Culturally Responsive Online Teaching

 

This post originally appeared on edReformer, a community of advocates, entrepreneurs, educators, policy makers, philanthropists and investors seeking to promote excellence and equity in education through innovatation.  edRefomer serves as a catalyst for innovation in education by encouraging and  promoting public and private investment in new learning tools, schools, and platforms. View Original >

 

Online education can help solve the issues of equity and access for students across the United States. We have heard fantastic stories of student success in graduating from high school due to access to online courses.

Last year, Susan Sawyers wrote an article for USAToday showcasing how some students are using online courses to graduate on time. It’s a great window into the potential and echoes many stories we hear from students, families, and community members who are experiencing online education. A diverse population of students was able to take classes to retrieve credit for classes they may have failed in the past.

 

Distance learning environments are by no means immune to the problems arising from cultural differences. In fact, these environments may even be more prone to cultural conflicts than traditional classrooms as instructors in these settings not only interact with students who have removed themselves from their native culture, but they also interact with students who remain “physically and socially within the different culture, a culture that is foreign to, and mostly unknown, to the teacher.”

—Sedef Uzuner in Questions of Culture in Distance Learning: A Research Review

Geneva Gay recently printed a new edition of her book, Culturally Responsive Teaching: Research, Theory and Practice, and it explains the many of the dispositions and practices teachers need to have. The next step is to ensure this sort of practice occurs consistent in online course instruction. We need to remember that simply having access to great online courses does not mean they will be culturally responsive, nor does it mean the teachers themselves will be. We need to ensure we train our online educators with the tools and skills it takes to interact with students of diverse populations, especially as more students begin taking more courses online. Culture of course includes a variety of identifies and aspects, from race, ethnicity and gender; to religion, socio-economic status and place. I would also propose that teachers need to utilize the online culture that we know exists with these students. All students have cultural strengths and resiliencies; we need to ensure we are using all these strengths, including the culture of online learning.

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47 Comments

  1. I work at a cyber charter school and I have found that teaching online is very different from teaching in a traditional classroom. It can be difficult for online teachers to create a climate that makes students feel like they have ownership of the classroom, because there is no physical classroom. Being a culturally responsive teacher in a virtual classroom can be difficult, but it is important for teachers to work hard to meet the needs of their students. According to Dr. Geneva Gay, culturally responsive teaching is very similar to multicultural education (2011). Culturally responsive teaching takes effective teaching strategies and applies them to issues of diversity, so that the needs of students from different cultures are met (2011). We have to know the deep issues that drive different cultures, so that we can meet the needs of our students (2011). Knowing cultural issues takes time and a willingness to learn about different cultures and the ways to best reach students from diverse social and cultural backgrounds. Training for virtual teachers should include ways in which they can be culturally responsive in the virtual setting. It will take time and research to develop sound methods to help train teachers, since cyber education is relatively new.

    References:
    Gay, G. (Speaker). (2011). Culturally responsive teaching. [Web]. Retrieved from
    https://franciscan.blackboard.com.

  2. Providing online courses for students to complete to ensure that the students graduate on time is a great way to push students to finish their education. A frend’s daughter failed English in school last year. She took it online and worked at her own pace and passed with an A in the class. She felt she learned more from the online class because she had to take ownership with her education.

    One might think that if a student fails a class before graduating means that a student might not have the drive to attend college. A student can have a bad year depending on their current home life or not connecting with a teacher. Maybe some students achieve more through online courses rather than traditional schools. It’s important for students to know that a quality education can be obtained through online colleges and universities.

  3. According to Geneva Gay, culturally responsive teaching both in traditional school settings and online school settings is all about using culture and experiences of different ethnic groups as a way to teach more effectively (2011). She identifies several components to culturally responsive teaching and those components can guide us in creating new ideologies and paradigms. First, we need to focus on curriculum. We need to pay attention to not only the formal, written curriculum but also the hidden, symbolic and media curricula. These are all influences in students’ learning. Second, we need to care! We need to view caring as an action-driven emotion and prove to our students that we believe in them and that failure is not an option. Third, communication in the online classroom is essential. Gay believes that communication is the “heart of the classroom” (2011). As online educators we need to pay attention to the effects on how students learn (learning styles) and incorporate a wide variety of instruction. Next, as online educators, we need to create a safe, comfortable, welcoming environment for students. It is important that we pay attention to our symbolisms and relationships. Finally, we need to deliver and assess our content to students in a variety of ways to reach all types of learners (Gay, 2011). All of these components of culturally responsive teaching are important to looking at differences as a teaching tool, not a teaching obstacle.

