Reflection #3:
The impact of Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness on place-based learning.
Have you ever thought about the deeper meaning of cultural responsiveness? Imagine yourself in different classrooms each day, with teachers’ different expectations of what you should learn, how you should behave and it’s completely different from that what you have learnt at home.
Hammond, (2014) explains that cultural responsiveness allows me to update my practice so that I can develop every student’s intellectual ability through an engaging and motivating effort. The pedagogy of culturally responsive teaching identifies and includes different cultural groups of students in all areas of learning (Getting Smart, 2017). Today, many students around the globe, do not hear or read anything in their classrooms about their histories or people from their cultures (Nakashima, 2010). This is due to educators who might only use traditional means of teaching, using one curriculum and believe that formal settings are only used for valuable learning. Berryman et al., (2018) warn that this practice will not lead to successful cultural relationships.
Can cultural responsiveness promote cultural relationships? Indeed, by relevant and responsive pedagogy, learning is rooted in the relationships I have with my learners and their families (Hammond, 2014). Relevant pedagogy has meaning, and it will be based on the student’s cultural reference. In contrast to that, ineffective cultural responsiveness means to be only friendly to students while ignoring the responsibility of building relationships (Berryman et al., 2018). In order to create those cultural relationships, I need to make time to listen to students and families. Hershfeldt et al., (2009) suggest these questions as reflections:
- Do I know why culture is important?
- Am I aware of the histories of all parties?
- What is the effect of my current attitude on student relationships?
- Am I making an effort to reach out to build positive relationships?
Ineffective cultural responsiveness implies the belief that students come with no prior knowledge, or that school-wide learning and achievement goals don’t rely on the input from all stakeholders (Berryman et al., 2018). Contrary to that, being culturally responsive will allow all parties to have those opportunities to share hopes and aspirations, prior knowledge, possible concerns as well as connections (Berryman et al., 2018).
How does cultural responsiveness relate to indigenous knowledge? Many argue that indigenous knowledge is only applicable to the past, however, it prepares a way of research for indigenous journeys (Durie, 2005). Traditional and indigenous knowledge plays a vital role in the community’s social and physical environment and Durie (2005) explains that generations of people who lived on their land, had always contributed to knowledge while having physical and social relationships - the foundation for indigenous knowledge. Therefore, humans and their environment can’t be separated from each other. This environment which is the land, brings well-being and health to indigenous people (Durie, 2005).
However, indigenous people had to give up their customary land occupancy for the sake of false private ownership (Nakashima, 2010). They also gave up their social assemblies and lifestyles due to current development and therefore their language, knowledge, traditions to name a few suffered a great loss (Durie, 2005). Many curricula across the globe don’t offer room for indigenous people or indigenous knowledge (Iseke-Barnes, 2005).
Place-based education includes environmental studies, education in communities, sustainability and local history (Penetito, 2009). This research has led me to read more about the yellow clay soil in my community. Research in place-based education stems from contact with indigenous people as well as exploring the physical world around us and this is beneficial to all of us (Penetito, 2009). However, I need to be aware that Western science deems itself above other curricula, and therefor seeks to detach our histories as well as stories from its original place (Johnson, 2012). Penetito (MoE, n.d.) describes it so well by saying that those histories as well as stories relating to a school’s physical location will enable me to develop a deeper understanding of belonging for all students as well as a sense of individuality. Therefore, I need to critically challenge the leading curricula, (Iseke-Barns, 2005) and investigate the experiences of indigenous people to enable place-based learning (Johnson, 2012). Indeed. Through place-based learning, students will be able to explore their local tikanga, as well as those beautiful events and its indigenous knowledge that have moulded their community over many years. Also, students are more likely to participate, discover new perspectives and collaborate in culturally responsive pedagogy (Zimmerman and Land, 2014) while using their digital devices, to create digital artifacts of specific places, annotate digital photos or videos.
Therefore, if our students are still represented in main-stream education, when will you and I swing our learning environments towards honouring and empowering every single student so that they can begin to achieve positive results as cultural individuals?
References:
Berryman, M., Lawrence, D., & Lamont, R. (2018). Cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy. Set: Research Information for Teachers, 1, 3-10.
Durie, M. (2005). Indigenous knowledge within a global knowledge system. Higher Education Policy, 18(3), 301-312.
Getting Smart (2017). Quick start guide to implementing place-based education. Retrieved from https://www.gettingsmart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Quick-Start-Guide-to-Implementing-Place-Based-Education.pdf
Hammond, Z. (2014). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Corwin Press.
Hershfeldt, P. A., Sechrest, R., Pell, K. L., Rosenberg, M. S., Bradshaw, C. P., & Leaf, P. J. (2009). Double-Check: A framework of cultural responsiveness applied to classroom behavior. Teaching Exceptional Children Plus, 6(2), 2-18.
Iseke-Barnes, J. (2005). Misrepresentations of Indigenous History and Science: Public broadcasting, the Internet, and education. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 26(2), 149–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596300500143112
Johnson, J.T. (2012). Place-based learning and knowing: critical pedagogies grounded in Indigeneity. GeoJournal 77, 829–836.
MoE (n.d.). Māori History in the NZ Curriculum: Place-based Education. Retrieved from http://maorihistory.tki.org.nz/en/programme-design/place-based-education/
Nakashima, D. (2010). Indigenous knowledge in global policies and practice for education, science and culture. Chief, Small Islands and Indigenous Knowledge Section, NaturalSciences Sector.
Penetito, W. (2009). Place-based education: Catering for curriculum, culture and community. New Zealand Annual Review of Education, 18(2008), 5-29.
Zimmerman, H. T., & Land, S. M. (2014). Facilitating place-based learning in outdoor informal environments with mobile computers. TechTrends, 58(1), 77-83.
