Assignment:
Cultural Competence in the Classroom
Nikhil Goyal is a successful high school student who, like many students his age, hates school. But unlike most students his age, Nikhil wrote a speech about it and delivered it to a global audience his presentation Why Kids Hate School?: Nikhil Goyal at TEDxYouth@BFS. In his presentation, Nikhil shares the story of another student, Nick Perez. The central theme of the presentation is relevance and, specifically, how schools often lack relevance to the lives of their learners.
In this assignment, you will reflect on the story of Nick Perez and analyze it based on what might have happened differently if Nick's education targeted the learning of 21st century skills through culturally relevant learning opportunities. Additionally, you will recommend a culturally relevant learning experience that might have been able to meet Nick's needs in high school. Review the Instructor Guidance for this week for additional information and use the Ladson-Billing (1995; summarized in the Instructor Guidance) resource and Wardle (2013) to define a culturally relevant learning experience; apply this framework to the creation of solutions. Then, create your paper to meet the content and written communication expectations stated below.
In your paper, include the following:
1. Discuss the learning experiences and cultural competencies that you believe were valued at Nick's school, based on the information presented in the video and which learning experiences and cultural competencies would be most applicable and interesting to Nick using his interest in computers as a form of his cultural identity (think about the way that he described his life at home and at computer camp).
Include examples using at least two of the following four characteristics of cultural competence:
- Awareness of one's own cultural worldview (including biases)
- Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews
- Positive attitudes and open-mindedness toward cultural differences
- Ability to work successfully with others from different cultures
2. Determine which of the 4C skills (i.e., creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, communication, and collaboration that are presented in The 4Cs Research Series you perceive are most likely relevant to Nick's current position as a programmer in an advertising firm and which of these skills you perceive are not adequately addressed in typical classroom environments today.
3. Summarize how the acquisition of learning and innovation skills through culturally relevant instruction can lead to greater student success in the classroom and in the real world. Include examples using at least three of the following nine areas of culturally relevant instruction:
- Maximizing academic success through relevant instructional experiences
- Addressing cultural competence through reinforcing students' cultural integrity
- Involving students in the construction of knowledge
- Building on students' interests and linguistic resources
- Tapping home and community resources
- Understanding students' cultural knowledge
- Using interactive and constructivist teaching strategies
- Examining the curriculum from multiple perspectives
- Promoting critical consciousness through opportunities to challenge predominant elements of the students' social norms
If you are enrolled in the MAED Program, it is imperative that you keep copies of all assignments completed in this course. You will return to them for the portfolio that you will create in your final MAED course. This portfolio is a culminating project that will demonstrate that you have met program outcomes.
Cultural Competencies in the Classroom
Must be two to three double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.