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Jamie Almanzán, Facilitator Pacific Educational Group, Inc. • 466 Geary Street, Suite 550 San Francisco, CA 94102 • 415.346.4575 Thank You “Let truth come out the way it wants to come out. Let the hearers utilize a different area of themselves to try to understand.” – Malidoma Patrice Somé, The Healing Wisdom of Africa “Courageous Conversation & Courageous Leadership” Developing a Systemic Equity/Anti-Racism Professional Learning Community: Strategies for Addressing Racial Disparities in Achievement Equity Team Seminar Culturally Relevant Schools and Classrooms February 21, 2008 Minneapolis Public Schools presents

“Courageous Conversation & Courageous Leadership”

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Page 1: “Courageous Conversation & Courageous Leadership”

Jamie Almanzán, Facilitator

Pacific Educational Group, Inc. • 466 Geary Street, Suite 550 • San Francisco, CA 94102 • 415.346.4575

Thank YouThank You

“Let truth come out the way it wants to come out. Let the hearers utilize a different area of themselves to try to understand.”– Malidoma Patrice Somé, The Healing Wisdom of Africa

“Courageous Conversation & Courageous Leadership”

Developing a Systemic Equity/Anti-Racism Professional Learning Community: Strategies for Addressing Racial Disparities in Achievement

Equity Team SeminarCulturally Relevant Schools and Classrooms

February 21, 2008

Minneapolis Public Schoolspresents

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AgendaWelcome and Overview

“Uprooting Racism,” Paul Kivel Equity Team Seminar Guiding Questions

The Agreements and Conditions for Courageous Conversations

Whiteness in a White Context

White Pedagogy and “Good Teaching” CARE Team Roles and Responsibilities

“Ready, Fire, Aim!” The Action Research Process to Engage, Sustain and Deepen Culturally Relevant Teaching

Defining Culturally Relevant Teaching

The “Bridging Cultures” Framework

A Reflective Moment to End the Day

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Courageous ConversationsEquity/Anti-Racist Leadership, Culturally Relevant Schools and Classrooms

Minneapolis Public Schools, Equity Team Seminar, February 21, 2008

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Describe a recent situation where you felt this way regarding your equity work. What coping skills have you developed (or do you need to develop) to help you to stay focused on and actively engaged in the equity work?

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“…I procrastinated. I hoped someone else would write it. “There must be someone else who knows more, or writes better, or knows how to say it the right way. There’s certainly someone who could do it without making mistakes or looking foolish.” These thoughts went through my mind as I waited for someone else to step forward. Then one day I recognized these feelings. They were the same feelings that white people experience in our workshops-the same “reasons” they give for not doing more to stop racism. I knew that if I let these feelings stop me from taking the risk of writing this book I would be succumbing to the paralysis that often keeps white people from taking action against racial injustices. When confronting the reality of racism we become sad, angry, overwhelmed, confused, numb, lonely, tired, bored, anxious, and passive. When faced with the need to intervene, speak up, or take action against racism, we become tentative and uncertain, filled with questions and concerns, waiting for someone more qualified to step up. “Uprooting Racism, Paul Kivel

Courageous ConversationsEquity/Anti-Racist Leadership, Culturally Relevant Schools and Classrooms

Minneapolis Public Schools, Equity Team Seminar, February 21, 2008

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1.1 How are we, as a school, developing our will and skill to have Courageous conversations about Race? What serves as evidence of our development? What has prevented our development?1.2 What are some ways we have discovered or recently acknowledged that race impacts our personal/professional lives? The lives and education of our students?

6.1 How has effective “Anti–Racist/Equity Leadership” emerged in our school? Which leadership qualities does our school possess/lack?6.2 What specific skills and capacities does effective “Anti-Racist/Equity” leadership in our school require? 6.3 What are some circumstances unique to our school that might challenge the will, skill, knowledge and/or capacity of our emerging “Anti-racist/Equity Leadership”?

5.1 If a school is said to be culturally relevant in the way in which it interacts with its children of color, what do we see occurring in both the physical environment as well as in the human relations?

5.2 What circumstances and conditions challenge our school’s ability to become Culturally Relevant? What steps might we take to address these challenges?

4.1 What do we believe to be the defining elements of and outcomes for effective partnerships between schools and families/communities. To what degree is our school engaging in effective partnerships in which the elements and outcomes are present?4.2 Who needs to participate in order that the partnerships are effective between schools and communities?4.3 Do we hold different or similar definitions, standards and expectations surrounding the roles and responsibilities for White families as we hold for families of students of color?

Equity Team Seminar Guiding Questions

2.1 To what degree is an effective “Anti–Racist/Equity Leadership” learning community emerging in our school?

3.1 In what ways is race impacting the schooling of ALL children at our school? According to Critical Race Theory, how do current school philosophy, policies, programs and practices contribute to the lowered achievement of students of color in your school?

