Representing Culture: Exploring the Development of Youth's Relationship With Culture Through Culturally Centered Learning Activities

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Fourteen
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Explorations of Multimodal Practices and Pedagogies (Table 16)

Abstract

In response to the current COVID-19 pandemic and co-occurring social movements that call for a need to engage youth with culture, we join the current efforts to (re)center culture in learning. As a team, we examined the impact of culturally centered multimedia learning activities on sixth graders’ cultural identity, which are co-designed by a team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, educators, and designers. We present a case study drawn from data around Zymir, a sixth grader who identifies as White. Zymir’s description of his own culture expanded as he engaged in a series of culturally centered multimedia projects. Our findings have implications for understanding and supporting how youth develop a relationship with culture within a formal learning environment.

Authors

• Lili Yan, Michigan State University
  Presenting Author

• Stuart Baggaley, Utah State University
  Presenting Author

• Jennifer Jenkins, Edith Bowen Laboratory School
  Presenting Author

• Breanne K. Litts, Utah State University
  Presenting Author

• Melissa Tehee, Utah State University
  Presenting Author