5-Minute Film Festival: Culturally Responsive Teaching
A playlist of six videos provides an overview of culturally responsive teaching.
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The changing racial and cultural landscape of America is certainly a much-discussed topic—some researchers studying U.S. Census data and demographics even say that America could be a "minority majority" country as early as 2050. While the barriers between countries continue to come down, and globalization continues, how can teachers address the needs of students from a variety of cultural backgrounds and upbringings? This collection of videos introduces culturally responsive teaching, and includes some techniques that you can use to help students from diverse backgrounds succeed together.
Video Playlist: Culturally Responsive Teaching
Watch the first video below, or watch the whole playlist on YouTube.
- The Danger of a Single Story (19:16)
Author Chimamanda Adichie's amazing TED talk introduces "The Danger of a Single Story." Teaching students of other cultures may require that you look past familiar stories and narratives to find school materials that resonate with your students' experiences and lives.
- Office Chat: Culturally Responsive Teaching (9:24)
In this interview, Dr. Kavatas Newell, a faculty member at the University of Mary Washington, introduces some initial ways that teachers can incorporate culturally responsive teaching methods into their classrooms. The audio quality here is a bit low, but the tips are worth it.
- Valerie Purdie-Vaughns on Unintentional Bias (3:04)
In this short video from Big Think, researcher Valerie Purdie-Vaughns explains how bias and assumptions can unconsciously affect the way you act. Although it's geared toward diversity awareness in the workplace, this is a good primer on cultural discrimination.
- Building Trust With Families (14:12)
Many students from other cultures are English-language Learners (ELLs). Although this video is long at 14 minutes, the panel of teachers and principals organized by Colorin Colorado offers great tips for connecting with the families of ELLs.
- Recognizing Individual Characteristics (1:10)
This quick video from Learning for Justice reminds viewers to respect students' individuality, even as you learn more about cultural differences and introduce more responsive practices into the classroom.
- Education: Culture Matters (14:25)
This video from the Kamehameha Schools showcases the importance of culturally responsive educational programs. Students from the native Hawaiian population thrive when they learn in programs that incorporate their cultural heritage and traditions.
More Resources on Culturally Responsive Teaching
Whether you've been teaching diverse learners for years, or you're just starting to think about how to incorporate culturally responsive pedagogies into your classroom, these organizations and articles can help.