Culturally-responsive teaching by design: From principles to practice

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 the principles and practices of cultural ways of learning 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 learning experiences that center culture and identity for learners in their own classrooms. (Modules 11-15)

Our professional learning opportunities are designed in collaboration with scholars as a way to bridge research and practice. Informed by a literature review of the field, each professional learning offering is designed in a tiered pathway and aligned to standards for professional practice.

L1, L2, L3 learning progression

Level 1: Learn

Understanding learning as an inherently sociocultural process and developing the essential knowledge about the importance of culture in the process of learning

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 cultural ways of learning

Module 6

Preparing to be a culturally-responsive educator

Module 7

Engaging learning objectives with cultural ways of learning

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 socio-culturally responsive performance assessment

Module 11

Identifying a worthwhile (as perceived by learners) 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 socio-culturally responsive assessment

Module 15

Reviewing and reflecting on your learning design

Prerequisite: L1, L2 (recommended)

Services

Culturally-responsive teaching by design: From principles to practice