I have been a Middle School Teacher for over 18 years and in the last two years I have worked as a coach and reading interventionist. I definitely see the value, and purpose of using the CRSE framework in instructional practices. For one thing, lessons become student-centered and student voices are elevated. It is truly exciting when students see themselves in the lesson and exchange ideas authentically throughout the lesson.
I am really reflecting these days on how to bring this Module to life in our school and support teachers in developing lessons that are not only culturally responsive but provide students with a platform for social justice. I feel like teachers sometimes see it as an "added component" in teaching instead of a culture of celebration for all voices that helps students to become change agents.
As the Assistant Director for Instructional Technologies, we have been growing our distance learning program. For the upcoming school year, we plan to have monthly meetings with our virtual teachers. The meetings will be split between check in/concerns and professional development. It is my believe that the CRSE framework may be the most difficult of all of the modules to implement. Forming relationships in an online environment takes intentional work and time. The formation of the relationships between teacher and students and teacher and families are extremely important for the success of the students. In an online environment, it is possible for the teacher to think that the relationship solely exists between teacher and content. My plan is to help teachers understand their role in building the relationships and providing them with some of the content from the modules as well as content from EdTomorrow to help them build their relationships with students and families.
As a Middle School Teacher in a school with small class sizes - 15 students and fewer per grade - the framework surrounding knowing the students is natural and intuitive. However, while knowing the students on a surface level is easy, making the space for students to do identity work is important. My goal is to incorporate more of this identity work into my math classes, a place where intentionality is important to implementation. I personally benefitted from activity 2.5.1, a place to reflect on historical/political events and the framework they were taught. I am able to see the biases of teachers that I was taught as a student, which helps me examine my own implicit biases, as well as examine curriculum that I teach or topics I discuss.
In my role as the director of teaching and learning, I can see myself using this content to help other educators understand how important it is to apply the CSRE framework to their planning and teaching. I think that most people do teach with some element of the CSRE framework already in place. My hope is to help them see how their work is connected, how they can extend in small ways to align even more with the framework, and in some cases, how they can change their practice to be more aligned to the framework. Everyone needs to see how they fit into the framework themselves if they are going to buy in and improve their practice. I think the low-hanging fruit in the framework is the welcoming and affirming class environment. There are many easy and simple changes that teachers can make to address this part of the framework. It sounds simple, but things like knowing your students' preferred pronouns, getting to know a bit about their backgrounds, doing some basic social identity work like we saw in activity 1 of this MOdule--these things take up little time but go a long way in setting up a welcoming and affirming classroom environment. Through my work as a VE, I hope to share ideas like this with other educators.
As a Virtual Art Teacher, I look forward to using the CRSE framework to strengthen my classroom environment to be more welcoming and affirming for all my students. I want students to value high expectations and rigorous instruction through constant encouragement, accessible resources, and building a positive self-image. Students can also expect to have ample opportunities to be heard through their artwork and make meaningful connections through collaborative discussions and critiques.
Incorporating the insights from Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education (CRSE) is crucial of recreating inclusive and empowering learning environments. By understanding students' cultural identities and adopting student-centered approaches, we can cultivate welcoming communities where students feel safe, valued, and connected. Building positive relationships, and implementing culturally responsive assessment practices are key strategies to enhance student engagement and empower them as active learners. It is important that we select culturally responsive content and involve families in the learning process further contribute to creating a holistic education experience that fosters diversity and equitable opportunities for all students.
As an eLearning Specialist, I train teachers on Buzz, which is a learning management system. My main responsibility is to teach them how to use the LMS in their classroom. I'm going to enhance their skills and knowledge by conducting a needs assessment to understand the current level of proficiency among the trainees regarding CRSE. I'll use this information to identify where teachers need improvement and additional support as they develop their virtual lessons and activities. I'll provide them with guided practice sessions to explore different features and functionalities. By implementing these strategies, I can effectively use CRSE in my trainings for teachers, empowering them to use technology for enhanced teacher and learning experiences.
As a Distance Learning Specialist, I work closely with teachers, students, and administrators to provide personalized learning experiences for each student based on their background and need. I am also pursuing certification courses for SBL and SDL, and I have learned a lot about Culturally Responsive Teaching. My goal is to continue to advocate for the students that I serve in our region and to promote equity and diversity in education.
In my role as Coordinator of Distance Learning, I work with many teachers providing professional development, support and mentorship. I've used elements of the Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education framework for many years and have helped many teachers incorporate ideals such as student-centered learning, establishing and promoting a safe and engaging culture and teaching across learning environments into their classrooms.
Module 2 has helped bring several elements together under a unified umbrella, while also providing me with tools and resources that I plan to incorporate into my work with Distance Learning teachers. One element of the CRSE framework that is new to me that I hadn't really considered before was leveraging youth participatory action research. I find this to be an intriguing way to incorporate more student voice and choice, while also helping develop young vocal self-advocates. I look forward to incorporating YPAR into the future trainings I provide.
