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EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association bringing tech into DEI to create opportunities for all students to have tech access

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cybersecurity and privacy in higher education

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EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education through the use of information technology. We equip our community wit

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List of DEI books with a list under construction

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Our DEI Reading List | Diverse Educators

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Deepening our thinking around DEI starts with who and what we are reading, helping us to develop our confidence and our competence

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Calender of religious, cultural, and secular holidays and celebration for the workplace and classroom

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Celebrate Diversity Every Month

For HR professionals committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), creating welcoming workplaces is a year-round initiative. So take note of the following professional, cultural, religious, and secular holidays as you build out your workplace DE&I calendar.

January 2024

Month-long observances:

National Mentoring Month

Poverty in America Awareness Month

Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month

Important January DE&I calendar dates:

January 1 - New Year's Day

January 4 - World Braille Day

January 7 - Coptic Orthodox Christmas

January 25 - Mahayana New Year (Buddhist)

January 13 - Maghi (Sikh)

January 21 - World Religion Day

January 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 24 - International Day of Education

January 26 - International Customs Day

January 27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day

February 2024

Month-long observances:

Important February DE&I calendar dates:

Don't just talk the DE&I talk - walk the walk.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Learning Guide Get your FREE Guide
March 2024

Month-long observances:

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

Ethnic Equality Month

Gender Equality Month

Greek-American Heritage Month

Irish-American Heritage Month

National Colon Cancer Awareness Month

National Kidney Month

National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness and Education Month

National Women's History Month

Important March DE&I calendar dates:

March 1 - Employee Appreciation Day

March 8 - International Women's Day

March 8 - Maha Shivarati (Hindu)

March 10 - Ramadan begins (Islam)

March 10 - Harriet Tubman Day (USA)

March 14 - Pi π Day

March 14 - Equal Pay Day

March 15 - International Day to Combat Islamophobia

March 17 - St. Patrick's Day

March 21 - World Down Syndrome Day

March 23 - Purim (Jewish)

March 25 - International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

March 24 - Palm Sunday (Christian)

March 25 - Holi (Hindu)

March 29- Good Friday (Christian)

March 31 - International Transgender Day of Visibility

March 31 - Easter (Christian)

March 31 - César Chávez Day (USA)

Support Muslim employees during Ramadan
Ramadan in the Workplace: HR Best Practices
April 2024

Month-long observances:

Arab-American Heritage Month

Autism Awareness Month

Celebrate Diversity Month

Earth Month

National Child Abuse Prevention Month

National Volunteer Month

Important April DE&I calendar dates:

April 2 - World Autism Awareness Day

April 5 - Laylat al-Qadr (Muslim)

April 7 - World Health Day

April 9 - Eid-al-Fitr/End of Ramadan (Muslim)

April 12 - National Day of Silence (LGBTQ+)

April 21 - Start of Ridvan (Baha'i)

April 22 - Passover begins (Jewish)

April 22 - Earth Day

April 24 - Administrative Professionals Day

April 28 -World Day for Safety and Health at Work

April 30 - Passover ends

When did DE&I become a workplace concern?

Here's a look back on The History of Diversity and Inclusion Policies
Read the Article
May 2024

Month-long observances:

ALS Awareness Month

Haitian Heritage Month

Indian Heritage Month

Jewish-American Heritage Month

Mental Health Awareness Month

National Asian American and South Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Older Americans Month

South Asian American Heritage Month

Important May DE&I calendar dates:

May 5 - Cinco de Mayo

May 5 - Yom Hashoah (Jewish)

May 12 - Mother's Day

May 17 - International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

May 19 - Malcolm X Day (USA)

May 20 - Victoria Day (Canada)

May 20 - International Human Resources Day

May 21 - World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

May 23 - Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i)

May 26 - Arbor Day

May 29 - Ascension of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)

May 27 - Memorial Day

At WorkTango, we make belonging a reality. Here's how to make it a point of company pride in yours:
Intersectionality: What it is and how it fits Read the Article
June 2024

Month-long observances:

Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month

Black Music Month

National Caribbean American Heritage Month

Important June DE&I calendar dates

June 5 - World Environment Day

June 9 - Race Unity Day

June 12 - Loving Day

June 16 - Eid al-Adha (Muslim)

June 16 - Father's Day

June 19 - Juneteenth

June 20 - World Refugee Day

June 20 - Litha, Summer Solstice (Pagan)

June 21 - National Indigenous Peoples Day (Canada)

June 23 - Public Service Day

June 24 - St-Jean-Baptiste Day (Quebec)

June 27 - Helen Keller Day (USA)

June 28 - Pride Day (LGBTQ+) (varies by city and country)

Planning Juneteenth events? WorkTango's got you covered.
How to Mark Juneteenth in Your Workplace Read the Article
July 2024

Month-long observances:

Important July DE&I calendar dates

July 1 - Canada Day (Canada)

July 4 - Independence Day (USA)

July 7 - Al-Hijra begins (Muslim)

July 9 - Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha'i)

July 11 - World Populace Day

July 14 - Bastille Day

July 18 - International Nelson Mandela Day

July 24 - Pioneer Day (Mormon)

July 24 - International Self-Care Day

July 26 - National Disability Independence Day (commemorates the signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act)

July 28 - Parents' Day (USA)

July 30 - International Day of Friendship

Are your DE&I initiatives making an impact? Learn:
How to Measure the Success of Your Diversity Program Read the Article
August 2024

Month-long observances:

Important DE&I calendar dates:

August 7 - Purple Heart Day

August 9 - International Day of the World's Indigenous People

August 13 - Left-Handers Day

August 17 - Marcus Garvey Day (Jamaican)

August 19 - World Humanitarian Day

August 21 - Senior Citizens Day

August 26 - Women's Equality Day

August 26 - Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)

Check out 15 Tips for Building a More Inclusive Workplace
Read the Article
September 2024

Month-long observances:

Important September DE&I calendar dates:

Employee Demographic Collection Empowers DE&I
Read the Article
October 2024

Month-long observances:

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Bullying Prevention Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Filipino-American Heritage Month

German-American Heritage Month

Italian-American Heritage Month

LGBTQ History Month

National Work and Family Month

Polish-American Heritage Month

Family History Month

Important October DE&I calendar dates:

Wondering how to interpret your DE&I data?
DE&I Benchmarks: Where Companies Miss the Mark and Why Check out the Article
November 2024

Month-long observances:

Diabetes Awareness Month

National Native American, American Heritage Month

Important DE&I calendar dates:

Struggling with retention issues?

Check out 10 Strategies to Retain Diverse Talent
Here's the Article
December 2024

Month-long observances:

Important December DE&I calendar dates:

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2024 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Calendar

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Create a welcoming workplace by celebrating a diverse array of holidays. Build out your DEI calendar for 2024!

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Cult of Pedagogy is a website that contains many teaching tools. This link specifically focuses on tools for teaching social justice in the classroom.

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Ask teachers to describe the impact they hope to have on their students, and most will eventually say something along these lines: I want my students to grow into responsible citizens. I want my students to participate in society in an active, productive way.

