culturally relevant pedagogy

1. Culturally Relevant Inspiration
Ernestine Bizzell
EDU 692 Creativity, Culture, and Global Contexts
in Education Decision Making
Gladys Evans
April 8, 2017

2. Mesquite Elementary School
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Link:
https://www.edutopia.org/stw-differentiated-instruction-budget-overv

3. Demographic Information
about the Students
22% free/reduced lunch
12% special needs
3% English-language
31% Hispanic
7% African American/black
5% Asian
1% other
Data is from the 2010-2011 academic year.

4. Mesquite Elementary is Unique
in Itself
Although Mesquite Elementary has to be careful in it budgeting and
planning, the innovative school has been in the spotlight due to some
amazing teachers who has shown that they really care about meeting the
needs of their students through differentiation instruction. They apply the
4Cs skills which consist of creativity, communication, critical thinking, and
of course, collaboration. They make collaboration their main goal at this
school. Collaboration is what is required to be successful when your
greatest challenge is for your students to excel in all they do. “ Here,
teachers sit around a small circular table to discuss student progress,
evaluate assessments, critique how their lesson plans worked, share new
ideas, and plan for Reteach and Enrich” ( Nobori, 2011). Reteach and
Enrich ( R&E) was designed to help students to succeed in their work. At a
certain time of the day, all teachers come together and discuss what
actions to take to keep students' progressive in their work. With that in
mind, what a difference it makes when teachers get together with one goal
in mind, that is the student.

5. List of the 21 st Century Skills
Supported by the Program
Collaboration
Communication
Critical Thinking
Content Knowledge and 21 st Century Themes
Learning and Innovation
Information, Media and Technology
Life and Career
Standards
Assessments
Curriculum
Professional Development

6. Examination of How the Learning
Experiences Reflect Culturally
Relevant Pedagogy
Upon examination of how this school operates, I have
found it to be excessively collaborative and teacher
motivated. Teamwork goes along way. For instance, sports
teams are always competing against one another in hopes
of winning, and I believe that they understand it takes them
working as a team if they want to take the trophy home.
This idea goes hand in hand with wanting the best for their
students at Mesquite Elementary. They realize they can
accomplish so much more working together for the
common good of the student. They come together and
collaborate on the strengths and weaknesses of their
students so that they can work on strategies to implement
when teaching. Nieto and Bode ( 2012) states, “ that
education should acknowledge and use these differences
as personal strengths to enable students to succeed”
Wardle, 2013, Sec. 4.4).

7. Examination of How the school and/or
Program Promotes Creativity in the Classroom
for Both Teachers and Students
At Mesquite Elementary, teachers are encouraged
to lead by example. Upon investigation, the goal of
the teachers to to feed off one another for ideas
through collaboration to help students be
successful, however, there is no mention of
creativity been used among the collaboration
planning. Teachers are encouraged to promote
creativity as a part of their planning. The NACCE
( 1999) states, “ It is in the balance between
closure and openness, between tradition and
innovation, that creativity thrives or dies; and with
it the diversity and vitality of human culture itself”
( p. 58). Therefore, the teachers should include
creativity as a part of the collaboration planning.

8. References
Differentiated Instruction: Helping Every Child Succeed. ( n. d.). [Web log]. Retrieved from
https://www.edutopia.org/stw-differentiated-instruction-budget-overview-video
Framework for 21st century learning. (2007). Retrieved from
http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework
National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education. (1999). All our futures:
Creativity, culture and education [Report].
Retrieved from http://sirkenrobinson.com/pdf/allourfutures.pdf
Nobori, M. ( 2011, August 29). Sustaining Success Despite Budge Cuts. [ Web log].
Retrieved from Https://www.edutopia.org/stw-differentiated-instruction-budget-overview
Wardle, F. (2013). Human relationships and learning in the multicultural environment. San
Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.