"Culturally Responsive Teaching is a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning" (Ladson-Billings,1994).

Culturally Responsive pedagogy

"Culture is central to learning. It plays a role not only in communicating and receiving information, but also in shaping the thinking process of groups and individuals. A pedagogy that acknowledges, responds to, and celebrates fundamental cultures offers full, equitable access to education for students from all cultures." (The Education Alliance, n.d)

Some of the characteristics of culturally responsive teaching are:
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  1. Positive perspectives on parents and families
  2. Communication of high expectations
  3. Learning within the context of culture
  4. Student-centered instruction
  5. Culturally mediated instruction
  6. Reshaping the curriculum
  7. Teacher as facilitator​
Imperatives for Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
  • Students receive equal opportunities to achieve full potential.
  • Student preparation for competent participation in increasingly intercultural society.
  • Teacher preparation for effective facilitation of learning for every student.
  • Schools are active participants in ending oppression of all types.
  • Education is more fully student-centered and inclusive of the student voices and experiences.
  • Educators, activists, and others take an active role in reexamining all educational practices and how they affect the learning of all students.
Populations of concern:
  1. CLDs (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse)
  2. Gifted learners
  3. Special needs learners

​Explanations and resources for culturally responsive teaching:

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CLDs (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse students)

"In order to address the many factors that must be accounted for when designing appropriate instructional methods for CLD students, educators must first explore the prism model framework. Initially developed by Virginia Collier, the prism model "represents a unique holistic way to frame the differential learning and transition needs and diverse assets that CLD students bring to the school" (Herrera & Murry, 2011, p. 11). Comprised of four dimensions—linguistic, academic, cognitive, and sociocultural—research shows that each dimension is interrelated and develops simultaneously in CLD students." (CSU OTL565, Module 2)

In understanding the differences in language acquisition, educators can more effectively construct a learning environment that does the following:
  1. Encourages and motivates learners to acquire the second language
  2. Includes speakers of the second language
  3. Connects learners and fluent speakers in a social setting
  4. Allows learners to make connections between their linguistic and academic backgrounds
  5. Incorporates time for practice and application of new academic vocabulary
  6. Lowers the emotional state of the learner. (Herrera & Murry, 2011, p. 68)

​Watch the following video for an introduction to the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model for instructing CLD Learners, "the only scientifically validated model of sheltered instruction" (PearsonSIOPModel, 2012)
The SIOP Model consists of eight interrelated components that when used together, have been seen to increase student success:
  1. Lesson Preparation
  2. Building Background
  3. Comprehensible Input
  4. Strategies
  5. Interaction
  6. Practice/Application
  7. Lesson Delivery
  8. Review and Assessment.
General education teachers should be aware of the following resources to help personalize learning for CLD learners.
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Links to Resources for Personalizing Learning for CLD Learners:
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WIDA – "WIDA advances academic language development and academic achievement for children and youth who are culturally and linguistically diverse through high quality standards, assessments, research, and professional learning for educators" (WIDA, n.d., "Mission & the WIDA Story"). Learn more about WIDA on their Mission & the WIDA Story page.
CALLA – The Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) is an instructional model for second and foreign language learners based on cognitive theory and research. CALLA integrates instruction in priority topics from the content curriculum, development of the language skills needed for learning in school, and explicit instruction in using learning strategies for academic tasks. Learn more about CALLA on their About Us page.
Connell, J. D. (n.d). Brain-Based Strategies to Reach Every Learner. Scholastic Teaching Resource.
PearsonSIOPModel. (2012). Meet the SIOP model authors [Video file].

​The following articles offer additional insight in the art of language acquisition and the implications it has for teachers.

action plans to help personalize for all students

Barile (2015) suggested tips for setting successful goals with students. Instead of just setting SMART goals, she creates action plans with actionable items.
  1. Each action item must begin with a verb so it drives the student to action.
  2. Planning should be strategic and tactical.
  3. Recognizing when help is needed to achieve a goal is imperative.
  4. About once a month, one should stop and reassess progress towards a goal.
  5. Action plans should be reviewed regularly.
  6. A timeline should be created to follow.
  7. Obstacles should be identified so help can be solicited to overcome them.
  8. Parents and families should be included in the action plan as a collaborative support system.
  9. Make progress the focus and not perfection.
  10. Set some fun goals that are non-academic.

