The DICE PLC focuses on educating through communication; by enhancing positive communication principles, we improve our connections between each other and promote respect for our differences in the classroom, professional settings, and our culture. Current events have underscored the desperate need for celebrating diversity, the work of authentic communication, and acceptance and equity within our world. All administrators, faculty, staff, and students in a culturally diverse educational environment have biases and expectations that shape how they interact. Failure to communicate effectively creates negative interactions that perpetuate those biases. Therefore, this Professional Learning Community (PLC) 's primary objective is to assist all academic community members in acquiring the knowledge, motivation, and skills to communicate with one another through the following:
We champion a Relational Approach to instruction that derives from scholarship relating to interpersonal communication, and assumes that instructors and students are both sources and receivers of information resulting in the generation of shared meanings and simultaneous learning. It is the “learning community culture” approach most often employed in the humanities that involves teachers and students using verbal and nonverbal messages to develop a relationship with a shared perspective satisfactory to all(McCroskey, Valencic, & Richmond, 2004). Rather than focus exclusively on message content, teachers and students acknowledge and address emotions. It is influenced by the work of philosopher Martin Buber who suggests true dialogue is at the core of authentic communication. Because dialogue is open, honest, spontaneous, less strategic and nonjudgmental, teachers and students expect learning to be mutually beneficial as they interact with one another as unique individuals (Mottet, Richmond, & McCrosky, 2006). Uniqueness is determined by individual characteristics, traits and a variety of cultural influences that must be acknowledged. In our increasingly diverse environment, it is essential that we are both interpersonally and interculturally competent. Therefore, at IRSC, we strive for culturally responsive teaching as a result of our culturally responsive classroom management.
- Identifying the barriers to effective communication that face our students.
- Acquiring and utilizing resources to educate our community to eradicate, eliminate, or minimize the impact of identified barriers.
- Implementing and institutionalizing new programs specifically designed to enhance and promote culturally responsive teaching and classrooms to advance student learning, retention, and completion.
We champion a Relational Approach to instruction that derives from scholarship relating to interpersonal communication, and assumes that instructors and students are both sources and receivers of information resulting in the generation of shared meanings and simultaneous learning. It is the “learning community culture” approach most often employed in the humanities that involves teachers and students using verbal and nonverbal messages to develop a relationship with a shared perspective satisfactory to all(McCroskey, Valencic, & Richmond, 2004). Rather than focus exclusively on message content, teachers and students acknowledge and address emotions. It is influenced by the work of philosopher Martin Buber who suggests true dialogue is at the core of authentic communication. Because dialogue is open, honest, spontaneous, less strategic and nonjudgmental, teachers and students expect learning to be mutually beneficial as they interact with one another as unique individuals (Mottet, Richmond, & McCrosky, 2006). Uniqueness is determined by individual characteristics, traits and a variety of cultural influences that must be acknowledged. In our increasingly diverse environment, it is essential that we are both interpersonally and interculturally competent. Therefore, at IRSC, we strive for culturally responsive teaching as a result of our culturally responsive classroom management.
Culturally Responsive Teaching is (1) validating by drawing upon the cultural knowledge, traditions, and styles of diverse students; (2) comprehensive requiring a willingness to learn about the cultural backgrounds, traditions, and histories of the students represented in one’s classroom; (3) multidimensional in approaching topics or issues from multiple perspectives; and (4) empowering because success is accomplished by “bolstering students’ morale. If successfully implemented, you can expect all students to succeed; because it is (5) transformative building upon students’ strengths extending them further in the learning process. Finally, it is (6) emancipatory with students free to move beyond the traditional canons of knowledge to explore alternative perspectives and ways of knowing (Powell & Powell, 2010).
Clearly, as faculty we need to reflect on our own biases and pedagogical practices that may limit our ability to communicate effectively and appropriately to achieve our overall objective –student success. As faculty, we can play a major role in identifying, challenging, and reframing deficit discourse in our college community. Find out how we can accomplish this by exploring our website!
References
McCroskey, J. C., Valencic, K. M., & Richmond, V. P. (2004). Toward a general model of
instructional communication. Communication Quarterly, 52(3), 197-210.
Mottet, T. P., Richmond, V. P., & McCroskey, J. C. (2006). Handbook of Instructional
Communication: Rhetorical and Relational Perspectives. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Powell, R. G., & Powell, D. L. (Eds.) (2010). Classroom Communication and Diversity:
Enhancing Instructional Practice. New York: Routledge.
Weinstein, C. S., Tomlinson-Clarke, S., & Curran, M. (2004). Toward a conception of
culturally responsive classroom management. Journal of Teacher Education, 55(1), 25-38.
instructional communication. Communication Quarterly, 52(3), 197-210.
Mottet, T. P., Richmond, V. P., & McCroskey, J. C. (2006). Handbook of Instructional
Communication: Rhetorical and Relational Perspectives. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Powell, R. G., & Powell, D. L. (Eds.) (2010). Classroom Communication and Diversity:
Enhancing Instructional Practice. New York: Routledge.
Weinstein, C. S., Tomlinson-Clarke, S., & Curran, M. (2004). Toward a conception of
culturally responsive classroom management. Journal of Teacher Education, 55(1), 25-38.