As the Library Media and Educational Specialist in my JHS, I work very closely with the "Ryan" on my Tech team! Yesterday, our ClassLink page became fully functional...for the past 2 years it displayed apps that we did not have access to. I worked very close with "Ryan"😂 to update our page. Literally, this morning, I presented to all of the teachers and administrators on how to utilize ClassLink. Most of the teachers have never used it before. They were like kids in the Apple(Candy) Store🤣.
Nevertheless, CultureGrams was added to our ClassLink page yesterday. Now my students have access to sign in with ClassLink. If you are interested in implementing any CRT initiatives, you should definitely look into CultureGrams https://online.culturegrams.com/. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions on how to use CultureGrams to support your CR curriculum.
That is very interesting about your district first dive into Classlink. We have been utilizing the platform pre-COVID, and it has done great things for our district. I hope you district has the same great experience we had.
Also, our district has CultureGram as well in Classlink. It is a great source of information for our staff and students. Currently we only have it at select school, but am hoping it will go district wide.
I have been utilizing many of the resources of Module 2-Culturally Responsive Teaching to support the implementation of a culturally responsive initiative in my school. The content provided in Module 2 was easily connected and supported my lessons.
The district where I work has a large and growing ELL population. Prior to starting the VITAL program, I saw that there was a lack of culturally responsive teaching initiatives within the district. I have been through many DEI and CRT professional development training and understood the importance of creating  an educational environment that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. Furthermore, my peers and I need to support our students that come from all different backgrounds. All students need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally and benefit from a learning environment where every student feels a sense of community.
This VITAL program has motivated me to create a CRT learning environment. As a librarian, I have the ability to purchase the educational technology and resources used to support the curriculum. I curated a collection of titles that reflect my students' diversity. I brought in many popular titles in Spanish, Russian, Turkish and Polish. The Spanish titles were the easiest to find. Additionally, I recently received CultureGrams; a database which
students use to research and explore key cultural aspects of countries around the world. I created a lesson where students gather details of their country of heritage such as, popular foods, languages spoken, holidays celebrated, the geography, government, sports and more from the database. Their favorite section is, A day in the life of a child  living in their country.
This lesson will culminate with a presentation. The goal is for students to demonstrate an understanding of their heritage and celebrate the heritages of their peers. After the presentation, I will teach my students how to upload their work onto a Padlet, which is the perfect collaborative tool to use when sharing the work of many students across learning environments.
Hopefully, I will be able to further develop this lesson with a day of celebration for students and their families. Through this program, I have gained a keen appreciation of the benefits of parent engagement. In May, during Screen-Free Week, we are scheduling a night called Family Recipe Night where students are encouraged to cook a meal with their families that reflect their culture and heritage. Students will be asked to share their family recipes to create a cookbook, using a resource such as BookCreator; another great collaborative tool that is accessible across learning environments. Students and their families will have the opportunity to design their own pages and add photos for personalization.
I believe that these experiences will enable students to develop their research, presentation, and critical thinking skills. This will impact the students as they gain an appreciation and understanding of their culture and heritage while accepting the diverse backgrounds of others.
Module 2 gave me a lens into an admin role, given my current role as a Teacher on Assignment (TOA) in the Rochester City School District. This module prompted me to view Technology from a different perspective, considering that I don't hold an administrative position. It shed light on the multifaceted considerations administrators face concerning various aspects of the school community, such as parents, students, staff, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), VUCA, and more.
Â
A specific takeaway for me was from Session 8, "Technology for TALE," which addressed the use of technology in educational software. In my TOA role, I'm responsible for rostering all educational software through Classlink, attending departmental purchasing meetings, and engaging with vendors. This section made me realize that, while I focus on technical aspects like single sign-on capability, OneRoster compliance, and data agreements, there's a broader perspective to consider.
Â
I am now more attuned to understanding the purpose and goals of educational software. Questions like how the program collects and utilizes data, its impact on decision-making, and its potential for engaging parents, students, and staff have become crucial. Does the program facilitate two-way communication with parents? Can it open discussions about progress with students, staff, or parents? These are considerations beyond the technical implementation that I must now take into account.
Â
Recognizing my role in supporting software implementation and addressing Helpdesk tickets, I realized the importance of being well-informed. To bridge this gap, I've initiated the development of a comprehensive checklist. This checklist will guide discussions during new software acquisitions and legacy software renewals, ensuring that vital information about the program's purpose and engagement capabilities is considered.
Â
This checklist will not only serve as a personal guide but will also contribute to a software dashboard I am currently piloting for the district. The dashboard aims to enhance communication by providing staff and parents with valuable insights into the district's software landscape. Ultimately my goal would be to better support and guide the staff I work with when addressing Helpdesk tickets and implementing new software initiatives.