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Courageous ConversationsEquity/Anti-Racist Leadership, Culturally Relevant Schools and Classrooms

Minneapolis Public Schools, Equity Team Seminar, February 21, 2008

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KnowledgeCritical

RaceTheory

Practice

WillAnti-RacistLeadership

Passion

CapacitySystems Thinking

Persistence

SkillCourageous

Conversation

Practice

Systemic Equity Transformation Theory of Action

© 2006. Pacific Educational Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Equity is… Raising the achievement of all students while;

narrowing the gaps between the highest and lowest performing students and;

eliminating the racial predictability and

disproportionality of which student groups occupy the highest and lowest achievement categories.

Anti–Racism is…Our conscious and deliberate, individual

and collective action that challenges the impact and perpetuation of systemic/institutional White racial privilege, positioning and power.

Problem

CAUSESolution

Implementation

PassionPractice

Persistence

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Four Agreements• Stay Engaged• Experience Discomfort• Speak Your Truth• Expect/Accept Non-Closure

Six Conditions1. Focus on Personal, Local and Immediate2. Isolate Race3. Normalize Social Construction & Multiple Perspectives4. Monitor Agreements, Conditions and Establish Parameters5. Use a “Working Definition” for Race6. Examine the Presence and Role of “Whiteness”

Courageous Conversation is the utilization of the Four Agreements, Six Conditions and Compassin order to engage, sustain and deepen interracial dialogue about race, racial identity and institutional racism;

and is an essential component of examining schooling and improving student achievement.

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Courageous ConversationsEquity/Anti-Racist Leadership, Culturally Relevant Schools and Classrooms

Minneapolis Public Schools, Equity Team Seminar, February 21, 2008

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Understanding Whiteness in a White Context

What is “White Privilege,” and what, if any, impact does it have on your life?

How does “White Privilege” impact your work as an educator?

Beyond privilege, what elements and characteristics define White identity today?

In what ways might “appropriate schooling” be defined as contextually White?

How do I as a school leader understand the “White” context of the community and its effect on the school?

What do I do on a daily basis to challenge this context and advance the issues of Equity, fairness and respect among all members of the School community?

A 21st Century Teacher Certification Examination“I repeatedly forgot each of the realizations on this list until I wrote it down. For me white privilege has turned out to be an elusive and fugitive subject. The

pressure to avoid it is great, for in facing it I must give up the myth of meritocracy. If these things are true this is not such a free country; one’s life is not what one makes it; many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own.”

Peggy McIntosh, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”

Wellesley Collage Center for Research on Women, 1988

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Culture Pedagogy

Who you are...

Race and Culture are Interconnected

=

...is how you teach!

White Culture White Pedagogy=

=

Six Conditions of Courageous Conversation5. Establish a “Working Definition” for Race that is differentiated from that of Ethnicity and Nationality

6. Examine the Role and Presence of Whiteness, its Impact on the Conversation and the Problem Being Addressed8

Courageous ConversationsEquity/Anti-Racist Leadership, Culturally Relevant Schools and Classrooms

Minneapolis Public Schools, Equity Team Seminar, February 21, 2008

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What Is Our Problem? Does Community Exist and Can We…

1. Define and Agree on “What Is the Problem?”2. Determine What We Habitually Do Wrong?3. Identify Who, Among Us, Does It Right or Better

4. Observe/Study Those Who Do It Right/Better5. Create a Way for Others to Learn the Right/Better Way6. Practice New Skills Community-Wide

…In Order to Eliminate the Achievement Gap?Adapted from Positive Deviance Approach Jerry Sternin

Teachers should become knowledgeable about the distinct cultural backgrounds of their students. They should also acquire the skills needed to translate that knowledge into effective instruction and an enriched curriculum (Gay 2000). Teaching should be culturally responsive to students from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural and language groups (Gay, 2000; Ladson–Billings, 1985;Valdés, 2001).” Making Teaching culturally responsive involves strategies such as constructing and designing relevant cultural metaphors and multicultural representations to help bridge the gap between what students already know and appreciate and what they will be taught. Culturally responsive instructional strategies transform information about home and community into effective classroom practice (Gay, 2000; Ladson–Billings, 1985;Vallegas, 1981) and use community members and parents as resources (Moll 1980).

Adapted from Diversity Within Unity, 2001; James A. Banks et al; Center for Multicultural Education, College of Education, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

•What does it mean to us to be culturally relevant teachers?

•What would we describe as the differences between a teacher and a culturally relevant teacher?

•How strong is our “Professional Learning Community” which creates the opportunity to share “The Right/Better Way” with our colleagues?

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Key Factors in the Development of Culturally Relevant Teaching

Relevance

Relationships

Realness

Rigor

“REAL” Schooling!

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Courageous ConversationsEquity/Anti-Racist Leadership, Culturally Relevant Schools and Classrooms

Minneapolis Public Schools, Equity Team Seminar, February 21, 2008

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The “Lens” of Basic Lesson Planning

1. Awareness Level -• Teacher consciousness that there is an achievement gap, but race isn’t the primary factor for the gap. I don’t have

to focus on race to close the gap.

2. Responsibility for Learning and Teaching-• Acknowledgment that I, the teacher, do not work to perpetuate the gap, rather outside factors create and perpetuate

it.

3. Development and Use of Cultural Competence -• My focus students must learn to adapt to the culture of school if they want to be successful.• My focus student families must learn to adapt to the culture of the school if they want their students to be successful.

Students and families must learn to use the current structures of the school to support their students.

