Designing for Equity in Connected Learning and Teaching

Session 5

Shayla H Amenra, Kira Baker-Doyle, Christina Cantrill, Lana Iskandarani, Helga Porter, Robert Sidelinker, Kathy Walsh, Tracey Dean — Founder of HAPPISPACE, Arcadia University Graduate School of Education, National Writing Project, West Chester University, Merion Elementary School in the Lower Merion School District, Warwick Elementary in the Central Bucks School District, Building 21 in the

Connected Learning is an approach that sees learning as interest-driven, peer supported, and oriented toward powerful outcomes for youth (Ito et al., 2013). Connected learning environments position teachers as “designer[s]-in-context” (Garcia et al., 2014) who collaboratively co-design classroom instruction, equitable and motivating learning environments for students, and their own professional learning. However, as Juliet Shor of the Connected Learning Research Network reminds us, “New institutions and new practices, as they arise in a highly unequal and stratified society … will take on those inequalities unless they are actively combated.” (CLTV, 2013)

How then do we design connected learning and teaching that is equitable? This is what we have been exploring together - from K-12 to University to working with youth outside of school - as we challenge ourselves as educators to be connected learners in order to design and teach in connected and equitable ways.

Join us to explore what this has started to look like in our different settings and think with us about the implications. This session will be designed with opportunities for all participants to engage in connected activities while we think together about the implications for learning design. Our ultimate goal is to connect with each other in order to continue to build our creative networks of colleagues and collaborators in support of equity in connected learning and teaching.

Conversational Practice

We will begin with an opportunity to define what we all mean by equity and connected learning and then share the ways we have been working towards it in our contexts. We would make sure to open with an opportunity to make/produce an artifact together to support us all in being in a shared space of learning, and from there we reserve the bulk of the time for small group work and whole group discussion. We would like participants to have time to think about this work in their own context, and for us to connect around our shared practices.