Creating a Culturally-Conscious Learning Environment

Course Available
3 Units
Online Self-Paced

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.

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

Course Options

Course Date Units Price
EDU-X764P – 008 Start now, you have 180 days to complete this course once enrolled 3 $504

Creating a Culturally-Conscious Learning Environment

Start now, you have 180 days to complete this course once enrolled
3
$504
Online Self-Paced
Lara DeHaven

Once you have enrolled in your course, log in to your account to access the course Welcome Letter, which includes directions on how to access the Online Orientation and your online course.

What You Will Learn

  • 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

Instructors

Professional development courses offered by the University of San Diego’s Division of Professional & Continuing Education are taught by faculty that possess a depth and breadth of academic and real-world professional experience.

Why USD?

The Professional and Continuing Education program nurtures key partnerships on the local, national, and international level. The goal is to better serve working professionals who seek to enhance or build their careers and help achieve their highest value and potential. Contact us today to learn more.

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Learning Method Information

Courses offer a convenient, yet rigorous style of learning that allows you to structure your education to suit your schedule while keeping you on pace toward achieving your educational.

Online Self-Paced

Our online self-paced courses are similar to online fixed-date courses, but are designed to give you a six-month period from time of enrollment to complete all assignments. Your instructor will provide feedback via written responses on your assignments and exams. Grades are based on completed projects, assignments and exams.

How is the self-paced course structured? Like fixed-date courses, online self-paced courses are asynchronous meaning that you can work on your assignments anytime; the difference being there are no assigned due dates in self-paced courses. The content is divided into learning modules. Each module will cover one or more topics. Within each of the learning modules, you can expect the following components:

  • Module introduction that outlines what you can expect to learn in the module.
  • Required readings (textbook, articles, journals, websites, etc.) and presentations (audio and/or video).
  • Assignments (which may include: written assignments, quizzes, blogs, etc.) based on the readings and presentations.
  • Module conclusion to review the topics and what you should have learned.
  • Typically, there is a final project, paper, or exam due in the last module that culminates all of the topics covered in each of the learning modules. You’ll find that the design of the learning modules has a rhythm to help you manage your time in the course.

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