And maybe: I want my students to change the world.

But how many of us know how to make that happen, really? Can we explicitly teach students how to change the world? If this question has been whispering in the back of your mind, the resources in this collection will help.

What is social justice, and how does it fit into the curriculum?

The National Association of Social Workers defines social justice as "the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities." To study social justice is to learn about the problems that dramatically impact quality of life for certain populations, and how people have worked to solve those problems.

If you teach social studies, you'll have no trouble finding direct curricular links to social justice. The National Curriculum Standards for the Social Studies includes Civic Ideals and Practices as one of its 10 Themes of Social Studies, and this includes an emphasis on learning how to get involved in influencing public policy. In history and social studies class, social justice teaching is a natural fit.

In other content areas, teachers disagree over whether social justice has a place. We put ourselves in a vulnerable position by exploring issues that are seen as more controversial than others (a topic I will get into in the next section), and some teachers prefer to completely steer clear of those kinds of complications. For others, social justice was a driving force in why they became teachers, and they weave it into whatever content they are teaching. If you choose to address some or all of these issues in your classroom, the next section offers some tips for doing it effectively.

Some Advice for Teaching Social Justice

As an undergraduate, I served as a student counselor for three years and a resident assistant (RA) for one. I regularly delivered workshops on social justice topics, and I learned a few important lessons along the way. Here are some things to keep in mind when studying social justice issues with your students:

Make getting to know students a key component of any social justice teaching. If you and your students don't spend time examining your own backgrounds, biases, and beliefs, you will be missing an essential component of any social justice curriculum. We all view every social justice issue through the lens of our own experience, and these different lenses can block our growth and learning if we aren't aware of them. If we fine-tune our self-awareness, our individual lenses can richly inform classroom conversations and help us understand issues on a much deeper level, directly from each other.

Know that not all students feel the same way about these issues. Most, if not all, of these resources have been created from a pretty liberal, progressive viewpoint. For example, one of the lessons in the Learning for Justice (formerly known as Teaching Tolerance) series described below is on Confronting Unjust Laws. The lesson uses California's Proposition 8 as an example of an unjust law. But not all of your students (or their families) will see a law like Prop 8 as unjust. In fact, some may strongly oppose same-sex marriage. That doesn't mean you can't talk about controversial issues; in fact, teaching students how to respectfully discuss an issue with people who don't see things the same way is a lesson that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

Familiarize yourself with the material before teaching. Sometimes we just skim materials before we teach. With social justice topics, this would be a mistake. Not knowing exactly what's in all of your teaching materials, including the texts or videos you and your students will be looking at, can leave you vulnerable to problems when unexpected content pops up.

Keep your administrator in the loop. As with any potentially controversial lesson, it is essential that you talk to your administrator about it ahead of time. Show the curricular connections between your planned lessons and the standards you're teaching. Talk about potential problems or objections that may come up and how you both plan to address them. That way, if your administrator gets a phone call from a concerned parent, she or he won't be blindsided.

Featured Resources

When I set out to find good resources for social justice teaching, I was looking for classroom-ready materials, lesson plans with supplementary texts or videos that would prompt students to learn about, think about, and talk about social justice issues. I also hoped to find some that would actually teach students about activism, about how a citizen zeroes in on a problem, formulates a solution, then does the grassroots work necessary to see that solution come to life.

Some of these resources fit the bill perfectly, especially the first one on the list. Others do not include lesson plans at all, but serve such an important and innovative role in social justice education, I thought they were essential to include here.

Learning for Justice

This award-winning organization (formerly known as Teaching Tolerance) comes up most often any time social justice teaching is discussed. There's lots to explore on their site, including the Classroom Resources section, which is loaded with lesson plans and other resources teachers can use for free in their classrooms. One of these lessons is Confronting Unjust Practices, where students learn about the anti-segregation actions taken by the Freedom Riders and the attack on one of these buses in Anniston, Alabama (pictured above).

Other lessons from this library include What is Ageism?, Unequal Unemployment, and What Makes a Family? Lessons are available for elementary, middle, and high school students.

DoSomething.org

No lesson plans here: DoSomething.org is an outstanding organization whose goal is to support the work of young people who want to make a difference in their world. Students browse through a big list of campaigns, public education and activism projects students can launch right in their own communities, and choose one or more that they'd like to participate in. Once they have finished a campaign, students submit a photo or video to prove they completed the required steps. This entry makes them eligible to win prizes, including scholarships. Currently, only U.S. students are eligible for these scholarships, but DoSomething.org is expanding into other countries as well.

Although this site will not help you do any direct instruction about social justice, it provides incredible opportunities for students to actively participate in social justice projects. Most campaigns are just right for high school students, and some would be appropriate for middle schoolers as well. Some topics may be considered risque, so review the content before introducing it to students.

On a related note, DoSomething.org is the organization where Katia Gomez, the college student who started her own school in Honduras (featured in the first Cult of Pedagogy documentary last year), got her start. One more bit of trivia that totally doesn't matter but might if you are a Melrose Place fan: DoSomething.org was co-founded by 90's heartthrob Andrew Shue. Squeee!!

The Global Oneness Project

The Global Oneness Project offers a beautiful collection of multicultural films, photo essays, and articles that "explore cultural, social, and environmental issues with a humanistic lens." Many of the featured stories are paired with a lesson plan for high school or college classrooms, aligned with Common Core and national standards.

One such pairing starts with the film Amar, which follows a young Indian boy living in a high-poverty neighborhood through a typical day that includes rising before dawn to do one of his two jobs and attending school. The accompanying lesson plan is called A Day in the Life, which has students examine the film and other resources related to the economic situation in India.

The films are truly stunning. This collection doesn't include explicit teachings in any kind of civics or grassroots activism, but it will provide students with a deep understanding of lives completely unlike their own. And that kind of empathy is one of the most important building blocks for any kind of social justice action.

Pushing the Edge: Social Justice Resources Collection

Educator Greg Curran's podcast covers a range of educational topics, but quite a few episodes circle around issues of social justice. Recently, he curated these resources into a Social Justice Resources Collection. These episodes will be mainly useful for teachers to educate themselves about social justice education: what complications and questions come up, helpful do's and don'ts, and why it's worth it. He interviews practicing teachers and administrators who are walking the walk with social justice teaching. Listening to them will give you a template from which to build your own practice.

Here's an example of one episode, where Curran interviews Nakisha Hobbs, principal of the Village Leadership Academy, a k-8 social justice school in Chicago.

GLSEN: Educator Resources

For teachers who want to include consideration of LGBT issues in their study of social justice, a great source for materials is GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. offers a nice collection of educator guides and lesson plans.

Here are a few examples: The ThinkB4YouSpeak Guide for Educators includes lesson plans, resources, and tips for teachers for addressing anti-LGBT language in the 6-12 classroom. Unheard Voices is a collection of audio interviews with "individuals who bore witness to or helped shape LGBT history in some way." And the Day of Silence Guide shows educators how to run a Day of Silence awareness campaign in their schools.

