1. Dear Teacher, Video by Students with Special Needs and Disabilities
Summary: This video provides and presents students of all different color, age, and size the opportunity to express to their teacher what an ideal learning environment looks like and means for them and how this often times does not match with the teachers expectations of appropiate on task-behaviors during class lessons and activities. They express how important it is that teachers understand how their disabilites often times impact how they are seen in a learning environment and the usual standard of classroom culture.
Rationale: This video was amazing, and heart-tugging as it let me know what students with special needs and disabilities wish for us to know and understand about them, and their focus. It gave me a clear glimplse into the challenges they face in a learning environment that requires certain behavior or considers certain behaviors as appropiate. It also reminded me not to allow typical classroom cultures and behavior standards to mute the needs, adjustments and adaptations students with special needs may have, require and are deserving of.
Citation: brainhighways. “Dear Teacher: Heartfelt Advice for Teachers from Students.” YouTube, YouTube, 28 Aug. 2015, www.youtube.com/watchv=lTMLzXzgB_s.
2. Better Lesson-How To Create A Culturally Responsive Learning Environment
Summary: This website showcases a variety of strategies and activities one can implement into their classrooms that fosters a culturally responsive learning environment and a sense of classroom culture that affirms and honors all the different identities of our students through curriculum activities, and other culturally responsive strategies throughout the entire year. This website presents vital knowledge about the how's of creating a culturally responsive environment as well as maintaining it daily all throughout the school year!
Rationale: This website not only provides a list of strategies that are easy, fun and necessary to incorporate as one structures a culturally responsive learning environment, but even provides detailed examples, tools, materials and resources to purchase and obtain in doing so. Each strategy is broken down into a numbered list of bullets that concisely describe how to implement each strategy and even when.
Citation: Mills, Afrika Afeni. “How To Create A Culturally Responsive Learning Environment.” BetterLesson, 23 Oct. 2018, betterlesson.com/.
3. 3. Website: Teaching Tolerance- Culture in the Classroom
Summary: This website article talks about the distance we as teachers often times have culturally with our students and not just racially or ethnically that impact that we may do the work to affirm, see and recognize them in our classrooms. Because of this, our students often times may feel underseen. This article beautifully illustrates how to teach and introduce and welcome culture into our classrooms for students of all ages EARLY on, at the very start of a curriculum, the first day of class, ultimately teaching every student that they are welcome in the identities they bring into our classroom and each one is unique.
Rationale: This article was a breath of fresh air to read and an eye opener to just how we as teachers are often times distanced and even disconnected because of our own identities from our students and how we SET the tone and foundation of an immersive culturally responsive culture in our classroom. Therefore we must do the work as teachers to make our first priority to set this type of culture from the start and found our class upon it. The research and quotes and scholarly advice from this article is essential to my toolkit as it shows me exactly what to do and emhpasizes the importance of doing so, in creating a culturally responsive culture.
Citation: “Culture in the Classroom.” Teaching Tolerance www.tolerance.org/professional-development/culture-in-the-classroom.
4. BlogSpot- 10 Characteristics of a Highly Effective Learning Environment
Summary: This website shares 10 key ways in which educators can structure and formulate a high functioning and effective learning environment for all students that come into the classroom. It talks about the type of curicculum structure, activities and even learning models should be implemented for students to strengthen their learning environment and even sense of community amongst them.
Rationale: This website was so insightful and can apply to a variety of classroom not just general education classroom but all forms. This website provided me with essential tips about how to structure a curriculum, how to glean and analyze the way students learn and even how to serve all different types of learners. This resource is useful to me as a future educator in shaping a cooperative and comfortable learning environment for my students.
Citation: Heick, Terry. “10 Characteristics Of A Highly Effective Learning Environment.” TeachThought, 17 Apr. 2020. www.teachthought.com/learning/10-characteristics-of-a-highly-effective-learning-environment/.
Comments
Post a Comment