Culturally responsive pedagogy.

I am using Rolfe's model of reflection.

Step 1(What): What is your understanding of indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness and what are the two of the areas mentioned above that you want to focus on for discussion?

Culturally responsive pedagogy is defined by Gay (2001, p.106) as “using the cultural characteristics, experiences and perspectives as conduits for effective teaching. It is reflected in five elements including knowledge about cultural diversity, the culturally integrated content in the curriculum, the development of the learning community, the ability to communicate with culturally diverse students and culturally responsive delivery of instruction "(Gay, 2001).

Milne (2017) argues that cultural identity is not a thing that needs to be celebrated on certain occasions such as cultural weeks, rather teachers and school should embrace student cultural identity at every opportunity throughout curriculum and learning activities, school policies and events.

My understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy is one where teachers respect and understand students cultural background, identities and their ways of learning and use their knowledge and expertise in class. 

My two chosen areas of focus are school-wide activities and planning and assessment . I will use the Mauri Model  to reflect on my school practice. 

Step 2 (So what): Evaluate your practice or your school practice in light of the following frameworks or use another one that you are familiar with.

I think for school wide activities we are Maori Ora and for planning and assessment we are Mauri Moe (sleep state). 

Acknowledging and responding to the cultural identities of our children is a high priority at my school. At the top of our charter is the school vision which includes the following statement “…to provide high quality education which respects the Tangata Whenua status of its Maori students and the dignity, rights and individuality of all cultures.”

Our strategic and annual plans both make reference to the fact that we are committed to consulting with our Maori families regularly. It is important that this consultation is done in a culturally appropriate way. When a hui is held the whole family is invited to attend and kai is provided. Appropriate protocols are followed and the children have the opportunity to showcase their learning, taking pride in being Maori. Our Kapa Haka group performs at official functions and our Maori children are regularly given opportunities to participate in events and activities where they are given opportunities to express themselves and share their ideas and experiences as Maori.

We acknowledge the other cultures of our community in many ways. The language weeks of the various Pasifika nations have been celebrated and during these weeks, members of their communities have run activities for the children of any background to participate and learn about the different cultures. We want our children to be open and exposed to many world views. As a result of these language weeks, groups have formed and continued to practise the songs and dances from the various cultures. Members of these groups are not just the students of that particular cultural background, our children are showing an openness and willingness to embrace the cultures of many!

When it comes to planning and assessment, it is mostly lead by the senior leadership team. Our team leader chooses topics for the year. We do not involve students in our planning and assessment. We very rarely invite families to come to class and share their knowledge and expertise. However our topics are inquiry based and students get to choose how they want to research,  create and present their findings. In order for our students to feel more confident in their learning we should involve them in planning topics and assessment. They will feel respected if we ask them what they want to research about or choose topics that relate to their culture. My school does DMIC math and  DMIC is designed for Pasifika students. Students work in mixed ability groups than ability groups, expectations are high for students, problems are linked to students' lives and students get to learn from each other. 

Step 3 (What next) What might you or your school needs to consider or take actions to move up to the next level of culturally responsiveness? What are the next steps?

For planning and assessment we need to move to Maori Ora.

• Teaching and learning will be enriched if teachers build bridges and create opportunities to connect the classroom curriculum with students and communities lived experiences beyond school. 
• Connecting home and school (MOE, n.d). Partnerships with whānau/iwi and the wider community can be enhanced by the use of technologies. Technologies facilitate on-going reciprocal two-way communication between students and parents, giving parents anywhere, anytime access to their child's learning. This leads to improved learning outcomes for students through blended, culturally inclusive, and sustainable practices.
• Teachers should sometimes act as learners so that students, their whanau and families can contribute their expertise.
• Teachers need to use diverse teaching styles for children to express, develop and gain feedback on their growing knowledge and expertise.
• Teachers need to understand students' cultural background, ways of interacting so that they can fit easily into school.
• Teachers need to have high expectations for students.

References

Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Cavanagh, T. & Teddy, L. (2009).Te Kotahitanga: Addressing educational disparities facing Māori students in New Zealand. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(5),734–742.

Cowie, B., Otrel-Cass, K., Glynn, T., & Kara, H., et al.(2011).Culturally responsive pedagogy and assessment in primary science classrooms: Whakamana tamariki. Wellington: Teaching Learning Research Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.tlri.org.nz/sites/default/files/projects/9268_cowie-summaryreport.pdf

Gay,G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2),106-116.

Milne, A.(2017).Coloring in the white spaces: reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.

Ministry of Education (n.d). Retrieved from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Beyond-the-classroom/Engaging-with-the-community/Home-school-partnerships/?tab=js-tabcontainer-1-tab-2