Educational Video Center

I love this idea: The Educational Video Center teaches students the skills of documentary filmmaking, telling important stories in the name of social justice. Although the EVC holds after-school workshops only for students in New York City, they do offer professional development for teachers anywhere who want to learn how to teach these skills to their own students.

Alumni of the EVC have created documentaries on everything from criminal justice to domestic violence to mental health. You can view a collection of trailers for student-created documentaries here.

The Two Dollar Challenge

The Two Dollar Challenge is a challenge issued to people who want to make an impact on poverty. The challenge is simple: For 5 days, live on just $2 per day, publicizing the complexities of global poverty and helping to raise funds for a partner organization.

What's most striking about this organization is their emphasis on cultivating a deep respect for people affected by poverty and raising participants' awareness of their own privilege. One look at the project's code of conduct shows just how serious they are about that mission: "At all times participants must respect those nearby who are truly in need. If at any time those taking the Challenge are using resources which are valuable for indigent residents in the area this action must be re-evaluated."

Anti-Defamation League

The ADL's collection of lesson plans explore topics in categories like gender issues, sexism, ableism, religious bigotry, and racism. For example, What is the School-to-Prison Pipeline?, a lesson for high school students, has students study and discuss the impact of zero-tolerance policies in schools, statistics on the connection between school suspensions and the juvenile justice system, and their own school discipline policy. The end of the lesson offers students a choice of next steps for taking action on this issue. Lessons are available for preschool through high school.

Update: Since publishing this post, a few readers have pointed out that some of ADL's other website content (separate from this curriculum) takes a strong stance on issues relating to Israel and may offend some users. I still feel that this curriculum contains incredibly valuable lessons on very recent events that you won't find anywhere else, but this reinforces my second and third points above: Know your audience, and read through the materials carefully. For more details on this issue, please read the comments below. This article may also shed some light on the topic.

Further Reading

Stirring Up Justice
Laurel Schmidt, Education Leadership, May 2009
Explores the value and process of teaching students about activism. Offers a template for how to engage students in authentic conversations about difficult issues, ask themselves what they can do about social justice issues, consider ways they have already acted in the past, study how other kids and young adults have successfully solved problems, and participate in their own social justice projects.

Turning Current Events Into Social Justice Teaching
Jinnie Spiegler, Edutopia, January 6, 2016
Spiegler, the curriculum director for the Anti-Defamation League (the first resource in this post) offers advice on teaching social justice topics in a way that's both sensitive and productive.

Educolor Resources
Educolor, an organization dedicated to an equitable, just education for everyone, maintains this list of books, movies, articles, and websites that will educate teachers and students on issues of social justice, especially as it pertains to educational equity.

The Best Teacher Resources Sites for Social Justice
Larry Ferlazzo, Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day, July 1, 2008
A big list of resources related to social justice education.
What Are Your Favorite Social Justice Resources?
This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you have a resource you like to use for teaching about social justice, please share it in the comments below. ♦

Keep in touch.
Join my mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration-in quick, bite-sized packages-all geared toward making your teaching more effective and fun. To thank you, I'll send you a free copy of my e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, which has helped thousands of teachers spend less time grading!

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A Collection of Resources for Teaching Social Justice

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Want your students to actively engage in addressing inequality? Explore this annotated bibliography of resources for teaching students about social justice.

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January: "I Have a Dream" Speech as a Work of Literature 

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January: "I Have a Dream" Speech as a Work of Literature 

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This lesson plan has students listen to MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech and listen for the literary devices that are used throughout the speech.

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For a google doc version of this lesson, click here.

Introduction

Students will study Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and discuss the rhetorical influences on King's speech, the oratorical devices that King used in delivering his speech and how a speech is similar to/different from other literary forms.

Subjects

English, Social Studies, Government

Estimated Time

One 50-minute class period, plus extended activities

Grade Level

6-12

Background

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s most memorable speech from his life as an activist, "I HAVE A DREAM , " was delivered on August 28, 1963, before more than 200,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The speech was part of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It not only helped to galvanize the already growing civil rights movement across the country at the time, but also became one of the most influential and inspirational pieces of rhetoric in American history.

Remarkably, midway through his delivery, King suspended his pre-scripted text and began to improvise; what resulted was the speech's most recognizable section, the passage in which the words "I have a dream" are passionately repeated. Indeed, King's background as a Baptist preacher in the South instilled in him a talent for improvisation as a speaker and the skill to frame the urgency of the moment.

What is also apparent in "I Have Dream" is King's deep commitment to scholarship (he earned a Ph.D. from Boston University). King was clearly well-versed in both American history and religious scripture, and he seamlessly weaves references to both into the fabric of his oration. Overall, "I Have a Dream" can be held up as a masterful creative work in itself; its dramatic structure coupled with its image-laden content render a remarkably moving piece of American literature that still strongly resonates today.

Procedure

1. Begin by supplying foundation material for the students through the NewsHour Classroom article and the NewsHour's Martin Luther King, Jr. section, the background explanation above and the links provided.

2. Distribute the COMPLETE TEXT OF "I Have a Dream."

3. Review the LITERARY TERMS HANDOUT with the students.

4. Have the students carefully read the entire speech, either in small groups or individually - preferably aloud. After they have read the text, ask them to address the following activity questions:

1. What examples of figurative language can be found in the text? (For example, "seared in the flames of withering injustice"; "manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination"; "whirlwinds of revolt"; "oasis of freedom and justice"; "symphony of brotherhood."

2. How do these uses enhance the overall impact of the speech? What oratorical devices does King use to add vitality and force to his speech? (For example, use of refrains such as "I have a dream," "let freedom ring" and "we can never be satisfied"; multiple shifts in sentence lengths; dramatic shifts in tone, such as from enraged to cautionary to hopeful; use of questions as well as exclamations, such as "when will you be satisfied?" and "I have a dream today!")

3. In what specific ways does King call forth his experience as a preacher to lend persuasive power to the speech? (For example, he uses several images that call to mind both the plight of black Americans as well as the Old Testament Hebrews under the oppression of slavery - "the manacles of segregation" and the "chains of discrimination"; the final line of the speech invokes "the old Negro spiritual" and is steeped in Biblical influence - "Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

5. Discuss the responses as a class.

Extension Activity

1. For this first extension activity , have the students compare the structure and content of "I Have a Dream," Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" and Kennedy's inaugural address.

1. This activity may be done with any number of other influential speeches as well. A primary goal here is to help the students see the common structural and figurative threads that tie together many famous oratorical works. After the students have carefully studied the three speeches, you may wish to begin with the following questions, being sure they defend their responses with supporting examples:

1. How are the speeches alike and/or different in their choices of language? In other words, do the speeches seem as if they were composed for the general public or rather for specific groups?

2. Of the three, which do you see as being the most direct? That is, which speech uses the least amount of figurative language and/or obscure references?

3. Which of the three is the most metaphorical in its content? In other words, which makes the most use of figurative language?

