Contents: This video from the Ontario Principals’ Council is a tool to be used by administrators and staff when conducting equity walks in schools. Traditionally, an Equity Walk is a framework that can be used for securing account-ability and transparency in schools. The principal or vice principal walks through the school using a critical eye to assess evidence of equitable approach to schooling for all students. This approach should also take into account the Virtual spaces within the school (classroom websites, online resources etc.).
Uses: This video can be used as a resource for administrators who may not be familiar with the components of an Equity Walk and how each of those contributes to an equitable access to school resources, as well as the culture of the school.
Benefits and limitations: Although this video seems somewhat dated, the messaging is still important. The content is important for administrators to understand the intentionality of resource selection and classroom teaching. This can be carried over into the Virtual environment, which is important in the current educational environment.
Audience: This resource can be used by administrators, teachers and other stakeholders such as parents and community members. It would be especially beneficial to teachers who are developing and implementing curriculum for students.
The source: The Ontario Principals' Council is a professional association representing School Administrators in Elementary and Secondary settings. The OPC creates content and resources specifically for School leaders to support exemplary leadership practices.
References: Ontario Principals’ Association. (n.d.). Equity and Inclusive Education Equity Walk: A Research-Informed Leadership Practice. OPC Video Library. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://app.principals.ca/stream/video/launchVid.aspx?vidID=133
Strategies for Tackling Digital Equity (Artemis Manoukas Chalkidis)
Contents: This website lists 10 strategies that can help school boards in establishing equitable practices for accessing digital resources. These strategies include: Support 1:1 Tacke Home Technology, Support COmmunity Broadband Access, Encourage BYOD, Support Digital Literacy, Go Online, Adopt Broader Aims, Support High-Quality Personalized Learning, Support Access to Rich Curriculum Options, Support Teacher Development, Support Parent Guidance
Uses: This can be used as a starting point to create discussions around the equitable access to information using technology; whether that technology is provided by the school or a personal device, the access is just the beginning when developing a plan for learning.
Benefits and limitations: This can be a starting point for developing a plan to support strategies in promoting digital equity in schools. In particular, this resource can help those who may not understand the complexities of using digital devices for students and those who may not be familiar with the limitations of 100% virtual or online learning.
Audience: This resource can be used by administrators, curriculum leaders and policy makers who are making decisions about supporting digital equity in their schools and districts. It is also useful for those who are in charge of purchasing or maintaining Information Technologies for schools and other public forums (i.e. libraries)
The source: Getting Smart is an organization dedicated to helping education leaders implement and plan learning strategies. It is supported by a team of educators, school administrators, business executives, nonprofit leaders and marketing strategists.
UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING AS A FRAMEWORK FOR DIGITAL EQUITY (ANNIE SLATER)
Link: http://mediaethics.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/NDIA-Coalition-Guidebook-V1.2-Print.pdf Uses: This Guidebook is for community members, who are committed to working for digital inclusion and equity for the greater good of their community. Digital Inclusion ensures that all individuals and communities, including the most disadvantaged, have access to and use of technology resources. Members of community-wide digital inclusion coalitions address digital inequities through organized programs, partnerships within the community and by acting as one unified entity setting goals, educating and advocating. This Guidebook as a reference tool that is intended to be beneficial to digital inclusion coalitions at all stages of development. Coalitions bring together a diverse group of community stakeholders working on behalf of populations who have been excluded from advances in modern information and communication technologies By forming digital coalitions, members present a unified community voice around digital inclusion, raise awareness about digital inequities and the impact on underserved communities, and develop a collective understanding about the need for digital inclusion among providers in specific areas of community development. Benefits/Limitations: This reference is focused on community leaders forming a coalition for digital inclusion and equity. However it is not very helpful for individuals who do not hold positions of leadership or connected to community groups. However it may be a starting point for individuals who want to mobilize together to effect change in their communities. Source: NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSION ALLIANCE & digitalinclusion.org. (2018, September). THE DIGITAL INCLUSION COALITION GUIDEBOOK. MEDIA DEMOCRACY FUND. http://mediaethics.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/NDIA-Coalition-Guidebook-V1.2-Print.pdf
Content: This website is hosted by the First Nations University of Canada. “First Nations University of Canada is the home of the National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education, which connects communities with each other to share their stories about Indigenous education across Canada and around the world.” (Knowledgespace, 2020) It has everything you would need to know to understand the basics of the First Nations culture. From free lesson plans, arranged by age categories, to a complete library of resources. I find myself getting pulled in every time I open it, wanting to know more and knowing it can all be found in one spot makes it easier as an online resource for research.
