Promotion of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Computing Uniquely, this receptive school bid is to affirm our need to react to the 21st-century global, collaborative environment that surrounds us. Moreover, at the core of today’s society, there is an increasing level of nonroutine, analytic, and interactive communication skill occupations that our students must qualify to do as they begin their entrance into the workforce (Preparing, n. . ). Where critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration, communication, creativity and innovations have been around for many decades, we must proceed to engulf these skills even more elaborate and bring them into the 21st-century era (Preparing, n. d. ). Definitions
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy is a student-centered teaching approach in which the students’ exclusive cultural fortes are identified and fostered to encourage student success, as well as a sense of well-being about the student’s cultural place in the world concerning intellectual, social, emotional, and political stance (Lynch, 2011). Culturally Responsive Computing is an approach through culturally responsive teaching to developing technology supports and computer instruction curricula to produce effective successful learning opportunities (Scott, Sheridan, & Clark, 2015).
Benefits Learning Environments: A classroom learning environment that utilizes strategies that encompass these four components (a) awareness, (b) learning partnerships, (c) informational processing, and (d) a community of learner and learning environments, along with the incorporation of these four traits (e) validation, (f) affirmation, and (g) instructional conversation, learning will have a proliferation of beneficial outcomes from this culturally responsive pedagogy and computing approach (Hammond, 2015).
Furthermore, Hammond (as cited by Friedman, 2017) states that with this enriched learning environment, educators are to promote and cultivate students to embrace a positive mindset, along with a sense of self-efficacy. Fuglei (2014) shares the fact that when students begin to take ownership of their learning, the teacher’s role switches to that of a facilitator. Furthermore, Fuglei (2014) remarks that even though the teacher becomes a facilitator, there is still a communication of elevated expectations regarding student behavior and performance.
Further benefits, as Johnson (2013) shares, “it encourages students to embrace their culture and develop a love of learning. ” Moreover, Johnson (2013) describes how “it highlights students strengthens and gives them the confidence to confront their weaknesses. ” Teacher & Students Johnson (2013) explains culturally responsive pedagogy also has benefits for the teacher: learning about her student’s various cultures, exploring and teaching students about the behaviors valued in school, as well as varying teaching approaches based on the learner’s needs, thus keeping classroom motivation exciting.
Researchers are also advising educators that culturally responsive teaching can raise test scores (Eglash, Gilbert, & Foster, 2013). Eglash et al. , (2013) continues with an explanation that when educators teach with authentication, cultural perspective and cultural vernacular, students will gain insight, improve learning accomplishments and enhance the moral and social development of youth in computing careers. Zilka’s (2016) research explains about having a goal to shorten the digital divide that is expanding in our culture.
To stop a possible threat of digital illiteracy, educators must build an awareness within our youths, so that they may increase their ability to integrate into the global, economic and cultural fabric (Zilka, 2016). Culturally Responsive computing Through the promotion of digital protocol, students strengthen their group awareness, become more responsible in social exchanges, and gain knowledge about cultural understanding in both global and digital neighborhoods utilizing collaboration among students within diverse cultures, while utilizing digitalage communication tools (Friedman, 2017).
Furthermore, strategies focus to encompasses group awareness discussions, appropriate tactics for online discussions, and assessments of appropriate online sites for student collaboration (Friedman, 2017). Research Eglash et al. , (2013) explains that culturally responsive computing education is the upcoming new and exciting field which will promote student achievement and student interests in education. Through the implementation of student-centered strategies to explore problems and solutions, students can experience experiences through other’s perspective.
Gaynor (2014) comments “curricula that embody diverse perspectives from diverse theorist enable students to better understand points of view other than their own. ” Additionally, Gaynor (2014) insist that this cultural curriculum be fused as a knowledgebased element. The cultural competency varying definitions and demographic data that relates to communities, as well as disparity issues can be explored by students for a better understanding of policy development and the implementation in the context of culturally competence (Gaynor, 2014).
Also, this knowledge-based learning will bridge the understanding of how role culture competency plays in public service agencies, as the focus includes the differences of religion, sexuality, age, class, education, and ability to name a few (Gaynor, 2014). Organization of the School-wide Culturally Responsive Technology Task Force Mission Statement The Willingboro Alternative Education Program is to educate all students through a culturally responsive pedagogy to meet their individual needs, which indirectly will modify and improve student behaviors, engagements, and personal wellbeing.
