Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice and Education and Racism: A Primer on Issued and Dilemmas

How does culturally responsive teaching foster inquiry learning?

Inquiry learning is rooted in students ability to think.

Students ability to think is influenced by their prior knowledge.

Prior knowledge is developed based on experience.

Culture experiences, and expectations impact their home-school connection.

Learning with the inquiry model just does not seem to work without creating an inclusive, supportive, and safe classroom community. In order for students to take risks in their work, asking questions, creating solutions, and analyzing their work, their learning space must be supportive.

As it is now, students who arrive at school with a home culture that matches that of the institution are tracked more easily towards academic success. 

Students, however, should not just assimilate into their school community, but build it. Within this creation, students look for recognition and respect for the knowledge and experience they each bring from home.

Can culture be used as a tool to create authentic problems and activities, especially in math? I am still thinking about this one. It seems like incorporating culture into math problems is too superficial and would not actually make the problems more 'real'. I think the value of incorporating the classroom into students diverse cultures is within community building. Students bring different sets of problem solving skills based on personal experiences. Application of their problem solving strengths highlights students individuality. Encouraging development of their weaknesses helps build the learning community.

Educators can "reconsider their culture as a source of knowledge, strength, and having something to offer schools" (Leonardo, 61). Perhaps culture and respect plays more of a role in the way the classroom teacher works with her students. Knowledge of different norms and expectations that each student brings to the classroom impacts their learning style. Here, culture becomes a tool for the teacher- they can quickly adapt how to provide each student with individualized support.

"The class was never an individual effort!" 

(Gay, 163)- and nor should it be. Inquiry is community learning.