4. For each speech, explain how relevant its ideas would be in society if the speech were delivered today. Do the mentioned struggles still exist? Has the country evolved since the speeches were given? Has society responded to the specific appeals for change?

2. Based strictly on the texts themselves, which speech do you see as the most:

2. For this second extension activity , in the spirit of "I Have a Dream," have the students compose and deliver speeches that address a wrong or injustice they see in society. Suggested guidelines are:

1. 5-10 minutes in length

2. Clearly defined opening, body and conclusion

3. Clearly defined thesis (main point)

4. Use of supporting examples to support thesis

5. Use of figurative language

6. Use of oratorical devices such as refrain and hyperbole

7. Clearly expressed goals (legal reform; public awareness; etc.)

Written by Doug DuBrin, French International School, Bethesda, Maryland, in 2010.
Sign up for NewsHour Classroom's ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning of the school year. Fill out this form to share your thoughts on the lesson.

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Lesson plan: Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech as a work of literature

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Students will study Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and discuss the literary influences on King's speech

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Podcast for teachers: Nice White Parents

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Podcast for teachers: Nice White Parents

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A true story of a school district in New York, where well-meaning white parents get in the way of creating an inclusive education for all students within their community.

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Introducing: Nice White Parents (Published 2020)

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A new five-part series about building a better school system, and what gets in the way. New episodes of “Nice White Parents” are available here, brought to you by Serial Productions and The New York Times.

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There are hundreds of these two-minute podcasts that focus on important black people, events, and topics throughout world history. A great attention grabber for the start of class.

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Learning your history makes you - and your people - stronger. As Black people, we know we're left out of the history books. That the media images are skewed. That we need access to experts, information and ideas so we can advance our people. Black History Year connects you to the history, thinkers, and activists that are left out of the mainstream conversations. You may not agree with everything you hear, but we're always working toward one goal: uniting for the best interest of Black people worldwide. BHY is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company - hit us up at BlackHistoryYear.com.

Learning your history makes you - and your people - stronger. As Black people, we know we're left out of the history books. That the media images are skewed. That we need access to experts, information and ideas so we can advance our people. Black History Year connects you to the history, thinkers, and activists that are left out of the mainstream conversations. You may not agree with everything you hear, but we're always working toward one goal: uniting for the best interest of Black people worldwide. BHY is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company - hit us up at BlackHistoryYear.com.

Eye opening & important

Very moving, informative & important. I appreciate the words shared & the work you do to help bring awareness & understanding to our shared humanity.

Mrs. Jamie L Jones

Thank you for sending me stories about current and past history on black history. I look forward to indulging in this podcast. Hopefully, I can support the cause by sending a donation soon.

Amazing

As an educator, this podcast has increased my knowledge of so many forms of black history. I look forward to listening each episode. I love listening to each answer to the question of black liberation!

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Learning your history makes you - and your people - stronger. As Black people, we know we're left out of the history books. That the media images are skewed. That we need access to experts, information and ideas so we can advance our people. Black History Year connects you to the history, thinkers,...

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For students: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

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For students: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

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This award-winning novel is the story of a teenager faced with a choice that could change his life forever.

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Read 19.1k reviews from the world's largest community for readers. A cannon. A strap. A piece. A biscuit. A burner. A heater. A chopper. A gat. A hammer A ...

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The main character, Justyce, struggles with the reality of police brutality against people of color that is still present in modern day society.

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Read 11.8k reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds an...

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Book for Students: This Book is Anti- Racist by Tiffany Jewel 

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Book for Students: This Book is Anti- Racist by Tiffany Jewel 

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This non-fiction book is a great starting point for students who are ready to learn about racism and what being anti-racist truly means.

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This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up,...

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Read 1,164 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Who are you? What is your identity? What is racism? How do you choose your own path? How...

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For Students: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanual Acho

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For Students: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanual Acho

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This non-fiction book features discussions about systemic racism within our society with Emmanuel Acho, a former linebacker in the National Football League.

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Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy

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Read 225 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. An engaging children's book whose aim is opening a dialogue about systemic racism, inspire...

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This a great resource to change the reading level of any digital text to a different reading level for English Language Learners or struggling readers.

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For Students:  Firekeepers Daughter by Angeline Boulley

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For Students:  Firekeepers Daughter by Angeline Boulley

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A fictional novel of a biracial young women, who has never fit in with her hometown or on the nearby Ojibwe reservation.

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Read 21.3k reviews from the world's largest community for readers. As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, Daunis Fontaine ha...

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For Students: The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

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For Students: The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

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A dystopian novel set in a future world where only North American's Indigenous People can dream, and dreamlessness had led to madness across the country.

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Read 4,839 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. In a futuristic world ravaged by global warming, people have lost the ability to dream, ...

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January: Martin Luther King Day Lesson Plans

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January: Martin Luther King Day Lesson Plans

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"In this lesson, explore the full range of events and speeches given at the historic March on Washington led by Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders of the civil rights movement."

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Introduction

In this lesson, explore the full range of events and speeches given at the historic March on Washington led by Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders of the civil rights movement.

Subject

Social studies, English

Estimated time

Two 45-minute class periods

Grade level

Middle School and High School

Essential question

Given the objectives of the March on Washington, how did the individual speeches address the March's overall goals?

Warm up activities

1. What do you know about the March?

Read the History Channel post

Take the online quiz from Teaching for Change to test yourself on your knowledge of the March on Washington and then review the answers.

2. Music of the Civil Rights Movement

Hand out LYRICS to the students and let them follow along as you play the three songs below.

Read through the background of each song (on lyric page).

Ask students to underline any imagery or meaningful statements within the songs that they felt drawn to.

Have students share with a partner those lyrics which moved them, and then open the discussion up to the class to evaluate why certain parts of the songs were particularly moving.
Video clips of civil rights songs

Main Activity

Goals of the march

Pass out the original March on Washington program and ask students if they recognize any of the speakers from page one.

Explain that besides Dr. King there were several civil rights' leaders who spoke and organized the March. Explain that they will be put into small groups and will watch a short clip on the background of their leader and then listen to their leader's speech from the March on Washington.

Before you split them into groups, as a class go over the goals of the March found on page 3, titled "What We Demand." Discuss why organizers used the word "demand." Give students a copy of the and ask them to process the demands as civil rights' goals.

Split students into four groups and assign each group a civil rights leader and do the following:

Have them watch the short biography on their leader and write down any Key Biographical Information on their worksheet.

Listen to the speech of their leader made at the March and write down and comment on any of the goals that were discussed during the speech. * You may need to pause the speech or listen to it several times to get all the information.

Biographical links

Links to speeches

Have students come back together as a class and share the following information to each other:

What goals did your speaker cover?

How well were the goals addressed?

What did they not address?

Was there any particularly powerful part of the speech?

Were there any voices you feel were left out of the speech?

Extension Activities

1. Essay - Evaluate one speech in terms of its effectiveness of addressing the goals of the March on Washington. Be sure to give background information on the speaker and some contextual background for the speech and March on Washington.

