Online Learning: Engaging Families Using Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Abstract

Students with disabilities are choosing to engage in remote schooling. Families of children with disabilities may never set foot in a physical school building. Yet, it is important for families to feel connected to their child’s education and the school community. This column discusses strategies based in culturally relevant pedagogy to engage parents of students with disabilities who are learning remotely. Strategies can be applied to families of all students with disabilities, but a focus is placed on families of students with a learning disability. Educators can facilitate culturally relevant practices that (a) establish effective, culturally honoring two-way communication with families online, (b) connect families to necessary resources that are typically provided when children attend a physical school building, and (c) encourage social ties between families to raise critical consciousness.

OLJ September 2023 27(3)

“…Most of the research related to refugee families' life experiences focused on the challenges faced by the families during resettlement in a host country. However, refugee families' cultural practices and literacies in their current domestic settings also need scholarly attention (Cun, 2020;Bolander, 2023). Specifically, families have developed digital literacies that honor their cultural practices and values.…”