    References:
    Gay, G. (Speaker). (2011). Culturally responsive teaching. [Web]. Retrieved from
    https://franciscan.blackboard.com.

  4. Online teachers often do not know the ethnicity or background of his or her students. This is especially true early during the course or school year. Therefore, it is important to try and actively learn about the students one is teaching. If a teacher is to use the strengths and resiliences of different cultures, one must know his or her student body. The other side of his equation is that because a teacher does not necessarily know his or her students’ backgrounds, that teacher must assume there are many different ethnicities in the online class.

  5. As a teacher in an online online school I believe that it is important to know the backgrounds, including the ethnicity, of the students I teach. I agree that we should always assume our classrooms are ethnically diverse. This is important to the make up of our classrooms simply because it is important for all students to understand the benefits and struggles of living in such a diverse society. As educators we all have access to our students’ records and therefore it is our responsibility to investigate and learn about the make up of our classroom before we teach the first lesson.

  6. Culturally Responsive Teaching, according to Dr. Gay, is equivalent to multicultural education and engagement takes time and skill to involve scaffolding on what the students already know and paying attention to the particular needs of the students (2011). To be culturally diverse is to shift our teaching styles to be more responsive to the life experiences of the other ethnic groups instead of the other ethnicities conforming to our experiences (2011).
    Dr. Gay’s video helped me to understand that we as teachers should never expect diverse students to demonstate their knowledge in one way and to expect that students won’t perform naturally in the same way (2011). It is my job as a teacher to recognize the learning styles and cultural norms of my students so that I can be more effective in reaching/teaching them and for them to deliver successfully.

    References:
    Gay, G. (Speaker). (2011). Culturally responsive teaching. [Web]. Retrieved from
    https://franciscan.blackboard.com

  7. Dr. Gay describes culturally responsive teaching as using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and performance styles of diverse students to make learning more appropriate and effective for them; it teaches to and through the strengths of these students. Being an online teacher this cannot take place without learning the backgrounds of each and every student. Many criticize online schools for not being capable of building teacher-student relationships when in fact it is the opposite. I have taken the time to learn about my students that past teachers of mine would have never done. In my opinion online schools can build a better teacher-student relationship than common brick and mortar schools. The key is the creativity of the teacher in doing so. With a proper teacher-student relationship it opens the door to a better learning environment. Using the cultural knowledge and prior experiences of each student can open the door to teaching diversity in the classroom.

    http://www.slideshare.net/SSSJ/culturally-responsive-online-teaching-reaching-all-student-cultures-online.

  8. It may be challenging, but as online educators, we need to make every effort to learn about our students’ backgrounds. We need to understand that our students are from different parts of the state, different parts of the country and maybe even different parts of the world. We should be respectful of the many different cultures. Often times, people do not know about a cultures, therefore, they are seen as disrespectful.

    We could use the diversity of our online classrooms to create opportunities for our students to learn about each other and the different cultures of their classmates. I feel it would be a great opportunity for young students to learn about different cultures first hand.

  9. Geneva Gay brings so many critical points to light in her article on culturally responsive teaching. I have worked in the online community as a part of PaCyber Charter School for more than six years. What I have discovered is that knowledge of each student that we serve is essential to deliver effective instruction. I do agree with Ms. Gay that to be culturally responsive we must not only be transmitters of information but rather serve as mediators and help ensure that our students build their knowledge base using their strengths and talents. By identifying their learning style, we can help them succeed. Using tools such as online blogging we can build community and encourage social and cross cultural collaboration.

    References:
    Gay, G. (Speaker). (2011). Culturally responsive teaching. [Web]. Retrieved from
    https://franciscan.blackboard.com.

  10. With today’s classrooms becoming so ethnically diverse it is important to gain an understanding of the student’s background and current situation. There are many factors that need to be considered. This especially true for cyber education since we often do not see our students face to face. By taking time to get to know our students will help in providing the appropriate teaching strategies. By knowing a student’s prior experiences will be a necessity in providing an effective educational path for the student.

  11. Part of the challenge of online education is making it a personal, relevant experience for learners. Teachers must be aware that they are delivering live instruction into people’s homes. When I call a family or teach them online I am literally entering their home. I interact with different cultures every day, and effective communication takes time and patience as well as willingness to understand where a student or family is coming from. As an online educator, if I operate under the assumption that everyone is the same I easily put off most of the people I’m talking to.