When to use this resource: This site has quickly become my go to for Indigenous research and lesson plans, videos, and live meets.
Benefits and Limitations: The benefit is that a lot of information can be found in one space, however if you do not first understand your land base it may be difficult to know which lessons you should be teaching. The sight does include an informative map, so this is where I suggest you begin. Know your lands, then teach to those lands. Unless of course you are teaching to a specific child, then teach to that child.
Audience: Everyone interested in Indigenous education.
The use of the word “Indigenous” is in no way intended to make generalizations about the distinctness and diversity of the original Peoples of Canada or the world. “Indigenous” is meant to be inclusive of First Nations, Métis, Inuit, non-status Indians and other rights holders classifications.
Uses: This is a great Equity resource for schools that are looking to support gender equity in STEM, especially in the area of coding, programming and eSports. Gaming/eSports is a multi-billion dollar industry that is hugely underrepresented by women, much lower than other STEM fields, at about 2-5% representation. The DELL and Microsoft Girls Who Game Initiative helps educators create an equity club that empowers girls to take leadership in the areas of Gaming and eSports.
This website is sponsored by DELL and Microsoft, and provides the rationale for why a gender-based club on game based lear
Benefits/Limitations: A benefit of this program is that it offers a safe and nurturing place for girls to explore gaming, and build their global competencies skills. It provides opportunities for leadership, creativity and collaboration. It’s a school-based club that provides training in skills in coding and eSports, free of charge to the students. Limitations is that it can only be offered to girls to participate in according to how many devices a school has available. Therefore it is limited to the reach of impact depending on the ability of the school to purchase devices for the participants.
Summary The International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) Essential Conditions are critical elements for learning technologies. UsageThey are a guide for planning to use technology in education. Intended Audience, Benefits, and LimitationsThe resource is intended for education planners. It outlines 14 criteria that is required for effective technology implementation, why it is important, and provides examples of what the implementation looks like. However, it leaves the specifics of implementation up to the educators. About the CreatorISTE inspires the creation of solutions and connections that improve opportunities for all learners by delivering: practical guidance, evidence-based professional learning, virtual networks, thought-provoking events and the ISTE Standards.
i) Content: A series of podcasts on a wide range of topics from “Neoliberalism and its discontents” to “Who has the best healthcare system in the world?” The thread that binds them together is a sense of urgency to understand the sociological and political issues of our time. If we are to have a wide-ranging understanding of the politics of our age, this is an interesting place to start.
From the creator: “Four years and 300 episodes later, my favourite conversations for understanding the world and living better. Far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.”
ii) When to use this source: When you want an engaging exploration of a timely topic and want the hard questions asked. A great way to discover the people at the front lines of an issue or area of research. This resource is helpful for getting a different perspective on an issue and also as a jumping-off point for discussion.
Recommended episodes for this course:
Why Ta-Nehisi Coates is hopeful - June 5th, 2020 (world-renowned author and activist shares his thoughts on a range of social issues.)
