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THE PRACTICE: Reshaping the Curriculum - A reshaped curriculum is culturally responsive to the background of students.
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Content Presented By:
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The Education Alliance at Brown University
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What is it?
To reshape curriculum so that it becomes culturally responsive requires that the changes challenge students to develop higher-order knowledge and skills (Villegas, 1991). Ismat Abdal-Haqq (1994) states that "Curriculum that is culturally responsive capitalizes on students' cultural backgrounds rather than attempting to override or negate them."
According to researchers, an effective, culturally responsive curriculum would encompass the following characteristics:
- Is integrated and interdisciplinary (Scherer, 1991-1992; Spears, Oliver, & Maes, 1990; Banks, 2001)
- Is meaningful, child centered, and connected to the child's real life (Chion-Kenny, 1994; Dickerson, 1993)
- Develops higher-order knowledge and skills (Villegas, 1991; Hilliard, 1991-1992)
- Utilizes a variety of learning strategies, such as cooperative learning, whole
language, and diverse learning styles (Gay, 2000)
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