2. Two famous leaders Civil Rights Leaders, Bayard Rustin and Malcom X, attended the March but were not asked to speak because of their radical backgrounds. Learn more about these dedicated and passionate men and their different views on how to create change.

By Syd Golston and Katie Gould, teacher resource producer for NewsHour Classroom

Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom's resources. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom's ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning.

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Lesson plan: Music and speeches at the March on Washington

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Examine the words and art of individuals who helped lead the March on Washington

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These podcasts are two minutes long, and a great way to start each class.

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Learning your history makes you - and your people - stronger. As Black people, we know we're left out of the history books. That the media images are skewed. That we need access to experts, information and ideas so we can advance our people. Black History Year connects you to the history, thinkers, and activists that are left out of the mainstream conversations. You may not agree with everything you hear, but we're always working toward one goal: uniting for the best interest of Black people worldwide. BHY is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company - hit us up at BlackHistoryYear.com.

Learning your history makes you - and your people - stronger. As Black people, we know we're left out of the history books. That the media images are skewed. That we need access to experts, information and ideas so we can advance our people. Black History Year connects you to the history, thinkers, and activists that are left out of the mainstream conversations. You may not agree with everything you hear, but we're always working toward one goal: uniting for the best interest of Black people worldwide. BHY is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company - hit us up at BlackHistoryYear.com.

Eye opening & important

Very moving, informative & important. I appreciate the words shared & the work you do to help bring awareness & understanding to our shared humanity.

Mrs. Jamie L Jones

Thank you for sending me stories about current and past history on black history. I look forward to indulging in this podcast. Hopefully, I can support the cause by sending a donation soon.

Amazing

As an educator, this podcast has increased my knowledge of so many forms of black history. I look forward to listening each episode. I love listening to each answer to the question of black liberation!

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Learning your history makes you - and your people - stronger. As Black people, we know we're left out of the history books. That the media images are skewed. That we need access to experts, information and ideas so we can advance our people. Black History Year connects you to the history, thinkers,...

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February: Black History Podcast for students, Creative Assignment 

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February: Black History Podcast for students, Creative Assignment 

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After a few weeks of listening to the Black History Year Podcast, I had students create their own podcast. Here the assignment outline. Feel free to adapt it to your needs!

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March: Women's History Month Teaching Resources 

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March: Women's History Month Teaching Resources 

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BBC Teach offers both elementary and secondary teaching resources for Women's History Month.

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Women's History Month - Teaching Resources

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A collection of classroom resources to mark Women's History Month.

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This magazine features art, stories, prose, and poetry from autistic individuals in the U.K.

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Subscription rates

1. Standard rate: £16 - if you are employed/can afford to pay this rate. This covers all the costs of printing, posting and administration

2. Concession rate: £7 - for people who are not in paid employment or cannot afford the standard rate

3. Professional and overseas rate: £23

4. Donation rate: £25 - this means you will be helping us to print and send a copy of the Spectrum at our £7 concession rate to someone who can't afford the standard rate.

Download and fill in the subscription form
Then send it to:
Supporter Care, National Autistic Society, 391-393 City Road, London EC1V 1NG

Download the form

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Welcome to the Spectrum magazine, one of the UK's largest collections of autistic art, poetry and prose. Created by autistic people, our content covers all things autism - from articles on ASD and aliens, to everyday reflections of life on the spectrum.

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May: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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May: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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Learning for Justice offers a plethora of resources for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

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Skip to main content

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month, and while we celebrate during these four weeks, it's essential to uplift AAPI histories, diverse identities and stories year-round. This collection of LFJ resources provides opportunities to dig deep into AAPI experiences and aims to help young people, educators and families explore the expansive impact of the AAPI community on the United States.

HISTORY AND CULTURE

I Am Asian American
Uncover the true diversity beneath the Asian American label.

ADDRESSING ANTI-ASIAN BIAS

RELATED EXTERNAL RESOURCES

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Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Resources

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May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month, and while we celebrate during these four weeks, it's essential to uplift AAPI histories, diverse identities and stories year-round. This collection of LFJ resources provides opportunities to dig deep into AAPI experiences and aims to help young people, educators and families explore the expansive impact of the AAPI community on the United States.

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This section of Learning for Justice has resources on teaching about LGBTQ in the classroom. You can refine the search to meet your needs!

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All of us can benefit from feeling included, safe, seen and valued. These are simple but powerful concepts, and they are foundational for learning, mental health and well-being. Showing support and solidarity, even in

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Learning for Justice provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school.

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"Listenwise has curated an LGBTQ+ Stories collection that educators can use, along with using the LGBTQ+ topic tag and the story list and resources below, to help students learn more about this community’s experiences."

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We should be centering LGBTQ stories and experiences in our classrooms all year round, but especially during LGBTQ+ History Month in October and Pride Month in June.

June is Pride Month, which is held each year to honor the June 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, an event that kicked off the movement for gay rights in the United States. Pride Month was celebrated nationally for the first time in 1999 under President Bill Clinton. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals, bear witness to their history, and take action in fighting for liberation and equality.

Why Teach LGBTQ+ Podcast Stories

Queer history has included oppression and violence, and has been driven toward liberation by the work of manyactivists and allies, some of whom lost their lives in the battle for civil rights. Listenwise has curated an LGBTQ+ Stories collection that educators can use, along with using the LGBTQ+ topic tag and the story list and resources below, to help students learn more about this community's experiences. By listening to LGBTQ+ podcast stories, students may feel more connected to and accepting of their own identities, develop a deeper consciousness and understanding of shared histories, and feel empowered to serve as allies.

Listenwise LGBTQ+ Podcast Stories

Other Teaching Resources

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Every month is Pride month when you bring Listenwise LGBTQ+ podcast stories into your classroom. Listen, validate, celebrate!

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July: National Disability Independence Day Resources

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July: National Disability Independence Day Resources

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This website has many resources to learn about and celebrate disability inclusion! There are even podcasts featuring Judith Huemann, a leader in the Disability Civil Rights Movement.

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In the United States, July 26 is recognized annually as National Disability Independence Day, commemorating the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law in 1990.

The landmark legislation has served as a de facto bill of rights for Americans with disabilities by assuring their access to economic and civic opportunities. Its passage represented an unprecedented bipartisan effort to acknowledge the centuries of discrimination suffered by the disability community, and a fundamental change to how they live their lives.

The story of the ADA remains a significant chapter in U.S. history and the ongoing struggle for disability rights. On the 33rd anniversary of this important civil rights law's passage, let's take a closer look at its origins and how it has changed the lives of so many for the better.

The American Disability Movement

The American disability movement began in earnest in the 1960s with grassroots efforts to resist the centuries-old notion that its members were defective, lacking, and needed to be segregated from civic life. Inspired by the manifestos of the broader civil rights struggles of the time, the movement rejected these cruel and paternalistic attitudes and advocated instead for full access to opportunities in employment, education, and public life.

As with other social movements, bringing about positive meaningful change has required diligent and continued efforts from activists, members of the disability community, and their allies.