Isabel Wilkerson wants to change how we understand race in America- August 25, 2020 (an interview with the author of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents) How technology literally changes our brains - (a discussion about how technology has altered us over the last 10 years, with author Nicholas Carr whose 2010 book The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains challenged the idea of virtuous technology.)
iii) Benefits & Limitations: Benefits: Looks at both left and right-leaning political perspectives. Limitation: These are not short interviews so even listening at 1.5x, the time commitment is significant (but worth it). iv) Audience: Anyone interested in understanding our times more fully.
Content: Teaching for Change is an initiative to bring social justice starting in the classroom setting. It provides teachers and parents with the tools to create schools where teachers encourage students to rethink the world from the lens of a more equitable and multicultural society. The target demographic is teachers and parents. This resource is phenomenal as it contains a repertoire of teaching resources and parent organizational tools to engage each individual in creating change through publications, family engagement approaches, awards, and support provided by this organization. For educators, the website offers a range of anti-bias education articles, books, lessons, films, and much more. More importantly, it also links the user with other resources that promote various topics around social justice and change.
Benefits and Limitations:
One aspect that places this resource above many others is its explicit connection to pivotal moments in current news that highlight many activists and their accomplishments to help inspire students and educators. Moreover, one of the major benefits is that it allows parents to be well immersed with staff to create a foundation for parent advocacy coupled with school reform. This creates a family-school partnership in public schools that are working towards high – quality education for every child. This is a great site to guide schools in creating welcoming school environments and elevates parents from low socio-economic statuses to build and exercise their voice and power for student well–being and success. One aspect that could be improved upon is having a social media presence such that they bring awareness to more educators, parents, and communities to all join in their efforts.
Harmony Movement (riya patel)
Link:https://www.harmony.ca/about/ Content: The Harmony Movement is founded on facilitating social transformation by engaging youth and adults in leadership programs for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Their objective is to empower youth, educators, and those in the social service sector to develop an equitable lens and become agents of social change. It offers programs for students and educators to promote equity and inclusive strategy, harmony movements, and training on specific topics and meet the needs of every student. Moreover, it provides users the opportunity to be a part of a Social Leadership Conference which involves students in grade 7 – 12 to uncover equity gaps in their schools and communities while taking initiatives to combat them. Their strategy is geared towards igniting student voice whereby, student’s students critically explore identity, allyship ship building, sharing experiences, and deconstructing discrimination.
Benefits and Limitations: There are online training provided with free online course guides to walk instructors through the (i) basics, (ii) identities, and (iii) inclusive education strategies. The teacher's guide to equity and inclusion is a free resource funded by the government of Canada where youth share their stories to empower other youth to be Social Changemakers. It was refreshing to see that the harmony movement is active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linked In, Flickr, and YouTube as a means to raise awareness and inform members of the community of ongoing activities and projects. One limitation is that some of the courses require the user to sign up. Although the sign up is free, it can be confusing to navigate through as it is a separate section of the website.
Content: Edchange is founded by Paul C. Gorski who is an associate professor at George Mason University. The team of experienced educators is dedicated to bringing to light issues of educational equity and justice. This equity resource is targeted towards professionals, educators, and administrators that are dedicated to bringing together many voices, stories, and experiences around creating equitable environments for student learning. It offers a range of resources such as projects, workshops & consulting services, scholarships, and is also affiliated with an equity literacy institute. This resource is very beneficial for all educators however it is catered to higher education as it consists of courses that higher ed students can participate in, various student projects, and topics that are pertinent to the inequities in the 21st century. It affords users the ability to browse through the equity literacy framework, equity justice in education, and step by step break down to the basic principles in equity.
Benefits and Limitations: Some of the greatest benefits of this resource include its range of offerings for books, pieces of training, and publications. Moreover, it provides a unique take on the characteristics of assessment approaches to help teachers formulate effective and equitable strategies for all students within their classrooms. Given that we live in such a fast-paced world having this resource should be made widely available to educators is essential because teachers would be afforded the ability to stay up to date with current conversations and can participate from wherever, whenever. The use of social media platforms can greatly help raise awareness and provide access more readily.
