We involve the community at the ground level in defining Culture, assessing the need for appropriate resources, and providing guidance on how to ensure educators and districts have the resources and support necessary to meet their cultural integration goals.
Derek began studying the concept of effective cultural integration for improving academic achievement when starting his career at McLaughlin School District on the Standing Rock Reservation. That eventually led to a fifteen-year endeavor spent researching Lakota/ Dakota culture and innovative teaching practices.
Derek was awarded the Mellon Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowship from the American Indian College Fund and has presented at the South Dakota Indian Education Summit, SDSU School of Art and Design, and TCU Faculty Research Convening in Denver, Colorado. These experiences have inspired him to continue researching and working towards equitable educational practices.
Research frameworks
Culturally Responsive Teaching
Framework
Culturally responsive teaching is an educational approach that recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning. The eight competencies for culturally responsive teaching provide a framework for educators to create inclusive, equitable, and engaging learning environments.
James A. Banks,
Multicultural Education
The Multicultural Dimensions Framework, developed by James A. Banks, outlines five key areas that schools can focus on to create more inclusive and equitable learning environments for all students.
Indigenizing Pedagogy
Community & Faculty Connection
Indigenizing pedagogy begins with collaborative efforts to define what culture means within the local Indigenous context. This process must involve open dialogue between faculty and community members to ensure that cultural teachings are understood through lived experience and not imposed from outside perspectives.
Zaretta Hammond
Culture Tree
Aliza Maynard’s Culture Tree metaphor presents culture as a living tree with three distinct layers, each representing different degrees of visibility and depth. At the top, the leaves correspond to surface culture—the visible aspects like food, dress, music, and rituals that people typically associate with cultural identity.
Services
Testimonials
Workshops
Contact
- Bismarck, ND, USA
- +1-6512496999
- creatum1985@gmail.com
- Mon-Fri - 8:00-4:00
We’d love to learn more about the challenges your school is currently facing. Once we have a clear understanding of your unique needs, we’ll provide you with a free, customized action plan—ready for you to implement right away.