CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING & LEARNING AT WEST

1 CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING & LEARNING AT WEST Professional LEARNING Committee Report Tuesday, March 8, 2016 3:15-4:45 pm HLRC 4CD CRTL Team: Susi Dovlatian, Mary Hardy, Arnita Porter, Antoinette Simpson West Los Angeles College partnered with LA Harbor College and Pierce College to bring CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING and LEARNING (CRTL) to the Los Angeles Community College District. Teams from each campus participated in a 4-day intensive training, Train the Trainers held in July at Harbor with Dr. Larry Coleman and Dr. David Truscello, CRT Program facilitators from the Community College of Baltimore County.

2 Train the Trainers CRT Modules - created by Dr. David Truscello and Dr. Larry Coleman, Community College of Baltimore County 1. Meanings of Culture and Race Culture is everywhere Race matters 2. Exploring Mindsets and LEARNING Fixed vs. Growth Mindset, Praising Effort (Carol Dweck) 3. Overcoming Stereotype Threat LEARNING Barriers Unconscious Bias, Microaggressions, Stereotypes, Privilege 4. Social Capital and LEARNING Who you know greatly influences what you will learn and know. Importance of creating knowledge capital networks Access to certain social resources within networks of people and knowledge systems.

3 West CRTL Team Goals: Increase awareness, encourage self-reflection, shift perceptions and practices Strengthen skills necessary for positive interaction within and between cultural groups Provide safe spaces to share stories and engage in honest dialogue Create pathways of understanding, tolerance, and meaningful social change at West and beyond CRTL Fall 2015 Activities @ West Team selected, May Train the Trainers, Los Angeles Harbor College, July Held monthly planning meetings Social media sites created and regularly updated Presenters - West Professional LEARNING Week, Hot Topics Panel, Professional LEARNING Day, August Facilitated 2 Workshops, October and November Student Cultural Event - Culture & Conversation: Communities Supporting Communities.

4 Sponsored by ASO, Reachers Club, FORWARD, November Featured in West ATDetails, November LACCD Faculty TEACHING and LEARNING Academy (FTLA), Pierce College, August 3 CSN (Los Angeles Regional Network), Achieving the Dream and Student Success Initiative Summit 2: Welcoming Students to Your Campus: Innovative Efforts in SSSP and Equity Initiatives, Mission College, November (Link to post) Workshops based on CRT Modules L o Workshop #1 Exploring Mindsets and LEARNING Susi Dovlatian o Workshop #2 Social Capital Building Bridges, Expanding Networks Arnita Porter o Workshop #3 Overcoming Stereotype Threat Antoinette Simpson o Workshop #4 Meanings of Culture and Race Mary Hardy WORKSHOP #1 HIGHLIGHTS GROWTH MINDSET: HOW DO WE TEACH & EMBRACE A GROWTH MINDSET Praise Effort (Be descriptive; Be curious.)

5 Show positive interest) The Power of Yet Help Students Shape New Self-Talk I would like my professor to know there are times where I don t have a place to stay quiet and have time for myself. I go to class and still pay attention and yes there is the library but library hours don t fit with my full time schedule. Help students feel more comfortable asking questions in class. Give us enough resources to pass the class. WHAT OUR STUDENTS WANT YOU TO KNOW What would you like your professors to know about your struggle in obtaining education?

6 That everything can be explained. If I get a bad grade or struggle, don t give up on me! What qualities do you look for in an instructor? More office hours for students, and more review in class before exams. What Our Students Want You to Know WORKSHOP #2 HIGHLIGHTS Expanding Social Capital Networks of Knowledge through Critical Pedagogy: A Critical Ethnographic Study with Community College Students (David Truscello, PhD) David Truscello researched the implications of social capital knowledge networks in achievement gap differentials.

7 He used a classroom exercise to help students identify, examine, and expand their social capital knowledge networks. Students discussed what they knew and how they knew it Created a graphic organizer, My Social Capital Portfolio Reflected on the data, discussed the size and extent of their social capital networks of knowledge and the kinds of knowledge shared by people in their social capital networks. Wrote essays about the experience Collaboratively devised practical ways they can begin connecting to people who know their subject or field of interest - through internships, practicum, volunteering, correspondence, etc.

8 INITIAL NETWORK DESCRIPTIONS In my life there are very few people in my social network. Social capital is not a luxury I have right now. No one in my family knows anything that could help me in the career I have chosen. (pediatrics). My mother grew up poor, she dropped out at 16, was married with 2 kids by her 19th birthday. I am compelled to expand who I know, or else I ll be limited by the invisible boundary of my reality. Expanding Social Capital Networks of Knowledge through Critical Pedagogy: A Critical Ethnographic Study with Community College Students.

9 David Truscello, AFTER CREATING SOCIAL CAPITAL PORTFOLIOS It gave me a new way of thinking about people I know and how I can tap into their knowledge to start my own career. Even the smallest human interaction can be considered utilizing social capital at some level. I need to begin to think about the connections I should make to gain knowledge, and to improve my chance of success in the medical profession. Since my major is digital electronics, I may need to get connected to someone who works in that field or an instructor here on campus.

10 Expanding Social Capital Networks of Knowledge through Critical Pedagogy: A Critical Ethnographic Study with Community College Students. David Truscello, CRTL Team and Student Reflections on Culture & Conversations featured in West ATDetails STUDENT ENGAGEMENT CULTURE & CONVERSATION: COMMUNITIES SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES MONTHLY MEETINGS Number of Participants Per Session: All 4 team members were present. Results of Session Evaluations: Planning sessions for each semester events, including targeted audience, marketing, materials, logistics and content.