Equity & Human rights commission (Seshi Mahendrarajah)
Content The website, “Equity & Humans Rights Commission” is a British government lead website that tries to ensure equality and human rights laws protect people, by using information, programs and workshops to help close gaps in data showing systems of inequality and powers against human rights. The power to uphold equality and human rights protections falls under many, however this organization has many uses to practice unique roles in helping the public.
No one should experience prejudice or hate crime at school or later in life. The link provided shows many lesson plan ideas on diversity, equity and inclusion resources and lessons for K-12 classrooms. The organization and website as a whole targets all UK citizens, as a method to learn, find resources and contact the right people for equity and human right issues. It empowers educators to tackle education on equitable actions and promote wellness, mental health checks and open discussions on equitable outcomes for all. While this organization tackles inequalities in the workplace, in public places and between others, one of the primary focuses is on schools. As a resource there are many benefits, as there are plenty of important resources, information and laws regarding equity and human rights. It is a one stop shop for this information.
When to use this resource Great resources for educators about good equity and diversity practices. Great for information about human rights and equity in general.
Benefits and Limitations They acknowledge the huge role that schools and daycares play in shaping the attitudes of the youth of the future. They also acknowledge that they are working towards a slow but firm resolution for the tasks at hand. They increase the requirements and commitment to helping schools become inclusive places for all children. As apart of their 3 year plan they aim to decrease all hate crimes and reduce prejudice that occurs in the classroom by implementing more public school programs, and introduce However, this website is sometimes hard to navigate as there is so much information, and it makes it difficult to know where to find specific information you may need.
Audience: Anyone interested in equality and human rights information, specifically targeted for UK citizens.
Content Canadian Women is an organization that provides information about gender equality and gender violence awareness. It contains toolkits, informational videos and blogs, testimonies, places to contact for help and general awareness resources. This resource is a great start for those looking to understand and learn more about gender inequalities and gender disparities in Canada.
When to use this resource There are many great resources for learning about gender violence, how to spot it and educational videos/poster to help spread awareness. The resource is great for most age groups, and can be used in schools, however there could be information targeted towards and presented for younger children as well. Someone who wanted to learn more about what inequalities exist for women, what can be done about this and more ways to volunteer, create dialogue in the workplace and educational materials. Benefits and Limitations This website could improve its reach by including gender-fluid and trans individuals as a part of the targeted group. Although the primary information and push can be for women, this website would benefit from helping other marginalized genders in the community and provide guidance, information and help towards equality as well. Gender equality is an important step in creating outcomes that benefit all groups, and this resource is a great jumping off point for this.
Audience Anyone interested in learning about gender equality, barriers to women and how to change this.
Opportunism or Opportunity? Navigating educational equity in the time of COVID-19 (Annie slater)
Uses This article outlines the systemic biases and social inequities that exist in the educational system based on race, gender, religion and abilities, and that these are only made worse during times of crisis, such as the Covid-19 Pandemic. Practices such as academic streaming, “disproportionate levels of punishment, suspension and expulsions for Black students; curricular violence that exists in the erasure of the histories, realities, and resistance of Indigenous, Black and racialized people in Canada; disproportionately higher proportions of White, middle-class students in gifted classes, French Immersion programs, and specialty programs (Shaw et al, 2020)”.
This paper articulates how racialized and minority groups have been living through a pandemic of inquiry for decades and decades, and that this current crisis is a time in history where educational institutions can either allow it make conditions worse, or to take action and bring about the education transformation that is long overdue. There is mention of how more privileged families have been able to turn to private learning pods, in order to advance the education of their children, something that more marginalized families would not be able to afford, creating further inequities in access and opportunities.