  12. Dr. Gay defined culturally responsive teaching as, “Using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and performance styles of diverse students to make learning more appropriate and effective for them; it teaches to and through the strengths of these students” (2011). As our student population is growing more diverse, it is important for educators to constantly revise their teaching strategies to ensure that the needs of all students are being met. We need to keep in mind that in some cultures women are more submissive; therefore they may be uncomfortable speaking up in class. Every culture has its own ways and customs and teachers need to remember that although these students may be submersed in our culture, it is unfair to ignore their own personal culture. Teachers need to become culturally competent, and the only way to do this is to learn who our students are.
    References:
    Gay, G. (Speaker). (2011). Culturally Responsive Teaching (Web). Retrieved from: https://franciscan.blackboard.com

  13. As an online teacher I feel that it is very important to not only know about the cultural background of your students but to also know about them as students. Many times students come to a cyber school to not have to deal with cultural stigmas or prejudices that come with being very ethnic. A student is a student first and foremost and it is important to make sure that you are educating the student. It is important to have an awareness of a students cultural background but also not to single them out or treat them differently because of it.

  14. Authentic diversity should not just be seen as a challenge in the classroom — it should be embraced as an opportunity and capitalized upon as a strength. To encourage the full flourishing of authentic diversity, the teacher (and the classroom environment he or she creates) should help synthesize the best of different cultural competencies to create opportunities for dynamic collaboration that give all students the chance to make contributions. Gay (2011) makes this point in underscoring the need for teachers to be cultural mediators — to both understand for ourselves and then be able to transmit to all students the relative strengths and unique contributions and insights of diverse peoples. Personally, I believe we need to keep in mind that the strengths of “multiculturalism” should be put to the task of creating a shared culture: out of many, one. Given the ability of digital learning environments to transcend the limitations of time and space, I believe online learning is uniquely poised to create authentically diverse and highly-collaborative educational communities across cultures.

    Reference:
    Gay, G. (Speaker). (2011). Culturally responsive teaching. [Web]. Retrieved from
    https://franciscan.blackboard.com.

  15. One of the duties of an Instructional Supervisor is to understand the families they are working with in order to assist the student to become more successful in our cyber school. As Dr. Geneva Gay states in the video interview, students’ culture should guide many different things such as:
    • How we organize ideas
    • Learning prompts
    • How we present ourselves
    • How we engage with the academic task
    • The rhythm of our work
    • How we create learning spaces
    • What we choose as curriculum materials
    With this in mind, it is the Instructional Supervisor’s responsibility to speak with the parent to get clues to how their family and culture deal with certain tasks. It does not only mean families of color, but every family functions differently according to their culture and beliefs. The more the Instructional Supervisor is able to know about the family and child, the better off they will be in making decisions to help the child be successful. Knowing more about how the family functions will help in organizing ideas and how to work with the family and engage the child in their school work. Each child needs to be looked at individually and their needs must be addressed with taking into account their cultural identity.

    Gay, G. (Speaker). (2011). Culturally Responsive Teaching (Web Video). Retrieved from: https://franciscan.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/xid-19218_1

  16. In his research regarding culture in distance learning, Sedef Uzuner (2009) states that a one-size fits all teaching approach is inappropriate and will not reach all learners. Understanding and affirming each student’s uniqueness, including his culture and traditions, is essential in traditional and online classrooms. A student’s culture may help a teacher understand why he does not often vocalize ideas in class or why he does not challenge others thoughts in a threaded discussion. In addition to understanding each student’s culture, culturally responsive teaching begins with a diverse curriculum. In my English class, weekly stories about different cultures can lead to interesting discussions, where students can share their own experiences. This can be a learning experience for everyone. Dr. Sonia Nieto, in her video, “Affirming Diversity”, states that different cultures should not just be explored along with holidays or special units, but it should be rooted more deeply into the curriculum.

  17. Per Andrew Miller’s Slideshare presentation, culturally responsive online teachers “identify and utilize cultural strengths and resiliencies through aligned online teaching best practices, while utilizing diverse discourse structures and curriculum” (n.d). In the online teaching environment, it is often difficult to recognize cultural differences because we do not actually “see” our students. We need to make an effort to recognize that our students have different cultural backgrounds including race, gender, class, religion, etc. Online teachers need to promote the following in the virtual setting: adaptability and agility, teamwork, acculturation, cross-cultural communication and innovation and imagination. These 21st century competencies will help students feel confident and comfortable working with their peers who may or may not come from different cultural backgrounds (n.d.)