4. Intentional Lesson Plan Design -• Lessons are designed that are believed to work for all students, race doesn’t matter. (“I don’t see color, I just see

kids!” and “Good teaching is good teaching!”)

5. What Do I Do? -• Action Research = TEACH! REFLECT & USE AGAIN! Lessons are often “just taught” without much time put into

describing what worked and didn’t work for my focus students.

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Courageous ConversationsEquity/Anti-Racist Leadership, Culturally Relevant Schools and Classrooms

Minneapolis Public Schools, Equity Team Seminar, February 21, 2008

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1. Awareness Level - • Teacher consciousness that there is a racialized achievement gap. I cannot close

a racialized achievement gap without addressing race.

2. Responsibility for Learning and Teaching -• Acknowledgment that I, the teacher, recognize that outside factors have an impact,

but I can work to either perpetuate the gap or to close it.

3. Development and Use of Cultural Competence -• I, the teacher, must learn about the cultures and interests of my focus students if I

want to be a successful teacher.• I, the teacher, must develop authentic relationships with my students and families,

ask questions, talk with colleagues, read books, listen to music, etc. BE A LEARNER!

4. Intentional Lesson Plan Design -• Lessons are designed that my focus students will be highly engaged in and excited

about, incorporating cultural characteristics and interests of my focus students. (Color-Consciousness and “Good teaching is only good teaching if it is culturally relevant!”

5. What Do I Do?• Action Research = TRY! REFLECT & LEARN! TRY AGAIN! Lessons are taught

with reflection on what worked and didn’t work for my focus students. I’m willing to try new teaching strategies and actively step out of my comfort zone.

The “Lens” of Culturally Relevant Lesson Planning

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Courageous ConversationsEquity/Anti-Racist Leadership, Culturally Relevant Schools and Classrooms

Minneapolis Public Schools, Equity Team Seminar, February 21, 2008

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“CARE TEAM” The Collaborative Action Research for Equity Team

Anti–Racist Teacher Leaders who participate in collaborative action research to discover, develop, document, deliver and disseminate culturally responsive teaching and learning strategies.

CARE Team Role and Responsibility 1 2 3 4 5Personal Understanding and Use of the Courageous Conversation Agreements, Conditions and Compass (Deepening Your Understanding of Critical Race Theory)

Identify, Examine and “De-Center” the Role and Presence of Whiteness in Your Own Life and Classroom

Design and Deliver Equity/Anti-Racist Pedagogical Practices (Culturally Relevant Instruction) that are Created to Improve Engagement and Achievement of Underserved Focus Students

Continuous Inquiry into, Examination and Structured Sharing of Equity/Anti-Racist Pedagogical Frameworks that Cause Changed Instruction in the Classroom

Clear Documentation (Reflections within the Context of Personal Knowledge of Critical Race Theory and the Analyzation of Student Work) of Culturally Relevant Instruction Researched in the Classroom

Attend and Facilitate CARE Team Collaborative Work Sessions in the Creation and Observation of Culturally Relevant Instruction

Provide Instructional Leadership Support for Equity Team Members and Principal, Specifically in the Area of Culturally Relevant Instruction 13

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The Action Research Process Or “Ready, Fire Aim!”A Cycle of Inquiry

Step 1: PLAN (READY!)Identify Student Learning Trends and Goals

Plan Lesson with Culturally Relevant PedagogyIdentify Data Sources

Develop Data Collection Tools

Step 2: ACT (FIRE!)Teach Lesson Plan

Collect DataClassroom observationStudent data and work

Self-assessment

Step 3: REFLECT (AIM!)Analyze Data

In collaboration with colleagues reflect on what worked and what needs modification

Step 4: REVISE (AIM!)Reassess Teaching Strategies

Revise Lesson PlanRevise Data Collection Tools

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Courageous ConversationsEquity/Anti-Racist Leadership, Culturally Relevant Schools and Classrooms

Minneapolis Public Schools, Equity Team Seminar, February 21, 2008

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Step 1: PLAN (READY!)1. Select your group of focus students. (It is preferable for all the students to be of the same racial group.)2. Choose the culturally relevant teaching strategies from the Motivational Framework (or other culturally relevant framework) with your focus students in mind.(Remember- The Motivational Framework consists of four quadrants. Decide on which quadrant you will focus on and choose the specific strategies from that quadrant.)

3. Plan your lesson - *Desired Outcome *State Standard(s) to be addressed *Assessment to be used *Culturally relevant teaching strategy(ies) to be used *Procedure of the lesson, etc.

Step 2: ACT (FIRE!)4. Teach the lesson, collect data - classroom observations, student data and work(Plan with your principal and/or another CARE teacher when to be observed teaching the CARE lesson, use observation notes in your reflection).

Step 3: REFLECT (AIM!)5. Written Reflection - Self Assessment - *Take notes during and/or right after you teach the lesson when your observations are fresh! (Paragraph form, bullet points, etc.) *Analyze data *What aspects went well? *What aspects can be improved? *Discuss and reflect with colleagues.6. Write up your reflection - Refer to your reflection notes and observation notes/feedback and write up your CARE Lesson Reflection. Bring to our next CARE Seminar.

