Unit 5: Equity Pedagogy for All Learners

Question 1

True or False

Culture adapts and evolves over time.

Answer 1

True

Culture changes and adapts over time, as it is largely affected by how society changes. For example, consider the influence technology has on various cultures.

Question 2

True or False

Culture affects personal behavior and how we perceive the behavior of others.

Answer 2

True

Culture includes our values and beliefs that influence our personal behavior and how we perceive or react to the behavior of others.

Question 3

Briefly define culture and cultural identity and describe the main difference between them. Think about what your culture and cultural identity are.

Answer 3

• Culture is a set of values, beliefs, and behaviors.
• Cultural identity is a unique way a person combines various cultures to which they belong to create their own identity.
• The main difference between the two is that culture belongs to a group of people through shared beliefs and customs, whereas cultural identity relates to the action on and execution of those beliefs and customs through an individual person.

Question 4

True or False

Everyone identifying as from the same culture has the same cultural identity.

Answer 4

False

While a group of people may share the same cultural values, holidays, beliefs, and traditions, each individual within that cultural group has a cultural identity. A cultural identity is unique to each person and is what each person includes as part of his or her identity from that culture.

Question 5

A student experiences one culture at home, another in the neighborhood with peers, and another culture at school. What is that student’s cultural identity?

a. Culture at home
b. Culture at school
c. Culture of peers
d. A combination of cultures

Answer 5

d. A combination of cultures

The student will most likely choose part of each culture, and even choose parts of outside cultures, as a cultural identity.

Question 6

Determine whether the following student stories represent culture or cultural identity.

A student in your seventh-grade classroom from India presented to the class about life in Bangalore, India. The student described the customs, traditions, socioeconomics, and religion.

Answer 6

Culture

This student is discussing the culture belonging to a group of people from a particular location of the world through their shared customs, traditions, socioeconomics, etc. Her cultural identity is not discussed in this and, although she is from India, she may not participate in the culture described. Cultural identity is specific to a person.

Question 7

Determine whether the following student stories represent culture or cultural identity.

A student in your eleventh-grade classroom wears a veil to school every day, and steps outside of class into a private room to complete five daily prayers. During daytime hours for one full month, the student participated in fasting for a particular holiday.

Answer 7

Cultural Identity

This student is living her cultural identity by wearing clothing and participating in customs related to her culture.

Question 8

Determine whether the following student stories represent culture or cultural identity.

A student in your fourth-grade classroom is absent from school somewhat regularly to celebrate Jewish holidays. The student also keeps Kosher at school and must eat in a certain area of the classroom for snack and lunch to keep certain animal derivatives in food separate. Some days, the student wears a yarmulke to school as well.

Answer 8

Cultural Identity

This student is living his cultural identity and actively celebrating his culture through the celebration of important holidays, food choices, and clothing attire.

Question 9

Determine whether the following student stories represent culture or cultural identity.

Your class attended a field trip to Washington, DC, where you visited the National Museum of the American Indian. Two students in your class were speaking with the guide about their parents’ experiences growing up on a Native American reservation, explaining various customs and traditions.

Answer 9

Culture

These students are recounting the stories they heard from their parents, outlining Native American traditions and customs. These students are not personally identifying with the culture described, but instead are speaking about it more broadly and making connections to the educational museum experience.

Question 10

Which activity best displays how a teacher could build awareness about their family heritage and culture?

a. Reflect on and list personal values and beliefs.
b. Research ancestry and interview older family members and their histories.
c. Write out personal customs, traditions, and beliefs alongside another teacher, and share your with your classes to determine similarities and differences.
d. Read a book reflective of personal communication and social values.

Answer 10

b. Research ancestry and interview older family members and their histories.

Intentionally researching family ancestry and interviewing family members about histories can help a teacher to shed light on his or her personal history and heritage. This is valuable, as teachers benefit from understanding their own culture, cultural identity, and heritage when entering a diverse classroom. Often, teachers are modeling ways for students to explore their own culture and cultural identity as well.

Question 11

True or False

In order for students to develop healthy relationships with each other and with those in authority, they should try to forget negative historical events and be taught to “move on.”

