Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Training Simulation and Discussion Dr. Dallas Dolan & Dr. Larry Coleman The Community College of Baltimore County, Maryland

Owings Mills Randallstown Hunt Valley Essex Catonsville Dundalk

Student characteristics

• In 2000, CCBC first identified achievement gaps between African American and white students • An aggressive campaign was begun, which included culturally responsive teaching, professional development, student case management and targeted activities, and new developmental education supports.

Achievement Gaps: Some Background

This professional development work about CRT comes from ten years of focused examination of the academic performance of minority and underrepresented students at our college.

This work also evolved from the attempts of faculty and administrators to dramatically improve the achievement and learning outcomes of those students.

Culturally Responsive Teaching

Gay’s definition indicates that “Using knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them. It teaches to and through the strengths of these students.” (Gay, G. 2000, p 29) Gloria Ladson- Billings agrees with the use of a cultural framework to be incorporated into the learning environment.

CRT Definitions

Ladson-Billings and Gay support the notion that within a culturally responsive framework: • • • Students must experience academic success. Students must develop and/or maintain cultural competence.

Students must develop a critical consciousness through which they challenge the status quo of the social order.

CRT desired Outcomes

• Culturally Responsive Teaching • Two-week (24 hour) Summer Seminar (stipend) • Workshops on Stereotype Threat, Social Capital, Race and Culture and Mindsets • Reached 100+ faculty last year; targets another 200 this year, including adjunct faculty. • Certificate of Culturally Responsive Teaching

Training in CRT at CCBC

•

Race and Culture

•

Overcoming Stereotype Threat

•

Social capital

•

* Mindsets

• *This is the module we will simulate for you today.

The four modules for the culturally responsive teaching seminar

Simulation……

Exploring Mindsets About Learning

One in a series of workshops on Culturally Responsive Teaching at The Community College of Baltimore County

Opening Activity

Metacognition: Thinking about thinking while you’re thinking.

•

Self-talk:

“What will people think if I get these wrong?” “I’m horrible at Math, better start with the easier stuff.” “I hope they don’t make me share my answers— what if (insert name) finds out I got it wrong?” •

Thoughts:

This is easy! I haven’t had to take a test in years. Hope I remember this stuff. This should be interesting. •

Feelings:

relaxed, energized, anxious, dreadful

• http://youtu.be/UNAMrZr9OWY

This is an example of self talk

• Two handouts • • Six Question Assessment Note sheet

Opening Activity Directions

Assessment Activity: Answer all 6 questions on the activity sheet. (5 Minutes)

Thoughts Feelings Self-talk

Think- and -Share

Debriefing & Observations?

“For twenty years, my research has shown that the view your adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.” Dweck, 2007.

What does this have to do with Mindsets?

David Yeager

Fixed Mindset Beliefs

• • • •

Ability is fixed and unchangeable We tend to sort ourselves and others regarding intelligence and ability Difficulty or failure is confirmation of inferiority No responsibility, control or reference to effort

•

Growth Mindset Beliefs Ability is not limited, but improvable

•

Tend to measure growth in relationship to a ‘personal best’ or process of development toward mastery

•

Difficulty or failure is information about what to do to improve

•

Effective effort enhances intelligence

Beliefs and Mindsets

The Learner How does Mindset affect learning? Fixed Mindset Performance Orientation Growth Mindset Learning Orientation On entering a task asks..

Can I do it? Will I look smart?

Focuses on… The outcome How can I do it? What do I need to learn?

The process to an outcome Believes that errors..

Indicate failure or personal limitations Finds uncertainty… Threatening Believes that the optimal task… Maximizes how smart s/he looks Are a natural and useful source of feedback Challenging Maximizes his/her learning (becoming smarter)

The Learner

How does Mindset affect learning?

Fixed Mindset Performance Orientation Growth Mindset Learning Orientation Operates with standards that are… Enters the situation with expectations that… Sees the teacher’s role as… When successful, experiences rewards as Comparative, immediate, rigid Emphasize present ability.

Personal, long-terms, flexible Emphasize effort toward learning. A judge, a controller of rewards and punishment.

Extrinsic, reflecting the value of someone else’s judgment of his/her performance A coach, a resource and a guide. Intrinsic, reflecting the value of skills, activity and progress.

• How can we, as educators, encourage our students to adopt a growth mindset? In our classrooms? In our interactions with students? • How can we adopt a growth mindset ourselves?

Translating theory to practice

Jadi

• • • • • Studies on Motivation and Achievement Studies on Gender Gap in Math Studies on Narrowing Racial Achievement Gaps Studies on Resilience and Behavior Studies on Malleability of Intelligence

More on the Research see the annotated bibliography

How Can We as Educators Encourage a Growth Mindset in Students?

Teach it directly. Use reflective activities like journaling and blogging. Discuss your own personal experiences with growth or fixed mindsets Use the terminology---give them the vocabulary.

• How do the

mindsets of faculty

and staff who work with students

influence their expectations

of students at your institution? • How do student mindsets about abilities affect their academic behaviors?

• Could your

institution benefit

from a similar program? Why or why not?

Relating this to your institution

Questions? Comments? Discussion?

• Please stop by the Emerging Ideas area to talk with us more about Culturally Responsive Teaching at CCBC.

Thank you!