Thinking about equity

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My good friend, Leigh Cassell and I chatted the other day about a project her son was assigned. The directions were to create a trap for the Easter bunny. At first glance, this sounds like a great project. It is open-ended and encourages creativity. Leigh and her son used a Microbit to create a sensor which would be set off when the Easter bunny came. And what we talked about, was how problematic it would be for a teacher to assess product vs a trap created by a student who doesn’t have a tech-savvy parent at home or access to materials such as sensors, or even cardboard, paint, markers, etc… What does assessment with a lens on equity look like?

There is no easy answer to this, but I really appreciated this Choice Board template shared by Emma Passe. Assessment means, “assedere” to sit beside. It is all about students demonstrating learning outcomes and curriculum expectations and should not  be based on how fancy something looks: especially now in these circumstances. Using a choice board like this allows for students to retain their dignity if they don’t have access, but also offers choice and voice.

Equity is something my husband and I talk about every day. As an administrator in a community very different from the community in which I teach, he is privy to the knowledge that sometimes, lack of “attendance” is less about a student not wanting to attend, but about other factors happening at home we have no idea about. This tweet by Dr. Rosa Perez-Isiah is one we need to keep at the forefront every day.

This message has to be one we continue thing think about when we go back to a physical building; Covid19 has merely amplified a problem that has been around forever.

Equity was a topic of conversation in this #DigCitTO panel discussion, Help, I am New to Virtual Learning which I moderated and which had Tisha Richmond, Rachelle Dene-Poth, Melanie Mulcaster, Kim MacKinnon, Sarah Thomas, Zelia Capitao Tavares, and Stewart Todd participate.

A couple of things that came up:

  • consider asynchronous learning where possible to be able to meet the needs of students who may now have taken on additional responsibilities for family members
  • seek to understand who has access (teachers and students) and think about how to help
  • think creatively about how to give kids access. Oregon is using local television stations
  • recognize your own privilege and access

An important and humbling moment occurred when I was challenged by Jen Agpar who pointed out that someone who is hard of hearing, would not have been able to participate in our workshop because of the lagging connection. I immediately turned on my closed captions in Google Slides which should have been something I should have thought of if I was planning with an equity lens. Here’s a video tutorial on how to to this. Google Meet also has a cc caption option if you are using this with students.

Every day I am reminded that I am privileged and my kids have access to lots of stuff that can keep them occupied. When we are sick of each other, we can retreat to our own rooms. How is this situation impacting kids who come to school for food or safety? I know my friend Stacey from North Carolina talked about buses continuing their routes to deliver food and tech to those in need.

How about the kids who share a very small space with an entire family or who share devices? We are insistent that kids do not join a Google Meet from their rooms or where other family members might distract them, but what if that isn’t a choice a child can make? What if they are embarrassed to be on video because others might get insight into a family situation a child has been escaping when they come to school? What if they can’t focus their eyes on the screen because there is mayhem happening all around them. What if they are now supporting their family, now out of work, ill, or struggling financially?

I remember one of my students coming into the Library exhausted. He would find a comfy chair and sleep until his next class. I can’t stop thinking about him and so many others like him for whom financial hardship and increased family responsibilities were already the reality. Where are they finding a reprieve now?

What is your District doing to serve the needs of our most vulnerable students and teachers? Would love to hear about it in the comments.

Further reading and viewing about the topic:

Sheldon Eakins hosts The Leading Equity Podcast which has had many episodes which are helpful.

This post by JoyAnn Boudreau, a fellow ISTE Librarians PLN leader is excellent.

I was honoured to be in a podcast with George Couros and the issue of equity came up here too.

Ontario is providing iPads to students who cannot access learning.

Answers to Five Common Virtual Learning Concerns by Mandy Froelich

 

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