Diversity in the Digital Age: Integrating Pedagogy and Technology for Equity and Inclusion [O-032] Members : OER20

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Public Group Active 4 years, 8 months ago

Wed, Apr 1 2020, 2:30pm – 3:30pm

Authors: Kathryn Kaiser, and Belinda Nicholson

Room: Pre-record

Theme: Caring pedagogies and designing for diverse communities of inclusion

Type: Alt-format – 7mins

Description

Original Session Description

This Pecha Kucha presents a study exploring the perceptions of how and why teachers might integrate technology to support their goals of equity and inclusion. The participants in the study are a group of teachers who both identify as culturally responsive in their pedagogy and describe themselves as fluent in the use of technology in school.
An “extreme case sampling” of teachers working with students of diverse backgrounds in this study were chosen and a “snowball” approach was utilized in order to interview experienced and pedagogically aligned participants. In-depth interviews with teachers were the primary method of data collection. These interviews were augmented with a focus group. Class artifacts and document review provided data on each of the participants’ use of technology. The Pecha Kucha will show Examples of technology projects and applications, as well as background and environmental factors that may have influenced the participants’ technology use.
These three different data collection methods helped provide a more complete understanding of how teachers perceived uses of technology resources in culturally responsive classrooms. The three key findings were that participant teachers conceptualized technology as a tool for learning, describing their specific uses of technology as learning enhancements such as knowledge building and knowledge sharing strategies, indicated positive outcomes of their use of technology and that they learned about the use of technology resources for culturally responsive approaches through informal means.
Teachers’ choices for technology use that supports equity and inclusion goals were guided first by their perceptions that technology is a learning tool that allows students of diverse backgrounds to experience academic success and develop critical consciousness and second by their preference to learn to use technology largely through informal approaches, in particular with peers they see as culturally competent and aligned with their own thoughtful practice in service of their beliefs and values for equity and inclusion.
This visual presentation will present the research and findings in an engaging narrative using rich examples and images of diverse children and teachers at work in schools. OER principles espouse widening access to knowledge and alignment with concepts such as ‘equity’ and ‘social justice’ (Ljubljana OER Action Plan 2017). Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 2014; Paris, 2017) also supports these concepts and practices. Teachers seeking to integrate technology resources in diverse classrooms have much to learn from active practitioners as there is currently limited professional resources to guide this critical care work in schools (Giroux, 2010). Technology pedagogy and pedagogy of inclusion are often not explicitly linked (Blikstein, 2008; Facer, 2011).

References

Blikstein, P. (2008). Travels in Troy with Freire: Technology as an agent for emancipation. In P. Noguera & C. A. Torres (Eds.), Social justice education for teachers: Paulo Freire and the possible dream (pp. 205-244). Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense.

Facer, K. L. (2011). Learning futures: Education, technology and social change. UK: Routledge.

Giroux, H. (2010, October 17). Lessons from Paulo Freire. Chronicle of Higher Education: The Chronicle Review, pp. B15-B16.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally relevant pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 74-84.

Paris, D., & Alim, H. S. (2017). Culturally sustaining pedagogies: Teaching and learning for justice in a changing world. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

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