    I think online schools can do a better job of providing training to promote cultural competency which is defined by Olsen, Shattacharya and Scharf as “the ability to work effectively across cultures (pg. 2). More activities can be done in virtual classes to promote respectful, effective relationships between students of different cultures. It does not seem like diversity is often recognized in the online setting. If we can get students from different backgrounds to feel comfortable communicating with their peers and actively participating in the virtual classroom, they will undoubtedly find higher academic success rates.

    References

    Miller, A. (n.d.) Culturally responsive online teaching. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/SSSJ/culturally-responsive-online-teaching-reaching-all-student-cultures-online.

    Olsen, L., Bhattacharya, J., & Scharf A. (n.d.). Cultural competency: what it is and why it matters. California Tomorrow, pg 1-8.

  18. Like many others who replied to this post, I am also an online teacher. Knowing the cultural and ethnic background of the student can be important in some situations, but not all. Some of the families I deal with are very vocal about their cultural backgrounds and almost insist that I make accommodations for their students. However, I work with some families outside of the cultural norm who choose to remain somewhat anonymous and do not let their differences affect them in the educational world. Although all teachers must adapt their teaching styles to meet the needs of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, I feel that online educators must go an extra step to know every child personally in order to assess these situations and educate to their specific needs.

  19. As online educators, I feel like it is important to make every effort possible to really get to know our students. Just because we do not see them face to face every day, that does not mean we can’t truly get to know them. It is important that we learn about the background of each of our students. This information should not be used to single them out, but should be used in order to help them choose courses that will meet their individual needs. It is also important to take into consideration why many students choose online education. They have access to a world of information without having to worry about being singled out due to cultural differences. They can go to school and focus solely on the quality of their work without worrying about what the other kids might be thinking about them. It creates an environment that can truly help them succeed.

    • Hi Carrie!
      I really liked your post and I agree completely with it. In her video in BB, Dr. Geneva Gay states that culturally responsive teaching uses culture and experience of different ethnic groups as a launch pad to teach more effectively (2011). Which I think is exactly what you are stating here. We cannot single out certain students based on their culture or background. We must work hard to make sure that all of our students’ needs are being met.

  20. I think that it is very important that we, as cyber educators, gain a complete understanding of our students and their backgrounds to enhance their learning experience and bring forth their true potential. With that being said however, I feel that in the cyber world, we have taken the boundaries and limitations away from these culturally diverse students. Many students come to PA Cyber to escape the prejudices that they would otherwise have to deal with in a traditional bricks and mortar school. I appreciate the fact that we all try to gain a better understanding of our students, but does that make us treat them differently? I feel that we should generally educate all of our students with one goal in mind; to help them become productive and respected members of society, regardless of background.

  21. According to Dr. Nieto there are seven characteristics of multicultural education. They include: 1. it is anti-racist education 2. it is basic education 3. it is for all students 4. it is pervasive 5. it is education for social justice 6. it is a process 7. it is a critical pedagogy. Online education is able to meet these characteristics more easily than many school districts. We accept students from all of all different races, genders, religions, and socioeconomic classes and provide allow them to build an education that will meet their individual educational needs.
    As an online teacher I think that multicultural education is important. After watching Dr. Nieto’s video I agree that the curriculum needs to include cultural aspects regularly and not only during certain units. It is important that all teachers are involved in multicultural education. Students should be comfortable to express their thought and ask questions to any of their teachers. As an online teacher understanding the students’ cultural background will help me to better meet the needs of my students on an individual basis and to provide them with the best education possible.
    Reference:
    Nieto, S. (Speaker). (2011). Affirming diversity. [Web]. Retrieved from
    https://franciscan.blackboard.com.

