Decolonizing the Curriculum: Asking Questions of Ourselves to Help Our Students

 Presenter: Reynold Macias

"It is a privilege to learn about racism* instead of experiencing it..."

What does privilege mean in this context?

How does this make you feel?

What if we use other words: Sexism, racism, homophobia, poverty, so on?

"Decolonizing means unlearning all the lies you've been told to control you. Decolonizing is liberation."

• American(his)(her)(OUR)story
• "Founding fathers" created a single story in which they are oppressed, while also oppressing others, which gives them a sense of authority--a sense of righteousness.
• "The Danger of the Single Story"
• Essential Question: "Where do we find systems of oppression cloaked in the language of liberty?"

PoCC Social Justice Summit: Waking up NAIS Schools

Keynote: Lezley McSpadden-Head
Panelists: Khyati Joshi, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, José Vilson, and Randall Dunn; moderated by Caroline G. Blackwell, NAIS

 EDUCATORS HAVE TO GET WITH THE PROGRAM

• It's not enough to participate in social justice (SJ) symbolically, we have to live anti-racist lives
• The change in the culture has to start with us
• We have to be so persuaded by our vision for justice and social change that we are unshakable in our resolve
• The time for change and influence is now, and it may not persist in the way we are currently experiencing
• We cannot allow the status quo to persist if we want to expect change
• Stop making feather headbands for Thanksgiving
• Stop saying that laws exist to protect everyone
• Look at what we are teaching: Critical lens
• There are ways in which 
• We have an opportunity now: Excellent education means that we have to lift each other's voices up and find ways to keep each other accountable

SOCIAL JUSTICE IN EDUCATION MEANS...

• A goal and a process; creating a more equitable society for all
• Equitable school environment
• Recognizing different social identities as well as your positionality relating to other identities
• We need to recognize that independent schools (IS) weren't made for Black and brown people
• They were made to separate white children from children of color
• Students of color have been made to feel as if they should be so grateful to participate in IS that they shouldn't raise their voices in advocating for what works best for them
• NONE OF US ARE FREE UNTIL WE ALL ARE FREE
• Starting point for these schools is white/Christian society--NOT NEUTRAL

How can schools charge tuition in affluent places and still align themselves with social justice causes?

• We can find models and ways to move the needle to work for our kids that can be applied elsewhere
• We can find ways to increase equity wherever we are
• Audre Lorde: The greatest sign of privilege is absorbing without use
• We have to be able to apply our learnings to education as a whole
• Causing trouble me be essential to some of the changes we want to implement
• Find allies in your schools, especially in administration
• Stay strategic--recognize the changes your school is ready to make and move into those spaces

KEYNOTE: Lezley McSpadden-Head (mother of Michael Brown)

• Necessary universal federal law that will fix the problem of police brutality
• Need to work together to create the future we want to see
• "If you made it to this month, then know that God saw fit for you to be present in the land of the living."

Khyati Joshi: Making the Invisible Visible: Religion, Race and Whiteness in America

 THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN SHAPING WHITENESS & PRIVILEGE

• Christians have privilege
• Jewish ppl may have white priv. while not religious priv.
• Black Christians may have religious priv. while not racial privilege
• Presenter experienced bullying for being Indian (from India)
• National Geographic played a role in exorcized presentation of other cultures 
• Religion is often invisible, so intention is to make it visible within our culture and experiences
• Immigration policy: 1917--Asian Barred Zone Act: From parts of Asia, ppl are no longer able to immigrate the the US (on top of the Asian Exclusion Act)
• These were largely non-Christian populations
• With a critical lens, we can infer the intension of the act
• Immigration act of 1924 on top of this helped shape the demographic of a white Protestant population
• Schools have avoided teaching about the Black and Asian American experiences which alienates the people who are living those experiences; dominant culture then dictates how those stories are told
• Christianity and race supremacy are baked into our laws
• Important cases on religious freedom: Goldman v. Weinberger; "Peyote Case"; Lane Case
• Facially neutral option assumes Christian normativity so that other religious customs are abnormal 
• We cannot enact change through the same patterns of thought and function
• One pattern= More religious diversity less talk about religion
• When prayer was taken out of school, schools also stopped talking about religion, which prevents students from understanding the influences of religion on their lives
• People should acknowledge the specific religions that people practice, understand the various holidays that people celebrate
• Increase religious literacy around what different religions value
• Scientific racism has been used to prevent citizenship within the US
• Ozawa Case
• 1923: Thind (a Sikh) Case tried to use race to prove his eligibility but was denied