A commitment to excellence, elevated expectations and equal access to a comprehensive education program, where the student body will learn how to become responsible, literate, intelligent, and contributing members of society. Vision All stakeholders of the Willingboro Alternative Education program through a culturally responsive pedagogy, will thrive educationally and become an enriched audience that embodies a cultural perspective of the world regarding the intellectual, social, emotional and political positions.
Our school will partner with our community to promote a diverse learning partnership within. Furthermore, through the assistance of our stakeholders, we will try to shorten the digital divide so that we may broaden our student’s knowledge so that this future generation can become a part of the 21st-century cultural competency digital era. Roles and Responsibilities Technology standards and curriculum development Develop quality, culturally responsive technology standards and curriculum.
Technology 21st- Century Digital Tool Procure 21st-century tools and resources for the educational establishment. Quality of Educational setting Improve the education provided by family, friends, and neighbors. Information and Education for Families Provide diverse cultural resources for our community families and stakeholders. Support Services for Families Develop and enhancement, and maintainable high-quality, culturally responsive supports and community resources for families.
Professional Development System Develop a professional development system that addresses a culturally responsive pedagogy. Collaborative Expectations Stakeholder partnerships that are developed will strengthen Willingboro’s Education Alternative Program’s attempted to bring our students into a digital, cultural, and a diverse 21stcentury arena. Gaynor (2014) voices competent establishments comprised of a culturally competent workforce. Gaynor (2014) believes this must begin in the schools who value a culturally responsive competency.
The Colorado Department of Education (2010) has research verifying families that are school involved have better student successes, feeling more ownership, as well as a genuine and authentic sense to aid their children academically to succeed. Technology tools that Willingboro Alternative Education Program can encompass to promote our tactics and keep us transparent to all stakeholders can include digital tools, as well as similar ones, found in “Cloud” computing or mobile apps that could keep everyone relatively up-to-date on information.
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in the 21st Century Stratagems In Willingboro’s Program efforts to build sustainable connections that incorporate community resources to enhance student learning and well-being, an exploration into various scenarios will pursue, (a) quarterly career days for our 45-day student population, (b) monthly guest speakers, (c) ongoing service learning projects to help our community’s families in need, and (d) a partnership development with the local YMCA.
To deliver impartial access to appropriate digital tools and resources, we will explore grant writing strategies to bring more technology equipment to our student population, thus creating the ability to gear our students toward a digital 21st-century technological workforce field arena. Nasir and Hand (as cited by Shaari and Hung, 2013) state that educators utilizing community agencies can indirectly motivate learning by engaging diverse, engaging programs.
Additionally, Kytta (as cited by Shaari and Hung, 2013) believe that students obtain knowledge beyond the school’s four walls, through this holistic exposure and understanding, rather than routine memorization. Barron, Martin, Takeuchi, & Fithian (as cited by Shaari and Hung, 2013) express that by being instrumental and achieving active community involvement, students can receive authentic environment where interest and engagement can be sustained.
Within these communities, the relationships developed to become a resource to identify budding talent (Shaari and Hung, 2013). So, in our efforts to support creative, innovative, and inventive learning experiences utilizing technology, the administration will provide professional development in technology areas to promote technology infused teaching within all academic areas. To expound strategies for the promotion of oral practices and global digital citizenship, enhance local and global learning community associations, and create authentic culturally pertinent learning experiences the Willingboro stakeholders will partnership with community agencies, local benefactors, and increase web resources to enable the collaboration of ideas on a continual consistent basis as the promotion of ongoing interactions among our stakeholders and students alike pursue.
The exploration of creative, technical applications through the utilization of digital tools or applications towards improving student learning and engagement with other diverse cultural student’s perspective through an application of these digital-age communications and collaboration tools can be viewed through the research done at the Lawrence School District (Holmes, 2015).
The incorporation of a school-based cloud computing allowed the interaction in an exchange program between 5 different online countries (Holmes, 2015). A second digital tool that can be utilized is mobile learning. Cole (as described by Friedman, 2107) tells of educational apps and online textbooks that student can utilize to receive instruction, conduct research, and access information.
Conclusion As the Willingboro Alternative Education Program embraces the advancing 21st -century technological digital age and a culturally responsive pedagogy, Stakeholders alike will be able to observe and experience our students enriched, cultivated, positive, selfefficacy developed, respectful, culturally competent, holistically exposed, and globally proficient citizenship acknowledged students. This confident stance and the successful outcome will bring our students forward into a competent 21st-century culturally equipped workforce ready to be put to the test.