The Action Research Process Or “Ready, Fire Aim!”

CARE “Lesson” Planning & Reflection GuidesCulturally Relevant Teaching

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1. Be Observant:Create opportunities for you to “stand back” and observe your focus students during the lesson. (Small group and/or partner work.)

2. Build in Processes to Receive Feedback:CARE coach observational feedback, Principal observational feedback, CARE colleague observational feedback, Student feedback

3. Prepare to Reflect:Brainstorm questions before the lesson that you will begin to answer while you observe your focus students during the lesson.

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“Ready” Lesson Thinking: “Fire” Lesson Observing: “Aim” Lesson Reflecting:What are the learning trends among your African American and Latino focus students? (strengths, specific areas of concern, etc.)

How well are activities chosen for the lesson supporting the learning trends of your focus students? What changes must be made during the (on-the-fly) to better support your focus students?

In what ways do you believe you adapted to the learning needs of your focus students? How might you better prepare for the next lesson?

Which Culturally Relevant Teaching Strategies are you going to focus on for this action research project? How will you implement the strategies in order to engage your focus students?

Are my focus students engaged during the lesson? Do my focus students show interest in each activity? How so? Are my focus students excited about their learning? What are my indicators? What does “interest” look like? Are my focus students willing to work with their partners?

How well did your chosen Culturally Relevant Teaching Strategy/ies work? What do you believe makes your strategy culturally relevant? What do you believe worked well for your focus students? What do you believe didn’t work well for your focus students?

What learning outcomes will you be using this strategy to address? How does this lesson connect to a broader purpose?

How clear have the learning outcomes been made to my focus students? How well do my focus students understand the basics of the lesson in order to be able to get to the desired outcome?

How well did your focus students learn the desired outcomes? Were they more engaged? What was the frequency of teacher talk; teacher initiated questions; student to student interaction; student presentation of work?

What will be your indicators of success? What proof do you hope to have that the strategy was successful?

How are my focus students able to express their understanding of the desired outcome? Can they verbally explain it? Can they explain it in writing? Are my focus students able to discuss and share their thoughts about the desired outcome with group members?

How successful was your assessment? How well did it demonstrate your focus students’ learning?

What are some specific ways that your CARE coach can support you this semester?

Are my focus students willing to accept my help and work with me?

What changes need to be made to this culturally relevant lesson? What new learning do you believe you need to have in order to improve your instruction? What are some specific ways that you can gain access to that learning?

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CARE “Lesson” Planning & Reflection GuidesCulturally Relevant Teaching

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An “Adapted” Motivational Framework for Culturally Relevant Teaching

A. Establishing Inclusion: How does the learning experience contribute to developing as a community of learners who feel respected and connected to one another?Routines and rituals are visible and understood by all:_____1. Rituals are in place that help African American and Latino

students feel that they belong in the class_____2. African American and Latino students and teacher(s) have

opportunities to learn about each other_____3. African American and Latino students and teacher(s) have

opportunities to learn about each other’s unique backgrounds_____4. Classroom agreements and rules and consequences for

violating agreements are negotiated_____5. The system of discipline is understood by all students and

applied with fairnessAll students are equitably and actively participating and interaction:_____6. Teacher directs attention equitably for African American and

Latino students_____7. Teacher interacts respectfully with and according to African

American and Latino students_____8. Teacher demonstrates that s/he cares about African American

and Latino students_____9. African American and Latino students talk to and with partners in

small group work_____10. African American and Latino students have opportunities to

respond to the lessons by writing or speaking_____ 11. The lesson activities are made explicit for all students (African

American and Latino students know what to do, especially when making choices)

_____12. African American and Latino students help each other

B. Developing a Positive Attitude: How does the learning experience offer meaningful choices and promote personal relevance to contribute to a positive attitude?Teacher works with African American and Latino students to personalizethe relevance of course content:_____1. African American and Latino students’ experiences, concerns,

and interests are used to develop course content_____2. African American and Latino students’ experiences, concerns,

and interests are addressed in response to questions_____ 3. African American and Latino students’ prior knowledge and

learning experiences are explicitly linked to course content_____4. Teacher encourages African American and Latino students to

understand, develop, and express different points of view_____5. Teacher encourages African American and Latino students to

clarify their interests and set goals_____6. Teacher maintains flexibility in pursuit of “teachable moments”

and emerging interestsTeacher encourages African American and Latino students to make realchoices such as:_____7. how to learn_____8. what to learn_____9. when a learning experience will be considered to be complete_____10. how learning will be addressed_____11. with whom to learn_____12. how to solve emerging problems

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Adapted from Creating Highly Motivating Classrooms for All Students, Ginsberg, M.G. and Wlodkowski, R.J., San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 2000

C. Enhancing Meaning: How does the learning experience engage participants in challenging learning?The teacher encourages all students to learn, apply, create, and communicate knowledge:_____1. Teacher helps African American and Latino

students to activate prior knowledge and to use it as a guide to learning

_____2. Teacher, in concert with African American and Latino students, creates opportunities for inquiry, investigation, and projects

_____3. Teacher provides opportunities for African American and Latino students to actively participate in challenging ways