  22. Culturally Responsive Online Teaching
    Fortunately my cyber school has two methods of curriculum delivery. We offer synchronous and asynchronous. This provides a choice for the family entering our school. When trying to select a curriculum we also look at previous grades from the past school year. If a student does not maintain a 3.0 in a particular subject, we highly encourage the student to participate in a synchronous environment.
    After reading Technologies that Assist in Closing the Achievement Gap: A comparison African American and Caucasian Students’ Learning and Community in Online Classroom, the study states that African American students perform better in a Synchronous environment over an asynchronous. The study looked at social presence, cognitive presence, and teacher presence. The study found that there are no differences in the dependent variables among groups. This suggests that the achievement gap, at least the perception of the gap that exists both in the traditional environment and online environment may be minimized through the adaptation of synchronous technologies in online higher education. By offering synchronous we are able to increase a student’s motivational level. There is much more social interaction with other students and teachers in real time providing live feedback.
    Cobb, T (1997) Cognitive efficiency: Toward a revised theory of media. Educational Technology Research
    And Development, 45(4), 21-35

  23. Dr. Gay describes culturaly responsive teaching as “Using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and performance styles of diverse students to make learning more appropriate and effective for them.” (2011) At PA Cyber we have students who come from many backgrounds and different cultures. In many cases this is why the student and their families have chosen online schooling.
    As an online instructional supervisor, I do not teach in the classroom but I am an integral part of their education. I speak to these families on a regular basis and follow their progress. It is my job to become familiar with their family structure and cultural background. By becoming familiar with these, I can help each family or student individually and help them to succeed. I believe this is very important because we are not in a face-to-face situation. At Pa Cyber we have an objective to learn every “child by name”. This does not only include their official name but what lies underneath that makes that child who he or she is and use it to help them succeed at our school.
    References:
    Gay, G. (Speaker). (2011). Culturally Responsive Teaching (Web). Retrieved from: https://franciscan.blackboard.com

  24. I have been working at PA Cyber for 4 years now. I have found that we have one of the most diverse populations of students I have ever seen in a school. Our students come from many different cultures, social classes and cities all around Pennsylvania. Working in special education in itself is its own diverse population. I couldn’t agree more with this article, while it is a wonderful opportunity to cut down on bullying, bias and racism, it still affects us in the cyber school world. One thing that I wanted to mention from this article was because of this cultural diversity, educators need to be trained properly. Geneva Gay mentions that,”We need to remember that simply having access to great online courses does not mean they will be culturally responsive, nor does it mean the teachers themselves will be. We need to ensure we train our online educators with the tools and skills it takes to interact with students of diverse populations, especially as more students begin taking more courses online” ( 2011). By ensuring that were training our educators with the proper skills, we will be able to embrace, respect and understand students from all cultural diversities.

  25. A culturally relevant curriculum must provide a way for students to maintain their cultural identity, while succeeding academically. According to Dr. Gay, “culturally responsive teaching acknowledges the legitimacy of the cultural heritages of different ethnic groups, builds bridges of meaningfulness between home and school, uses a wide variety of instructional strategies that are connected to different learning styles, teaches students to know and praise their own and each others’ cultural heritages, and incorporates multicultural information, resources, and materials in all the subjects and skills routinely taught in schools” (p. 29).

    Our classrooms are increasingly becoming more culturally diverse. To teach all children well, teachers need to know the particular values, traditions, communication patterns, and learning styles of all of their students.

    I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Miller that online education can help solve the issues of equity and access for students across the United States.

    Reference

    Gay, G. (2000). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, & practice. New York: Teachers College Press.

  26. Demographics make the concept of culturally responsive online teaching a necessary practice. As statistical analysis indicates, our society is becoming increasingly diverse. The once societally dominant interests, understandings, and values, of the previously numerically dominant Caucasian population are inappropriate and inhibit learning on the part of diverse students. As Dr. Sonia Nieto suggests in the video “Affirming Diversity”, well intended, but superficial efforts to combat the historical dominance of the majority culture, such as the effort to diversify staff by hiring practices are not sufficient to overcome long standing educational and societal inequities. As Dr. Nieto also puts forth, learning to be a culturally responsive teacher does not occur in the time frame of a seminar or in-service day. True cultural sensitivity can only be acquired via active and ongoing learning on the part of educators. As I wrote earlier, simply hiring a diverse staff is not enough. Among those individuals, frequent and sometimes uncomfortable conversations about cultural assumptions and personal beliefs must be conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. As we learn to respect and understand the great number of cultures existent within our society, culturally responsive teaching will become a universal practice.

    Reference:
    Nieto, S. (Speaker). (2011). Affirming diversity. [Web]. Retrieved from https://franciscan.blackboard.com.

