Week 31 - Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Responsiveness

Week 31 - Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Responsiveness 

I am going to use Rolfe's model of reflection to support me in explaining my own learning around Cultural responsiveness. 

My focus will be on:
goals, 
communication methods, 
decision-making, 

What does it mean to have a culturally responsive pedagogy? 
As stated by (Gay 2001) cultural pedagogy is defined by our response to life. In society, we interpret our world by our interaction with others and we use our own cultural lens (Milne 2013) to make sense of it. First we need to know our own cultural identity. Each of us has our own culture coming from our ancestors, upbringing, schooling and experiences. I believe that all cultures have equal value and I appreciate that the merging of these can provide a rich and interesting community. With this I agree with Ellerbrock, et al (2016) who states that "Teachers who are culturally responsive and who use the cultural knowledge, prior experience, frames of reference and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant and effective for them". 

So What:
Previously I was worked in a school where there were very few indigenous students however there were many Asian students. I felt I developed relationship with students and parents based on respect. I thought I was being responsive to all the learners and supporting their cultural needs. On reflection I think I was helping them to assimilate into what Milne (2013) suggests as the ‘white space’ education system. As educators we have a huge influence on all students and their families as Cowie et al (2011), state, by incorporating children and their communities' knowledge into the curriculum we create a more culturally responsive pathway. My new role sees me communicating with the families on a personal level and sometimes in their own environment. My communication methods need to be fluid to suit each environment and situation. 

Things I need to consider are: 
  • accessing an interpreter 
  • if necessary involving appropriate liaison people from the community 
  • establishing and building on positive relationships. 



 Looking at the tool makes me realise that I am working at the purple level but I probably would have claimed to be at the green level. I know I can make the necessary steps to continue my ascent to the green then red area. I am trying and wanting to change but it is also about changing the system that we are in. As Anne Milne (2013) says we do work with a white colonial education model that is now beginning to change, and the teaching profession and NZ curriculum calls for us to be culturally responsive "The curriculum reflects New Zealand’s cultural diversity and values the histories and traditions of all its people." Ministry of Education (2007). 

What next: 
My main focus will be on identifying the needs of Māori children and young people within my cases and developing my skills and knowledge to work in Māori medium settings. I would like to research more intercultural connections and multicultural in my studies which I am undertaking next year as part of my new role. I want to learn the importance on cultural knowledge and understanding and the right of Māori. Developing relationships with Māori whānau and community members so they can actively participate in the decision-making process to improve the achievement of Māori students. When working with teachers I will consider Bishops research on how teachers who value student agency make the biggest difference for Maori students. Teachers who create learning contexts where students bring their own cultural experiences and understandings how they make sense of the world will see a greatest level of engagement. When setting the goals with the teacher, student and whanau I will acknowledge the family’s aspirations for their child’s education and encourage the families/whanau to be actively engaged and involved in all aspects of the process. In the process hopefully making the whanau feel encouraged and empowered in their knowledge and decision-making around their child’s learning. 

 References 

Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Cavanagh, T. & Teddy, L. (2009).Te Kotahitanga: Addressing educational disparities facing Māori students in New Zealand. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(5),734–742. Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994 

Milne, B.A. (2013). Colouring in the white spaces: Reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools. (Doctoral Thesis, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10289/7868 

http://rtlb.tki.org.nz/Professional-practice/RTLB-Practice2/Principles 

Sunnyhills School Internal Data Aggregation. ( 1/7/18 ). Retrieved from: etap.co.nz based on 528 students. Teaching Tolerance.( 2010, Jun 17). Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGTVjJuRaZ8

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