​The following are additional resources that will help you begin instructing with a learner-led focus:​Blended Learning is another powerful tool for personalization and differentiation that has been growing rapidly in popularity around the world.

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Gifted learners 

"It is essential that your high-ability learners are academically challenged and continue to demonstrate progress. As with CLD and special needs learners, gifted learners have strengths and weaknesses which must be identified so appropriate growth can be obtained.

The Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) is a legal document [22-20-R-12.00, C.R.S.] outlining programming for identified gifted students and is used as a guide for educational planning and decision-making. The Exceptional Children's Educational Act states that there will be ALP content and procedures set in Rule for statewide implementation; and that goals in the ALP are standards-based. (CDE, n.d., para. 1)" (CSU OTL565, Module 2)

Abamu (2017) noted seven tenets of personalized learning that could be helpful for Gifted Students:
  1. Varied Strategies
  2. Direct Just-in-Time Instruction
  3. Choice & Voice
  4. Mastery-Based Assessment
  5. Choice for Demonstrating Learning
  6. Flexible Pacing
  7. Co-Plan Learning.

​Watch the following video from the National Association of Gifted Children for a first hand perspective on the needs of gifted learners:
​General education teachers should be aware of the following resources to help personalize learning for Gifted learners.

​Links to Resources for Personalizing Learning for Gifted Learners:

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ERIC Digests ​
Useful Websites

How Students Learn
Download a free copy of How Students Learn: History, Mathematics, and Science in the Classroom, a fascinating book by the Committee on How People Learn, the Center for Studies on Behavior and Development, and the National Research Council.

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL)
Download a free copy of Meeting the Needs of Gifted Students: Differentiating Mathematics and Science Instruction from the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. The book is complete with examples and tips for challenging gifted learners in these settings.

Learning Styles Online 
Pre-assessment is one of the most important aspects of successful differentiation. This 70 question inventory allows students to gain an understanding of their personal preferences in and out of the classroom. This free web-based learning styles inventory also provides a graphical results page for you and your students.

Office of Gifted Education 
We hope that at this site, you will find answers to many of your questions and the support you need for working with highly-able students. All gifted students will accomplish challenging post-secondary work/force goals and become productive, creative citizens capable of succeeding in their area of strength.

​The following articles and resources provide additional insight into how we can tailor our instruction to suit our learners' diverse needs: Integrated Content Based (ICB) Instruction: Sheltered Instruction:

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Special needs learners

According to Lerner (2000), common characteristics of individuals with learning disabilities include:
  • Disorders of attention
  • Reading difficulties
  • Poor motor abilities
  • Written language difficulties
  • Oral language difficulties
  • Social skills deficits
  • Psychological process deficits
  • Quantitative disorders
  • Information processing problems

​Visit ProjectIDEAL to learn more and to view classroom resources for educators working with students with special needs.
​General education teachers should be aware of the following resources to help personalize learning for Special Needs learners.
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Links to Resources for Personalizing Learning for Special Needs Learners:
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The NASET (National Association of Special Education Teachers) Report details characteristics of students with learning disabilities and is worth the read.

Visit the following link to learn more about successful interventions for the classroom: Successful Strategies for Teaching Students with Disabilities.

State of Colorado resources to help personalize learning for Special Education learners.
In the Spring 2011 report AccELLerate! from the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, various researchers contributed useful suggestions for integrating support structures for CLD learners with special needs.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

​In order to ensure successful learning for all students, students must "see themselves" in their curriculum and instructional materials. Further, they must have access, support, and resources to achieve success in school and become productive citizens. There can be no educational excellence without educational equity. Excellence is indicated by conditions and practices, resulting in schools that are associated with high levels of learning for all students in all valued goal areas of the common curriculum. Equity exists when there are no systematic differences in the distribution of these conditions, practices, and results based upon race, ethnicity, gender, economic status, or any other relevant characteristics. (CDE, 2010, p. 6)

Finally, It is important to understand how and why deductive and inductive instruction can help and hinder special needs, CLD, and gifted learners. According to the National Institute – Landmark College (2005)
Olenka Bilash, professor in the Department of Secondary Education and Coordinator of Second Languages and International Education at the University of Alberta, Canada, hosts a website which is a great resource for a number of instructional practices. Bilash defines inductive and deductive instructional approaches and shares activities and research that you can apply to your own classroom.
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