Running Head: COLLABORATIVE PRESENTATION: CULTURAL NEEDS
Collaborative Presentation: Cultural Needs
David Johnson III
The University of Arizona Global Campus
EDU 8225
Culture Curriculum & Learning
15 March 2021
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COLLABORATIVE PRESENTATION: CULTURAL NEEDS
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The Necessities of Addressing Cultural Needs at Berkeley State University
Introduction
Cultural diversity within higher learning institutions is becoming an inevitable topic for
Faculty, department, and college heads and administrators. As people in charge of dealing with
the administration of institutions that admit students and recruit staff from diverse cultural
settings, addressing the cultural needs of the respective sections and departments or the entire
institution is paramount. However, an effective intervention on the cultural needs at an institution
begins with an understanding of the significance of cultural diversity and acknowledges the
diverse cultural backgrounds of all students and staff. The next step is learning to create
awareness about cultural diversity so that all stakeholders understand, appreciate, and cope with
the diverse cultural needs. In this paper, the specific cultural needs at Berkeley State University
will be reviewed to understand why there is a need for cultural needs, how the cultural needs can
be addressed, and how such cultural needs will be met.
The Necessities of Addressing Cultural Needs at Berkeley State University
Berkeley State University is one of the prestigious institutions of higher learning in the
United States. The institution attracts applications for admissions from both local, state, national,
and international perspectives, with prospective students from all parts of the world experiencing
their willingness to get admitted into this institution. It is also a leading center of excellence in
research, training, innovation, and sustainable development (Civitillo et al., 2019). Therefore,
teaching and research staff from diverse cultural backgrounds, academic fields, professional
interests, and academic settings are likely to express their desire to be part of this institution.
With the high competitiveness for the few admissions, employment, research, and
teaching vacancies at these institutions, it is expected that the university could potentially face
COLLABORATIVE PRESENTATION: CULTURAL NEEDS
challenges in recruiting quality staff and admitting deserving students while upholding the
diversity index required by relevant laws and legislations (Bonner et al., 2018). Therefore,
coming up with a diversity index that will help the institution to have a basis, standardized,
institutional policy, and framework of admitting students and recruiting staff is a matter of
concern for this institution.
Equal Employment Opportunity Act also promotes equal treatment of people by
prohibiting any form of discrimination against a person seeking employment based on their
demographic characteristics (Farinde-Wu & Williams, 2017). At Berkeley State University, the
staff working in different departments and sections needs to be employed through an open and
transparent manner that gives every applicant from all diverse backgrounds equal opportunity to
access the available vacancies and job opportunities.
The Specific Cultural Needs at Berkeley State University
The specific cultural need at Berkeley State University is incorporating culturally
responsive instructions in the classroom. The cultural need must focus on race and ethnicity to
cater to the diverse beliefs, values, principles, and practices that students from diverse cultural
backgrounds practice. The need to address cultural needs at Berkeley State University is
motivated by societal, legal, and moral frameworks that pile pressure on the institution's
administration to comply with applicable laws, legislation, and regulations (Brown, 2017). Title
XI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act is federal legislation that prohibits discrimination of any person
seeking admission to higher learning institutions based on their demographic characteristics.
Administrators at Berkeley State University are thus required to comply with this federal
legislation in admitting students into various departments and faculties to avoid legal liabilities
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COLLABORATIVE PRESENTATION: CULTURAL NEEDS
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and contingencies. For this reason, there is a need to address cultural needs at the institution to
make it culturally diverse in terms of student enrollment.
Why the Cultural Needs Should Be Met
Cultural diversity in classrooms at Berkeley State University is on the rise despite hitting
a major milestone in the minority-majority diversity index in 2018. Although the number of
Asian, Latino, and African-Americans have passed the total number of Whites admitted in this
institution, the prediction by the U.S Census that people of color would comprise more than 50%
of the population in the United States by 2044 means there is a need to address the cultural need
in the classroom (Brown, 2017). The cultural need to incorporate culturally responsive
instructions during the teaching process should be met at Berkley State University because it will
foster cultural inclusion and awareness among all students. This cultural need will help teachers
at the institution design a curriculum of teaching and learning around a multicultural education
setting, thus bringing on board all students from diverse backgrounds (Bennett et al., 2018). The
culturally responsive approach to teaching promotes an inclusive learning process that benefits
all students irrespective of their cultural backgrounds.
