Aurora Institute [iNACOL]: Disrupting Education - Designing Equitable Learning Spaces

Presenters: Karla Virgil, EduLeaders of Color RI, Emily Abedon, Equity Institute
Session Learning Outcomes:

• Describe how students' cultural characteristics can help develop strong relationships with diverse students in order to effectively personalize instruction.
• Engage in critical discourse on how equity in a classroom supports the academic success of all students.
• Understand how equity pedagogy drives instruction to meet the needs of students.

Discussions: What is a culturally responsive educator?

• Equity and culturally responsive education: What does this mean? How does this look? Does this currently exist in the public school system? [equity institute]
• Identity development: [images in chronological order: the power of storytelling]
  • showing connections to students through your story [True Story]
  • being involved in the community; contributing back to your community; i.e. racial justice, multiracial justice, vulnerability, equity, cultural responsiveness and relevancy
  • It is important to understand your own identities, use your vulnerability to find commonalities
  • incremental changes happen [Who is your David in your life?]
• Identity activity: Who are you as an individual? as a person? as a human being? [Molecule Bonds Activity]
  • identity bonds: name in the center [bigger] circle
  • how did it feel sharing your identity with others? how does it feel to listen to each other people's identities
• Social identifiers: [Self-identify activity]; chart tablets, 
  • race
  • socio-economic class
  • gender
  • age
  • ethnicity
  • religion
  • ability
  • sexual orientation
• Culturally Responsive Walkthrough Tool (CRT): Framework Discussion
  • Activity Questions:
    • How does this domain the framework acknowledge student identity?
    • How might it support the curriculum you use in your classroom?
    • How might it be used to create an inclusive classroom?
  • CRT1: Classroom culture/environment: How do I create an inclusive environment?
  • CRT2: Student relationship building: How do I build trust and respect with my students?
  • CRT3: Instructional strategies: How do I ensure that I'm being culturally responsive with my instruction strategies?
• Culture [what is seen vs. what is unseen]; Iceberg image
  • everyone has culture, characteristics of every life of a group of people; plays a role in communicating and receiving information
  • Surface: dance, dress, food, language, crafts, celebrations, language
  • Deep: crafts, facial expressions, body language, eye contact, personal space, concept of beauty, music, concept of cleanliness, patterns of handling emotions, non verbal communications
  • Hidden: concept of beauty, concept of past and future, tone of voice, problem solving, concept of "self", nature of friendships, attitude towards elders
• Socialization: [Social & Cultural Lens]
  • ​beliefs about intelligence, learning, school and schooling
  • What is culturally responsive teaching?
    • including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning (Ladson-Billings, 1994)
    • Culturally Responsive Personalization: Where to Begin
    • Students' cultural characteristics in daily teaching practices
    • Better connect and build solid relationships with students
    • Acknowledging students' multiple identities and supporting the development of students' attitudes toward learning and the habits necessary to succeed in life
  • What are our beliefs and where do they come from?
  • socialization and identity are linked
  • Beliefs that frame our thinking
    • ​people are both individuals and our members of social group
    • social groups are valued unequally in society
    • valued more highly have greater access to resources of a society
    • schools and teachers actively share students learning
  • activity: frames and lenses - what does it mean? what does it represent? using the lenses as a metaphor
    • think. talk. create: talk with people at your table, write on the glasses to express your thinking about the possible metaphors, share your reflections
    • bridging culture, cant' see reality, only what lens allows, cultural norms
  • culture changes through generations