An Asset Based Approach: Leveraging Cultural Capital in the Classroom

An Asset Based Approach: Leveraging Cultural Capital in the Classroom

Objectives:

 By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Define validation theory, its components, and the cultural capital and explain its significance in education.
Describe the core concepts of Laura Rendón's validation theory and Tara Yosso's cultural wealth wheel.
Identify the six dimensions of cultural wealth and provide examples of each.
Develop strategies to validate students' cultural identities and experiences.
Create inclusive and culturally responsive learning environments.
Integrate cultural wealth into curriculum and instruction.


Attention Getter:

 The Education System views..Assets vs. Deficits


Materials:

 
Validation Theory

Relevant Pedagogy

Cultural Wealth Wheel

Looking at Cultural Wealth Wheel through a New Lens: Community Cultural Wealth by Tara Yosso (2005) & Latino Students' Ventajas & Conocimientos by Rendon, Nora, & Kangala (2014).

 
Required Activities:

Respond to Comment Section: Review all the materials provided in the RESOURCES. Write a response about the resources. How would you incorporate the cultural wealth walk, the culturally relevant literature, or Tara Yosso's cultural wealth wheel in your courses?


Activity:

Create your personal wealth wheel and submit it in the Cultural Wealth Quiz. You can submit a visual representation as above or just simple text columns.


Additional Resources:

Cultural Wealth Walk

Culturally Relevant Annotated Bibliography

Summary of Tara Yosso's Cultural Wealth Wheel

Cultural Wealth Wheel Activity (for classroom use)

Connecting Students to Culturally Relevant Text

The education system views...

Assets vs Deficits

What the American Education System sees...immigrants, limited English proficiency, low socio-economic status, and migrant kids.

What parents see...hopes, dreams, high expectations, and language breakers.

The education system does not acknowledge students' cultural wealth and how the overcome and survive adversity (Rendon, et al., 2022). 

Relevant Pedagogy

1. Working with students using Asset-Based Pedagogy

2. Decentralizing dominant mainstream voices, including non-dominant voices, valuing students' lived experiences. 

3. Modeling oral history counter-narrative storytelling.  

Components

community CuLTural WeaLTh

Rendon's Ventajas & Conocimientos

Aspirational 

"Holding on to hope in the face of structured inequality and often without the means to make such dreams a reality" (77).

"Ability to set high aspirations, recognize the value of education, and remain hopeful about the future" (Rendon, et al., 2014).

Linguistic

"intellectual and social skills attained through communication experiences in one or more languages and/or style" (78). 

"ability to use two or more languages to communicate and employment of diverse forms of communication skills in multiple contexts" (Rendon et al., 2014) .

Familial

"cultural ways of knowing immediate and extended family that maintain a healthy connection to community and its resources" (78)

"Modeling the strengths of the family, ability to use knowledge gained through the value of family consejos, respeto, testimonios y educacion, and validation and encouragement from siblings, parents, and relatives" (Rendon et al., 2014).

Social

"networks of significant others and community resources that provide instrumental and emotional support to navigate institutions" (78).


"ability to create social networks, and ability to make new friends and form new relationships" (Rendon, et al., 2014).

Navigational

"ability to navigate social institutions which were not created for particularly Communities of Color" (79).


Resistant

"oppositional behaviors brought forth when Communities of Color recognize and challenge social inequities" (79).

"ability to resist stereotypes and combat micro-aggressions and ability to overcome hardships, such as poverty and lack of resources" (Rendon, et al., 2014).

Activity Example:

ADD YOUR RESPONSE TO THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW: Review all the materials provided in the RESOURCES. Write a response about the resources. How would you incorporate the cultural wealth walk, the culturally relevant literature, or Tara Yosso's cultural wealth wheel in your courses?

ACTIVITY: Create your personal wealth wheel and submit it in the Cultural Wealth Quiz. You can submit a visual representation as above or just simple text columns. 

Purpose: A cultural wealth wheel activity aims to help individuals recognize and appreciate the diverse forms of capital they possess. By engaging in this activity, participants can identify personal assets by discovering and acknowledging their strengths, skills, and knowledge, including those related to language, family, social networks, and cultural practices.

