What is Culturally Relevant Pedagogy?

Summary

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, rooted in Vygotsky's socio-cultural learning theory, emphasizes leveraging students' cultural backgrounds to enhance learning. Gloria Ladson-Billings' research identified 'amazing teachers' who achieved exceptional outcomes with African American students. These educators act as 'cultural translators' and 'bridge builders,' using students' cultural experiences to make connections with academic content. By addressing politically charged topics and re-envisioning 'problem students,' teachers can empower students intellectually, socially, and politically, fostering a more inclusive and effective educational experience.

Takeaways

• 📚 Cultural relevant pedagogy stems from socio-cultural learning theory, particularly the work of Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky.
• 👶 Vygotsky believed that a child's cultural development appears first on the social level and then on the individual level, indicating that individual thinking is secondary to social interactions.
• 🧠 Students enter classrooms with complex cultural backgrounds, values, perspectives, and ways of seeing the world that teachers must leverage.
• 🏠 Sociocultural learning theory emphasizes the importance of building on a student's prior knowledge and leveraging their home culture or funds of knowledge.
• 🌍 Research shows that when classroom norms and values contrast with a student's home culture, the student resists because culture brings safety and predictability.
• 👩‍🏫 Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings identified eight amazing teachers who achieved outstanding results among African American students, despite the odds.
• 📖 Ladson-Billings defines culturally relevant pedagogy as empowering students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural and historical references.
• 🌉 Jackie Jordan of Emory University describes culturally relevant teachers as cultural translators and cultural bridge builders, linking students' everyday lived cultural experiences with their learning.
• 🔗 Culturally relevant activities in the classroom should interest students or build upon their skills or cultural assets.
• 🗣️ Teachers need to address politically volatile topics that directly impact students, like racial profiling and mass incarceration, to build trust and relevance in education.
• 👀 Teachers should see problem students with new perspectives, using their energy and interaction styles positively, as exemplified by a teacher who turned a repeatedly suspended student into a class president.

Q & A

What is the theoretical foundation of culturally relevant pedagogy?

Culturally relevant pedagogy's theoretical foundation stems from socio-cultural learning theory, specifically the research of Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky.

How does Vygotsky's theory suggest a child's cultural development occurs?

Vygotsky believed that a child's cultural development appears twice: first on the social level and later on the individual level, indicating that individual thinking is derived from and secondary to social interactions.

What does it mean for students to enter classrooms as 'complex cultural beings'?

It means that students do not enter classrooms as blank slates but come with their own values, perspectives, and ways of seeing the world that teachers must leverage.

What is the concept of 'funds of knowledge' in the context of sociocultural learning theory?

Funds of knowledge refer to the home culture of students, which includes their experiences, skills, and cultural assets that teachers should leverage when teaching.

Why do students resist when classroom norms and values contrast with their home culture?

Students resist because culture provides a sense of safety, order, and predictability; when it is attacked, their sense of safety is lost.

Who is Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings and what is her contribution to culturally relevant pedagogy?

Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings is an educator who, starting in 1989, tracked 'amazing teachers' and combined observations with educational anthropology literature to create what is now known as culturally relevant pedagogy.

How does Dr. Ladson-Billings define culturally relevant pedagogy?

Culturally relevant pedagogy is defined as a pedagogy that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural and historical references to convey knowledge, impart skills, and change attitudes.

What role do teachers play in culturally relevant pedagogy according to Jackie Jordan?

Teachers who are culturally relevant become 'cultural translators and cultural bridge builders,' making appropriate linkages between students' everyday cultural experiences and academic content.

Why is it important for teachers to engage with politically volatile topics in the classroom?

Engaging with politically volatile topics is important because failure to do so can lead to students not trusting schools to deal honestly with issues directly impacting their lives.

How can teachers build on a student's skills using culturally relevant pedagogy?

Teachers can see 'problem students' with new eyes, identifying positive traits in their energy and interaction styles, and encourage them to use these traits to become academic leaders.

What are the three foundational aspects Gloria Ladson-Billings believes are necessary to become a culturally relevant teacher?

The three foundational aspects to becoming a culturally relevant teacher, as believed by Gloria Ladson-Billings, will be discussed in the next week's video, following the introduction provided in this script.