Answer 11

False

It is never appropriate to expect individuals to forget history. Instead, a teacher should teach students how to learn from history and how to use history to develop a stronger culture and stronger cultural identity.

Question 12

What is critical to successfully integrating cultural supports into classrooms and teaching so all students can learn?

a. Meeting students where they are
b. Mixed ability grouping
c. Building relationships
d. Gathering data

Answer 12

c. Building relationships

Students with varied cultural backgrounds may not always find it easy to develop certain kinds of relationships with teachers or peers. Healthy relationships establish a sense of belonging and contribute to successful learning. Teachers should be aware of their own biases in order to establish strong relationships with students from different cultural backgrounds and identities than their own.

Question 13

What is one way a teacher can help students appreciate each other’s differences?

a. Establish groups to encourage cooperative learning during social studies reading units.
b. Plan group exercise and movement at several points during the school day.
c. Change assigned classroom seating and physical classroom setup once a month.
d. Pair students up to interview one another and report back to the class with three things they learned about their partner.

Answer 13

d. Pair students up to interview one another and report back to the class with three things they learned about their partner.

This activity is guided by the teacher and presents an intentional and meaningful opportunity for students to engage with one another. Providing students the space and time to ask one another questions to learn about similarities and differences fosters a sense of connection and understanding, which improves classroom inclusivity and culture.

Question 14

What are some examples of the hidden curriculum of a classroom and school?

Answer 14

a. Room arrangements
b. Attitudes toward authority and toward students
c. Use of technology
d. Conflict resolution
e. Time management
f. Deadline expectations
g. Teamwork

Question 15

Which example best represents the components of equity pedagogy in assessment?

a. Students take a series of multiple-choice quizzes throughout a unit.
b. Students create portfolios with annotations of their work as a comprehensive assessment for a unit.
c. Students take a timed oral quiz to explain their knowledge about a particular topic within a unit.
d. Students take a written question and answer assessment at the end of a unit.

Answer 15

b. Students create portfolios with annotations of their work as a comprehensive assessment for a unit.

Embracing equity pedagogy means opportunities for students to improve their performance and revisit their work through detailed feedback from their teacher. Equity pedagogy challenges traditional educational practices focused on letter grades and rote memorization.

Question 16

If a student states that they cannot complete a research paper because they do not have internet access at home, what is an appropriate teacher response?

a. Tell the student they can use a set of encyclopedias that are 10 years old.
b. Tell the students they do not have to complete the research.
c. Tell the student they can use the computer lab can be used before and after school.
d. Revise the lessons so students will have time to access the needed online resources within the timeframe of the school day.

Answer 16

d. Revise the lessons so students will have time to access the needed online resources within the timeframe of the school day.

Teachers should never penalize a student for not having internet access since that creates inequity in learning.

Question 17

True or False

Every classroom and school should strive to have a culture of equality.

Answer 17

False

Equality means everyone is treated the same, but some students might need more help or more resources. Every classroom should strive to have a culture of equity where each student is given what he or she needs to be successful.

Question 18

In an education system focused on _______, resources are distributed among students based on individual needs.

a. equality
b. equity
c. equity and equality

Answer 18

b. equity

Equitable education systems provide a personalized experience for students and a more culturally responsive curriculum.

Question 19

There are several elements of equity pedagogy that encourage inclusive and safe classroom environments for all. Match the example activity to the appropriate element of equity pedagogy.

Students engage in retrospective self-assessments after group projects to discuss and document their challenges. They are encouraged to present on their challenges to the class and brainstorm together about the ways to improve next time.

a. Know every child
b. Make it safe to fail
c. Flex your routines

Answer 19

b. Make it safe to fail

Recognizing that not all students come from the same background with the same experiences, allowing students to talk through their challenges normalizes “failure.” Suddenly, “failure” becomes something useful to learn from instead of something to avoid. This levels the playing field and helps students to learn from one another, putting differences aside.

Question 19

There are several elements of equity pedagogy that encourage inclusive and safe classroom environments for all. Match the example activity to the appropriate element of equity pedagogy.

