This course explores the implications of culture—particularly the relation between “home culture” and “school culture”—for teaching and learning. Participants consider their own backgrounds as well as the background experiences, values, and languages of diverse student groups. They discuss and apply structural and pedagogical approaches that provide both access and challenge for diverse learners. They examine the High Tech High design principles against the backdrop of inequitable academic outcomes in American schools. In particular, the course will focus on how teacher and student expectations affect student achievement, for better or worse. Each participant will generate a final product describing concrete steps taken to address the essential questions for the course, and reflecting on the intersections between one’s own emerging identity, student diversity and school culture.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- How can we draw upon our evolving understanding of diversity to make our classrooms, and our classroom practice, more equitable?
- How can we work together with colleagues to create equitable learning environments?
For my final product in this course, I explored my own understanding of equity and also designed and implemented a professional learning cycle with staff about equity and group work.