I have been a Middle School Teacher for over 18 years and in the last two years I have worked as a coach and reading interventionist. I definitely see the value, and purpose of using the CRSE framework in instructional practices. For one thing, lessons become student-centered and student voices are elevated. It is truly exciting when students see themselves in the lesson and exchange ideas authentically throughout the lesson.
I am really reflecting these days on how to bring this Module to life in our school and support teachers in developing lessons that are not only culturally responsive but provide students with a platform for social justice. I feel like teachers sometimes see it as an "added component" in teaching instead of a culture of celebration for all voices that helps students to become change agents.
As the Assistant Director for Instructional Technologies, we have been growing our distance learning program. For the upcoming school year, we plan to have monthly meetings with our virtual teachers. The meetings will be split between check in/concerns and professional development. It is my believe that the CRSE framework may be the most difficult of all of the modules to implement. Forming relationships in an online environment takes intentional work and time. The formation of the relationships between teacher and students and teacher and families are extremely important for the success of the students. In an online environment, it is possible for the teacher to think that the relationship solely exists between teacher and content. My plan is to help teachers understand their role in building the relationships and providing them with some of the content from the modules as well as content from EdTomorrow to help them build their relationships with students and families.
As a Middle School Teacher in a school with small class sizes - 15 students and fewer per grade - the framework surrounding knowing the students is natural and intuitive. However, while knowing the students on a surface level is easy, making the space for students to do identity work is important. My goal is to incorporate more of this identity work into my math classes, a place where intentionality is important to implementation. I personally benefitted from activity 2.5.1, a place to reflect on historical/political events and the framework they were taught. I am able to see the biases of teachers that I was taught as a student, which helps me examine my own implicit biases, as well as examine curriculum that I teach or topics I discuss.
In my role as the director of teaching and learning, I can see myself using this content to help other educators understand how important it is to apply the CSRE framework to their planning and teaching. I think that most people do teach with some element of the CSRE framework already in place. My hope is to help them see how their work is connected, how they can extend in small ways to align even more with the framework, and in some cases, how they can change their practice to be more aligned to the framework. Everyone needs to see how they fit into the framework themselves if they are going to buy in and improve their practice. I think the low-hanging fruit in the framework is the welcoming and affirming class environment. There are many easy and simple changes that teachers can make to address this part of the framework. It sounds simple, but things like knowing your students' preferred pronouns, getting to know a bit about their backgrounds, doing some basic social identity work like we saw in activity 1 of this MOdule--these things take up little time but go a long way in setting up a welcoming and affirming classroom environment. Through my work as a VE, I hope to share ideas like this with other educators.
As a Virtual Art Teacher, I look forward to using the CRSE framework to strengthen my classroom environment to be more welcoming and affirming for all my students. I want students to value high expectations and rigorous instruction through constant encouragement, accessible resources, and building a positive self-image. Students can also expect to have ample opportunities to be heard through their artwork and make meaningful connections through collaborative discussions and critiques.
Incorporating the insights from Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education (CRSE) is crucial of recreating inclusive and empowering learning environments. By understanding students' cultural identities and adopting student-centered approaches, we can cultivate welcoming communities where students feel safe, valued, and connected. Building positive relationships, and implementing culturally responsive assessment practices are key strategies to enhance student engagement and empower them as active learners. It is important that we select culturally responsive content and involve families in the learning process further contribute to creating a holistic education experience that fosters diversity and equitable opportunities for all students.
As an eLearning Specialist, I train teachers on Buzz, which is a learning management system. My main responsibility is to teach them how to use the LMS in their classroom. I'm going to enhance their skills and knowledge by conducting a needs assessment to understand the current level of proficiency among the trainees regarding CRSE. I'll use this information to identify where teachers need improvement and additional support as they develop their virtual lessons and activities. I'll provide them with guided practice sessions to explore different features and functionalities. By implementing these strategies, I can effectively use CRSE in my trainings for teachers, empowering them to use technology for enhanced teacher and learning experiences.
As a Distance Learning Specialist, I work closely with teachers, students, and administrators to provide personalized learning experiences for each student based on their background and need. I am also pursuing certification courses for SBL and SDL, and I have learned a lot about Culturally Responsive Teaching. My goal is to continue to advocate for the students that I serve in our region and to promote equity and diversity in education.
In my role as Coordinator of Distance Learning, I work with many teachers providing professional development, support and mentorship. I've used elements of the Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education framework for many years and have helped many teachers incorporate ideals such as student-centered learning, establishing and promoting a safe and engaging culture and teaching across learning environments into their classrooms.
