“That's at the core of equity: understanding who your kids are and how to meet their needs. You are still focused on outcomes, but the path to get there may not be the same for each one.” Dr. Pedro Noguera
Throughout this year I have had the opportunity to listen to three strong voices in equity and education: Dr. Pedro Noguera, Dr. Sharroky Hollie and Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade. Each message pointed towards a deep examination of how I listen to youth, foster relationships, and address inequalities within the systems and communities I work and live. If we compare these ideas with the definition of personalized learning there are many parallels that ask educators to be innovative, student centered and authentic. So...is Personalized Learning a tool for Equity? Let’s take a look...
Images of Hope and Love
Both equity and personalized learning ask educators to use methodologies that deeply value EACH student. Educators can seek spaces and strategies that infuse messages of hope, self-love and the importance of thinking critically. Identity webs, visual representations of how students see themselves, allow for exploration of self, critical thinking and empathy. Similarity, visual storytelling can be an outlet for students to share stories using visuals such as infographics, images or video to inspire change.
Educators may also look for authentic resources found in the real world. The We Love You Project is a digital space that is working to capture portraits of the black boys and men in communities in the United States. Their mission is to reclaim the image of black boys and men by projecting a message of humanity and love though each photograph.
Explore and Engage
Personalized learning is about ensuring we meet students where they are and move them forward. Equity adds the elements of ensuring students who've been marginalized have their needs met in ways that accelerate their growth. Educators engaged in personalized learning and equity create authentic opportunities for learners to discover, connect and understand.
The New York times 25 Mini Films for Exploring Race, Bias and Identity with Students could be a catalyst for discussion and examination of multiple perspectives. Another catalyst could be connecting authentically with classrooms and communities that represent different cultures and experiences through Skype in the classroom.
Classroom libraries that reflect the unique identities and lived experiences of the students that walk into our schools everyday, can create discovery and deep understanding of historical healing and self-worth. Use this toolkit to evaluate the library in your classroom, and use this book list for inspiration. Engage further by exploring student examples such as Books N Bros - a book club started by an 11 year old boy, that inspired the EyeSeeMe bookstore.
Take note and Take action
Finally, personalized learning and equity both ask educators to open instructional practices to reflection and rejuvenation. Ask yourself these questions to think about possible people, perspectives and/or additional learning that might spark curiosity, interests and personalized learning of your own.
Social Media
|
Professional Growth
|
Student Centered
|
Questions to Ask
| ||
Who do you follow on your social media?
What opportunities are there to explore additional perspectives?
|
What themes emerge when you think about the professional development you have participated in?
What opportunities do you have to explore personalized learning and equity?
|
How are you listening to your students?
What opportunities do you offer for authentic and personal learning?
How do you collect student data and what does it tell you?
|
Places to Explore
| ||
Twitter
@EquityCoaching
@equityproject
#PersonalizedLearning
|
Consider learning from:
|
Try one of these books:
|
Tova
Instructional Excellence Coordinator
Department of Personalized Learning and Instruction
No comments:
Post a Comment