Eventually the tide of oppression would turn, culminating in the passage of several key pieces of anti-discrimination legislation, although much work remains.

The 504 Sit-Ins

Starting on April 5, 1977, the 504 Sit-Ins featured hundreds of protestors peacefully occupying federal buildings while demanding then-U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) Joseph Califano sign and enact regulations stipulated by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibiting recipients of federal funds from discriminating against people with disabilities

Demonstrators protested across the United States, in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.-where about 300 people staged a 28-hour sit-in at HEW offices.

In San Francisco, more than 100 disability rights activists occupied HEW offices for 25 days-the longest such protest at a federal office building in U.S. history.

These demonstrations ultimately forced Califano to sign the 504 regulations on April 28, 1977.

Section 508 of the Act, later updated in 1998, included standards advising that federal information distributed electronically also be accessible to those with disabilities. This important section was updated again in 2017 to clarify and expand its coverage regarding digital accessibility, among other improvements.

The Capitol Crawl

Each of these demonstrations were key to generating momentum necessary for the eventual passing of the ADA. As Accessibility Evangelist at accessibility testing platform Fable Sam Proulx explains, "these accomplishments in the ongoing fight for equality are the results of legions."

Efforts to pass the ADA reached a zenith in March 1990, at a critical demonstration known as the Capitol Crawl. Roughly 1,000 people marched from the White House to the U.S. Capitol Building, urging Congress to enact the ADA. Once there, many participants jettisoned their wheelchairs, crutches, and other mobility aids to crawl up its steps and highlight inaccessible architecture, as well as the need for many other reforms.

This demonstrated to the world just how inaccessible society has been for people with disabilities, with evocative imagery of the physical and political barriers that remain for so many excluded from civic life.

Among these participants was 8-year-old activist Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins.

"One of the reasons why I felt so strongly about doing the Capitol Crawl was I wanted to make sure that not only was my generation represented in this very important rally and protest, but I wanted to make sure that future generations were represented, as well," she explains.

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 2, she completed the Capitol Crawl on her hands and elbows up all of U.S. Capitol Building's 84 steps, with the whole nation watching. Alongside fellow activists, Keelan-Chaffins sent a clear message about the obstacles faced by people with disabilities and their righteous pursuit for equality.

She recalls thinking about the persistent discrimination her friends and sister faced as she climbed.

"That's why it was so important to me to make it to the top of those stairs, because I knew even at age 8, I knew that I wasn't the only one experiencing those things," says Keelan-Chaffins. "And it was those collective experiences that gave me the strength, and the empowerment, and the determination to complete the Crawl."

The Capitol Crawl helped compel legislators, and ultimately the president, to pass the ADA.

The Americans With Disabilities Act

First introduced in 1988, the ADA was designed to build on the progress of the Rehabilitation Act. The goal was to expand the rights of the disability community in a single law by ensuring their freedom from employment discrimination and access to all levels of government, public establishments, transportation, and communication.

Congress passed the bill in 1990 with strong majorities in both legislative bodies: 327-28 in the U.S. House of Representatives and a 91-6 vote in the U.S. Senate. And, in a moving ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, on July 26, President George H.W. Bush signed it into law to resounding applause from more than 3,000 people in attendance-many with disabilities, disability rights activists, and advocates.

"Three weeks ago, we celebrated our nation's Independence Day, and today we're here to rejoice in and celebrate another Independence Day, one that is long overdue," he declared. "And with today's signing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, every man, woman, and child with a disability can now pass through once-closed doors into a bright, new era of equality, independence, and freedom."

Justin Dart, vice chair of independent federal agency the National Council on Disability (NCD), who attended the ceremony, wrote at the time: "It is the world's first declaration of equality for people with disabilities."

Challenges to the new law followed, with U.S. Supreme Court cases severely limiting the definition of "disability." In Sutton v. United Airlines, the court ruled in favor of United Airlines, which refused to recognize twin sisters Karen Sutton and Kimberly Hinton's visual myopia as a disability. Despite the fact that their conditions were fully correctable, the airline denied them employment. In Chevron USA, Inc. v. Echazabal, oil refinery worker Mario Echazabal's claim that Chevron wouldn't recognize his liver condition as a disability was denied, thus upholding his termination from work with the company.

Later, Congress bolstered protections when it passed the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). This expanded the definition of "disability"-effectively nullifying the controversial decisions by the highest court-and enabling many more individuals to qualify for protection under the ADA.

Additional regulations issued by the U.S. Access Board in 2017 further expanded the Section 508 Standards to include access to current-generation electronic and digital assets.

Impact on the Disability Community

The ADA has had a tremendous impact on the disability community. Peter Berg, project coordinator of technical assistance at the Great Lakes ADA Center, tells InclusionHub it, "has brought about large-scale integration of people with disabilities across society. This, in itself, has been transformative for many."

Here are just a few improvements he references:

The addition of structural enhancements, such as elevators, ramps, U-shaped door handles, and lever-operated and door-push mechanisms have made the difference in being able to commute, work, attend school, stores, entertainment, and civic venues of all kinds.

Access to information throughout public life has expanded due to the widespread use of sign-language interpreters.

The ability for students of all ages to attend or remain in school has increased with access to large-print books, ZoomText, and orated exams.

Access to entertainment and educational performances has improved, thanks to earphones and audio description devices.

Still, while the ADA's prohibitions on employment discrimination have codified protections for millions, an overall increase in the employment of disabled people has yet to be achieved.

Professionals With Disabilities

According to the NCD's " 2020 Progress Report on National Disability Policy: Increasing Disability Employment," nearly two-thirds of the 22 million working-age Americans with disabilities have been left out of the labor market. And those that are actively looking for work experience an unemployment rate twice that of workers without disabilities.

Most agree, however, that the underlying causes of underemployment in the disability community are varied, complex, and extend well beyond the limits of the ADA.

For instance, stereotypes that professionals with disabilities don't belong in the workplace or are incapable of contributing still linger.

"It's like, 'Oh, someone who is blind, well, they're not going to be able to do anything, there's no way,'" explains Crystal Preston-Watson, a senior disability analyst at Salesforce who wears an eye patch. "There's the perception that if you're blind, you can't be a developer. I know quite a few blind developers who are better than I could ever be."

People with disabilities routinely brush up against the belief widespread in the professional world that "they're not working alongside non-disabled peers in large organizations," says Jessica Roth, Disabilities at Work Senior Manager in Salesforce's Office of Accessibility.

Stigmatization and inaccessibility has many forms in the working world.

For instance, neurodiverse professionals routinely have to practice neurodivergent masking, a term referring to the ways they conceal or suppress elements of their neurodivergent traits or conditions to fit in with workplace or societal norms.

Kurt Iobst, an accessibility evangelist and senior success manager at Salesforce, describes the emotional exhaustion neurodivergent professionals regularly experience while masking.

"That just adds a layer of burden," he explains. "You know that lead vest we wear at the dentist when taking an X-ray? It's like wearing five or 10 of those while trying to exist, while trying to do our best work."