Screens, Windows and Mirrors: Tools for Inquiry-Based Media Dissections

 Presenter: Kerri Redding (Using PearDeck)

TEACHING THE FISH ABOUT WATER

• AKA Teaching students about the media saturated culture we live in
• Media literacy is no longer taught directly as fluency may be assumed
• Half of US adults spend at least 10 hrs interacting with media every day

FOUNDATIONS

• Access
• Divides in who has access to certain platforms, tech
• Analyze
• 5W + H about creation; audience, intentions
• Evaluate 
• What are the parts? What are their purposes? What stories do they enforce?
• Create
• Students should be able to create media
• Smartphone access has increased ability, but sources and analysis are flattened

Media Diets

• Social media is a primary source for news information
• Misinformation travels 6x faster than actual information (!?) based in our fight/flight instincts
• Media diets=mother culture around us
• Help students understand how information lands in their feeds

WATCHING MEDIA: You Love Me

• What are its parts? What are the various pieces and components
• What perspectives can you look at it from? (Different users and makers; different physical perspectives)
• How are you involved? What connections do you have? What assumptions, interests, or personal circumstances shape the way you see it?
• After watching, kids can reflect on guiding questions, share them via Peardeck

TIPS FOR USING MEDIA

• "Can you say more about that?"
• Reflections allow students to consider effects without getting just lost in the emotion of the media (which creators may intend)
• If you're a part of the majority, then you may consume media as a mirror, and you may not have the skills to connect to the text
• Media can help students look through a window into other people's experiences
• We consume at least 5000 images per day; our brain uses shortcuts rather than deep consideration

CREATING MEDIA

• What are its parts/components?
• What are its purposes and the purposes of each of its parts?
• What are its complexities?
• Students shouldn't make videos longer than 5 minutes
• Making a video is NOT an easier assignment than writing an essay; making videos is complex and should be scaffolded

NAIS PoCC: White Affinity Group Session

 5 Things Every Human Needs

• Breath 
• Rest
• Water
• Nutrition
• Community

Which are you getting enough of? Which do you need more of?

Principles of Conversational Leadership and Shared Work

• How will I demonstrate respect for others, their differences and similarities?
• How can I support the safest space possible for brave and authentic truth-telling for self and others?'
• When should I step forward and when should I step back to be my best self or create space for others?

Challenging Self: Breakout Rooms

• Choose a discussion leader and time keeper
• Intros: One minute per person (8 mins total)--name, pronouns, school, location
• Storytelling: Divide time evenly--each person answers one of the questions
• Why am I here?
• How have I prepared myself? 
• How is my "awareness and accountability" work challenging me?
• When have I backed away from challenging myself?
• What do I need in order to change my response in the future?

Fostering Positive Identities in Our Children to Cultivate Young Anti-Racists: PoCC

 OPENING

• Presenters are teachers/staff at Oregon Episcopal School
• Oregon was the only state to enter the union with a clause prohibiting the entry of Black residents
• LS students started using the n-word to address students of color in their class
• Teachers had assumed a sense of innocence in the students and hadn't fostered understanding of ID development
• Teaching history of racism is essential to cultivating fully realized humans so that they aren't enacting harm on the people of their community

STARTING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE IN THE CLASSROOM

• Conversations about race can be joyful through their sense of discovery
• Students of color can see themselves as beautiful and normal in their differences and white kids can celebrate those differences as well
• Multi-racial students were excited to share about themselves
• White students had misconceptions about their own identities
• Some black students wished they had lighter skin
• Without the conversations, students learn to code switch and edit out parts of their lives at school (not sharing their different languages, foods, religions)
• Teachers can look at our differences without judgement 
• Build understanding that in some places, students' identities can be weaponized against them
• All students need the language to talk about themselves and their differences
• Communicate with families about the conversations you're having in the class and encourage them to talk with their students about their racial/ ethnic IDs