_____4. Teacher asks higher order questions of African American and Latino students throughout a lesson

_____5. Teacher elicits high quality responses from African American and Latino students

_____6. Teacher uses multiple “safety nets” to ensure African American and Latino student success

D. Engendering Competence: How does the learning experience create an understanding that participants are becoming more effective in learning they value and perceive as authentic to real world experiences?There is information, consequence, or product that supports African American and Latino students in valuing and identifying learning:_____1. Teacher clearly communicates the purpose of the lesson_____2. Teacher clearly communicates criteria for excellent final products_____3. Teacher provides opportunities for a diversity of competencies to be

demonstrated in a variety of ways_____4. Teacher helps African American and Latino students to concretely identify

accomplishments_____6. Teacher uses multiple forms of assessment_____7. Teacher assesses progress continually in order to provide feedback on

individual growth and progress_____8. Teacher creates opportunities for African American and Latino students to

make explicit connections between new and prior learning_____9. Teacher creates opportunities for African American and Latino students to

make explicit connections between their learning and the “real world”_____10. Teacher provides opportunities for African American and Latino students

to self-assess learning in order to reflect on their growth as learners_____11. Teacher provides opportunities for African American and Latino students to

self-assess their personal responsibility for contributing to the classroom as a learning community

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An “Adapted” Motivational Framework for Culturally Relevant Teaching

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Bridging Cultures Framework“Name Five”

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What is culture?One definition places emphasis on- The arts, artifacts, traditional dress, culinary practices, ritual and ceremonies, and norms of interactions of a group.

Another definition of culture is...To focus on its “ideational” aspect: the ideas, beliefs, knowledge of groups- a “cognitive approach.”

“Bridging Cultures” orientation of culture is...To incorporate both realms but is primarily focused on the ideational elements: ideas, beliefs, knowledge, and ways of acquiring knowledge and passing it on (learning and teaching).

Bridging Cultures FrameworkElise Trumbull, Carrie Rothstein-Fisch, Patricia M. Greenfield, & Blanca Quiroz

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Building Awareness of Different Cultural Value Systems

Quotes from Bridging Cultures, Between Home and SchoolBy Trumbull, Rothstein-Fisch, Greenfield, and Quiroz

...when one looks at school districts across the country, one sees a remarkable uniformity of values and practices (Hollis, 1996). This uniformity ignores the multiplicity of student cultures and variations in family approaches to learning, teaching, and child-rearing.... (Pg. #1)

Teachers who understand that value systems explain the “why” of any culture’s important beliefs and behaviors have a powerful way of understanding their students and their students’ families. (Pg. #xv)

…Teachers need frameworks that help explain the deep value orientations underlying the beliefs and behaviors of different cultures. They need examples that can demonstrate not just particular cultural practices but the role of cultural values in learning, schooling, and child rearing. …Only by understanding why people behave and think as they do can a teacher hope to make real connections with students and their parents…. (Pg. #xiv)

The continuum of individualism/ collectivism represents the degree to which a culture emphasizes individual fulfillment and choice verses interdependent relations, social responsibility, and the well-being of the group...at the most basic level, the difference is one of emphasis on individual success verses successful relations with others in a group. It could be characterized as the difference between “standing out” and “fitting in.” (Pg. #5)

...real parent and community empowerment depend as well on transformations in the power relations between the school (representing the dominant community) and groups that have traditionally wielded less power. One mode of empowerment is for school personnel to understand and accept a collectivistic value perspective, although it differs from the values built into schooling... (Pg. #?)

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1. Fostering independence and individual achievement.• The focus is on the child as an individual.• There is an emphasis on taking care of yourself and your needs.

1. Fostering interdependence and group success.• The focus is on the child as part of the family.• The emphasis is on helping others, considering their needs (or how

your needs affect others)

2. Promoting cognitive development through exposure to physical objects independent of social context (later on ideas out of context).

• Children are encouraged to play with toys and investigate the world by themselves.

• Children learn to think about the physical world separately from the social or interpersonal world.

2. Promoting cognitive development in social contexts;physical world/objects meaningful as they enhance human relations. Toys are important in the context of social relationships - playing with a parent or sibling.

• Children remain with parents more, often not just in proximity but touching.

• The physical world has meaning largely as it relates to human relationships.

3. Promotes self-expression, individual thinking, personal choice.• Children are expected to form and express opinions, even

questions elders.• Young people make choices (life, career) based on their own

interests and needs.

3. Promotes adherence to norms, respect for Authority, group consensus.

• Children are expected show respect by quiet listening, not advance their own ideas to the exclusion of others.

• Life choices are often colored by what will be best for the family(and in the classroom, what will be best for the group.)

4. Is associated with private property.• Things belong to one person, and if someone else wants to use it,

permission needs to be obtained.

4. Is associated with shared property.• Many things are owned by the family, rather than the individual.• If someone needs to use something, s/he can help her/himself, if

no one else is using it.

5. Associated with egalitarian relationships and flexible roles.• Teachers and parents are equals; parents can teach academics at

home. “Parents are children’s first teachers.”

5. Associated with stable, hierarchical roles.• Teachers have a special role to teach academics (and to inculcate

morals). “The teacher is the second mother.” Parents’ role is to socialize children (and respect teachers’ authority).

