1 Cultural Competencies Maggie Rivas November 17, 2006

12 Getting Started Session Objective: To increase awareness of how culture influences the interactions and behaviors of teachers and students

13 Who Are Today’s Students? It is estimated that more than 5.4 million English language learners (ELLs) are enrolled nationwide. (NCELA, 2005) In Texas, over 32 percent of the student population speaks a language other than English. (TEA, 2005a) Recent data in Texas show that the performance of ELLs falls far below the average passing rate for all students. (TEA, 2005b)

14 What Do I Know About Culture, Communication, and Language? Directions: Circle A for each statement with which you agree; circle D for each statement with which you disagree. Read each question carefully and be ready to defend your answers. You have five minutes to do this activity.

15 Defining Culture Culture can be understood as the ever- changing values, traditions, social and political relationships, and worldview created and shared by a group of people bound together by a combination of factors that can include common history, geographic location, language, social class, and/or religion, and how these are transformed by those who share them. (Nieto 1996)

16 Culture and Learning— Let’s think about this…. I. Developing Cultural Awareness Develops awareness of one’s own cultural identity Becomes knowledgeable about the culture of the school and seeks ways to accommodate it to students’ needs

17 Engages in culturally relevant instructional practices Connects students’ interests and background knowledge to content standards in instruction Considers appropriateness of instructional activities for individual students based on their cultural histories II. Providing High-Level, Challenging, Culturally Relevant Curriculum and Instruction

18 Uses a range of classroom organizational and participant structures and documents student participation Provides opportunities for student choice; implements cooperative learning and other interactive strategies Provides opportunities for students to use non- linguistic forms of intelligence such as artistic and musical

19 III.Collaborating With Parents and Families Uses cultural knowledge to communicate well with families Promotes two-way learning: Families learn from the school, and school staff learn from families and the community Uses cultural knowledge to mediate between home and school; advocates for what students and families need Supports family members in acquiring skills that families deem important

110 IV. Making Classroom Assessment Equitable and Valid for All Students Ensures that students and their families understand the purpose and consequences of assessments Uses multiple methods of assessments and samples of performance to make decisions about students Allows students choice about forms and times of assessment and provides enough time for all students to complete an assessment

111 Manages language demands in ways that maximize each student’s performance on assessments and minimize difficulties to ELLs Ensures that students understand what they are being asked to do on standardized assessments Explores the reasons for students’ responses on assessments Exercises caution in interpreting and using standardized achievement test data

112 Thinking Process Our thinking influences our actions, decisions, and behavior (interactions with others). The “colors of the mind” provides us with a range of types of questions. –Green: This type of thinking is driven by hunches, metaphors, “what if” scenarios, vision, and imagination. –Red: This type of thinking is driven by realism, quantitative information, data, precision, organization, and a sense of context. –Blue: This type of thinking is driven by relevance, proof, comparisons, and discipline and logical reasoning. Richards & Howard 2004

113 Cultural Competency Activity Color Question Brainstorming: GreenWhat might happen if we…… What might happen if every teacher graduating from a university was required to take additional courses in language, culture, and family involvement? Red How many….. How many ELL students took advanced placement tests? BlueWhy is this… Why is this the way we sequence math for the ninth grade?

114 Color Question Brainstorming Uses traditional brainstorming process Develops questions instead of answers Brainstorming pattern keeps it open-minded and non- judgmental Outcomes: Divergent perspectives and unexamined assumptions are often revealed. ( Wellman & Lipton, 2004)

115 ASSIGNMENTS TABLE 1COMPETENCY I# 1 & 2 TABLE 2COMPETENCY II# 1 & 2 TABLE 3COMPETENCY II# 3 & 4 TABLE 4COMPETENCY II# 5, 6, & 7 TABLE 5COMPETENCY III# 1 & 2 TABLE 6COMPETENCY III# 3 & 4 TABLE 7COMPETENCY III# 5 and IV #1 TABLE 8COMPETENCY IV# 2 & 3 TABLE 9COMPETENCY IV# 4 & 5 TABLE 10COMPETENCY IV# 6 & 7