  27. Olsen, Bhattacharya, and Scharf contend that a culturally responsive teaching environment is a means, and ideal, but in no way is it an end; whereby, “Cultural competency is not a destination. The work of bridging cultures and creating responsive services is never “done”” (pg. 2). Both traditional brick and mortar schools and cyber schools should regularly re-assess their methodology and policies in an effort to consistently remain current with the latest cultural evolutions of the community population. The authors astutely point out that cultural competency, while incurring a growing expense to school systems is not without cost, it is, “Cultural competency is therefore not a luxury, but an important foundation for organizations – making it possible to serve all communities, bridge across differences, and ultimately improve the social, health and educational outcomes of children and youth” (pg. 3). Such incurred expenses should therefore be viewed not as a burden, but rather, as an investment in the continued ability to deliver the greatest academic opportunity, and subsequently, the more culturally responsive and socially aware society.

    By incorporating “culturally responsive teaching both in traditional school settings and online school settings” teachers are able to use “culture and experiences of different ethnic groups as a way to teach more effectively” according to Geneva Gay (2011). Certainly, more effective teaching makes the delivery of learning concepts easier for both teacher and student. In an online environment, the cultural make up of the virtual classroom is, or at least has the potential to be, far-more diverse than the traditional brick and mortar classroom. It is crucial then, for the effective online teacher to be aware of the cultural identity that exists within a virtual room and then incorporate those unique elements into the presentation of information so as to ensure each student has the ability to truly connect with that material in a manner which is most natural to them. Olsen, Bhattacharya, and Scharf note that there are five aspects of culture one must be aware of; “everyone has a culture, there is diversity within cultures, cultures are not static, culture is not determinative, and cultural differences are complicated by differences is status and power between cultures” (pg. 4). Consequently, and because culture is culture is in a state of constant evolution, the effective teacher must constantly be in a state of growth and evolution if that teacher is to be responsive to the changing dynamic of society and the unique needs of students.

    References:
    Gay, G. (Speaker). (2011). Culturally responsive teaching. [Web]. Retrieved from
    https://franciscan.blackboard.com.
    Olsen, L., Bhattacharya, J., & Scharf A. (n.d.). Cultural competency: what it is and why it matters. California Tomorrow, pg 1-8.

  28. Students who participate with online courses do so out of their own personal choice. Their reasons range from personal interest to even reasons for escaping the bullying that followed them every day. Using online courses to help students to graduate from school is an excellent example of just how these courses can be positively used to help those students succeed. However, many online instructors do not know the race or nationality of the students that they teach. It can be difficult at times to get students to open up and discuss their family, especially if they are withdrawn students. However, it is important to remember that all teachers should demonstrate cultural competency when teaching inside their classroom. A teacher should be able to reflect upon the diverse cultures of students who might participate in their course. Depending on the nature and background of the students in the class, it can be difficult to find the correct teaching styles that can reach those students. This is why it is important for teachers to understand the social-cultural aspects of the students that they are teaching. This type of Culturally Responsive Teaching takes time to master and can be confusing to everyone at first. Though part of being a good teacher is to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of their students as well as determine what will be the most effective means of learning inside the classroom. Knowing the diverse backgrounds of the students can help to ensure that student achievement is raised and that learning will occur for the students.

  29. The more we know and understand about diversity in our classroom, the better the capability you will have to handle it graciously, politely, and professionally. Dr. Gay defined culturally responsive teaching as, “Using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and performance styles of diverse students to make learning more appropriate and effective for them; it teaches to and through the strengths of these students” (2011). We should expand our perceptions by moving away from the place of our original culture. Teachers should work hard to learn and understand about the different cultures in their students in their virtual classrooms. It is important to learn about each and every child so that you are able to adjust the educational methods you use if it is needed.

    Reference:
    Gay, G. (Speaker). (2011). Culturally responsive teaching. [Web]. Retrieved from
    https://franciscan.blackboard.com.

  30. According to Dr. Gay (2011), culturally responsive teaching is similar to multicultural education. Culturally responsive teaching takes effective teaching strategies and applies them to issues of diversity, so that the needs of students from different cultures are met. I believe this is also true when teachers are advising and counseling students. At PA Cyber I am an Instructional Supervisor, and I spend most of my time using these strategies to learn about my students and their families. Also, I spend time with my students and their parents to gain an understanding of their social and educational needs. For example, during conversations with my high school students, I learn about them through their interests and beliefs. I want them to learn how to make the right choices based on their belief systems. In addition, I want them to understand how important their role will be in society after they graduate from high school. The importance of exploring and indentifying a student’s needs is crucial during their years in high school. Once a student is comfortable with a teacher or mentor, they are willing to share more information about themselves. I enjoy spending time getting to know my students, because it is important that I am a positive influence in their lives. Also, I must gain the trust and respect from them and their parents. To learn more about PA Cyber please visit http://www.pacyber.org.
    References:
    Gay, G. (Speaker). (2011). Culturally responsive teaching. [Web]. Retrieved from
    https://franciscan.blackboard.com.