The impact of Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness on place-based learning.
Have you ever thought about the deeper meaning of cultural responsiveness? Imagine yourself in different classrooms each day, with teachers’ different expectations of what you should learn, how you should behave and it’s completely different from that what you have learnt at home.
Hammond, (2014) explains that cultural responsiveness allows me to update my practice so that I can develop every student’s intellectual ability through an engaging and motivating effort. The pedagogy of culturally responsive teaching identifies and includes different cultural groups of students in all areas of learning (Getting Smart, 2017). Today, many students around the globe, do not hear or read anything in their classrooms about their histories or people from their cultures (Nakashima, 2010). This is due to educators who might only use traditional means of teaching, using one curriculum and believe that formal settings are only used for valuable learning. Berryman et al., (2018) warn that this practice will not lead to successful cultural relationships.
Can cultural responsiveness promote cultural relationships? Indeed, by relevant and responsive pedagogy, learning is rooted in the relationships I have with my learners and their families (Hammond, 2014). Relevant pedagogy has meaning, and it will be based on the student’s cultural reference. In contrast to that, ineffective cultural responsiveness means to be only friendly to students while ignoring the responsibility of building relationships (Berryman et al., 2018). In order to create those cultural relationships, I need to make time to listen to students and families. Hershfeldt et al., (2009) suggest these questions as reflections:
- Do I know why culture is important?
- Am I aware of the histories of all parties?
- What is the effect of my current attitude on student relationships?
- Am I making an effort to reach out to build positive relationships?
Ineffective cultural responsiveness implies the belief that students come with no prior knowledge, or that school-wide learning and achievement goals don’t rely on the input from all stakeholders (Berryman et al., 2018). Contrary to that, being culturally responsive will allow all parties to have those opportunities to share hopes and aspirations, prior knowledge, possible concerns as well as connections (Berryman et al., 2018).
How does cultural responsiveness relate to indigenous knowledge? Many argue that indigenous knowledge is only applicable to the past, however, it prepares a way of research for indigenous journeys (Durie, 2005). Traditional and indigenous knowledge plays a vital role in the community’s social and physical environment and Durie (2005) explains that generations of people who lived on their land, had always contributed to knowledge while having physical and social relationships - the foundation for indigenous knowledge. Therefore, humans and their environment can’t be separated from each other. This environment which is the land, brings well-being and health to indigenous people (Durie, 2005).
However, indigenous people had to give up their customary land occupancy for the sake of false private ownership (Nakashima, 2010). They also gave up their social assemblies and lifestyles due to current development and therefore their language, knowledge, traditions to name a few suffered a great loss (Durie, 2005). Many curricula across the globe don’t offer room for indigenous people or indigenous knowledge (Iseke-Barnes, 2005).
Place-based education includes environmental studies, education in communities, sustainability and local history (Penetito, 2009). This research has led me to read more about the yellow clay soil in my community. Research in place-based education stems from contact with indigenous people as well as exploring the physical world around us and this is beneficial to all of us (Penetito, 2009). However, I need to be aware that Western science deems itself above other curricula, and therefor seeks to detach our histories as well as stories from its original place (Johnson, 2012). Penetito (MoE, n.d.) describes it so well by saying that those histories as well as stories relating to a school’s physical location will enable me to develop a deeper understanding of belonging for all students as well as a sense of individuality. Therefore, I need to critically challenge the leading curricula, (Iseke-Barns, 2005) and investigate the experiences of indigenous people to enable place-based learning (Johnson, 2012). Indeed. Through place-based learning, students will be able to explore their local tikanga, as well as those beautiful events and its indigenous knowledge that have moulded their community over many years. Also, students are more likely to participate, discover new perspectives and collaborate in culturally responsive pedagogy (Zimmerman and Land, 2014) while using their digital devices, to create digital artifacts of specific places, annotate digital photos or videos.
Therefore, if our students are still represented in main-stream education, when will you and I swing our learning environments towards honouring and empowering every single student so that they can begin to achieve positive results as cultural individuals?
References:
Berryman, M., Lawrence, D., & Lamont, R. (2018). Cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy. Set: Research Information for Teachers, 1, 3-10.
Durie, M. (2005). Indigenous knowledge within a global knowledge system. Higher Education Policy, 18(3), 301-312.
Getting Smart (2017). Quick start guide to implementing place-based education. Retrieved from https://www.gettingsmart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Quick-Start-Guide-to-Implementing-Place-Based-Education.pdf
Hammond, Z. (2014). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Corwin Press.
Hershfeldt, P. A., Sechrest, R., Pell, K. L., Rosenberg, M. S., Bradshaw, C. P., & Leaf, P. J. (2009). Double-Check: A framework of cultural responsiveness applied to classroom behavior. Teaching Exceptional Children Plus, 6(2), 2-18.
Iseke-Barnes, J. (2005). Misrepresentations of Indigenous History and Science: Public broadcasting, the Internet, and education. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 26(2), 149–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596300500143112
Johnson, J.T. (2012). Place-based learning and knowing: critical pedagogies grounded in Indigeneity. GeoJournal 77, 829–836.
MoE (n.d.). Māori History in the NZ Curriculum: Place-based Education. Retrieved from http://maorihistory.tki.org.nz/en/programme-design/place-based-education/
Nakashima, D. (2010). Indigenous knowledge in global policies and practice for education, science and culture. Chief, Small Islands and Indigenous Knowledge Section, NaturalSciences Sector.
Penetito, W. (2009). Place-based education: Catering for curriculum, culture and community. New Zealand Annual Review of Education, 18(2008), 5-29.
Zimmerman, H. T., & Land, S. M. (2014). Facilitating place-based learning in outdoor informal environments with mobile computers. TechTrends, 58(1), 77-83.
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