Thinking Nation的动态

Strengths Based Approach I researched inclusion & teach using a strengths based approach. Often I say to students, “Don’t worry about what you can’t do, do what you can.” My timely feedback is positive and encouraging. It is a big reason why I see huge gains in students: #academically, #emotionally, #socially. ??? #inclusion #education https://lnkd.in/g9kpuYMN

DEI initiatives typically purport goals of combating bias and promoting inclusivity, but an experiment on the topic has found that its pedagogy produces hostile attribution bias: https://bit.ly/41JOZJU

The fight for anti-racist education is on, but here’s the tea: simply being a “white ally” ain’t gonna cut it.?#NoMoreBandAids Schools are scrambling… consultants of color are brought in, diversity workshops are popping off, and “Equity Influencers” are trending. But this all feels a lil’ performative if we don’t address the root cause #SystemicRacism. White educators hold the keys to classrooms, even when it comes to diversity and inclusion. They decide what “culturally responsive” means for their students. True anti-racist education requires dismantling the very system that privileges whiteness. #WhiteSupremacy ain’t some shadowy figure – it’s woven into the fabric of our schools. So, how do we move forward??We need a shift in power. We need educators of color leading the charge, not simply advising white folks on what to do.?#CenteringBlackVoices This ain’t about guilt trips, it’s about building a future where ALL students can thrive. Let’s move beyond performative allyship and embrace real, systemic change. Thoughts??? #BlackExcellenceMatters?#EducationTransformation?#TheFutureIsNow #TimeForChange #WheresTheRootCause #IsThisRight https://lnkd.in/e5qFVzJA

Small wonder parents are deserting the school system in favour of home-schooling or any other intelligent option. "Annie Ohana is an acclaimed educator at L.A. Matheson Secondary School in Surrey, B.C. Among the accolades that have come her way in recent years was becoming a 2023 finalist for what some bill as the “Nobel Prize for educators”: the Global Teacher Prize, awarded at the 42nd UNESCO General Conference last November. That sounds admirable indeed. Surely, the parents of one of her pupils – or anyone else reading of the award – would think, this meant Ohana proved tops at imparting the intricacies of algebra, or conveying her love of literary classics, or perhaps explaining how Einstein’s theory of relativity affected Newtonian physics. Not exactly. Ohana is an “anti-oppression and equity curriculum specialist” who appears happiest focusing on “social justice” issues. In fact, judging by her social media posts, she can hardly even spell. Several months ago, images from the inside of Ohana’s classroom came to light, revealing her classroom clutter and pedagogical approach to have a transparently far-left political bias involving deliberate attempts to engage her students in social justice activism. Legacy media like CTV News and others portrayed the resulting public concern and pushback as bullying and attacks against Ohana. The National Post’s Jamie Sarkonak, however, pointed out the following about Ohana’s classroom: “There’s a Palestinian flag, but no Israel flag is visible. There are progress pride flags but no thin blue line flag. There are denunciations of colonialism but no posters honouring Sir John A. Macdonald or Queen Elizabeth II. There’s a Canadian flag – over which the text, ‘No pride in genocide’, is printed.” Courtesy of James Pew, Woke Watch Canada

Understanding the difference between "equity" and "equality" is crucial for educators striving to create inclusive learning environments. And yes, there is a difference! "Equality" often means providing everyone the same resources or opportunities, assuming uniform needs and circumstances. In contrast, "equity" involves recognizing and addressing diverse needs to ensure fair access and opportunities for all students. I love these examples from Jamie Wallace and Elaine V. Howes because they highlight how equity can be applied in classrooms, like using students' diverse backgrounds to enhance learning experiences. In contrast, Courtney Rose, Ed.D., discusses how systemic issues, such as those in NYC public schools, require equitable solutions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Angela M. Ward, Ph.D., emphasizes the importance of differentiation and tailored support for true equity. This school year (and always!), let's strive for equity by understanding and addressing unique student needs! #Education #InclusiveEducation #StudentSuccess #EducationEquity

Cultivating a Thriving Educational Ecosystem: The Power of Afrocentric Education Imagine a vibrant ecosystem teeming with diverse resources, expertise, and theoretical frameworks. This interconnectedness fosters growth and resilience – a perfect metaphor for Afrocentric education initiatives. Empowering Educators & Students: Educators crave practical tools. Our guide, "Empowering Our Students: A Practical Guide to Afrocentric Integration," equips them with actionable steps to incorporate Afrocentric resources, pedagogies, and perspectives into their classrooms. This fosters a sense of empowerment and identity within students, allowing them to thrive. Guiding Policy & Shaping a Just Future: Policymakers need a compelling vision. "The Power of Afrocentric Education: Cultivating Equity and Achievement Through Policy" speaks directly to their goals. This approach tackles educational inequities, ensuring all students flourish. Join the Conversation! By fostering an interconnected ecosystem of Afrocentric education, we can empower students, guide practice, and inform policy. Let's build a more just and equitable educational landscape together. #AfrocentricEducation #Educ

Diversity in educational institutions is an important component to cultivate a learning environment where students and academia thrive. Many international and local schools now also include third country students. Similar to the business world, schools comprise individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultural experiences. Also similar to the business world, it is the responsibility of a school’s leadership team to spearhead diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to ensure everyone in their community from students and families to teachers and staff members—feels valued, heard and belongs. These are five insightful strategies to support schooling and educational institutions DEI efforts to both foster and advance inclusion. #leadershipfordiversity #education #academia #student #inclusion #DEI

