Culturally Responsible Teaching

Culturally responsible teaching brings the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and performance styles of diverse students into the classroom. Through culturally responsible teaching, students become more engaged and feel vested in their education. America is a melting pot of varied heritage and culture. This uniqueness and diversity should be celebrated. By encouraging students to design digital stories based on their cultural capital, they can combat negative stereotypes, educate others about their culture and develop a sense of pride about where they are from.

“Mountaineer,” a PBS documentary, investigates the stereotypes suffered by the people of West Virginia. During the documentary, students attempt to take some of the negative stereotypes and labels back. “You think we’re hillibillies? We’ll show you Hillbillies!” By developing a photo story based on the true lives of West Virginians, a genuine reflection of our heritage can be shared.

Where I am from...(photostory)

Where I am from...

I am from a patchwork quilt handmade to be used, from Carhatt bibs and Bold Orchid lipstick sold by the Avon lady.

I am from the tin roof, weathered and worn, whose soft pitter patter lulled me to sleep on rainy nights.

I am from the tall sycamore tree and the fuzzy bulbs that covered the yard.

I am from the much anticipated Christmas party and a somewhat odd yet amazing sense of humor, from Johnie and Orpha and Delpha and the Gross family.

I am from the ability to look at things from a different prospective and the knack to create something from nothing.

From “you’ll never know if you don’t try” and “let me show you how that works.”

I am from finding my God in His creations, the beauty of a sunrise, the crimson and gold crisp fall leaves and a pure white snow.

I'm from Sutton, WV and buttermilk biscuits baked in an iron skillet and Pap’s venison stew with roasted potatoes and sweet homegrown carrots.

From the walk to the chicken coop, hands clasped behind my back, the apple tree with 2 kinds of apples surrounded by yellow jackets and the stone walkway lined with touch-me-nots that popped open revealing their seeds when my little fingers could not stay away.

I am from the mismatched frames scattered throughout the house, a brick hearth’s dusty mantel, and a china cabinet stuffed with trinkets and treasures.

I am from “til death do us part”, second chances and new beginnings.

What more could a girl ask to be from…

Student Interest Inventory

Since my subject area is business, I picked an Career Interest Survey. It can be viewed by clicking here. By knowing what careers students are interested in, teachers can include activities of interest to the students.

"...As soon as she opened her mouth."

“In Donny’s home, because neither parent could read nor write, the children grew up understanding that life did not include print. In fact, they did not understand that print existed as a meaningful semiotic system; it did not “mean,” did not function in their lives. And they lived full and interesting lives without it.”

This passage, as the whole article, really struck me. I had never thought about reading being a completely foreign concept. It’s just something we do. The analogy of the foreign student in driver’s education offered a perfect comparison. How can we expect students to understand literacy and reading if they have no foundation? A cultural deficit attributes students’ lack of educational success to characteristics rooted in their home and community environments. Although this deficit exists, it does not absolve a school from their responsibility to educate the student.

Mountaineer!

Although I was born in Ohio, I have always considered myself a West Virginian. My dad used to tell me that when he graduated from high school, they handed you a diploma and a map to Ohio or Pennsylvania. When he graduated in 1958, there was little work in rural, Central WV. He moved, as two of his older sisters had done, to Pennsylvania. After working there, then serving in the Army, he made his way to Akron, Ohio to find work. That's where I was born; however, I never considered myself a "Buckeye." It probably wasn't as often as it seemed, but every chance we had, we traveled "home" to WV to visit family. Just about everyone who lived on the street I lived on was from WV. The joke was "last one going home on the weekend, turn off the lights." Home has always been WV.

West Virginians have a great deal to be proud of. From these hills, many great Americans have come - Olympic Gold Medalist, Nobel Prize winners, great musicians, actors and athletes. However, we maintain our image of a "backwoods" place with uneducated and unwashed hillbillies. Perhaps, we, as West Virginians, perpetuate this stereotype. Even within our own state, we talk about other areas. My husband is from Logan County. I remember when we first started dating. I had several people tell me to be careful going "down there." Because "those people" are just a "little different." To be honest, they're not that different at all. Like many West Virginians I know, they're a hard-working people who have learned to make the best out of what they have. They depend on each other because they know they can. They are proud to be who they are and where they are from. Positive characteristics for any people and the ones that West Virginians should be portraying to the world.

Spring 2011

Well, a new semester has started and my blog returns from the dead. Links to EDUC 3351 and Blackboard are listed under gadgets.