CLASSROOM AND CURRICULUM STRATEGIES

• Recognizing patterns: They exist in nature, art, math, science--and they exist in our behaviors
• Patterns hide inside us; where do you see patterns of bias in the classroom
• Presenter noted how students avoided brown colors in an art project; they talked about the beauty of browns in the fall leaves and they brainstormed ways to remove this pattern/ bias in their classroom
• Voting and voice: What does it look like to use your voice in art? How are some voices silenced? How does voice connect to power? Who tends to be powerful?
• Look at a history of voting: Democracy comes from the Iroquois; look at who didn't have access to voting; history of struggle for voting rights; kids can know that even though they don't have a vote doesn't mean they don't have a voice; access to vote is a connection students can relate to, connecting to experiences of different people's races
• See/ Think/ Wonder: What do you notice about the patterns of US presidencies
• Show students other examples of leadership; break the mold for who can be a leader by showing their women, BIPOC changemakers
• WHAT IS DELICIOUS? Students can learn about the science of taste; can encounter other people's preferences-- "That food is new to me; I've never tried that before" as language students can use rather than "Ew--that's gross!"

TEACHER MINDSET

• Anti-racist work doesn't have to be perfect
• Be willing to pilot new programs and opportunities
• We might be trying new things, building your own paradigms
• "What does a conversation about race look like with 3rd graders?" -Had to do it to find out!
• Parents may be unsure, even if they see the value
• BIPOC parents will support your work and appreciate your efforts
• White parents may feel a sense of relief of removing that racial anxiety for not already having some of these conversations

KEEP SHARING YOUR ANTI-RACIST WORK!

DR. IBRAHIM'S CONCEPTION OF ANTI-RACISM

Reading as a Vehicle for Fostering Anti-Racist and Inclusive Students: Notes from NAIS PoCC 2020 Seminar

BOOKS BEYOND BORDERS PROJECT

• Read one book per month about a character or setting that allows you to explore a variety of lived experiences that are different than your own
• Use a variety of identifiers (race, gender, religion, geographical borders--so on)
• Write a reflection
• Have a conversation about what you read with teachers, peers, parents
• Inspiration from the project came from Rita Platt blog post

10 REASONS TO TRY THIS PROJECT

1. Skills in history/SS studies: it teaches perspective and allows students to consider different historical contexts.
2. Skills in English: plot structure, conflict, character development, questioning skills (especially about unfamiliar topics); gives context for students to continue reading outside of class; normalizing reading these books and builds empathy
3. Benefits of independent reading: at least 20 minutes per day increases vocabulary use and standardized testing achievement; develops a love of reading
4. SEL skills: awareness of self and others
5. Open dialogue: informal conversations--teacher-student and student-student
6. Teacher/student connection
7. Exposure: Celebration of diversity
8. Allyship & activism: students will encounter issues like microagressions or experiences that they may not be familiar with; it's ok if you're one identity and want to read about other people's experiences
9. Identity development: explore who they are as they learn about other people
10. Anti-racism work: building a culture of anti-racism in the classroom, inspiring anti-racist students

-Culturally neutral books might present a person who has a known difference while their experience is somewhat normalized

-Culturally authentic books present real lived experiences of differences rather than a singular monolithic cultural experience

-Anti-racist books present stories of people who are understanding the world outside of their own lenses and their privilege; might inspire students to engage their own work in anti-racism

GUIDANCE

-Avoid having students tokenize other people or typify other people's experiences a la "The Danger of the Single Story"

-Easy access to these books and encouragement to encounter different voices can be super powerful 

-Teachers should read the books along with their students

-Create a visual display that celebrates the reading project and allows students to share their reflections

-Build interdisciplinary reading by partnering btwn language, math, STEAM, humanities

“I’m NOT Too Young to Read about This” Literature: A Vehicle for Anti-Racism ToolKit

Presentation slide notes