Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Frame of Reference
Jessica Hitchmough
2018-01-27
The role of educators is immensely complex, becoming more so as the journey progresses.
The community of educators and support staff I have had the pleasure of working with have added
layers of clarity and depth to my understanding that I had not known was possible. As my formal
education nears completion, I reflect on the growth and wealth of experience I have gained and
strategies that support a constructivist view of knowledge, teaching, and learning assists students
in constructing knowledge, building on their personal and cultural strengths, and examining the
curriculum from multiple perspectives, thus creating an inclusive classroom environment” (p. 2).
Culturally Responsive teaching practices have become embedded in my teacher practice, heavily
influencing my teaching style. Getting to know learners culturally and individually, and allowing
them to get to know you, creates a learning environment where they are willing to takes risks, and
are more open to learning (Krasnof, 2016). This allows students to connect with their surroundings
while allowing the teacher to better structure and deliver curriculum that is meaningful to students
(Krasnof, 2016). Cultural learning styles are as diverse as our classrooms and have a great impact
on individual learners (Guild, 1994; Krasnof, 2016). If a student has a cultural learning style is
largely of a physical nature then, hands-on or physical learning activities could be used to help that
learner succeed (Guild, 1994). The process of getting to know learners, their parents and guardians,
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and the community is as important as the curriculum that guides instruction. The use of culturally
responsive teaching practices connects directly to two of the Standards for the Education,
Education, 2018).
Standard one, “Educators value and care for all students and act in their best interests”
(British Columbia Ministry of Education, 2018). We know that a student’s cultural background,
and individual needs directly impact how they learn (Guild, 1994; Krasnof, 2016), therefore it is
an educator’s job to familiarize themselves with students’ backgrounds and needs in order to act
Culturally responsive teaching is also connected to standard four, “Educators value the
involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools “(British
Columbia Ministry of Education, 2018). Investigating the cultural backgrounds of students and
their families helps form connections that will aid their learning (Krasnof, 2016). Working in
collaboration with parents, families and communities, helps create an inclusive learning
environment, where learners needs and goals are supported in a homogenous way, both at school
The new curriculum is more than the evolution of a system striving to meet all learners’
needs, it reflects the changes taking place in society. I believe the current steps to embed Aboriginal
perspectives and learning styles into British Columbia’s educational curriculum is a macro-level
endeavour that is essential in healing the racial and cultural divides that segregate our province
and country. It is culturally responsive teaching on a large scale that is redefining Canadian culture.
This holistic First Peoples approach can be seen in curriculum through our Aboriginal Policy and
Assessing learners on a bell curve is a practice that is going out of style. The performance
standards allow educators to assess student progress in a much more individualized way, and when
combined with student self-assessment and reflection using the core competencies, student growth
and achievement can be communicated to parents, and understood by educators. This is a major
Many brilliant people have influenced the field of education and shaped the role of schools
with in society. These include, B. F. Skinner’s contribution of how positive reinforcement changes
the context in which learners retain information (Boyd, 2018), Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Theory
regarding the stages of development (Mcleod, 2015), and Faye Brownlie’s role in the construction
of the DART assessment (Brownlie, 2018). Their ideas and hard work have influenced the BC
education system, while individuals like Shelley Moore and Rod Allen, actively impact changes
with teachers in schools. There are many names missing from this list, because changes result from
collaboration of teachers, support staff and government agencies. I feel privileged to be part of
References
Boyd, N. (n.d.). B.F. Skinner: Theories & impact on education. Retrieved from
http://study.com/academy/lesson/bf-skinner-theories-impact-on-education.html
https://www.bcteacherregulation.ca/Standards/StandardsDevelopment.aspx
Brownlie, F. (2018). DART: District assessment of reading team grades 3-9 assessment.
Retrieved
from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-
leadership/may94/vol51/num08/The-Culture~Learning-Style-Connection.aspx
http://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/resources/culturally-responsive-
teaching.pdf
https://www.simplypsychology.org/simplypsychology.org-Jean-Piaget.pdf