Creating a Culturally-Conscious Learning Environment - EDU-X764P

Course Description

Create an Open-Minded and Supportive Environment Where Cultural Differences are Celebrated

Creating a Culturally-Conscious Learning Environment is designed to provide TK-12 educators with resources and tools to create learning environments conducive to culturally-responsive learning and teaching with the purpose of improving student achievement by minimizing bad behavior. The course aims to support educators in enhancing class culture, academic discourse, and peer relationships by increasing cultural sensitivity and awareness. To support educators, the course will help guide educators in building classrooms with the focus on improving educational equity. The first part of the course will focus on defining educational equity and self-reflection; educators will explore their own identity markers and implicit biases how they impact their own pedagogy and learning environment. The second part of the course will focus on defining what it means to be culturally responsive and exploring and understanding your own student needs in order to create a culturally-conscious classroom.

This course can be taken individually or as a part of either the Professional Teachers Program Series, the Beginning Teachers Series, or the Teaching for Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity in the Classroom Series.

Learner Outcomes

• Define educational equity and success in terms of student achievement
• Reflect on your own identity markers and implicit biases in order to better understand how they impact your own pedagogy and learning environment
• Reflect on current practices through an equity-focused lens with the aim of improving educational equity and success for all students
• Build a learning partnership with students and the community to ensure student agency and voice is present in the learning environment
• Design a culturally-conscious classroom environment that uplifts and gives voice to the diversity within the class and community

Course Details

Number of Units: 3.0 graduate level extension credit(s) in semester hours

Who Should Attend: This course provides continuing education for TK-12 educators with a diverse student population or with the need to expand student thinking through an equitable and culturally-responsive lens who would benefit from the course by learning how to address gaps in cultural understanding and creating an environment for students to learn from one another.

Technical Requirements

Applies Towards the Following Certificate(s), Professional Programs and Series

• Beginning Teachers Series : Courses - Enroll in One or More
• Professional Teachers Program Series : Courses - Enroll in One or More
• Teaching for Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity in the Classroom Series : Courses - Enroll in One or More