Module 2 has helped bring several elements together under a unified umbrella, while also providing me with tools and resources that I plan to incorporate into my work with Distance Learning teachers. One element of the CRSE framework that is new to me that I hadn't really considered before was leveraging youth participatory action research. I find this to be an intriguing way to incorporate more student voice and choice, while also helping develop young vocal self-advocates. I look forward to incorporating YPAR into the future trainings I provide.
Hi Ryan!
As the Library Media and Educational Specialist in my JHS, I work very closely with the "Ryan" on my Tech team! Yesterday, our ClassLink page became fully functional...for the past 2 years it displayed apps that we did not have access to. I worked very close with "Ryan"😂 to update our page. Literally, this morning, I presented to all of the teachers and administrators on how to utilize ClassLink. Most of the teachers have never used it before. They were like kids in the Apple(Candy) Store🤣.
Nevertheless, CultureGrams was added to our ClassLink page yesterday. Now my students have access to sign in with ClassLink. If you are interested in implementing any CRT initiatives, you should definitely look into CultureGrams https://online.culturegrams.com/. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions on how to use CultureGrams to support your CR curriculum.
I have been utilizing many of the resources of Module 2-Culturally Responsive Teaching to support the implementation of a culturally responsive initiative in my school. The content provided in Module 2 was easily connected and supported my lessons.
The district where I work has a large and growing ELL population. Prior to starting the VITAL program, I saw that there was a lack of culturally responsive teaching initiatives within the district. I have been through many DEI and CRT professional development training and understood the importance of creating  an educational environment that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. Furthermore, my peers and I need to support our students that come from all different backgrounds. All students need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally and benefit from a learning environment where every student feels a sense of community.
This VITAL program has motivated me to create a CRT learning environment. As a librarian, I have the ability to purchase the educational technology and resources used to support the curriculum. I curated a collection of titles that reflect my students' diversity. I brought in many popular titles in Spanish, Russian, Turkish and Polish. The Spanish titles were the easiest to find. Additionally, I recently received CultureGrams; a database which
students use to research and explore key cultural aspects of countries around the world. I created a lesson where students gather details of their country of heritage such as, popular foods, languages spoken, holidays celebrated, the geography, government, sports and more from the database. Their favorite section is, A day in the life of a child  living in their country.
This lesson will culminate with a presentation. The goal is for students to demonstrate an understanding of their heritage and celebrate the heritages of their peers. After the presentation, I will teach my students how to upload their work onto a Padlet, which is the perfect collaborative tool to use when sharing the work of many students across learning environments.
Hopefully, I will be able to further develop this lesson with a day of celebration for students and their families. Through this program, I have gained a keen appreciation of the benefits of parent engagement. In May, during Screen-Free Week, we are scheduling a night called Family Recipe Night where students are encouraged to cook a meal with their families that reflect their culture and heritage. Students will be asked to share their family recipes to create a cookbook, using a resource such as BookCreator; another great collaborative tool that is accessible across learning environments. Students and their families will have the opportunity to design their own pages and add photos for personalization.
I believe that these experiences will enable students to develop their research, presentation, and critical thinking skills. This will impact the students as they gain an appreciation and understanding of their culture and heritage while accepting the diverse backgrounds of others.
Module 2 gave me a lens into an admin role, given my current role as a Teacher on Assignment (TOA) in the Rochester City School District. This module prompted me to view Technology from a different perspective, considering that I don't hold an administrative position. It shed light on the multifaceted considerations administrators face concerning various aspects of the school community, such as parents, students, staff, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), VUCA, and more.
Â
A specific takeaway for me was from Session 8, "Technology for TALE," which addressed the use of technology in educational software. In my TOA role, I'm responsible for rostering all educational software through Classlink, attending departmental purchasing meetings, and engaging with vendors. This section made me realize that, while I focus on technical aspects like single sign-on capability, OneRoster compliance, and data agreements, there's a broader perspective to consider.
Â
I am now more attuned to understanding the purpose and goals of educational software. Questions like how the program collects and utilizes data, its impact on decision-making, and its potential for engaging parents, students, and staff have become crucial. Does the program facilitate two-way communication with parents? Can it open discussions about progress with students, staff, or parents? These are considerations beyond the technical implementation that I must now take into account.
Â
Recognizing my role in supporting software implementation and addressing Helpdesk tickets, I realized the importance of being well-informed. To bridge this gap, I've initiated the development of a comprehensive checklist. This checklist will guide discussions during new software acquisitions and legacy software renewals, ensuring that vital information about the program's purpose and engagement capabilities is considered.
Â
This checklist will not only serve as a personal guide but will also contribute to a software dashboard I am currently piloting for the district. The dashboard aims to enhance communication by providing staff and parents with valuable insights into the district's software landscape. Ultimately my goal would be to better support and guide the staff I work with when addressing Helpdesk tickets and implementing new software initiatives.