The constant restriction autistic professionals experience, such as "having to pretend that something is funny when we don't understand," is psychologically "draining," he says.

So while the ADA has been transformational, many barriers and forms of discrimination endure.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The ADA remains a touchstone in the struggle for equal status for disabled Americans. It is the law of the land, but like many other legislative actions, one could argue it remains aspirational in its full implementation.

There is still much work to be done, and areas of particular focus recommended by the NCD, especially related to underemployment, include:

Increasing relevant skills for disabled youth transitioning to the workforce.

Improving work disincentives present in Social Security and Medicaid benefits that make it difficult for people with disabilities to afford healthcare or get the care they need to live.

Improving employer incentives in both the public and private sectors.

"Going forward, [I'd] like to see the disabled community represented in leadership-both in government and in the private sector-and at all levels," says Berg from the Great Lakes ADA Center. "People with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the country. Their perspective needs to be included in the broader conversation."

We have a long way to go in realizing a professional world that fully embraces accessibility, inclusion, and belonging.

Still, there is reason for optimism. More recent changes to the work environment, such as increased remote employment, flexible scheduling and virtual meeting options, and reliance on computing have proven that the work-from-home model works. For disabled people who are housebound or without work transport, this has been a watershed moment.

There's been a proliferation in more inclusive hiring practices such as asking for a job candidate's accommodations, organizations communicating their commitment to accessibility and inclusion in job descriptions, and ensuring people with disabilities are reflected in leadership and marketing collateral.

Profound progress is also being made in the sphere of digital inclusion and accessibility to ensure compliance with ADA regulations and avert potentially costly lawsuits from disabled users.

In addition to the business case for accessibility and inclusion, more and more organizations are realizing the moral imperative they have to improve digital experiences for people with mental health disabilities, speech difficulties, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, language disorders, blindness or low vision, and for those who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing.

Such improvements make online access and functionality increasingly available to the disability community.

Among these:

International standards organization the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) originally introduced its Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in 1999 to improve the online experience for a range of disabilities including hearing, sight, movement, and cognitive ability-and has been updating these and striving for greater diversity and inclusion in technology and website design ever since.

Google announced in 2020 that user experience will impact website search rankings-adding yet even more incentive for companies and organizations to ensure their sites include more accessible features, content, and designs.

More tech titans are prioritizing accessibility and baking digital inclusion into product design, embodied by cloud-based customer relationship management software company Salesforce's "shift left" approach.

More and more groups within the public and private sectors are sharing online resources to help improve the digital accessibility and skills development of disabled individuals. The ADA National Network-comprising 10 regional centers funded by the federal National Institute on Disability-is just one.

To learn more about efforts to expand accessibility and digital inclusion, check out online resource directory and community InclusionHub. You can also listen to all the InclusionHub podcast episodes and access the corresponding transcripts. Happy National Disability Independence Day!

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Celebrating National Disability Independence Day

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National Disability Independence Day, celebrated annually on July 26, commemorates passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. law prohibiting discrimination against those with disabilities.

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This amazing website has educational resources, recipes, artwork, and more for you to discover for American Heritgate Month.

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Hispanic Heritage Month | National Museum of the American Latino

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Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration of Hispanic and Latino history and culture. Learn why we celebrate and how you can too!

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Halloween usually gets all the attention in many schools. Bring some cultural awareness into your school with a close read activity about The Day of The Dead.

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Learn all about the history of Day of the Dead with this close reading page which highlights the customs and traditions of this holiday.

This page is the FULL TEXT from the book: Day of the Dead - Dia de los Muertos in English and Spanish

Enjoy these FREE 4 PAGES to use with your students.

The description below is for the COMPLETE UNIT listed below and can be purchased HERE

Learn all about the traditions of Day of the Dead - Día de los Muertos with this bilingual resource which highlights the customs and traditions of this festive holiday. Perfect for guided reading and small groups! Use as a Presentation or Print for each student to take home.

The festivities are described in brief, easy to read text, presented in both Spanish and English.

Includes: Reading Pages and the Book:

Printable Copy of: Day of the Dead - Dia de Los Muertos in English and Spanish to use as a Presentation or Print for each student

10 Day of the Dead Coloring Pages

Perfect for the month of October. Use in the classroom or assign craft activities for students to work at home.
This book is now available to coordinate with my Top Selling Unit: Day of the Dead - Dia de los Muertos Activities - Click HERE
Just looking for the crafts? CLICK HERE

K-6 ART Resources for Google Classroom MORE Mini Books to Work at Home! DISTANCE LEARNING FAMOUS ARTISTS COMPLETE AT HOME UNITS Check out these additional resources: M is for Mask - ABC Book for the Vocabulary of COVID 19 FREE Wash Your Hands Poster FREE Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star Classroom Poster FREE Sequencing Cards - 2 Sets - Words & No Words FREE Wash Your Hands Steps Poster FREE Freedom From Fear - Norman Rockwell 40 page Unit
Other Resources You May like:
Pablo Picasso Mini Books & Craft Unit - Learn at Home - Distance Learning DISTANCE LEARNING - PABLO PICASSO Unit Meet the Artists Units ART BOPS - Art Activity Cards Sets Find Interactive Notebooks at: Meet the Artist Interactive Notebooks 25 Famous Artist Posters for Classroom and Bulletin Boards You might also like: Close Reading Poets & Painters Series Click to See All Units Biography and Literature Mini Units - Meet the Artists Series Henri Matisse - Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Leonardo DaVinci - Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Pablo Picasso - Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Georgia O'Keeffe - Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Claude Monet - Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Andy Warhol - Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Vincent Van Gogh - Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Frida Kahlo- Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Norman Rockwell - Artist of the Month - Meet the Artist - Mini Unit Printables Edvard Munch - Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Jackson Pollack - Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Piet Mondrian - Artist of the Month- Mini Unit Printables Edgar Degas - Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Pierre Auguste Renoir - Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Salvador Dali - Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Michelangelo - Artist of the Month - Mini Unit Printables Lit Units - Meet the Artist Series Mini and Mega Bundles Impressionists Matisse- Monet - Van Gogh Hispanic Artists - Dali - Kahlo - Picasso Abstract Artists - Mondrian - Picasso - Pollack Modern Artists - Dali - Mondrian - Picasso - Pollack - Warhol Impressionist Artists - Degas - Matisse - Monet - Renoir - Van Gogh Holidays Day of the Dead - Dia de Los Muertos Printables Mini Unit Frida Kahlo & Day of the Dead - Dia de Los Muertos Literacy Unit December Holiday Units Las Posadas Lit Unit Las Posadas Mini Books and Power Points in English and Spanish Las Posadas Complete Set (Lit Unit, MiniBooks, & PowerPoints Legend of the Poinsetiia Lit Unit Legend of the Poinsettia Mini Books & Power Point Eng and Spanish Legend of the Poinsettia Complete Set , Lit Unit, Mini Books, Power Point MEGA BUNDLE Las Posadas & Legend of the Poinsettia 2 Complete Sets Three Kings Day Lit Unit Three Kings Day Power Point (English & Spanish) and Original Play Three Kings MEGA BUNDLE (Lit Unit, Power Point Presentations, & Original Play),a/> Poetry Haiku - Using Japanese Art to Teach Haiku - Lesson and Printables Autumn Haiku - Fall Poetry Unit - Lesson Plan Presentation and Printables
Thank you to EduClips who makes all our work look great!