My recent visit to Queen Margaret's School confirmed everything I believe about the value of an all-girls' education: Girls-only schools provide a unique environment that fosters academic success, confidence, and resilience by focusing on the specific needs and preferences of girls. These schools challenge gender stereotypes, nurture individual potential, and empower girls to thrive in academics, leadership, and beyond. Key Benefits of Girls-Only Education: ??Higher Academic Achievement: Girls perform better in exams and pursue a broader range of subjects, including STEM fields. ??Leadership Opportunities: Girls take on leadership roles with greater confidence in single-sex settings. ??Enhanced Confidence and Resilience: A supportive environment allows girls to embrace challenges and take risks. ??Freedom from Gender Stereotypes: Girls are encouraged to reject limiting societal norms and explore their interests freely. ??Tailored Learning Approaches: Cooperative, discussion-led classrooms and tailored teaching styles address girls' unique learning preferences. By prioritising girls' education in every aspect—from curriculum design to extracurricular activities—these schools equip young women to excel in an increasingly complex and competitive world. ??Did I miss anything? Comment below if you are an advocate of single-sex schools - and tell us why!

Typically, headteachers who come to us are dedicated to fostering inclusion and diversity awareness in their setting but they face challenges in achieving these to the level they aspire to. There are many different theories as to why inclusion and diversity initiatives fail to gain traction in schools: ??Overwhelming focus on academic achievement ??Resistance to change ??Inconsistent implementation Whilst these can in fact be hurdles, a setting doesn’t need to sacrifice focus on academic achievement or worry about additional implementation responsibilities to integrate and benefit from the value of inclusive education. Imagine if you discovered a proven method to significantly enhance reading engagement, inclusion and diversity awareness in your school. Would you hesitate to implement it, or would you act immediately? I thought so ?? You get to prioritize all of what’s important whilst sidestepping resistance to change and garnering engagement in the vision. Children are a discerning bunch. The moment they recognize that they are being represented in the literature used in school topics and across the curriculum, their sense of belonging improves and they will be much more on board. The good news is that, shifts like these can happen quickly when you have the resources to weave diversity and inclusion into your school values, topics/curriculum and pedagogy as a whole. Consider: ? Mrs D, headteacher at a SEND?base who went from experiencing sporadic reading levels to significant increases in reading engagement and attainment. ? Or Mr M, who saw marked shifts in parental engagement in literacy initiatives. Want results like these? Happier Every Chapter helps you champion and advance diversity and inclusion goals in your setting with literature that is not only representative but curated to align to and enrich wider learning. Message me or email [email protected] for more info P.S: Our 20% off sale is still on. Grab a superb book haul for the next academic year while you've got the chance??

Just about to board my flight to Sydney for this year’s The Australian Association for Research in Education conference. Really looking forward to the next five days of listening, learning, and discussion. Building on the fabulous work of Giri Sivaraman ???? ???????? and his Australian Human Rights Commission team’s recent release of the National Anti-Racism framework, I’ll be (co)presenting five different papers tackling racism in schools and higher education. Here’s a quick summary of them - do come along if you’re around: 1?? Title: An(Other) side of the story: Australian multiculturalism, Asian international students, and school-based anti-Asian racism in a changing world This paper adopts a race critical collaborative autoethnographic approach between a migrant ‘Asian’ (ex-secondary schoolteacher) researcher and a small group of migrant ‘Asian’ secondary students to interrogate contemporary sites of whiteness in the form of school-based anti-Asian racism. 2?? Title: Intersectionality and Identity: Power, Privilege, and Co-parenting in the Australian School System Co-presentation with University of Southern Queensland colleagues, Cally Jetta, Renee Desmarchelier, and Dr India Bryce PhD. This paper interrogates the intersectional raced, gendered, and classed experiences of separated parents with First Nations children. Our findings reveal that deficit perspectives of parenting are still at play in Australian schools, which impacts First Nations parents and their children. 3?? Symposium title: Voices unsilenced: Stories of racism in Australian schools Co-presentation with University of the Sunshine Coast, Monash University, and Western Sydney University colleagues, Rachael Dwyer, Catherine MANATHUNGA, Dr Nashid Nigar ? ????? ?????, and Rachael Jacobs. This presentation includes a space for generative conversations about anti-racist actions in schools, and how we can engage in ways that are transformative and hopeful. 4?? Title: Changing the world in three minutes? Contradictions and possibilities of the 3MT competition in higher education Co-presentation with UNSW colleague Zhaoxi Zheng. In this paper, we critically interrogate how our precarious inclusions and exclusions are produced within the 3MT competition and its associated neoliberal discourses. We unpack how the 3MT, and the broader neoliberal academy, govern and police inclusion and exclusion in research. 5?? Antiracist teaching praxis and duoethnography: Weaving the personal-political-professional-pedagogical Co-presentation with Queensland Teachers' Union colleague, Craig Wood, PhD. This paper is a representative case study of the teaching profession, in which two ex-schoolteachers lay claim to undertaking anti-racist work and interrogate critical incidents from their professional praxis.