Blog Post 7: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Place-Based Education

There are many things that must be considered when thinking about student success in the classroom. In the reading “Culturally relevant pedagogy and critical literacy in diverse English classrooms: A case study of a secondary English teacher’s activism and agency” by Lopez, the importance of culturally relevant pedagogy is highlighted. It is stated that “given this social reality, it is imperative that teachers engage in teaching approaches that are effective in educating today’s diverse student population” (Lopez, 2011, p. 75). This is something that I strongly agree with being that all students learn differently. Culturally relevant teaching involves students experiencing and engaging in solving higher-order problems, students identifying the strengths within their identities and cultures, and students developing a critical consciousness in order to analyze the norms associated with social inequities. When it comes to what culturally relevant pedagogy will look like, sound like, and feel like in my future classroom, there are many different approaches that I could potentially take. In relation to how I would like my classroom to look, I want it to be a safe space where students can open up about their feelings in a cooperative manner, even if it might be hard to talk about. As the teacher, I am responsible for recognizing the many different identities and cultures in the classroom so that these can be incorporated into lessons. In terms of what this will sound like in my classroom, the voices of the students are of utmost importance and are what will be heard the most when it comes to the discussion of topics that could potentially tie into their identities. This type of pedagogy “offers students opportunities to speak from their point of view and on behalf of those who are often silenced or marginalized” (Lopez, 2011, p. 78). When talking about what this will feel like in my classroom, the main goal is for students to feel comfortable and confident in discussing their experiences in the classroom. There should be no negative behaviours or judgment towards anyone discussing feelings of discomfort as to not cause emotional harm. With my future classroom being high school science or math, it could potentially be more difficult to include culturally relevant pedagogy, but I believe that this for me will involve the use of other types of knowledge, such as Indigenous knowledge, rather than just focussing on scientific knowledge. Similarly to how the case study in the reading involves using culturally relevant pedagogy in an English class through the use of performance poetry, I could have students look deeper into the history of science or math concepts and how they have been altered with respect to different cultural viewpoints, while also making connections with their personal lives and communities. This takes into consideration the curriculum content that is important to be taught and the success of all students in multicultural classrooms.

The idea of place-based learning has always been something that is considered significant when it comes to forming connections with local environments, which also includes the importance of considering cultural differences. Within the reading “Placing elementary music education: a case study of a Canadian rural music program” by Brook, it looks into how music education can develop or deepen the students’ sense of place. When it comes to place-based education “our educational system should facilitate the development of positive relationships with the land as well as with others” (Brook, 2013, p. 293). In the case of music education, we see that this involves a connection with the community as a place where they can make and perform music, which is how it creates a sense of place. We see specifically that “students were able to contribute to their communities in authentic ways that were valued by all and were embedded with the cultures of the communities” (Brook, 2013, p. 301). When it comes to how I, as the teacher, will contribute to the sense of place for my future students, it will be a little different compared to music education. I will ensure that they always feel welcomed and that their values are accepted. Again, keeping in mind that my future classroom will be high school science or math, there are multiple options for creating a sense of place. The most general way that I can achieve this sense of place for my students would be to go on field trips to places close by that will help them engage with their environment and enhance their learning. This would have them become involved with their local diversity and traditions. When it comes to other ways of achieving this, there is always the option of simply going outside within the community and doing a science experiment that involves the use of the natural environment. There are many opportunities in science lessons to go out and learn about topics in relation to your local community. This could also include making real world connections in math by having students directly relate certain concepts of math with things in their community. Another way I could do this would be to bring people into the classroom from the community to share and discuss their stories on certain topics. Being that place-based education also recognizes how important diversity is within the community, these ways of creating a sense of space also have students in culture, rather than just learning about it. By making all of these connections to the community and environment, the students will generate a better understanding of their place, allowing them to feel like they belong.

References:

Lopez, A. E. (2011). Culturally relevant pedagogy and critical literacy in diverse English classrooms: A case study of a secondary English teacher’s activism and agency. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 10(4), 75-93.

Brook, J. (2013). Placing elementary music education: a case study of a Canadian rural music program. Music Education Research, 15(3), 290-303.