TOPIC: creating a culturally creative Classroom for Social Studies in an Elementary School. o Develop three detailed, measurable objectives based on your knowledge of domains of learning. Explain ho

CORE DECISIONS 0

Curriculum Change Plan: Part 3 - Core Decisions

Brittany J. Cooper

School of Education, Liberty University

Author Note

Brittany J. Cooper

I have no known conflict of interest to disclose. If any confilcts

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Brittany J.Cooper

Email: [email protected]

Goals and Standards

Goals for Curriculum Change Plan

The first goal is significantly promote diversity and cultural representation in classroom materials and lessons. According to the theory of culturally responsive teaching, representing diverse cultures and experiences around the world helps validate and affirm students' cultural identities while exposing them to other cultures (McKoy & Lind, 2022). When students see themselves and people from different cultures and backgrounds reflected in their education through books, posters, lessons, and activities, they are more likely to feel engaged, invested in learning, and open to learning about other cultures and perspectives. Including materials from various cultures shows students that all cultures are valued.

The second goal is to thoroughly teach social studies content, such as history, civics, and geography, from multiple cultural perspectives throughout the curriculum. The multicultural education theory posits that examining topics through different cultural lenses can help greatly dispel cultural biases, stereotypes, and the tempting "single story" by looking at issues and events from several perspectives (Muniz, 2019). Students will develop a more complex, well-rounded understanding of history, government, and society if they learn about it from varied cultural viewpoints, not just one or two dominant narratives. They will learn how different groups have experienced and interpreted the same events or periods.

The third goal is to methodically build strong culturally responsive communication and relationship skills among all students. The theory of sociocultural influences on learning maintains that education is most impactful when it fully acknowledges students' cultural socialization processes and expertly capitalizes on their cultural frame of reference (Cruz et al., 2020). By consistently teaching students throughout the year to genuinely appreciate cultural differences, find common ground across diverse experiences, thoughtfully consider multiple perspectives, and resolve conflicts respectfully across cultural divides through open discussion, they will gain invaluable skills relevant to successfully navigating an increasingly diverse local community and global society as culturally competent citizens.

Influence of Personal Educational Experience

My K-12 education focused almost exclusively on Western cultural perspectives and history and did not adequately represent or explore the diversity of cultures within and worldwide. I want my students to feel that their unique cultural backgrounds and the backgrounds of all their classmates are valued and respected in the classroom (Landson-Billings, 2021). As someone who rarely saw himself or peers from other cultures reflected in lessons, readings, or activities, I understand how this lack of representation can diminish engagement, motivation to learn, and appreciation for diversity. Providing diverse cultural representation and integrating multiple viewpoints into the social studies curriculum is vital for helping all students establish a positive, inclusive learning environment.

Relevant State/National Standards

The National Council for Social Studies standards stress the need for social studies education to help students acquire in-depth knowledge about diverse cultures and gain decision-making skills that consider cultural diversity, multiple perspectives, empathetic understanding, and inclusive civic participation (Landson-Billings, 2021). Likewise, my state standards for history and civics emphasize teaching students to thoughtfully recognize perspectives of diverse local and global communities, analyze how cultural experiences influence differing viewpoints, and discuss modern issues through intercultural lenses. Both standards lay the groundwork for a culturally responsive curriculum that strategically meets societal needs for cultivating cross-cultural competence and fostering citizenship that respects diversity.  

Organization Plan

           I will implement a thorough backward design approach for organizing my curriculum change plan. Backward design, as outlined by McKoy & Lind, (2022), involves strategically planning curriculum in three distinct stages - the first and most important being establishing the desired long-term goals and outcomes. This evidence-based process is ideally suited for my initiative because it will ensure my updated culturally responsive curriculum maps intentionally address all necessary standards while equipping students with targeted understandings, skills, and real-world applications.

In stage one of backward design, I will develop a comprehensive process to precisely define the overarching goals and learning outcomes desired for this curriculum change. This involves outlining the cultural competencies, subject area benchmarks, and civic skills students should demonstrably attain by the end of each grade level, as informed by standards documents and stakeholder input (Kieran & Anderson, 2019). Establishing the priority endpoints at the onset helps provide a roadmap to guide subsequent planning stages.

