Partner with educators to identify digital learning content that is culturally relevant, developmentally appropriate and aligned to content standards

ISTE standards for coaches

Partnering for Culturally Relevant Learning

Teaching in a culturally relevant, developmentally appropriate way is a natural best practice for teachers. Coaches play an essential role in this by helping educators identify and use technology tools to support their teaching and students. In August 2021, I wrote about how we can better evaluate inclusive educational technology tools using three rubrics that determined how well technology tools aligned with a fully inclusive environment.

Effectively meeting the needs of students includes ensuring that educators understand how they use technology and rethinking our assumptions about the students we teach and how they interact with the technology teachers want to use. I highlighted the importance of examining the ways students use technology outside of learning in an October 2020 post.

Part of supporting educators as they work to engage students in a relevant way using technology is ensuring that the lessons themselves are appropriate for the specific group of students who will be learning from them. As a co-teacher, I meet regularly with another teacher to ensure that our lessons, materials, and technology are developmentally appropriate for an academically and socially diverse classroom. I wrote about this in two posts: Modifying Lessons for a Co-Taught Classroom, and Collaborating in Uncertain Times. Digital tools can support lessons modified for diverse learning needs or they can hinder learning, and being able to choose and use those tools wisely can make all the difference.