Challenge Deficit-Based Thinking: Shift their perspective from focusing on limitations to recognizing their potential and resources. 

Foster Self-Efficacy: Develop a sense of belief in their ability to succeed and overcome challenges. Build Community: Connect with others who share similar experiences and values, creating a supportive network. 

Leverage Cultural Capital: Learn how to utilize their cultural wealth to achieve their educational and career goals. By understanding and valuing their cultural wealth, individuals can approach their education and future endeavors with greater confidence and purpose.

Resources

Cultural Wealth Walk

The purpose of the cultural wealth walk is to actively engage participants in recognizing and appreciating the diverse cultural assets that exist within a group. By physically moving through a space and reflecting on personal and collective experiences, participants can gain a deeper understanding of the six dimensions of cultural wealth: aspirational, linguistic, familial, social, navigational, and resistance capital. This experiential activity fosters a sense of community, challenges deficit-based thinking, and inspires participants to leverage cultural wealth to create more inclusive and equitable learning environments.

Culturally Relevant Annotated Bibliography

A culturally relevant annotated bibliography serves as a comprehensive resource that highlights scholarly works that acknowledge and value diverse cultural perspectives. Its primary purpose is to: Document Cultural Diversity: To catalog and analyze scholarly works that address issues of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and other cultural factors. Promote Critical Thinking: To encourage readers to think critically about the ways in which culture shapes knowledge production and dissemination. Inform Research and Practice: To provide researchers and practitioners with a foundation of knowledge that can be used to inform culturally responsive teaching, curriculum development, and assessment. Advocate for Equity: To advocate for equitable educational practices that recognize and respect the diverse experiences and backgrounds of all learners. By critically examining and synthesizing the literature, a culturally relevant annotated bibliography can help to advance understanding of cultural diversity and its impact on education and society.

Summary of Tara Yosso's Cultural Wealth Wheel

The purpose of summarizing Tara Yosso's Cultural Wealth Wheel is to provide a concise overview of the six dimensions of cultural wealth that students bring to the classroom. By highlighting the various forms of capital, such as linguistic, familial, and social capital, the summary aims to: Challenge Deficit-Based Thinking: To shift the narrative from focusing on students' perceived deficiencies to recognizing their strengths and assets. Inform Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: To equip educators with the knowledge and tools to create inclusive and equitable learning environments that value and leverage students' cultural wealth. Promote Student Agency: To empower students to recognize and utilize their cultural capital to achieve academic success and personal fulfillment. By understanding and applying the concepts of the Cultural Wealth Wheel, educators can foster a more just and equitable educational experience for all students.

Cultural Wealth Wheel Activity

The purpose of a cultural wealth activity is to help individuals recognize and appreciate the diverse forms of capital they possess. By engaging in this activity, participants can: Identify Personal Assets: Discover and acknowledge their strengths, skills, and knowledge, including those related to language, family, social networks, and cultural practices. Challenge Deficit-Based Thinking: Shift their perspective from focusing on limitations to recognizing their potential and resources. Foster Self-Efficacy: Develop a sense of belief in their ability to succeed and overcome challenges. Build Community: Connect with others who share similar experiences and values, creating a supportive network. Leverage Cultural Capital: Learn how to utilize their cultural wealth to achieve their educational and career goals. By understanding and valuing their cultural wealth, individuals can approach their education and future endeavors with greater confidence and purpose.

Connecting Students to Culturally Relevant Text

This text aims to explore the significance of culturally relevant literature in enhancing student engagement and comprehension. By providing practical strategies and insights, the authors seek to:   Highlight the importance of cultural relevance: Demonstrate how culturally relevant texts can foster a deeper connection between students and the material, leading to improved reading skills and critical thinking. Offer criteria for selecting culturally relevant texts: Provide guidelines for educators to identify books that resonate with students' backgrounds and experiences.   Explore effective instructional strategies: Share teaching techniques that capitalize on the power of culturally relevant literature to promote active learning and meaningful discussions. Advocate for equitable literacy practices: Encourage educators to create inclusive classroom environments that celebrate diversity and empower all learners. Ultimately, this text serves as a valuable resource for educators who aspire to create engaging and transformative literacy experiences for their students.

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}
>