Creating a multicultural setting will promote cultural diversity awareness among students
and fosters inclusion in all teaching and learning processes and activities. The culturally
responsive instructions will also help students from different cultural backgrounds and
educational needs or abilities succeed within a culturally diverse setting. It also prepares the
students to cope with a culturally diverse society's demands and expectations once they graduate
with their respective degree programs (Montenegro & Jankowski, 2017). A teacher's culturally
responsive instructions will encourage acceptance among culturally diverse students, thus
preparing them for success in a world full of exponential cultural diversity. It also gives students
COLLABORATIVE PRESENTATION: CULTURAL NEEDS
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the experience required to thrive within a culturally diverse setting with diverse cultural needs,
expectations, and desires from the public.
Incorporating culturally responsive instructions in the classroom provides students with
opportunities to learn and interact with different social and cultural groups in the classroom, in
school, and in the external world once they graduate from school. The focus of incorporating
culturally responsive instructions does not end at the classroom level. Rather, it extends to the
outside world and prepares the students to venture into a future career as an individual who is
equipped with skills and competence on how to work with and serve a culturally diverse
community (Montenegro & Jankowski, 2017). Therefore, addressing this cultural need at
Berkeley State University will prepare students to grow into culturally sensitive citizens, thus
promoting a diverse and cohesive society within their neighborhood.
Incorporating culturally responsive instructions in the classroom also helps students to
develop empathetic skills. Thus, there is a need to use cultural awareness campaigns to create a
personal connection with diverse cultures to not develop prejudice during their later stages of
life. Students exposed to a culturally responsive teaching environment become aware of the
experience of different cultural backgrounds, thus demonstrating empathy towards them
(Montenegro & Jankowski, 2017). Incorporating culturally responsive instructions in the
classroom also allows students to better understand the lessons they learn from people from
diverse cultural settings. Addressing this cultural need will thus give students skills to use their
cultural strengths and perspectives to contribute to the growth of a culturally diverse group
positively.
Incorporating culturally responsive instruction in the classroom helps students develop a
sense of open-mindedness because they will be exposed to a culturally diverse range of thoughts,
COLLABORATIVE PRESENTATION: CULTURAL NEEDS
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ideas, opinions, and practices of different cultural groups. Thus, students will remain open to
new ideas and diverse cultural practices, thus gaining a deeper understanding of the significance
of cultural diversity in the classroom and their external world. Addressing this cultural need also
make the student feel safe with their colleagues from the diverse cultural background (Mellom et
al., 2018). Students will also gain confidence because their tolerance to diverse cultural practices
will allow them to interact freely with students from a wider range of cultural backgrounds
without being worried about the repercussions of their associates' unique cultural practices and
beliefs.
How the Cultural Needs Will Be Met
At Berkeley State University, the cultural need to incorporate culturally responsive
instructions in the curriculum can be met by designing a program that promotes social,
emotional, and wellness behavior among students. This program will target teachers at the
institution and help them learn new strategies to create a positive environment in the classroom
to foster a culturally diverse learning process. Using this program, a teacher at Berkeley State
University will lay down a foundation of promoting diversity in the classroom through different
cultural response teaching instructions (Bennett et al., 2018). Incorporating culturally responsive
instructions can also be met from the curriculum and classroom environment perspective.
Teachers must begin addressing this cultural need at the curriculum development level to trickle
down to the classroom level, where the implementation of the teaching and instruction policies
and frameworks happens. The increasing culturally diverse student population at Berkeley State
University calls for frequent review and update of the teaching curriculums. The most relevant
culturally diverse content is included in the course content and syllabus.
COLLABORATIVE PRESENTATION: CULTURAL NEEDS
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The cultural need for culturally responsive instructions in the classroom can be addressed
by a series of steps that begins with gain knowledge of the students’ cultural backgrounds. The
knowledge can be used to promote cultural awareness among the students through consistent
communication that demonstrates a genuine interest in the diverse cultural needs, beliefs, and
preferences of the students. Once a teacher has understood and accepted the students' diverse
cultures, it is time to acknowledge and respect these cultures to make the students feel
comfortable within the classroom (Farinde-Wu et al., 2017). Students will feel free to share their
cultural needs, desires, and practices with their colleagues without any fear of uncertainties and
intimidation. Practicing cultural sensitivity, incorporating cultural diversity in the lesson plan,
and giving the students flexibility and freedom to share their cultural experiences with colleagues
is also a perfect method of addressing this cultural need.
