Running head: ASSET-BASED APPROACH

Asset-Based Approach to Working with Students of Color

Cat Aurelio, Colette M. Casavant, Katie Dabbs, Brendon Soltis SDAD-578-01, Winter 2013 Dr. Yamamura Seattle University

ASSET-BASED APPROACH Introduction This paper is a summary and reflection of the workshop Asset-Based Approach to Working with Students of Color. The authors review the theory supporting the workshop plan, learning outcomes, workshop components, reflect on the application of Kolbs Learning Models (1984), and conclude with lessons learned and findings. While we sought to educate the workshop participants, we feel we gained more cultural competence than they. Background In preparing our workshop on asset-based approaches to working with students of color, our prime resource was Yossos (2005) interrogation of cultural capital through a Critical Race Theory lens (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001). Through this analysis, Yosso (2005) suggests that a deficit view of communities of color, typically defined by white educators and researchers,

inaccurately portrays a community or individuals environment as lacking in resources compared to the white majority community. Yosso (2005) therefore suggests that communities of color use their voice and experiences to explore their own experience and assets. Through her own interrogation, she proposes six forms of capital nurtured through a communitys wealth: aspirational, navigational, social, linguistic, familial, and resistant capital (Yosso, 2005). We applied these six forms of capital throughout our workshop. In crafting our workshop, our literature reviews recommended that an asset-based educational model requires educators to consider their and their students social location, as they impact the lens through which educators consider an individual, family, or communitys cultural wealth (Ajayi, 2011; Chu, 2001; Coetzee, Ebershn, & Ferreira, 2009; Lubbe & Eloff, 2004; Yosso, 2005). Knowing this, we led students through a workshop that was both reflective of their individual experience as well as their interaction with, and assumptions of, their mentee.

ASSET-BASED APPROACH Finally, our literature review suggested that low student of color achievement is a fault, and therefore responsibility, of the educational systemnot a symptom of individual students

failings (Chu, 2001; Lubbe & Eloff, 2004; Rose, 2006). This understanding became the impetus, or the why of our workshop. We wanted our participants to gain a critical eye in understanding their and their mentees experiences, challenges, and assets. Additionally, it was paramount to impart that their students challenges were a symptom of a system, not a result of inaccurately perceived deficiencies. Methods We began our workshop with an introduction and icebreaker activity. The intent was to offer a welcoming and warm environment for the participants, as their input was essential to the workshops success. Three questions were asked: the participants name, a superhero power the participant wished they had or their favorite superhero, and the first name of a student they work with. The second question was intended to get a sense of where students were emotionally and energetically, and bring levity into the room. The third question was intended to bring the participants student into the room, as the participant would be asked to reflect on their student later. We then reviewed the workshops goals and moved into the first activity. A case study was presented to the participants, introducing a fifth grade student, Will, is being held back in his educational pursuits (see Appendix A for the full case study). Copies of the study were distributed to each participant in the workshop and the case study was read aloud while everyone followed along. The presenter then prompted the group to discuss the questions at the bottom of the page with two or three individuals nearby. After allowing the groups to discuss the questions for five to ten minutes, the presenter brought the group back together for a large-group discussion allowing participants to report key points of their small-group discussion.

ASSET-BASED APPROACH The question, What are some supports or some challenges that Will is facing? was

