This document discusses using virtual Critical Friends Groups (vCFG) to support culturally responsive teaching for educators in rural Alaska. It provides background information on Alaska's demographics, differences between urban and rural schools, and challenges for rural teachers, such as high turnover. Effective professional development should have content focus, active learning, coherence, duration, and collective participation. vCFG can translate the CFG model of collaborative learning communities online by establishing technology platforms, building online communities, training coaches, and prioritizing relevant content.

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Using vCFG to Facilitate
Culturally Responsive
TeachingJennifer Cain
Graduate Researcher
University of Alaska Anchorage

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Welcome to Alaska!
There is a joke that Alaska really
does have all four seasons…
They just happen to be:
Winter,
June, July, and August!
Summer/
July
Spring/
late May
Fall/
August

3. Graphic Source: http://matadornetwork.com/trips/just-how-big-is-alaska-anyway/

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A little bit about Alaska
 Alaska is divided up into boroughs (not counties)
 Total Population: about 735,000
 Anchorage: 300,000
 Matanuska-Susitna Borough: 95,000
 Kenai Peninsula Borough: 54,000
 Fairbanks/North Star Borough: 100,000
 Juneau: 32,000
 48% of Alaska’s students are classified as ethnic minority
 Nearly 25% of students in Alaska are Alaska Native
 In Anchorage School District (ASD) the majority of students are
students of color
( US Census Data, 2010; Hill and Hirshberg, 2005; Jester and Fickel, 2013)

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Urban vs Rural Districts
 There are five urban districts within the state: Anchorage
School District, Matanuska-Susitna School District,
Fairbanks/North Star District, Kenai Borough School District,
and Juneau School District
 Together they constitute 73% of all learners in Alaska
 The remainder of the state’s 55 districts, are considered rural
and constitute the remaining 27% of all learners in Alaska
(Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, 2013)

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Road Map of Alaska
Graphic Source: http://www.alaska.org/assets/content/maps/Alaska_Map.pdf

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“Urban” Schools vs. Bush Schools
 5 “urban” districts
 Similar to lower 48
 Student population varies
widely
 Variety of choice public, private,
charter, alternative, online
 Teachers:
 Predominantly White
 Trained in Alaska
 Turnover average 10%
 49 districts not considered
“urban”
 Many very remote and isolated
 Majority of population Alaska
Native
 Public, boarding, online
 Teachers:
 Predominantly White
 Trained outside Alaska
 Turnover average 22%
Urban Schools Bush Schools
(Hirshberg & Hill, 2008)

8. +A Closer Look at Rural Turnover
Factors
Effecting
Turnover
Uncontrollable
Factors
Personal
Factors
Cultural
Factors
Professional
Factors

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Culturally Responsive Educators:
 Incorporate local ways of knowing and teaching into their work
 Use the local environment and community resources on a regular basis
to link what they are teaching to the everyday lives of the students
 Participate in community events and activities in an appropriate and
supportive way
 Work closely with parents to achieve a high level of complementary
educational expectations between home and school
 Recognize the full educational potential of each student and provide the
challenges necessary for them to achieve that potential
(Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Educators, ANKN, 1998)

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Implications for the Online
Educator/Bush Educator
 Geographic and Temporal limitations
 Wide variety of online Teacher Professional Development
(oTPD)
 Most are large scale
 Teacher driven in choice
 Asynchronous
 Teacher must create own PLN
 Relevancy
(Francis-Pocente and Jacobsen, 2013)

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Professional Development

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Core Features of Effective PD
 Content Focus
 Active Learning
 Coherence
 Duration
 Collective Participation
(Desimone, 2011)

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What is CFG?
 Critical Friends Group (CFG) is defined by the National
Reform School Faculty (NRSF) as
“A professional learning community consisting of
approximately 8-12 educators who come together voluntarily
at least once a month for about 2 hours. Group members are
committed to improving their practice through collaborative
learning.”
( McKenzie, M. and Carr-Reardon A.M. 2003, NSRF FAQ)

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What makes CFG unique?
 Norms
 Coaches
 Protocols
 Relevant
 Small
 Teacher Driven
(McKenzie, M.and Carr-Reardon,A.M.2003. NRSF FAQ)

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What happens during a typical
CFG session?
 Monthly Meetings 1-2 hours in length
 Presenter and Coach pre-plan
 Presentation
 Feedback
 Debrief
(McKenzie, M. and Carr-Reardon, A.M. 2003. NRSF FAQ)

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Translating CFG to vCFG
 Establishing platform/troubleshooting tech
 Establishing an online community
 Smaller is better
 Training of coaches
 Establishing/prioritizing content
(Francis-pocente and Jacobsen, 2013)

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Questions?
Jennifer Cain
jmcain@alaska.edu
jjmcain@gmail.com

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References
 Alaska Native Knowledge Network. (1998). Alaska standards for culturally responsive schools: Cultural standards for students, educators, schools,
curriculum, community. Fairbanks, AK:. Retrieved from http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/
 Alaska Teacher Placement (2014). About Alaska, Fairbanks, AK: Retrieved from http://www.alaskateacher.org/about_alaska.php
 Desimone, L. M. (2011). A Primer on Effective Professional Development. The Phi Delta Kappan , 92 (6), 68-71.
 Francis-pocente, K., & Jacobsen, M. (2013, 14 3). Synchronous Online Collaborative Professional Development for Elementary Mathematics Teachers.
The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning , 319-343.
 Gay, G. (2010). Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice--2nd Ed. New York, NY: Teachers College, Columbia University.
 Hirshberg, D., & Hill, A. (2008, July). Research Summary: Alaska Teacher Turnover, Is it changing? Retrieved Nov 14, 2013, from ISER:
http://www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/Publications/formal/rsummary/RS69.pdf
 Hirshberg, D., & Hill, A. (2006, April). Research Summary: Teacher Turnover in Alaska: How Many Leave Their Jobs? Retrieved Nov 15, 2013, from ISER:
http://www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/Publications/Teacherfinal.pdf
 Jester, T. E., & Fickel, L. H. (2013). Cross-Cultural Field Experiences in Alaska Native Villages: Implications for Culturally Responsive Teacher Education.
(D. 10.1080/08878730.2013.793762, Ed.) The Teacher Educator , 48 (3), 185-200.
 McKenzie, M., & Carr-Reardon, A. (2003, June). National Reform School Faculty FAQ. Retrieved April 2, 2014, from National Reform School Faculty:
http://www.nsrfharmony.org/faq.html