Culturally-responsive teaching by design Educators are welcome to charter their own personalized learning path by self-enrolling into Level 1, 2, and 3 of the learning progression.
Research about professional learning, however, finds that teachers working together for a sustained amount of time dedicated to their content areas is most effective and related to student gains (Darling-Hammond, Hyler, & Gardner, 2017). It is therefore ideal when teachers complete the L1, L2, L3 learning progression as a team.
Level 1: Learn addresses the knowledge dimension in which educators demonstrate their understanding of the principles and practices of culturally-responsive teaching. (Modules 1-5) Level 2: Interpret addresses the application dimension in which educators reflect and discuss how to adopt CRT principles and practices in developmentally appropriate ways in their own classrooms. (Modules 6-10) Level 3: Create addresses the synthesis dimension in which educators design and develop developmentally appropriate CRT learning experiences for learners in their own classrooms. (Modules 11-15)
L1, L2, L3 learning progression
Level 1: Learn
Understanding learning as an inherently sociocultural process and developing the essential knowledge of culturally-responsive principles and practices.
Module 1
Why culturally-responsive teaching
Module 2
Learning, culture, and the brain
Module 3
The prerequisite of safe and nurturing learning environments
Module 4
Learners’ funds of knowledge
Module 5
Fostering learning partnerships
Level 2: Interpret
Developing the disposition of a culturally-responsive practitioner and reflecting on how learning outcomes, learning activities and assessments can support CRT principles.
Module 6
Preparing to be a culturally-responsive educator
Module 7
Engaging learning objectives with DEI outcomes
Module 8
Reviewing the representation of identities in course content and learning materials
Module 9
Identifying active learning methods that build intellective capacity
Module 10
Exploring differentiated and performance-based assessments
Prerequisite: L1 (recommended)
Level 3: Create
Designing and developing a culturally-connected unit of study.
Module 11
Identifying a worthwhile learning goal
Module 12
Designing a sustained investigation that connects academic goals with learners’ interests, backgrounds, and prior knowledge
Module 13
Expanding learning resources to include culturally-relevant materials
Module 14
Designing a performance-based assessment
Module 15
Reviewing and reflecting on your learning design
Prerequisite: L1, L2 (recommended)
References
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development.
Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Schachner, A., & Wojcikiewicz, S. (with Cantor, P., & Osher, D.). (2021). Educator learning to enact the science of learning and development. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/859.776.
Gay, G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of teacher education, 53(2), 106-116.
Hammond, Z. (2014). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Corwin Press.
Ladson‐Billings, G. (1995). But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory into practice, 34(3), 159-165.
Nasir, N. I. S., Rosebery, A. S., Warren, B., & Lee, C. D. (2006). Learning as a cultural process: Achieving equity through diversity.
Nieto, S. (2000). Placing equity front and center: Some thoughts on transforming teacher education for a new century. Journal of teacher education, 51(3), 180-187.
Osher, D., Cantor, P., Berg, J., Steyer, L., & Rose, T. (2021). Drivers of human development: How relationships and context shape learning and development 1. In The Science of Learning and Development (pp. 55-104). Routledge.
Voogt, J., Westbroek, H., Handelzalts, A., Walraven, A., McKenney, S., Pieters, J., & De Vries, B. (2011). Teacher learning in collaborative curriculum design. Teaching and teacher education, 27(8), 1235-1244.
Voogt, J., Laferriere, T., Breuleux, A., Itow, R. C., Hickey, D. T., & McKenney, S. (2015). Collaborative design as a form of professional development. Instructional science, 43, 259-282.