designed to move participants into the asset-based approach mind frame. The goal in participants identifying Wills supports is so they begin to see the student is struggling not because of a lack of intellect or motivation. The case study is designed to show that a student can possess many forms of cultural capital, but if an institutional system is not designed to support these assets, the student will struggle. Following the case study, the participants were introduced to an individual reflection activity, developed for the workshop goal of assisting tutors to identify cultural assets they possess. In recognizing an individuals cultural capital, the intent was that the individual is able to identify others cultural capital. The activity opened with each participant receiving six puzzle pieces and a pen. On one side of each puzzle piece was a question that corresponded to one form of cultural capital Yosso (2005) outlined as a strength to an individuals educational experience (see Appendix B for the puzzle questions). The participants were then asked to use the opposite side of the puzzle piece to answer the question. It was important to express to the participants they would not be asked to share their answers and that the puzzle is for them to keep. As the participants completed their answers, they were invited to assemble the puzzle while they waited for others to finish, offering a visual representation of how multiple cultural assets come together to inform an individuals educational experience. Participants were given approximately five minutes to answer the questions. After the reflection, the participants were invited to respond to the following questions: Have you previously considered these questions? and How do these questions inform or affect your academic experience? After allowing students to respond, the final question the facilitator posed to the group was: Have you considered how these questions affect someone elses academic

ASSET-BASED APPROACH

experience? If participants had a response, the facilitator continued to allow the discussion, time permitting, or use the question as a transition into the next activity. The fountain of wealth activity was the final activity of the workshop and asked participants to consider the students they have tutored, or worked with. The participants were asked, What cultural strengths or assets have you seen your students bring into their educational space? With the initial framework of cultural wealth set out by the case study and reflection, the intent was that participants are able to identity cultural assets they have observed in their students. If participants were struggling, members of the workshop facilitation team assisted through oneon-one conversation. After participants were provided time to consider the question, they were asked to write the cultural strengths a coin cut-out and place it on a poster of a fountain (see Appendix D for an example of the visual aids used). After this was complete, a fountain of wealth was created, depicting the cultural assets students bring into an educational system. The participants were asked to share the word or phrase that they wrote on their coins and explain how it was a cultural asset. By opening a large group discussion, participants were able to engage in a discussion of Yossos (2005) community cultural wealth by hearing their peers stories without overtly being introduced to theory. After facilitation of the puzzle reflection and fountain of wealth activity, the participants were asked to revisit the case study that was distributed in the beginning of the workshop. The participants were asked, considering the information and discussions from the previous activities, to consider how they would approach assisting the student. This was also an opportunity to reevaluate elements of the case study that may serve as assets to the students predicament and additional channels that the student could utilize to gain success.

ASSET-BASED APPROACH To conclude the workshop, the participants were asked to complete a one-minute reflection. The purpose of the reflection was to offer participants an opportunity to evaluate the topics covered during the workshop and consider ways this approach can be incorporated into their own work. The workshop was specifically tailored to Seattle University Youth Initiative (SUYI) students, therefore having the participants identify ways to apply the asset-based approach in their work with Bailey-Gatzert students was important. After passing out paper to all participants, they were asked to briefly reflect on the workshop, concepts that they have learned, and provide any additional comments. The oneminute paper served as a way for participants to consider why the asset-based approach is important to use when working in education, and how to expand it into their personal lives as

well. These reflections were collected to act as an assessment tool to determine if the goals of the workshop were fulfilled. Our workshop group reviewed the responses to see how the asset-base approach was received, if the activities were successful in exemplifying the approach, and what the participants learned (see Appendix F for responses from both workshops). Discussion After facilitating the workshop twice for different groups of SUYI tutors and prospective Student Development Administration (SDA) graduate students, we learned a great deal that would inform our instruction should we conduct the workshop again in the future. First, we learned that facilitating a workshop on multicultural competency to participants with varying levels of multicultural competence was more challenging than anticipated. It was difficult to navigate the range of multicultural competency levels because we wanted to consider those just beginning to explore multicultural issues yet challenge those farther in their journey. Further, the addition of SDA prospective students added to the diversity of the workshop participants. The

