EDUCATOR SPOTLIGHT | CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE CLASSROOMS: INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction for All
by Stephanie Clagnaz, Ed.D.
According to New York State’s Culturally Responsive - Sustaining Education Framework (CR-SE), students’ school experience is enhanced when we implement inclusive curriculum and assessments. The Framework states that when inclusive curriculum is used, resources include the voices of racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse sources. In doing so, students can see things from perspectives that differ from their own. Educators are called upon to include a variety of histories, languages, and experiences in their choices of reading materials, curricular resources, and assessment practices. Further, instructional strategies that adapt to diverse learning styles are employed in an inclusive environment.
The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a starting point for creating inclusive curriculum and assessments. The UDL provides strategies for educators to use to create inclusive learning environments and to adapt to the preferred learning styles and modalities of all students. In simple terms, the UDL is a resource that helps teachers understand that one size does not fit all; that there is a need to vary instructional materials, teaching practice, and assessments based on the needs of various learners. That is, the needs of a student with a disability differ from typically developing students; a student for whom English is not a first language learns differently than children who grew up speaking English; a student whose cultural background differs from the majority culture may need readings that differ from peers. It is critical to clearly understand that these are differences. One student is not smarter or better than another. They are different, and that makes their needs different.
The UDL allows students to take more ownership of their learning as their voices are enhanced through choice. Providing choice enhances students’ ownership and agency, which engages them and helps them to progress toward learning goals. When the UDL is in play, students are all meant to achieve the same learning goals, but they reach the goals in different ways. Options exist in the resources we provide to achieve the learning goals, in the methods we use for students to achieve their learning goals, and in how we provide choices in how students show us what they have learned. CAST (2024), in its newest version of the UDL, continues to identify these three major areas of implementing an inclusive environment:
Multiple Means of Engagement:
When considering ways to vary engagement, some examples may include:
Welcoming interests and identities. “To spark engagement in the learning process, learners’ unique interests as well as their unique identities, including intersecting dimensions such as race/ethnicity, culture, gender, language, and disability, must be recognized, sustained, and valued.” (CAST, 2024)
Give students a choice in the way they work. Will a student work with a partner? Alone? In a small group?
Are there choices in readings that we can give students?
Does the sequence of the learning process have to be the same for all students?
Multiple Means of Representation:
Think about how information is represented and what may work best for different kinds of learners. It is important to recognize that learners do not all access information in the same ways.
Provide resources that include various options to interpret text. Are some learners going to better achieve the learning goal if there are charts, graphs, or visuals that accompany language?
For some learners, such as those new to the English language or those with particular learning disabilities, would a video representation of text enhance their understanding and therefore the likelihood of such students achieving the learning goals?
Would a richer learning experience be provided if varying perspectives were represented in the curricular materials? Are there opportunities to give all learners the experience of achieving their learning goals by being exposed to resources that represent various cultures, histories, and worldviews?
Multiple Means of Action and Expression:
Consider the best ways for students to demonstrate what they have learned. While some perform well on traditional paper-and-pencil tests, consider:
Slide decks, storyboards, video presentations, or graphic representations, such as a comic strip. Are there students who might perform better if they were given options to demonstrate knowledge in an alternative way?
Use scaffolds that can be removed over time. Are English learners or students with disabilities better advantaged if there is a temporary scaffold in place to help them achieve the learning goal? Is this an equitable practice that can be implemented?
Are we inadvertently letting bias influence our assessment practices? For example, many Indigenous students grow up valuing oral dissemination of information. Are we communicating (overtly or unintentionally) that writing is a more valuable way of assessment than oral language use? Including a variety of communication choices in our assessment practices makes our classroom environments more inclusive.
Educators often need support in understanding and implementing inclusive curriculum and assessment practices. LEDbetter can help! Through our individualized professional development and/or coaching, our experts meet you where you are and design unique learning experiences that help you move forward. Call us today for a free consultation to determine how we can meet your specific needs!
To learn more about how we can support you, please email excelerator@led-better.org, or schedule a call with us.
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