Erin Doherty

Blog 3
1) A brief summary of the weekly readings: (articles)
Inviting All Students to Learn
This article talks about four suggestions for how educators can become better attuned to cultural
variance and how to help all their students build positive, productive lives. The suggestions are
1) Recognize and appreciate cultural variance, 2) Learn about and look for culturally influenced
learning patterns, 3) Look beyond cultural patterns to see individuals, and 4) Plan inviting
curriculum and instruction. The article states, Any students learning will be shaped not only by
that students culture, but also by his or her readiness needs, home context, personal talents and
interests, cognitive development, and a host of other factors. The article also provides scenarios
to back up the given facts. For example, some parents may help their child with homework while
other parents cant or dont help out with homework. Its important to know that not all students
fit the expected profile of students from a given culture. Teachers need to make room for
students varied approaches to learning, including those shaped by culture. The take home
message is that teachers cannot teach well unless they know their students.
The Culturally Responsive Teacher
This article begins by telling a story of a young girl who arrived in New York from the
Dominican Republic with her parents and two siblings. She had to assume caretaking
responsibilities for her younger brother and sister. She also worked with her mother, on
weekends, to make extra money for the family. Additionally, she often served as the English
language translator for her parents. The girls teachers perceived her as something different
because they had no idea of her home life. The article continues to talk about how learners
construct knowledge. Its important for teachers to build bridges between what students already
know about a topic and what they need to learn about it. Involving students and their parents is
key to building bridges to learning. The article also highlights that learning involves questioning,
interpreting, and analyzing ideas in the context of meaningful issues. Teachers should know
about their students lives in order to teach subject matter in meaningful ways. More importantly,
teachers need to serve as advocates for their students.

2) Artifact with a caption:

Caption: Doodle Minute. Lines to fill the page.

3) A reflection that makes connections:

At the Boys and Girls Club, I teach kids with cultural variance. Most of them speak
Spanish and are from Mexico or from other Spanish speaking countries. I recognize their
culture and appreciate it. I also try to plan inviting curriculum and instruction each week.
I have students with varying interests and personalities. All of these aspects were
mentioned in the first weekly article, Inviting All Students to Learn. In connection to
myself, I have learned a lot of information that I should know as a future teacher. Both
the articles and my experiences at the club have shaped the way I do activities inside the
classroom. As I move forward in my internships, I will make an effort to really get to
know my students. I can do this by asking the kids questions about their day and showing
an interest in their work. At the club this week, I asked my students to tell me what they
learned about that day and what they found challenging. They responded eagerly and
with enthusiasm. Additionally, I will encourage their parents to get involved in their
childs schoolwork and homework. If we all work together as a team, the students will get
the most out of their education.

APA Citations
Dack, H., & Tomlinson, C. A. (2015). Inviting All Students to Learn.EDUCATIONAL
LEADERSHIP, 72(6), 10-15.
Villegas, A. M., & Lucas, T. (2007). The culturally responsive teacher.Educational
Leadership, 64(6), 28.