ASSET-BASED APPROACH question of whether to allow the prospective students to participate came up, but it was more valuable to have a larger participant group with varying experiences. Also, having observers rather than participants may have discouraged the engagement among the tutors if they felt as though they were being watched. When participants arrived, the case study activity was used to gauge the multicultural competency levels of the group. The language the participants used in the opening discussion determined the language that was used throughout the workshop in order to make the content of the workshop more accessible. If participants struggled with the questions that were asked,

facilitators individually engaged them. By doing this, the facilitators of activities we were able to provide extra support or extra challenge to individuals as the workshop progressed. Our group also learned the value of different group sizes and how timing can be affected. The first workshop consisted of five participants, which allowed more time on each activity but relied on each participants willingness to engage with the activities. Additionally, a smaller group lacked the diversity of experience that the second group brought to the workshop because there were only a few different perspectives and stories that could be introduced to the group. The second workshop had more participants, which added more voices to the conversation but made time a valuable commodity. It was also an added challenge that our group had to tailor the workshop questions to make activities accessible to the prospective SDA students as well as the SUYI tutors. Some of the prospective students had worked with students in the past but had very little experience working with a population similar to the student population at Bailey-Gatzert Elementary. Being flexible as facilitators and altering prompts during the workshops facilitation was a valuable skill that enhanced activities and discussions.

ASSET-BASED APPROACH A true strength of the workshop that contributed to participant engagement was the diverse range of activities offered. The case study, guided reflection, large and small group discussion, and the interactive activity offered an opportunity for each participant to engage in ways that were reinforcing to their learning styles. During the planning stages for the workshop, Kolbs Theory of Experiential Learning (1984) informed the types of activities that would be

needed to satisfy various learning styles. By modeling each section of the workshop to a different learning style, the intent is that participants develop knowledge of the asset-based approach in education through an experience presented in the workshop (Kolb, 1984). The icebreaker and first introduction to the case study invite participants to get involved with the subject matter, providing a Concrete Experience (Kolb, 1984). After participants are introduced to the concept of the asset-based approach, they transition to Kolbs (1984) Reflective Observation step. With the puzzle reflection, participants considered how various forms of cultural capital affected their own educational experience and began to question how this differs from another students experience. The fountain of wealth activity asked participants to identify forms of cultural capital they have witnessed in students they work with. In doing so, the fountain of wealth activity pushed participants into Abstract Conceptualization (Kolb, 1984) of the asset-based approach by applying the learned concepts to their students. As the workshop closed, the case study was revisited and a one-minute reflection paper was prompted to ask participants how they could incorporate the new concepts from the workshop to the work that they were currently doing. This final step was modeled after Kolbs (1984) Active Experimentation to promote integration of the concepts from the workshop into the real world. A shortcoming of the workshop was rooted in vague, and difficult to measure, learning objectives. Even though feedback was offered from the one-minute reflections, it cannot be

ASSET-BASED APPROACH concluded that the learning objectives were met. Additionally, the workshop could be improved by introducing a best practices component of the asset-based approach. The workshop focused on an awareness and knowledge of the asset-based approach concept but only briefly discussed the skills necessary to implement these theories. If the workshop was longer, or if the participants came in with a basic knowledge of the asset-based approach, more time could be allocated to multicultural skills and implementation. Conclusion

The one-minute reflections did suggest that participants understood the content presented to them and left the workshop with a greater understanding of the value in the asset-based approach model. One participant noted that Thinking about what assets my students bring to the table is valuable- so often in schools, teachers focus on what their students have difficulties in or where they are lacking- the focus is rarely on what students are doing well in classes. This reflection is reminiscent of Yossos (2005) assertion that professionals in education should focus on the strengths rather than the deficits that inaccurately portray a students cultural community. Another participant added they learned they can assist with [their] mentees goals by working with their strengths and also encourage to empower them in educational spaces. One participant went on to express: I realized that access is a huge issue so finding ways to really provide opportunities is important. I like the idea of looking for assets as opposed to looking at deficits because if students feel secure in their abilities they will be able to learn more and succeed more. With the insights offered by the participants reflections, our group learned that, as student development professionals, we can incorporate students assets and wealth into our own work. By planning a multicultural competence workshop, each of us has grown in our awareness,

ASSET-BASED APPROACH

10

knowledge, and skills by working to empower other leaders to push passed a narrow, normalized view of educational systems, and focus on the richness every student brings to campus.