Conclusion
The cultural need to incorporate culturally responsive instructions remains a key concern
for Berkeley State University because it will promote awareness and understanding of the
diverse cultural composition of the classroom, institution, and society at large. Students who
graduate from Berkeley State University will be prepared to adapt to an exponentially diverse
society's diverse cultural needs. The students will cope with all the demands and expectations of
the diverse cultural setting in the classroom and are likely to replicate what they have learned in
the external world so that they embrace the cultures that are different from those they subscribe
to. Using the best strategies to develop a culturally sensitive curriculum will facilitate the
effective implementation of culturally responsive instructions in the classroom, thus encouraging
students to embrace cultural awareness, enhance their sense of identity, and promote inclusivity
in the classroom.
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References
Bennett, S. V., Gunn, A. A., Gayle-Evans, G., Barrera, E. S., & Leung, C. B. (2018). Culturally
responsive literacy practices in an early childhood community. Early Childhood
Education Journal, 46(2), 241-248.
Bonner, P. J., Warren, S. R., & Jiang, Y. H. (2018). Voices from urban classrooms: Teachers’
perceptions on instructing diverse students and using culturally responsive
teaching. Education and Urban Society, 50(8), 697-726.
Brown, J. C. (2017). A meta-synthesis of the complementarity of culturally responsive and
inquiry‐based science education in K‐12 settings: Implications for advancing equitable
science teaching and learning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 54(9), 11431173.
Civitillo, S., Juang, L. P., Badra, M., & Schachner, M. K. (2019). The interplay between
culturally responsive teaching, cultural diversity beliefs, and self-reflection: A multiple
case study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 77, 341-351.
Farinde-Wu, A., Glover, C. P., & Williams, N. N. (2017). It’s not hard work; it’s heart work:
Strategies of effective, award-winning culturally responsive teachers. The Urban
Review, 49(2), 279-299.
Mellom, P. J., Straubhaar, R., Balderas, C., Ariail, M., & Portes, P. R. (2018). “They come with
nothing:” How professional development in a culturally responsive pedagogy shapes
teacher attitudes towards Latino/a English language learners. Teaching and Teacher
Education, 71, 98-107.
Montenegro, E., & Jankowski, N. A. (2017). Equity and Assessment: Moving towards culturally
responsive assessment. Occasional Paper, 29.
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Reflections on Achievement and Opportunity Gaps
David Johnson, III
EDU 8225
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Reflections on Achievement and Opportunity Gap
There are different achievement and opportunity gaps at the educational institution,
which hinder the realization of educational goals. One of these opportunity gaps is
socioeconomic status, which impacts learners' ability to realize their educational goals. English
proficiency is another opportunity gap, which prevents learners from realizing their educational
potential (Kamm, 2018). Community wealth is another opportunity gap in this scenario, and
this prevents many learners from realizing their educational potential. Domestic and communal
issues such as an unstable home environment can also be an achievement gap. This is because
an unstable home environment will be a significant obstacle to the student's achievement of
academic success. There are different ways in which these achievement and opportunity gaps
can be reduced. One aspect of this includes offering comprehensive support to students and
providing for their smooth transition in the classroom (Gorski, 2017). Providing outreach to
the student families would also ensure a reduction of the opportunity gaps. Enhancing cultural
competence in the school setting would also assist in the reduction of the achievement gap.
Schools need to be more supportive of students and assist in providing educational
opportunities for the students. These interventions will assist students in reaching proficiency
in the learning process. This reflection will assist in my post-secondary education since it
provides a breakdown of the different obstacles to realizing academic goals. This will help in
the creation of a plan aimed at cutting down the achievement gap.
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References
Gorski, P. C. (2017). Reaching and teaching students in poverty: Strategies for erasing the
opportunity gap. Teachers College Press.
Kamm, C. (2018). Equity and opportunity: Closing the achievement gap. KAMM Solutions.
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