Reflective Entry - Activity 4: Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness in my practice.

You know when…I heard Professor Russell Bishop say ‘We term it caring and learning relationships. It’s not just holding hands and singing nice songs to one another…’ I thought Yeeah! Tautoko! Just what I wanted to hear and say! In my opinion regardless of what ethnic cultural background you come from or indigenous peoples you are, having a caring attitude in my books is one of the most useful resources you can use.

In the same fashion, Bishop mentions that agentic teachers care for Maori students and they care about their learning. They care about the knowledge they have and acknowledge that they have knowledge. They also have high expectations of their students and can manage their classrooms well in the way they manage them.

Another key point he shares is that the agentic teacher cooperates and collaborates with Maori students. By the same token, allowing a space for Maori to be Maori and to share their viewpoint, knowing that they are being heard, have time to talk and participate and being included into discussions. Under those circumstances, we see an inclusive caring nature as a learner among learners.

Interacting by providing feedback and feed-forward with learners helps students to break through to the next level of learning regardless of their ethnic background. It also helps the teacher to adjust, edit, add or repeat the program they have in place for their students. They care about what is happening in the classroom by the same token it is relationship centered.

I am sure that if we used this model or even just one of Bishop’s indicators of an agentic teacher we may even see an agentic student. Wow, what a difference that would make toward the deficit theory and closing the gaps. Take care out there until you know when…

 Resources: Source:

Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file].Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994 Cowie, B., Otrel-Cass, K., Glynn, T., & Kara, H., et al.(2011).

Culturally responsive pedagogy and assessment in primary science classrooms: Whakamana tamariki. Wellington: Teaching Learning Research Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.tlri.org.nz/sites/default/files/projects/9268_cowie-summaryreport.pdf