White Individualism

Bridging Cultures FrameworkElise Trumbull, Carrie Rothstein-Fisch, Patricia M. Greenfield, & Blanca Quiroz

Color Group Collectivism

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1. Fostering independence and individual achievement. 1. Fostering interdependence and group success.

2. Promoting cognitive development through exposure to physical objects independent of social context (later on ideas out of context).

2. Promoting cognitive development in social contexts;physical world/objects meaningful as they enhance human relations. Toys are important in the context of social relationships - playing with a parent or sibling.

3. Promotes self-expression, individual thinking, personal choice. 3. Promotes adherence to norms, respect for Authority, group consensus.

4. Is associated with private property. 4. Is associated with shared property.

5. Associated with egalitarian relationships and flexible roles. 5. Associated with stable, hierarchical roles.

White Individualism

Bridging Cultures FrameworkElise Trumbull, Carrie Rothstein-Fisch, Patricia M. Greenfield, & Blanca Quiroz

Color Group Collectivism

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Helping• Two or more room monitors• Group homework preparation• Cooperative projects• Choral reading• Frequent peer support

Sharing • Shared materials• Shared clean-up (of all areas)

Group Orientation• Two or more “people of the week”• Group celebration of student achievement (vs.

individual honors)• Group parent-teacher conferences

Family Comes First

• Emphasis on literature with family content• Writing topics centered around family

experiences• Conversation about family (scaffolded to school

discourse)• Siblings present when parents volunteer; at

parent conferences

Cognitive/Social Intertwined • Respect parent’s concerns regarding behavior (vs. academic focus)

Culturally Responsive Teaching

Bridging Cultures FrameworkA Classroom/School Approach

Norm or Value

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Individualistic Value System ofIndependence in the Classroom

Collectivistic Value System of Helpfulness in the Classroom

Individual assignments

Developing own knowledge and opinions

Responsible for own belongings and performance

Academic achievement most important

Self- expressionPersonal choiceCompetition

Individualistic Teacher Perspective- Child achieving to one’s full potential for the sake of self-fulfillment

True Cooperative Work

Group responsibilities and assignments

Group success most important

Social skills are nurtured as much as academic skills

Children to help each other complete both academic and housekeeping tasks in classroom

Collectivistic Parent Perspective- Want their child’s academic achievement to serve a social purpose- to integrate into the group and contribute her/his efforts to the social whole

Individualistic Value System ofPersonal Property in the Classroom

Collectivistic Value System ofSharing in the Classroom

Individualistic- Personal Property

Property is owned by an individual

One must ask permission to use another’s property

Children “own” their crayons, books, pencils, toys, etc.

Collectivistic- Sharing

Most possessions are sharedPeople use them when they need them

No need to “ask permission” before using an item

Responsibility for caring for material goods is shared(There may be adult possessions that are off-limits to children)

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Individualistic Value System ofPraise in the Classroom

Collectivistic Value System of Criticism in the Classroom

Individualistic Praise-To raise a child’s self esteemTo recognize individual or group achievement

Based on “Bridging Cultures” teachers’ research -“Mainstream” American Schools Conferences“Sandwich a small amount of criticism in-between a lot of praise”

Raise the child’s self esteem

Emphasize the positive

Parents have been found to be more able to listen to a range of feedback about their child if they hear the teacher comment on the child’s special qualities first

Collectivistic Praise- The praise a teacher will give is related to the importance of acquiring knowledge that will help the family as a whole.

Criticism-Collectivistic perspective is that criticism has a normative effect and can benefit social and moral development

Brings the child in line with the group

Critique of Praise-Praise is not given for individual achievementDiscomfort with individual praisePraise singles out a child from the group

Families may be uncomfortable having their child praised for individual achievement

Concerned with child’s overall social and moral development as it relates to the whole

Parents want to hear from the teacher about what needs to be done to improve their child’s development

Individualistic Value System ofCognition in the Classroom

Collectivistic Value System ofSocial Skills in the Classroom

Individualistic perspective- Cognition-

Schools focus is on cognitive developmentTeacher may want to focus on cognitive development and academic achievement

Collective Parents may see cognitive development as dependent on social and moral development

Do not distinguish between education as schooling and education as upbringing

Parents may want to focus on behavior during a conference

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Individualistic Value System ofOral Expression in the Classroom

Individualistic Value System ofRespect for Authority in the Classroom

The “Ideal Student,” according to current educational reform-Oral ExpressionSkillful self-expressionCritical thinkingAbility to engage in discussion and argument

Collective Parents may believe that a quiet student will learn more and is more respectful than asking questions and being argumentative than a child who singles him/herself out from the group, taking time away from the teacher’s talk. They may want to preserve respect for elders and their wisdom.