  31. In the video, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Dr. Gay discusses many important factors that should go into how we prepare for and teach our lessons. She defines culturally responsive teaching as how we “use the culture and experiences of different ethnic groups as a launch pad to teach more effectively.”

    This seems like a daunting task for a Cyber School because we do not interact with out students face-to-face. However, I do believe that even in the cyber world it is critical to understand our students and their backgrounds. Doing this will help us to create lessons that are meaningful to our students and will help us to better understand how to implement appropriate interventions when a student is struggling with a certain concept. Creating lessons that are sensitive to the needs of students from all cultures may be a challenge but will prove to benefit both the students and the teacher.

    Gay, G. (Speaker). (2011). Culturally responsive teaching. [Web]. Retrieved from https://franciscan.blackboard.com

  32. Multicultural education is basic education consisting of trends and ideas of multicultural components being taught in reading, writing, math, and computer literacy skills. Not only will teaching students about multicultural events they will experience in and out of school, but it will help them in their current situations, and help prepare them for life in the future. The world is multicultural. Being educated on the injustices will help the student be prepared on what to do in certain situations and will also make them feel more prepared.

  33. I believe that it is extremely important to use culturally responsive teaching especially in a state-wide cyber school, because we are teaching so many different students from many, many different cultures and backgrounds. Dr. Geneva Gay states that culturally responsive teaching uses culture and experience of different ethnic groups as a launch pad to teach more effectively (2011). Although I think this would be time consuming on the teachers behalf to research not only the students backgrounds, but also how to effectively teach each student. But, I think that it would be extremely beneficial for all of the students involved.
    Gay, G. (Speaker). (2011). Culturally responsive teaching. [Web]. Retrieved from
    https://franciscan.blackboard.com.

  34. Dr. Gay’s discussion regarding culturally responsive teaching was not only enlightening but compelling. As a virtual classroom teacher , it would be easy to see my students as names on the board and apply what Dr. Gay refers to as one size fits all instruction. But I believe as educators, we chose this profession because we wanted to make a difference in the lives of our students, all of our students, not just the ones who came from a background like ours. Dr. Gay stated that culture is the anchor of all we do and this is true of all of the children that we meet in our classroom, as well as the staff with whom we work. We must encourage and challenge each other to teach in a culturally responsive way by sharing insights and best practices, discussing and learning from each other, and including our students as partners in education, remembering that each of them brings with them something special to share.

  35. As an online teacher of 7th and 8th grade social studies, I have the responsibility of teaching my students US History and World Geography (focusing on the history and culture of each region.

    PA Cyber has an extremely diverse student body. As a result of this, I have to teach the Civil Rights movement to African American students whose relatives actually marched in it. I have to teach World War II to students whose grandparents were interred in camps because they were Japanese. I have to teach about the five pillars of Islam to students who live them out.

    As a culturally responsive teacher, it falls to me to utilize the various cultural backgrounds of my students to enrich the understanding of these and many other events. This can only enhance my own teaching and grant the other students in the class a chance to see their world from another viewpoint.

    We can no longer pull the old, “We are all Americans” view of history, because American has become a global nation with every culture in the world being represented in the populace of the United States. We need to focus on allowing each of these cultures to be utilized and celebrated in the classroom.

  36. Online education provides an opportunity for many students to break through traditional molds of the classroom experience and receive an education through 21st cntury technology. As the millenial generation advances,students from various cultures throughout the nation demonstrate a common bond of growth in the utilization and incorporation of technology into their daily lives as compared with previous generations. According to the article, Questions of Culture in Distance Learning: A Research Review, traditional learning environments may become sites of struggle for teachers and learners when there is a collision of different cultures. This trend will continue within online educational settings. Online instructors will need to be aware of and sensitive to cultural issues, as well as to encompass various learning strategies in the online classroom. As technology advances, and online education becomes a growing trend, it will be important for educators to continue to address age-old challenges that appear within the classroom, such as cultural diversity.

  37. As online educators or supporters of students that attend an online school we must be sensitive to cultural and ethnic differences that make up our student body. Teachers must constantly watch how they deliver lessons and make sure that nothing is presented that might be taken as offensive to any certain religion. The success of our students relies on our ability to give them the necessary tools that they need in an online environment. We as online teachers must remember that we are an important contact and support for a student that might feel as if they are disconnected from their school.

