Culturally Responsive Reflection

This project has taught me that people come from all different backgrounds and those backgrounds have many different stereotypes that come with it. I feel that knowing what type of background your students come from is important to helping them learn. I believe that children can use the knowledge that they already have to learn new material. I think having students create a digital photostory, as we did, is a great way to help us to get to know them better. I plan to use culturally responsive teaching in my classroom by accepting everyone culture and trying to make everyone feel equal no matter of their race, gender, or background. The Mountaineer video that we watched and the Tall Tales reading both show the way the West Virginia is show negatively in the media. I think that we need to show students that stereotyping is still happening in the world today and that we should strive to eleminate it, especially in a school setting. I feel that teachers often show cultural deficit toward students who come from a different background than them, and I do not believe that this is fair. The teacher in the Purcell Gates reading showed cultural deficit toward, the student Donnie. The teacher assumed that because Donnie's mother was illiterate that Donnie had no hope. However, the teachers in the Moll readings showed their students cultural capital, because they emhrassed their backgrounds. The teachers in this reading used things that the students already knew about from their communities and families to help them learn new concepts. I think that it is important to practice cultural capital in a school setting to not discourage students or make them feel bad about themselves. All students have the ability to learn and should have the opportunities to learn no matter where they came from.