During stage two, I will invest time collaborating with colleagues to devise valid, authentic formative and summative assessment tools aligned with my goals. This may include rubrics for student projects involving cross-cultural comparison, performance assessments demonstrating perspective-taking, and pre/post-cultural literacy surveys (Abacioglu et al., 2020). Developing robust assessment protocols focused on higher-order thinking skills is vital for holistically evaluating how instruction enhances cultural understanding.

In stage three, I will purposefully sequence engaging hands-on lessons, readings, discussions, and resources to help students progress toward achieving my defined goals. Activities will encourage the exploration of various cultural lenses and the application of skills like compromise across differences (Cruz et al., 2020). Collaboration with experienced teachers will strengthen curriculum components. These careful backward design stages will systemically reform my program map to cultivate the cultural aptitudes expected of citizens in an evolving society. Its step-by-step, outcomes-based logic provides the organization necessary to ensure my cultural representation and inclusion priorities are authentically realized in a fully coordinated learning experience for all students (Muniz, 2019). 

Evidence Plan

           To evaluate the success of my curriculum change plan, I will employ a comprehensive evidence plan involving needs assessments, formative feedback, and summative outcome measures. Conducting needs assessments at the outset is crucial for establishing a baseline and gathering insightful perspectives directly from key stakeholders. I will design thorough student surveys with questions about their interests in learning about various cultures, how they wish to see their own culture represented, and what types of lessons and activities would be most engaging. I will also conduct student interviews to allow for open-ended responses and anecdotes (Abacioglu et al., 2020). This rich qualitative and quantitative data from students will provide valuable clarity on how I can make social studies content most relevant and exciting for our diverse learner population.

I will survey parents, guardians, and other community members to ensure my curriculum addresses community needs. Questions will focus on gauging perceptions of how well the current curriculum represents significant cultural groups in our local area, important issues facing various cultural communities, and partnership opportunities. I will also invite feedback through focus groups. Their important voices will be integrated into planning to ensure my culturally responsive revisions accurately serve the diverse needs of our school's societal stakeholders.

During implementation, I will employ ongoing formative assessments to monitor student progress and allow for mid-course adjustments closely. I will regularly conduct lesson observations using a protocol to track critical elements like equitable student participation and representation across differing cultural groups. Exit slips distributed after significant units can solicit student self-ratings and reflections on how instruction fostered their cultural awareness, perspective-taking abilities, and socio-cultural skills. Facilitating anonymous feedback opportunities will be invaluable for continued refinement.

Summative data will ultimately determine if my overarching goals were fully realized. While standardized test scores may provide one perspective on growth in subject matter knowledge taught through a multicultural lens, outcome-based performance assessments and projects are needed to gauge skills in applying multi-perspective thinking more authentically (McKoy & Lind, 2022). Rubrics will be used to evaluate student-created work demonstrating an understanding of course themes from diverse cultural viewpoints and experiences. Pre- and post-implementation cultural literacy surveys administered to students, families, and school stakeholders can further validate the efficacy of this culturally responsive curriculum initiative.

References

Abacioglu, C. S., Volman, M., & Fischer, A. H. (2020). Teachers’ multicultural attitudes and perspective taking abilities as factors in culturally responsive teaching. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 90(3), 736-752.

Cruz, R. A., Manchanda, S., Firestone, A. R., & Rodl, J. E. (2020). An examination of teachers’ culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy. Teacher Education and Special Education, 43(3), 197-214.

Kieran, L., & Anderson, C. (2019). Connecting universal design for learning with culturally responsive teaching. Education and Urban Society, 51(9), 1202-1216.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2021). Culturally relevant pedagogy: Asking a different question. Teachers College Press.

McKoy, C. L., & Lind, V. R. (2022). Culturally responsive teaching in music education: From understanding to application. Taylor & Francis.

Muñiz, J. (2019). Culturally Responsive Teaching: A 50-State Survey of Teaching Standards. New America.