Things Our Community Has Written…
Achieving Equity in Gifted Programming: Dismantling Barriers and Tapping Potential, by April Wells | Feb 15, 2020
Achieving Equity in Gifted Programming offers practical, research-based programming implementations to increase equity in gifted education and:
Your Words Are Fire: 10 Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies to Speak the Language of Belonging and Help Students Learn, Express Ideas, and Solve Problems
Book Description: Language — how we use it and even what we think about it — can be a barrier to our students learning at their highest levels. It’s especially tough for kids from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Despite your best efforts so all your students and their families are connected and thriving in your classroom, sometimes you miss the mark, and they feel isolated by their own languages and cultures.
Your Words Are Fire presents 10 teaching strategies that help you build the bridge between the language your students are using and the language they need for academic success, while still supporting their cultural and linguistic identity.
Learn how language and culture are connected
Discover the role language plays in your classroom successes and potential barriers
Change how you listen to your students (hint: it’s with more than your ears)
Plan explicitly around the linguistic and cultural needs of your students
Expand vocabulary work in your classroom so you all grow and learn
Break beyond the status quo that leaves you searching for better ways to connect with your students and the languages and cultures they bring into your classroom. Empower them as they work hard to learn and succeed and teach everyone in your class the value of new cultures, dialects and ways to communicate.
Your Words Are Fire is a reminder that language, throughout the annals of history, has made an impact on every generation and leaves an indelible mark. Your classroom is no different. The words exchanged between you and your students and families are paramount to the success of our future generations.
Engage in Lissette Jacobson and Maurice McDavid’s work, and you’ll find your words – and those of every student – blazing a new trail to learning.
In this episode, Dr. Anna and Dr. Beth engage the inspiring educators behind Lyons Township High School's BIPOC Educators Supporting Teaching (BEST) Affinity Group. In episode 127, we talked with the administrative team that created conditions for collaboration in their school community. Now we will hear how those intentions are brought to life. Dr. Jennifer Rowe, Mimi Yong, Teriauna Bland, and Michael Archbold share their personal experiences building a supportive community for educators of color. Listen as they discuss the importance of authentic spaces, professional development opportunities, and the powerful metaphor of "taking off armor" in affinity spaces. This episode offers valuable insights into creating sustainable support systems that benefit both educators and students alike.
Role-Ing While BIPOC: Understanding the Experiences of Table Top Role Playing Game Players of Color
Dissertation Abstract
In 2015, controversy surrounded the interactive computer game Mission US: Flight to Freedom. The game was unveiled as an accessible way to teach about American chattel slavery by mixing elements normally associated with roleplaying games (RPGs), Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPGs), and social studies curriculum. The conversations surrounding the game exemplify the complicated history of RPGS/TTRPGs and the limitations of gamification in educational settings. This qualitative study aimed to analyze aspects of gaming culture through a critical race lens by documenting the experiences of Tabletop Roleplaying Game (TTRPG) players identifying as Black, Indigenous, and a Person of Color (BIPOC). Using a phenomenological approach, the study aimed to discover answers to the overarching research question, “How do BIPOC table top role-playing game (TTRPG) players describe their experiences and make meaning of their self-created characters as a party engaging in a prolonged RPG campaign?” Responses were coded to generalize themes related to their interactions with various adventure modules, created characters, and interactions in gaming groups. The findings illuminated how participants' identities shaped overall gameplay experiences and their approach to character creation. Notably, respondents emphasized the necessity of moderators in maintaining healthy and safe virtual and in-person settings. There have been attempts to improve racial representation in these games; however, the research revealed that significant improvements are still needed to approach equitable representation. Ultimately, implications for gamification in schools and hobby settings and steps for creating more inclusive spaces were revealed.