Individualistic Value System ofParent’s Role in the Classroom

Collectivistic Value System ofParent’s Role in the Classroom

Individualistic perspective- Parents are children’s first teachers

Parents should work with children at home on academics

Collectivistic perspective-Believe that academic instruction should be restricted to school and done by the teacher

Believe socializing children is their role and may not want school wide advice on parenting skills

Individualistic Value System ofTeacher’s Role in the Classroom

Collectivistic Value System ofTeacher’s Role in the Classroom

Teacher’s role is to educate (academic skills)

Parent’s are the child’s first teacher

The teacher is the child’s second mother/father

Parents are likely to expect that the teacher take a stronger role with social and moral skills

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"Teachers who practice culturally relevant methods can be identified by the way they see themselves and others. They see their teaching as an art rather than as a technical skill. They believe that all of their students can succeed rather than that failure is inevitable for some. They see themselves as a part of the community and they see teaching as giving back to the community. They help students make connections between their local, national, racial, cultural and global identities. Such teachers can also be identified by the ways in which they structure their social interactions: Their relationships with students are fluid and equitable and extend beyond the classroom. They demonstrate a connectedness with all of their students and encourage that same connectedness between students. They encourage a community of learners; they encourage their students to learn collaboratively. Finally, such teachers are identified by their notions of knowledge: They believe that knowledge is continuously re-created, recycled, and shared by teachers and students alike. They view the content of the curriculum critically and are passionate about it. Rather than expecting students to demonstrate prior knowledge and skills they help students develop that knowledge by building bridges and scaffolding for learning.”The Dreamkeepers, Gloria Ladson-Billings (pg. 25)

Culturally Relevant Instruction

How does the quote describe you?

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Courageous ConversationsEquity/Anti-Racist Leadership, Culturally Relevant Schools and Classrooms

Minneapolis Public Schools, Equity Team Seminar, February 21, 2008

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1.) Raise Expectations: “How who teaches what to whom!”

2.) Center Equity: All Students, Narrow Gaps, Eliminate Racial Predictability.

3.) Practice Courageous Conversation: Four Agreements, Six Conditions.

4.) De-Center Whiteness: Universal Perspective, Individualism, Avoidance, De-Contextualization.

5.) Practice CARE: Reflective, Inquiry-Based, Continuous Improvement, Focused Instruction.

6.) Deliver Culturally Relevant Instruction: Realness, Rigor, Relevance, Relationships (Gay).

7.) Amplify Positive Deviance: Community, Problem, Relative Success, Transfer, Amplify (Sternin).

What is it about Culturally Relevant Teaching?Seven Progressive Principles of Equity/Anti-Racist Instruction

What prevents us from having schools full of equity focused, anti-racist, culturally relevant teachers?

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Your Thoughts

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Courageous ConversationsEquity/Anti-Racist Leadership, Culturally Relevant Schools and Classrooms

Minneapolis Public Schools, Equity Team Seminar, February 21, 2008

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“Teachers and Cultural Styles”By Asa G. Hilliard, III

Asa Hilliard III is a Professor of Urban Education at Georgia State UniversityCo-author of Saving The African American Child

I remain unconvinced that the explanation for the low performance of culturally different “minority” group students will be found in pursuing questions of cognitive learning styles. I believe that the children, no matter what their style, are failing primarily because of systemic inequalities in the delivery of whatever pedagogical approach the teachers claim to master – not because students cannot learn from teachers whose styles do not match their own.

There is a protocol of interactive behaviors of teachers who, for whatever reasons, have low expectations for students. Research in this area shows teachers tend to:

•Demand less from low-expectation students (“lows”) than from high-expectations students (“highs”).

•Wait less time for lows to answer questions.

•Give lows the answer or call on someone else rather than try to improve the lows’ response through repeating the question, providing clues, or asking a new question.

•Provide lows with inappropriate reinforcement by rewarding inappropriate behaviors or incorrect answers.

•Fail to give feedback to lows’ public responses.

•Pay less attention to lows and interact with them less frequently.

•Call on lows less often than highs to respond to questions.

•Seat lows farther away from the teacher than highs.

•Use more rapid pacing and less extended explanations or repetition of definitions and examples with highs than with lows.

•Accept more low-quality or more incorrect responses from low-expectation students.

•In administering or grading assessments or assignments, give highs but not lows the benefit of the doubt in borderline cases.

•Give briefer and less informative feedback to the questions of lows than to those of highs.

•Use less intrusive instruction with highs than with lows, so that they have more opportunity to practice independently.

•When time is limited, use less effective and more time-consuming instructional methods with lows than with highs.

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White CultureBy Judith H. Katz

White Culture? Where’s the value in talking about that? It’s so ephemeral, intangible, complex. How can you get your arms around it? It’s so hard to see, particularly if you’re white.

Still, especially for people involved in Organizational Development work, it is important for us all to understand White Culture because many organizations have assumptions, values and beliefs based on White Culture deeply embedded in their policies, practices, and styles for success. For example…

• In the manner of speech, behavior, dress and aesthetic of the organization.

• In the favored writing style and accepted language of the organization.

• In the paintings and artwork that fills the hallways.

• In the location of the sport of choice – the golf course – closed to anyone other than white men for decades.

It is only recently that the cafeterias and food services in many organizations have begun to reflect a more diverse workforce. And clearly, benefit programs, have long reflected the idealized white nuclear family.