Here is a quote from the text that I found very powerful:
“Crisis has the potential to breed opportunism, which has historical roots in colonialism, White supremacy, and capitalism, as well as contemporary manifestations in the form of grave injustices. But crisis also has the potential to return us to more just, humane, and compassionate approaches to schooling and society. We might seize this opportunity to resist traditional educational discourses, legitimize marginalized knowledges, and imagine future possibilities. - Shaw et al, 2020”
Benefits & Limitations This article describes online learning as an obstacle to building equitable system of education, that it will impeded any advancement in collective critical consciousness and relationship building. However I believe that the method of teaching and learning is just a tool, and it is up to the educators to intentionally embed the values, critical consciousness, and equity work in their daily work.
Source: Shah, R. B., Ostrowdun, B. C., Grace, B. D., & Thompson, B. R. (2020, October 22). Opportunism or Opportunity? Retrieved from https://www.edcan.ca/articles/opportunism-or-opportunity/
Content: Paul Gorski is founder of the Equity Literacy Institute (ELI). Dr. Gorski is an educator specializing in equity and justice, consultancy and research. Through ELI Gorski’s team of educators provide equity consulting services, online and in-person, self-paced or moderated. ELI can be accessed via Gorski’s site or through its own URL. The EFI website offers a wide range of content including; guidance to understand an equity framework, services offered and books published by the team, plus lots of learning resources.
Usage: Both these websites provide excellent resources for teachers interested in equity learning.
Benefits/Limitations: Both websites are informative. Dr. Gorski’s website introduces himself, his personal, professional involvement in equity education. The ELI website offers loads of resources, from his team, for equity education. Both websites are organized in an effective and efficient manner, making it easy to access resources. Neither website is dynamic in its appearance. Although both are informative and rich with material the visual presentations needs upgrading.
Audience: The intended audience is educators seeking to enrich their understanding of how to achieve equity in teaching.
Edutopia (Sonya Melim)
LINK:https://www.edutopia.org/digital-divide-technology-access-resources ABOUT: Edutopia is a foundation created by George Lucas (filmmaker) that highlights what it believes are best practices in education to be shared and adapted by educators around the world. It is financed by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, which is a non-profit, non-partisan private foundation that partners with universities, research firms and leading educators. Within it’s website, the subject of the digital divide is addressed, listing a variety of resources under the subtopics of understanding the divide, taking action to address digital access, closing the gaps, and developing media and digital literacy. The resources are strongly connected to supporting educators professional development and knowledge, whether they are classroom teachers or educational leaders. It also incorporates strategies educators can use which will impact all stakeholders including students and parents. In addition to those resources, Edutopia also provides multiple mediums, including videos and other articles, which highlight educators who are achieving the goal of closing the digital divide. The website also links a number of related articles and resources to the topic of digital learning, so a visitor can easily fall into the rabbit hole of reading and research. The site is easy to navigate and and simply organized, with no sidebar menus to distract from the main content of the page’s topic. It is a well planned out site with creative and impacting content
This is a website by Hedreich Nichols who is an educator who creates online content about equity in educational technology, school culture, and how equity in education can create lasting changes in our community. She writes a blog on educational topics and creates videos for her website and YouTube. Her video tagline is, “Small bites, how to teach equity for busy people”. There are links to equity based resources on this website, and a live-feed to her educational tweets on Twitter. The website also includes an archive of articles dating back to December 2006. When to use this source:
This resource can be used by educators who are looking for specific tools while teaching equity. Her topics range from kindergarten ‘wokeness’, to teaching about equity in politics, and equity and privilege in sports. Her resources and content can be tailored to educators teaching a variety of subjects in early primary, intermediate, and secondary. Benefits & Limitations: A benefit of this resource is that it provides a variety of sources to other links for equity education. The content is kept up-to-date and current blogs and videos are created and shared at least once a month. She has created links to YouTube and Twitter to share her resources. A limitation of this website is that her videos do not have closed-captioning. The organization of content on her website could be easier to navigate by using rules of intuitive design. Audience:
The audience for this website is listed as any teachers, parents, or others who are willing to learn more about equity in education. Community leaders, social workers, and counsellors can also benefit from her resources and content.