Analyzing Cultural Relevance in Instruction

Wardle (2013) summarizes the important characteristics of a culturally relevant teacher. After reviewing this material, for this assignment you will apply your knowledge of culturally relevant pedagogy as you propose solutions to problems facing a teacher with a very diverse student population. This exercise provides excellent practice over the application of culturally relevant principles in the design of effective instructional solutions. You will need to design such instructional solutions within the Final Project, so it is very important to practice such skills here. Specifically, for this assignment, you will view a brief video taken with a cell phone by a student in a high school social studies class. The video (Bliss, 2013) documents a meltdown Bliss experienced during his World History course at Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas. A transcript of the audio is provided in the Instructor Guidance for this week along with other detailed assistance for completing this assignment.

After reviewing the Instructor Guidance for this task, create your assignment to meet the content and written communication expectations below.

Content Expectations

I. Video Analysis Questions (2 points): Answer the four categories of questions below based on your inferences and ideas about how things could have been improved in the events captured in the cellphone video.

1. Description: What is the problem (from Jeff Bliss's perspective as well as from Ms. Phung's perspective)?

2. Diagnosis: How did it get like this? What probably caused it? Who set it up like this? Who benefits? Who loses? What position do you take on this issue?

3. Solution: How could a more equitable, culturally relevant approach to the class improve the situation? How might Ms. Phung respond differently to Jeff's concerns? On a broader scale, recommend specific ways you believe Ms. Phung could provide more equitable learning opportunities for all learners. How might creativity be used more effectively in this social studies class? How should Ms. Phung go about implementing such an approach? What would she need to get started?

4. Evaluation: How would you evaluate the success or failure of each proposed solution? One year from now, what would you want to see changed?

II. Equity Strategies (2 points): Describe existing equity strategies in the area of instruction, classroom environment, student grouping, and student leadership/recognition that are implemented in the classroom and additional ways in which the teacher can help meet all student needs.

III. Cultural Relevance Strategies (2 points): Describe evidence of any culturally relevant pedagogy in action in the cellphone video and additional strategies that might help improve the overall efficacy of the learning experience. Such strategies might include at least one of the following nine areas:

1. Maximizing academic success through relevant instructional experiences

2. Addressing cultural competence through reinforcing students' cultural integrity

3. Involving students in the construction of knowledge

4. Building on students' interests and linguistic resources

5. Tapping home and community resources

6. Understanding students' cultural knowledge

7. Using interactive and constructivist teaching strategies

8. Examining the curriculum from multiple perspectives

9. Promoting critical consciousness through opportunities to challenge predominant elements of the students' social norms.