Throughout a school year, a classroom teacher has students collect artifacts about themselves, focused on what represents them during that period of time. They spend time throughout the year creating a scrapbook of sorts. They also have opportunities to present on their stories throughout the year to their classmates.

a. Know every child
b. Make it safe to fail
c. Flex your routines

Answer 19

a. Know every child

This activity allows teachers to get to know their students on a more personal level as they change over time. Allowing space and time for scrapbooking or story sharing encourages students to open up and share about their culture, language, interests, and more. This will, in turn, help you as a teacher to best meet the needs of your students.

Question 20

There are several elements of equity pedagogy that encourage inclusive and safe classroom environments for all. Match the example activity to the appropriate element of equity pedagogy.

During a well-planned whole group lesson and activity, a teacher recognizes several students having difficulty grasping the lesson’s concept. The majority of the class is moving along through the activity mostly independently, and the teacher does not want to stray away from the well-planned lesson. However, recognizing the needs of a few students and realizing they required more personalized support, the teacher switches gears to provide focused support to those in need.

a. Know every child
b. Make it safe to fail
c. Flex your routines

Answer 20

c. Flex your routines

A teacher’s ability to flex his or her routine to meet the needs of students who may need more support (or more of a challenge) is critical to providing equitable pedagogy. This shows the teacher’s ability to recognize the needs of his or her students based on who they are and what their strengths and opportunities are in terms of the curriculum.

Question 21

True or False

Equity pedagogy is developing expertise in content in order to support diverse students with standardized testing.

Answer 21

False

The goal of equity pedagogy is not to teach to standardized testing. It is important to have expertise in content pedagogy, but it is critical to understand your students’ demographics and reflect on the needs of students in order to best personalize learning the curriculum

Question 22

What is the achievement/opportunity gap?

a. A validity and reliability issue in standardized testing
b. A difference in availability of technology
c. A significant and persistent difference in academic performance between different groups
d. A difference between IQ scores between different groups

Answer 22

c. A significant and persistent difference in academic performance between different groups

The achievement gap is the gap that exists in test scores between groups of people. The achievement gap is also seen in the difference between college graduations between different groups of people.

Question 23

Most research-based strategies address the achievement or opportunity gap from a holistic perspective and focus on identifying early factors that contribute to student success. Classrooms that support learning are shown to use many of the strategies determined as best, evidence-based practice in closing achievement gaps for diverse students.

Identify at least two strategies that teachers can implement to close the achievement/opportunity gap.

Answer 23

• Implements diverse instructional practices to reach all students
• Focuses on math and literacy instruction
• Ensures ample instructional time
• Applies data-driven instruction

Question 24

Ridding the education system of the deficit perspective and providing adequate resources in schools are two out of three major strategies identified to reduce achievement or opportunity gaps. What is the third? a. Provide an opportunity for exercise and team sports. b. Enroll students in college and career-ready prep courses. c. Increase access to technology. d. Listen to and value the stories young people bring to the classroom.

Answer 24

d. Listen to and value the stories young people bring to the classroom. Valuing stories young people bring to the classroom contributes positively to reducing the achievement gap. Valuing stories of students builds trust and relationships and empowers students to learn.

Question 25

An integral school-specific factor directly affecting student achievement at the classroom level is ____________. a. socioeconomic status b. single-parent households c. quality teachers d. educational policy

Answer 25

c. quality teachers Availability of quality teachers continues to be a main factor affecting students from diverse backgrounds. Declining teacher quality, partially due to poor wages, has made it difficult to secure more skilled teachers.

Question 26

A high school located in a diverse neighborhood decided to implement a series of interventions to address the opportunity gap among students. They observed that students from certain racial and socio-economic backgrounds were consistently performing below their peers. The interventions were aimed at providing additional support to struggling students and fostering an inclusive learning environment. After a year of implementing these interventions, the school noticed a positive change in academic outcomes, with notable improvements in the performance of previously disadvantaged students. Which of the following best describes the term "opportunity gap" in the context of this scenario? a. The difference in academic performance between students of different ages within the same grade level. b. The disparity in educational resources and opportunities available to students from different backgrounds. c. The variation in academic achievement between students in urban and rural schools. d. The fluctuation in student performance based on individual learning preferences and styles.