ASSET-BASED APPROACH References

11

Ajayi, L. (2011). How ESL teachers sociocultural identities mediate their teacher role identities in a diverse urban school setting. Urban Rev, 43, 654-680. Chu, S. (2001). Perspectives in understanding the schooling and achievement of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 38(3), 201-209. Coetzee, S. S., Ebershn, L. L., & Ferreira, R. R. (2009). An asset-based approach in career facilitation: Lessons for higher education training. South African Journal of Higher Education, 23(3), 537-560. Delgado, R., Y Stefancic, J. (2001). Critical race theory: An introduction. New York, New York: University Press. Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd edition). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Lubbe, C., & Eloff, I. (2004). Asset-based assessment in Educational Psychology: Capturing perceptions during a paradigm shift. California School Psychologist, 9, 29-38. Rose, H. A. (2006). Asset-based development for child and youth care. Reclaiming Children & Youth, 14(4), 236-240. Yosso, T.J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race discussion of community cultural wealth. Race Ethnicity and Education, 8(1), 69-82.

ASSET-BASED APPROACH Appendix A Case Study

12

Pearcy Elementary school is located in a California suburb about 10 miles from the major city of Los Angeles. It is a diverse community of students that has approximately 45% students of color. The faculty and administration are less diverse, with about a 15% population of color. Many of the students are English language learners, and are first or second generation American. Will is a bilingual 5th grader. He is first generation American. His parents moved to the United States 12 years ago. He is having difficulty with his language arts class, particularly with completing book reports. He has tried asking his parents for help, but his parents are still learning English, and Will realizes that some of the concepts are getting lost in translation. Will is very frustrated because he strongly desires to succeed in school, and doesnt feel like his teachers have the skills necessary to work with English Language learners. He dreams of being the first in his family to go to college, and wants to become a teacher so that he can help students struggling with these same situations succeed.

What are some supports and what are some challenges that Will is facing?

ASSET-BASED APPROACH Appendix B Questions for Puzzle Reflection with Corresponding Cultural Capital

13

1. What is something that you or your parents always wanted for you that you did not think was possible? Why? (Aspirational Capital) 2. How do you stand up for yourself? (Resistant Capital) 3. Why did you choose SU/ how did they support your personal/ professional development? (Social Capital) 4. What is the importance and/or purpose of family? (Familial Capital) 5. How did you figure out the application process/ financial aid? (Navigational Capital) 6. What is a language that you have always wanted to learn? What is appealing about that language? (Linguistic Capital)

ASSET-BASED APPROACH Appendix C Puzzle Board for Individual Reflection

14

ASSET-BASED APPROACH Appendix D Fountain of Wealth Visual Aids

15

ASSET-BASED APPROACH Appendix E Coin Inscriptions from Both Workshop Groups Community (x2) Shared sense of culture (x2) Commitment Personal strength Positive attitude Hope Love Curiosity Commitment to learning Communication Desire to help others Understanding diversity (x2) Bilingual (x4) Motivation to succeed (x3) Perseverance Determination Perspective Supportive families (x4) Supportive siblings (x2) Humor Self-awareness Resiliency Creativity of expression Respect Attention Flexibility Critical thinking (x2)

16

ASSET-BASED APPROACH Appendix F One-Minute Reflections from Participants

17

I really liked the fountain of wealth activity because it really helps point out strengths that we see in students. The workshop helped me to intentionally think about questions I have never asked myself before. ------------------------------------ Remembering my cultural assets and acknowledging my mentees cultural assets Assisting with my mentees goals by working with their strengths Encourage to empower them ------------------------------------I really liked the puzzle and the specific questions- I think it helped take a large and broad concept and provide concrete examples of assets we may/may not have. This has important implications for working with students. ------------------------------------I realized that I need to resist looking at the negative or deficit. Strengths perspective!! ------------------------------------The activities helped me acknowledge some factors that can affect students progress in a learning environment. Cultural strengths, things including resilience, and desire to succeed, are keys to success, but we also have to realize that the institutions need to participate too (in the road to success) by accommodating for English language learners or students with disabilities. -------------------------------------

