culture Book ver final 5 - Flipbook - Page 97
(elementary school or high school) being considered. What mattered most and what helped
students learn was having the information presented using themes, ideas and a framework that
showed value of their cultural background and norms. In some situations that meant teaching
Reading lessons through popular music, using known concepts in Math equations or exploring
Scientific topics through real life items that students could relate to.
All of this begs
the questions: What is
good teaching?
Shouldn’t good teachers
be able to use all the
resources at their
disposal to help
children learn? Most
teachers and
educational researchers
agree that good
teaching relates
unknown concepts by
using known concepts.
Imagine trying to learn
a new language without
being able to use
pictures or known words.
This is the educational
experience for diverse
students who don't
belong to the dominant
culture. With this in
mind, it again should
become apparent that
the cultural imbalance
and sometimes cultural
ignorance or intolerance
which exists in most
educational settings
leaves a large group of children, typically the majority, out in the cold. These students have no
bridge to access the new, unknown materials and topics being shared by their teachers. Viewed
in this way, these students are doomed to fail before they begin.If diverse children are to have a
chance to succeed, then their culture has to be learned, acknowledged, represented and used.
Dr. Kimberlie Harris is a veteran educator, with a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, who is
passionate about discovering the best educational practices to help diverse students succeed.
"Culture." Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2022,
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/culture_1#:~:text=n
oun-,noun,%2FAfrican%2FAmerican%2C%20etc.. 18 September, 2022.
97