Answer 26

b. The disparity in educational resources and opportunities available to students from different backgrounds. Opportunity Gap refers to the way social and or economic factors (such as race, language, socio-economic status, and family situations) can result in lower rates of success through no fault of the learner. Shifting from the term Achievement Gap to Opportunity Gap draws attention to the disparities learners from underserved populations may face and shifts the focus to the lack of opportunities instead of implying it is a lack of achievement due to the learner not working hard enough.

Question 27

What should a teacher look for in the curriculum to determine whether it is biased? a. Cultural stories b. Historical photos c. Negative photos d. Stereotypes

Answer 27

d. Stereotypes When curriculum includes stereotypes such as women as nurses and men as doctors, the curriculum is biased.

Question 28

Match the provided classroom activities to the appropriate culturally responsive teaching strategy. A science and a social studies teacher work together on creating an interdisciplinary activity for their students. They will use community resources to research a scientific phenomenon in their town that has changed throughout the course of history. Students will interview community members about their perspectives and gather research from the local historical society and library. a. Reshaping the curriculum b. Teacher as facilitator c. Student-centered instruction

Answer 28

a. Reshaping the curriculum Curriculum should be interdisciplinary, meaningful, and student-centered. It should include relevant issues and topics to diverse students. This connects students to those around them and aids them in building higher order thinking skills.

Question 29

Match the provided classroom activities to the appropriate culturally responsive teaching strategy. A fifth-grade science teacher introduces a unit on geology to their classroom of students. The teacher provides an overview to establish some background knowledge. Afterward, the class goes to the library to begin looking at resources related to geology. After a couple of days of exploration, students are asked to generate lists about particular topics of interest they would like to explore within this topic. They are encouraged to select their own reading material and resources for exploration as well. a. Reshaping the curriculum b. Teacher as facilitator c. Student-centered instruction

Answer 29

c. Student-centered instruction This student-centered instructional activity is cooperative and highlights a particular student interest. In a classroom of diverse students, perhaps a student from another country is interested in geological research from where he or she grew up. Instead of dictating the curriculum, it is important to provide students agency in their learning and celebrate their interests as well.

Question 30

Match the provided classroom activities to the appropriate culturally responsive teaching strategy. At the beginning of each week, a second-grade teacher engages their class in a sharing activity. The class itself is quite diverse, speaking nine different native languages among them, with at least half of the classroom beginning their first year of schooling in the United States. The teacher realizes the classroom is having a difficult time integrating, with some students experiencing culture and language shock. In an effort to build a more collaborative classroom in a safe and comfortable way, the sharing activity encourages students to rotate bringing in artifacts from home representing their culture or traditions shared by their family. a. Reshaping the curriculum b. Teacher as facilitator c. Student-centered instruction

Answer 30

b. Teacher as facilitator Teachers must facilitate a welcoming and safe environment in which their students' cultures, beliefs, and customs are celebrated. When students have a difficult time breaking down barriers themselves, it is important to facilitate the understanding and acceptance of differences among students, while also engaging the class in activities to show their similarities.

Question 31

A science teacher in a sixth-grade, inner-city classroom wanted to instill the importance of plant life on air quality and pollution in a variety of environments. The students had a difficult time connecting to this concept, as many of them had never seen forests or gardens. The teacher decided to connect with the team that manages the city's community gardens. They came and taught students about plants, planting, and the benefits plants bring to health and air quality. Eventually, the classroom received their own plot in the community garden. Which of the following culturally responsive teaching practices did the teacher use? a. Hold high expectations for students' learning despite their current background knowledge. b. Foster a sense of children's connection to the community. c. Honor and respect the children's home culture. d. Create a sense of family and caring around academic achievement.

Answer 31

b. Foster a sense of children's connection to the community. This teacher decided to include resources from the community to help teach the lesson. Since the students were from an urban area, volunteers from the community gardens could teach them not only skills about plants and gardening but also the benefits community gardens have on urban communities. This is much more relevant to the students in this community than showcasing elaborate gardens and forests in other areas of the country and discussing it theoretically.