Weekly Share 6/28/23 - Summer Reading Recommendation #3 - Equity By Design
As we continue into the summer break, I want to continue to share books that I think would be great individual or group reads to support the inclusive schools and classrooms we need to ensure all students feel seen and valued. My previous posts highlighted We’re Gonna Keep On Talking by Matthew R. Kay and Jennifer Orr and Hacking Deficit Thinking by Dr. Kelsie Reed and Dr. Byron McClure.
In this post, I am sharing another amazing resource for educators who are willing to, in the words of coauthor Mirko Chadrin, “commit to removing barriers, and treat our learners with the unequivocal respect and dignity they deserve.” The book, Equity By Design, is co-authored by Chadron and Katie Novak and they note in the prologue that “throughout the text (they will) offer theory, practice and implementation spotlights to inspire teachers to design more equitable learning through the principles of UDL.” There is so much here to digest and it should not be a surprise that it is broken down into digestible chunks since it was written by two Universal Design for Learning (UDL) experts. I also want to reemphasize the implementation spotlights! They are so helpful as they highlight authentic experiences of educators doing this important work in their schools and classrooms. Lastly, each chapter has reflection questions that should be answered and revisited.
Here is a very brief overview of each chapter:
Chapter One - Universal Design as an Instrument of Change
This chapter discusses the Why of UDL and how it naturally supports social justice. “If students are only ever taught how to follow directions, take orders, and follow along, they will never be creators and thinkers, makers, and writers.” One of my favorite reflection questions in this chapter is “How are we helping students to feel representation, agency, and self-efficacy?”
Chapter Two - Laying the Groundwork for Social Justice in Our Classrooms and Learning Communities
This chapter goes into explicit detail on the five steps that are needed to build a strong foundation for social justice work in school:
Concept Stabilization
Concept Calibration
Identity Development
Equity Audits
Take Action
These steps need to be constantly rechecked to ensure that we are having the impact we are hoping for. As the authors note, “If we are truly committed to this work, then we must acknowledge that a lion’s share of it lives in the adaptive and not technical domain.”
Chapter Three - Social Justice Through Collaboration and Community
This chapter breaks down the importance of creating a collaborative space for adult learners based on the fact that school leaders cannot truly move towards a more collaborative community when adult learners do not have a learning environment that fosters reflection and collaboration. In addition, the chapter moves into specific actions that provide students more agency to co-create more engaging classrooms. The section on cogens (cogenerative dialogues between students and teachers) is critical “to create more authentic, socially just learning opportunities for students, which in turn motivates them to be more socially conscious and engaged in social justice work.”
The following quote is one that I am going to print and put somewhere so I can continue to focus on this every day:
“...before we can truly design for all students, we have to examine our own beliefs, privilege, bias, and how they impact learning.”
Chapter Four - Personalized Learning for Equity
This chapter gets into the details of designing more authentic learning spaces for students with a clear understanding that the traditional way we have done schools will not support all students equally. The authors while walking us through the specific steps we can use to start to redesign lessons and units remind us that “our systems do not equally support students because they were not built to support all students.”
My favorite quote from this chapter is from the implementation spotlight provided by Andratesha Fritzgerald: “When we help out students discover the truth - that their voices are powerful enough to speak to experts, to question the powers that be, and cause an earthquake strong enough to shake the status quo - then the floodgates of learning are not just opened to them, but controlled by them.”
Chapter Five - Identity, Mirrors, and Funds of Knowledge
This chapter highlights the importance of ensuring that students are able to share their cultural and familial knowledge that is often ignored in the rush to get to the mandated curriculum. Ignoring these “funds of knowledge” will greatly inhibit the opportunity for students to feel seen and establish a full sense of belonging in our schools.
Here’s a quote from Dr. Christina Farese from her implementation spotlight in the chapter: “If we are to build a world that is socially just, we must create learning opportunities for students to explore who they are, why they think the way they think, and why others may perceive them in one way.”
Chapter Six - Cultural Responsiveness and Equity
As the authors note, “ A culturally responsive pedagogy and curriculum allows all learners ti have access to, and ownership of, an education that is reflective of themselves, their communities, and their lived realities. Such pedagogy and curriculum are intentional in acknowledging the importance of a student’s sense of self in their learning and growth.”
This chapter highlights the importance of building relationships with students and families in order to create a culturally responsive classroom.
The following quote in the implementation spotlight in this chapter from Samantha Feinberg may be the most significant quote in regards to why this work is critical. “We, as educators, need to help all students see that they don’t need to look toward someone in a position of power for their empowerment. If power grants power, we will never alter the status quo.”
Chapter Seven - Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices
A quote from the chapter from Dr. Sarah Coupet sums up the importance of building in restorative practices to our schools and classrooms: “It is just as pertinent that students should be intentionally taught how to process conflict as they are taught academic skills in schools. I realized that I needed to create intentional spaces for students to process and develop language to express their emotions.”
The authors add on the following: “Teaching these life skills transforms school culture and provides students alternatives to dealing with conflicts and other life traumas.”
This book is at the top of my must-reads for educators who are looking to transform the way their schools and classrooms operate. Before closing, I want to circle back to a reminder from chapter three that I try to keep at the front of my mind each day - “...before we can truly design for all students, we have to examine our own beliefs, privilege, bias, and how they impact learning.”