So let’s talk about White Culture. But let’s be careful, because by its very nature, culture is insidious. It’s just the way you live and breathe, what you value, how you treat others and expect to be treated. From birth to death, culture informs us – about what is appropriate behavior, how to welcome a new soul onto the earth, what is expected in any social interaction, how to communicate, how to make decisions. Our values, beliefs and aesthetics all stem from deeply rooted cultural assumptions and teachings which may be conscious or unconscious.

Therefore, looking at and making explicit what is White Culture presents many challenges. More often it’s easier to see another person’s culture than one’s own because our culture is like the air we breathe: it’s just there.

Recently I conducted a workshop specifically for white people with my colleague Michael Brazzel, focusing on what white people can do about racism. During the workshop, we asked participants to brainstorm what they saw as the components of White Culture: the values, beliefs, behaviors, aesthetics (art, music, literature, notions of beauty), family structure, styles of communication, history, celebrations and rituals important to white culture.

For many, this was a difficult task. It was hard for participants to separate a commercial or capitalistic set of values and behaviors and the larger United

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States culture from white culture. It was hard for many to not present an idealized or demonized set of what they would like White Culture to be. For many whites, their own shame of racism and being white seems to preclude them from being able to look objectively at identifying a larger cultural frame.

As the group struggled, what became clear to us all is how potent a force White Culture is in shaping much of what whites believe is right or wrong. And yet, at the same time, how elusive it is.

When asked to define and describe White Culture, it was easier for our brainstorming groups to identify differentiation among whites (for example to talk about one’s Italian or German roots) than to focus on the generalizations that form the constellation of white culture. Participants asked, “Do we mean the general culture? White, middle class culture? United States culture? Television and movie culture?”

When the participants finally were able to move through the layers of denial, avoidance, shame, and confusion, they began to generate in their groups a fairly consistent listing of dimensions that characterize White Culture in the United States. While it was clearly understood that not all whites believe in the same set of assumptions and values, it was also clear that White Culture forms the underpinnings of what many whites believe is “appropriate” behavior in many organizations. White Culture I the lens through which many white people view, evaluate and judge themselves and others regarding what is “professional” and “normal” behavior in many contexts.

These assumptions, as stated above, get baked into the policies, practices, and norms or our organizations. When that occurs it puts whites at advantage – cultural advantage – and all other groups at a disadvantage. It creates “Affirmative Action for Whites,” i.e., a playing field that is slanted to our advantage.

If our organizations are going to be fair for all so we can leverage the diversity of the workforce, we as whites must expose the positive cultural bias that organizations have for us to the light of day. We must make it visible and acknowledged and known. We must ensure that white cultural aspects are utilized when they are appropriate and add value for the benefit of all. And we also must ensure that they are not utilized when they prevent some groups from making their full added-value contribution.

To maintain the flexibility needed to succeed in today’s rapidly changing marketplace, organizations must be able to access a range of options, styles and behaviors. This can only be accomplished by making each culture visible and conscious, white culture included.

If we are to become the best people and OD practitioners we can be, we must make White Culture visible and conscious for each one of us. And we must help our organizations understand it as just one of many cultures – one set of values, attitudes and behaviors among many such sets in a diverse and challenging environment.

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Some Aspects and Assumptions of White Culture in the United States While different individuals might not practice or accept all of these traits, they are common characteristics of most U.S. white people most of the time.

Judith H. Katz, Copyright © 199 The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No duplicationwithout the written permission of The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group, Inc. 518.271.7000.

Rugged Individualism• Self-reliance• Individual is primary unit• Independence and autonomy highly valued and rewarded• Individuals assumed to be in control of their environment – “You get what you deserve”

Competition•Be #1• Win at all costs• Winner-loser dichotomy• Action Orientation• Master and control nature• Must always “do something” about a situation• Aggressiveness and Extroversion• Decision-Making• Majority rules (when Whites have power)• Hierarchical

Justice• Based on English common law• Protect property and entitlements• Intent counts

Communication• “The King’s English” rules• Written tradition• Avoid conflict, intimacy• Don’t show emotion• Don’t discuss personal life• Be polite

Holidays• Based on Christian religions• Based on white history and male leaders

History• Based on Northern European immigrants’ experience in the United States• Heavy focus on the British Empire• Primacy of Western (Greek, Roman) and Judeo–Christian tradition

Protestant Work Ethic• Hard work is the key to success• Work before play• “If you didn’t meet your goals, you didn’t work hard enough”

Emphasis on Scientific Method• Objective, rational linear thinking• Cause and effect relationships• Quantitative emphasis

Status, Power and Authority• Wealth = worth• Heavy value on ownership of goods, space, property• Your job is who you are• Respect authority

Time• Adherence to rigid time schedules• Time viewed as a commodity

Future Orientation• Plan for future• Delayed gratification• Progress is always best• “Tomorrow will be better”

Family Structure• Nuclear family (father, mother, 2.3 children is the ideal social unit• Husband is breadwinner and head of household• Wife is homemaker and subordinate to husband• Children should have own rooms, be independent

Aesthetics• Based on European culture• Woman’s beauty based on blonde, thin, “Barbie”• Man’s attractiveness based on economic status, power, intellect• Steak and potatoes; “bland is best”

Religion• Christianity is the norm• Anything other than Judeo – Christian tradition is foreign• No tolerance for deviation from single god concept

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