Contextualizing content differs from decolonizing in that we are trying to center core concepts we want to teach squarely the current lived experience of students. Those experiences would be common to everyone. 

Contextualizing content requires we have some authentic knowledge of students’ communities as well as core cultural values and the  shallow cultural ways those values are enacted on a daily basis.  This is why having a bi-cultural lens continues to be a prerequisite for doing culturally responsive redesign work.  

Without that opportunity to check oneself, you can perpetuate deficit views or stereotyped depictions of students’ experiences that you are attempting to use to contextualize learning.  Think Ruby Payne and her “culture of poverty” nonsense. (Friends don’t let friends take her seriously. It is hurtful to children and families…ok. Jumping down from the soapbox now).

Contextualizing is highly dependent on grade level, subject area as well as current experiences of children and families.  Avoid trying to do this redesign work in a bubble or via Google. You will need to build on the work you did in Module 2 to continue building a bi-cultural lens and in Module 1 to build racial literacy.