DJE #4

After reading this article, I learned a few things about teaching and literacy development. I learned that as a teacher, you should encourage students dialect in the language. I also learned by doing that, its been said that it improves test scores, and it also keeps your students from feeling ashamed of their roots.  I also learned about the code switching between a students dialect and standard English. I thought that was very interesting.

2 examples from the article of culturally responisive teaching:

1. By acknowledging the legitimacy of the cultural heritages as worthy content to be taught in the formal curriculum, teachers are giving students the need to feel respected and honored. They will have the ability to code switch and think differently. They will learn not to feel ashamed of their dialect.

2. By teaching students to know and praise their own and each others' cultural heritages students who speak Standard English and students who speak Appalachian English will be able work together in harmony without fear of bullying or feeling inferior to children who speak and write Standard English.

1 example of a personal experience of Culturally Responsive teaching:

Every year in High school, we would have Cultural heritage day once a year. It was a full day of great food that people brought in from their heritage, dances on stage, music, language, ect. It was not only a fun day that people looked forward to every year, but it was also very educational and it was a great time to explore different kinds of food and learn different kinds of dance. 

Here's a GREAT video I saw on you tube about culturally responsive teaching: 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plpp&v=wyoVt8_wjpM