ASSET-BASED APPROACH I definitely will be thinking about the questions that were posed in the puzzle activity. I am not [too] sure [how to] specifically implement these ideas. I think the first step would be to learn more about my students culture. ------------------------------------Thinking about what assets my students bring to the table is valuable- so often in schools,

18

teachers focus on what their students have difficulties in or where they are lacking- the focus is rarely on what students are doing well in classes. ------------------------------------I feel like a main concept I got from this workshop was looking for alternative ways to meet students needs. I realized that access is a huge issue so finding ways to really provide opportunities is important. I like the idea of looking for assets as opposed to looking at deficits because if students feel secure in their abilities they will be able to learn more and succeed more. ------------------------------------The puzzle activity was really enlightening and although translating it to the fountain was difficult, it was really efficient. This is something I could definitely apply to orientation leader training at my school as a way to gain understanding of other students. ------------------------------------This workshop helped gain a stronger understanding of how to interpret and access challenges that students face. The cultural concepts we discussed allowed me to view the case study we analyzed through the lens of cultural impacts. In order to correct a problem, underlying causes and contributors must be identified and addressed first. -------------------------------------

ASSET-BASED APPROACH The puzzle activity helped me think about how students might have a hard time accessing

19

resources, in addition to having a hard time grasping subject material in the classroom. It seems it is more than just a language barrier. If parents have not gone through high school and/or applied to college themselves, it can be difficult for them to understand what steps need to be taken and when. Even if emails/fliers are sent home, the parent still misses the info if he/she doesnt speak English. ------------------------------------I enjoyed getting a perspective on the life [of] English language learners. Also being able to assess what it is my students bring to the table with their diverse background.

ASSET-BASED APPROACH Appendix G Asset-Based Approach to Working with Students of Color Lesson Plan Introduction of Selves & Icebreaker Activity (9 Minutes) Colette (and time keeper) a. Name b. Superhero power you wish you had today or your favorite super hero c. First name of student youre working with, grade, subject you tutor Goals for this workshop (learning outcomes) (1 Minutes) Colette 1. Tutors will identify a variety of cultural strengths that they possess. 2. Tutors will identify a variety of cultural strengths that their students possess. 3. Tutors will identify how to integrate this knowledge into their tutoring. Case Study- Introducing cultural wealth (7 Minutes) Katie Tutors read case study, then discuss in pairs or group (depending on size). Katie will lead the question. Team members will help to facilitate conversations.

20

Ask question on case study to get students thinking about cultural wealth; identify things in the case that qualify but DO NOT ask students to express what they would do. Puzzle (13 Minutes) Cat What assets do you bring into this space? Guided reflection activity to identify undergraduates own cultural wealth. Followed by 5 minutes of group discussion 6 puzzle pieces-- on one side of the piece is a question On the opposite side the student writes their answer Students put the pieces together The puzzle is for the participant, they will not be turning it in After 5 minutes, gauge how much more time is needed. When students are done ask foolowing: Have you previously considered these questions? How do these questions inform or affect your academic experience? Have you considered how these questions affect someone elses academic experience? Coin Activity (12 Minutes) Brendon What assets do the students you tutor bring into the classroom? Poster of fountain posted on a wall Undergraduates are given blank paper coins and asked to record cultural assets that they have observed in their students. They will then tape the coin onto the fountain and have an opportunity to share what the wealth is When all the coins are in the fountain, they will see a fountain of wealth! Case Study Review (bring this up if there is still time) Katie One minute reflection paper (1 Minute) Katie