’ home lives, cultures, and languages. Together, they create a short list of questions or tools they could use in the classroom to uncover and highlight students’ strengths.
End (25 minutes)
Group Discussion (10 minutes): Guided reflection on the following question:
How would incorporating these practices change the tone and structure of your classroom?
Formative Assessment (10 minutes):
Exit ticket - reflection post: How did your thinking about multilingual learners shift today? Share one change you’d make to a past lesson to reflect students’ cultural wealth. Respond to one of the peers’ posts.
Preview of the summative assessment that would be used for Theme 2 (5 minutes):
Introduce the draft lesson plan that they need to submit at the end of Theme 2. Teachers are encouraged to gather insights from this lesson to use in their lesson plans. The focus of the lesson plan is to apply Funds of Knowledge concept/Community Cultural Wealth and includes culturally responsive strategies. The lesson plan assigned would also include a peer-evaluation part. The guidance would be presented more clearly at the next lessons.