Summary
In this professional development session, educators explore the benefits of acknowledging students' cultural backgrounds in the classroom. Participants explore lessons, strategies, and activities that integrate diverse perspectives and experiences. By the end of the session, participants develop a personal plan to effectively incorporate students' cultural backgrounds in their work. The following professional development resource was inspired by the "Educating with Indigenous Perspectives: Integrating Native Culture into the Curriculum."
Essential Question
What is the benefit of acknowledging students’ culture in a school environment?
Session Goals
Participants will explore and identify the benefits and advantages of acknowledging students' cultural backgrounds in various school settings.
Participants will learn and discuss practical strategies and techniques for creating an environment that acknowledges and respects students' cultural backgrounds.
Participants will create an implementation plan to acknowledge students' cultural backgrounds in their own school.
Materials List
Presentation Slides (attached)
Resource Exploration Notes Organizer (attached; one per participant)
Culture-Inclusive Learning (attached; one per participant)
Classroom Planning Guide (attached; one per participant)
Chart Paper (optional)
Chart Marker (optional)
Pen/Pencil
Highlighters
Electronic devices
Engage
10 Minute(s)
Welcome participants. Display slide 1 and introduce yourself and the session using the attached Presentation Slides.
Transition to slide 2, and use the information in the Session Preparation note to provide context for the video participants will be watching.
Have participants watch the video "Educating with Perspective" and move to slide 3, where you will use the How I Am Feeling? What Am I Thinking? strategy to have participants reflect on the video.
Invite a few participants to share their responses to each of the questions on the slide. Instruct participants to remember these feelings/takeaways as we go through the session.
Transition through slides 4-5 to introduce the essential question and session objectives for today’s professional learning activities.
Explore
30 Minute(s)
Distribute the attached Resource Exploration Notes Organizer handout to each participant. Have participants consider their role at the school when deciding what resource to explore.
Move to slide 6 and instruct participants to access the Wakelet and select one lesson or activity to explore and answer the questions on the organizer provided. If time allows, participants can explore a second resource. Start the K20 10 Minute Timer.
Once time is up, have participants form small groups (4-5 individuals). Move to slide 7 and use the questions to have participants share their takeaways from the lesson or activity. Start the K20 5 Minute Timer and allow groups to work.
Transition to slide 8 and introduce the Collective Brain Dump strategy. In their groups, participants collectively create a list with all the themes they recognized in the resources they explored. Have one person scribe for the group on a scratch piece of paper. Encourage participants to use short words/phrases such as connection, identity, community, language, history, etc. Allow 1-2 minutes for this.
Move to slide 9 and introduce the “Cultural Perspective List.” Ask participants to add to their brain dump if any of these examples were present in the resources. Once groups have their final list, move to slide 10 and instruct them to narrow down their top three and select a spokesperson. Then, as a whole room, conduct the Stand Up/Sit Down strategy.
Have one standing representative at a time from each group read one item from their shortened list.
Write this word on a large piece of chart paper, or type them into the empty slides provided (slides 11-13; unhide the hidden slides as needed).
Have all the other representatives mark this item off their own list if it’s too similar to something they already have.
Repeat steps 1-3 with each group.
Ask group representatives to sit down when all of the themes they have on their list have been said.
Once all representatives are seated, move to slide 14 and use the discussion questions to reflect back to the video.
Explain
10 Minute(s)
Pass out a copy of the attached Culture-Inclusive Learning research brief handout and a highlighter to each participant and then move on to slide 15. Introduce the Why-Lighting strategy explaining that as they read, they should keep a mental note of the “why” or what’s important. Allow participants time to read and annotate.
Transition to slide 16. Read the quote on the slide which represents one of the main ideas from the reading. Have participants discuss what they’ve highlighted on the reading in relation to the reflection questions on the slide:
How does this benefit students of the dominant culture?
How does this benefit students of minoritized cultures?
How does this benefit the educator of both these types of students?
Extend
10 Minute(s)
Move to slide 17 and pass out a copy of the attached Classroom Planning Guide handout to each participant. Have participants consider their role at their school and decide which side of the handout to focus on. For classroom teachers, it is recommended to use the side labeled “classroom planning.” For those in different roles, it is recommended to use the “activity planning” side.
Allow participants time to reflect on a lesson or activity they will teach or host in the near future. Invite them to use the questions on the planner to help them consider how to make their lesson or activity speak to students' different cultures.
Evaluate
2 Minute(s)
Display slide 18 and ask participants to reflect on their experience using the POMS:Point of Most Significance strategy. Then ask for volunteers to share their responses.
Research Rationale
The process of learning is inherently and fundamentally cultural (Cantor 2021; Nasir et al, 2020). Research states that, “Children learn best when they can connect what happens in school to their cultural contexts and experiences, when their teachers are responsive to their strengths and needs, and when their environment is ‘identity safe’ (Steele & Vargas, 2013), reinforcing their value and belonging” (Nasir et al, 2020, p. 412). One way to support learning is to bring culturally relevant experiences to students (Tanase, 2022; Dee & Penner, 2017; Byrd, 2016). Integrating students’ culture and cultural identity into the curriculum not only taps into a deep well of prior knowledge but has proven to provide relevance as well as motivation to learn. Culturally relevant curriculum is a bridge between the community, the school, and the world at large (Gregory, 2012).
Resources
Byrd, C.M. (2016) Does culturally relevant teaching Work? An examination from student perspectives. SAGE Open, July-September: 1-10. https://doi: 10.1177/2158244016660744.
Cantor, P. (2021). All children thriving: A new purpose for education. American Educator, 45(3),14.
Dee, T. S., & Penner, E. K. (2017). The causal effects of cultural relevance: Evidence from an ethnic studies curriculum. American Educational Research Journal, 54(1),127–166.
Gregory, S. (2012). Voices of Native American educators: Integrating history, culture, and language to improve learning outcomes for Native American students (S.T. Gregory, Ed.). Lexington Books.
K20 Center. (2023, September 22). Educating with indigenous perspectives: Integrating native culture into the curriculum. Professional Development. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/professional-learning/3088
K20 Center (Sept. 2021). 5 minute timer. YouTube [video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVS_yYQoLJg
K20 Center (Sept. 2021). 10 minute timer. YouTube [video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gy-1Z2Sa-c
K20 Center. (n.d.). Collective brain dump. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/111
K20 Center. (2025, March 26). Educating with perspective [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG7en_qI-3c
K20 Center. (n.d.). How am I feeling? What am I thinking?. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/187
K20 Center. (n.d.). Poms: point of most significance. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/101???????
K20 Center. (n.d.). Stand up, sit down. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/1771
K20 Center. (n.d.). Wakelet. Tech tools. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-tool/2180
K20 Center. (n.d.). Why-lighting. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/128
Nasir, N. I. S., Lee, C. D., Pea, R., & McKinney de Royston, M. (2020). Handbook of the cultural foundations of learning. Taylor & Francis.
Steele, D. M. & Vargas, E. C. (2013). Identity safe classrooms: Places to belong and learn. Corwin Press.
Tanase, M. (2022). Culturally responsive teaching in urban secondary schools. Education and Urban Society, 54(4), 363–388.