  38. I don’t actually teach a class in the cyber setting, but I do have a roster of students all from very different backgrounds. By keeping in close contact with our families and getting to know the students and parents we can get an idea of each students culture and ethnicity. Teachers in the classroom should never be one sided in how they present material and need to assume that there is a wide variety of cultures and ethnicities in their classroom. If there are any extreeme instances, or things that I find out about my students that I think would be beneficial to the classroom teachers, I always try to share that information with them. In learning session 1 we talked about different trends and one of them was that there is going to be an increase in the number of people from hispanic and asian cultures. We continue to become more of a melting pot where there is no norm.

  39. Being aware of a student’s culture and ethnicity is critical for a classroom teacher and an online teacher. Easier for classroom teachers because they can see their students’ faces, but just as important to go beyond the color of a students skin and truly be able to understand the environment from where he or she comes. Online teachers have the challenge of strategically asking questions and taking time to figure these things out using distance communication where as a classroom teacher may have a less difficult task at hand. A Culturally Responsive teacher must have this information and knowledge in order to be an effective educator.

  40. It is important to have a multicultural classroom that encompasses the needs of the students according to their personal and cultural backgrounds. It’s important that this is done in an authentic manner, not just via celebrations and having a designated culture teacher.

  41. When teaching online, it is much more difficult to get to know one’s students, nonetheless still crucial in order to teach effectively. Without a knowledge of students’ backgrounds, productive communication is thwarted or stunted due to many complex facets of cultures shaping how students view the educational process, the role of the teacher, and the role of themselves as the students. For example, in studies on distance learning, Arab students were found to participate less because they thought it would come across as showing off. If teachers have key information on who their students are and what their cultural values and beliefs are, these types of problems can be avoided.

  42. Distance learning classroom environments can have as many if not more problems in relation to cultural differences among the students and the teacher. Distance learning creates a disconnect to each person’s culture because of lack of physical interaction between the teacher and the classmates. The cultural differences may not be noticed due to the lack of physical and social interaction. The teacher may come from an entirely different culture than the students, creating a different type of learning environment for the students. It is very important for the teacher of the online class to know their students’ backgrounds and culture. Additionally, it is equally important for the students’ to be introduced and exposed to each others backgrounds and culture. By being culturally aware and using teaching methods that can reach all cultures, the online classroom has a chance of meeting all of the students needs. In order for the students to collaborate and solve problems they must be able to understand each other in an effective manner. Each student may have a different culture, but each person can bring a variety of prior experiences and background knowledge that would add to the online learning experience. Therefore, cultural differences should be celebrated and utilized to the fullest extent instead of being ignored or extinguished.

  43. Distance learning environments can create an environment that obtains cultural discourse. The teacher may be from a different cultural environment than the students or the students may be from different cultural backgrounds among each other. Because there is no physical contact in an online learning environment, this event can occur and cause more difficulty than the traditional classroom can. It is important for the teacher to teach in a manner that can include all cultural backgrounds and for the students to be aware of different cultural backgrounds. In order to have a colaborative learning environment that can work together and solve problems, cultural understanding must exist. Cultural understanding and responsiveness can include a learning environment that provides a variety of experiences for the teacher and the learners. It is essential that cultural backgrounds are recognized and utilized in all learning environments, but especially online learning environments.

  44. A student’s culture shapes them; their thinking, their behavior, their learning, as well as how they relate to others along and the material being taught. Therefore, to be most effective teachers must know their students culture. Being knowledgeable of a student’s ethnicity and culture though easier for the classroom teacher is just as vital, if not more, for the online teacher to best meet their students’ needs. Online educators are faced with the challenges of meeting culturally and ethnically diverse students where they are through limited means. Classroom teachers are able to interact face-to-face on a daily basis while online teachers are not. This challenge is merely one of the many facing online educators in aiding their students in gaining the knowledge required in a divers and ever changing world.

  45. Culture defines who a student is. That does not mean that their learning cannot move beyond the borders of that culture, ie. a student coming from a poor background with little motivation for school can move beyond that and become a learned scholar. Having knowledge of one’s class as a whole and their different ethnicities and cultures is essential for teachers today in this diverse society. For the online teacher, this knowledge is essential because they do not have the face-to-face interaction as classroom teachers do. Today’s technological advances give some reprieve to this problem however, with the use of Skype and FaceTime and other instructional tools