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Day of the Dead Activities - Dia de los Muertos Activity - Close Reading - FREE

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Day of the Dead Activities - Celebrate Day of the Dead - Dia de los Muertos with a close reading page. Learn all about the history of Day of the Dead with this close reading page which highlights the customs and traditions of this holiday.

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"Listenwise has a thematically-curated Native American Stories podcast collections featuring a variety of voices and experiences, past and present. Browse the Middle School collection, the High School collection, or review the lists of resources below to find opportunities to bring American Indian heritage into your classroom this month and throughout the year."

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November is National Native American Heritage Month . Teaching students about the history, culture, traditions, music, art, and world views of Indigenous peoples is important to celebrating our shared sense of humanity.

Listenwise has a thematically-curated Native American Stories podcast collection featuring a variety of voices and experiences, past and present. Browse this collection, use the " Native American " topic tag to search our platform, and/or review the lists of resources below to find opportunities to bring American Indian heritage into your classroom this month and throughout the year.

The Listenwise podcasts below can be integrated into classroom lessons in a variety of ways:

Podcasts Highlighting Native American Culture & Language

Podcasts Highlighting Native American History & Politics

Podcasts for Thematic Debate & Discussion

More Quality Teaching Resources for Native American Heritage Month

Listen to this podcast to hear students at Crow Agency Public School on the Crow Reservation in Montana debunk myths and stereotypes about Native life. Fifth grade teacher Connie Michael was inspired to make this podcast with her students after working with teachers at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, where she learned that students across the country had significant misconceptions about life on a reservation.

Here are a few more resources that can help you bring Indigenous peoples' perspectives into your classroom:

Additional Notes

Terminology

According to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, all of these terms are acceptable to use: American Indian, Indian, Native American, Indigenous, and Native. While the term Native American is widely used, we do acknowledge that it is a term that is falling out of favor with some groups, with the preference being to use the terms American Indian or Indigenous American.

Best practice is to use the specific tribal name of the group you are referring to whenever possible. We use Native American in his blog post frequently because it is the most commonly used term, however we have made an effort to use different acceptable terms when possible out of respect. Listenwise commits to using specific tribal names whenever possible.

Thanksgiving

As we head into Thanksgiving later this month, it's important to recognize that, as Learning for Justice explains in its Thanksgiving Mourning lesson, "For some Native Americans, Thanksgiving is no cause for celebration, but rather serves as a reminder of colonization's devastating impact on Indigenous peoples." The lesson offers valuable resources to use with students to help them think critically about American holidays and history and to read and listen to different perspectives.

Learning for Justice also offers other teaching resources to help promote understanding of the experiences of Native Americans. For example, their lesson Teaching Thanksgiving in a Socially Responsible Way raises the point that "Native Americans have been speaking out and writing back against the colonialist narrative of Thanksgiving for as long as the American narrative has existed."

Please share with us in comments any other resources that you use to help promote understanding of Indigenous peoples' cultures, histories, and perspectives.

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Podcast Lessons for Native American Heritage Month

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November is National Native American Heritage Month . Teaching students about the history, culture, traditions, music, art, and world views of Indigenous peoples is important to celebrating our shared sense of humanity. Listenwise has a thematically-curated Native American Stories podcast collection featuring a variety of voices and experiences, past and present.

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Realistic Fiction. A story of a group of teenagers at a school for the Deaf. This novel explores themes of civil rights, persistence, and human connection.

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This is the first one star I have given a book. I thought that the perspective on deaf culture was riveting and that part of the storytelling raised a lot of important themes that need to be thought about. I was really excited about the book until the last 1/3 or 1/4 of the book. A bunch of teenagers think it's a good idea to go bomb a plant with pressure cookers and metal shrapnel waiting to explode everywhere? None of them really seem conflicted or think twice about it? The teacher just lets the other guys do whatever with the pressure cookers and she doesn't report anything? And smiles when she hears about the explosion? And I don't think the author is really looking to engage in or create a dialogue about how to respond to injustice - she even includes bomb-making instructions in the book!

I live in Boston and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings were horrific. The story's detail of the pressure cookers and nails and shrapnel is just way off mark. Our society HAS to respond to injustice, but bombing everything we don't like CANNOT be the answer. I am very displeased with the endorsement this story gives to using violence as a response and am questioning why this was a book of the month pick.

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Read 8,717 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. TRUE BIZ (adj./exclamation; American Sign Language): really, seriously, definitely, real...

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This resource is a great tool for translating any digital text into any language you need! It also has a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) choice board creator, social stories creator, multiple explanations creator for concepts you are teaching, and behavior intervention suggestions!

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A collection of poems and essays about disability written by people with disabilities.

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Beauty is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability

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Read 34 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Chosen by the American Library Association as a 2012 Notable Book in Poetry.Beauty is a Ver...

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For Teachers: Caste The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

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For Teachers: Caste The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

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A non-fiction book about systemic racism in the United States from our past to the present.

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Read 19.1k reviews from the world's largest community for readers. The Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the ...

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For Teachers: Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram Kendi

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For Teachers: Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram Kendi

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This non-fiction book focuses on the racism ideologies that have existed within the entirety of America's History.

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Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of R...

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Read 5,039 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story o...

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Since 1991 Learning for Justice has provided teachers with resources for teaching tolerance both in the classroom and within communities.

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Learning for Justice is a community education program of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) that centers civic and political action education for everyone.

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For Teachers: For White Folks that Teach in the Hood by Christpher Emdin

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For Teachers: For White Folks that Teach in the Hood by Christpher Emdin

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A non-fiction book for white teachers working in classrooms with students of color.

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For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood... and the Rest o...

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Read 500 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. A New York Times Best Seller "Essential reading for all adults who work with black and br...

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Lesson Plan: Seeking Diverse Perspectives

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Lesson Plan: Seeking Diverse Perspectives

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Students will explore the relationship between environmental justice and civil rights through research into the life and work of Dr. Robert Bullard.

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Seeking Diverse Perspectives | PBS LearningMedia

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Students explore why diverse perspectives matter and learn about academic journal articles. Lesson 2.4 in the NOVA Science Studio curriculum

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Lesson Plan: How identity intersects with perspectives 

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Lesson Plan: How identity intersects with perspectives 

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In this lesson, students will explore how our complex identities shape our understanding and experience of our world.

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Identity and Intersecting Perspectives: Between the World and Me | MacArthur Fellows Program | PBS LearningMedia

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In this lesson, students will explore how our complex identities shape our understanding and experience of our world. Through video interviews with a diverse range of MacArthur Fellowship recipients and an excerpt from Ta-Nehisi Coates’s essay “Between the World and Me,” students will map their own multiple “identities” and use the lens of Intersectionality to examine how each of these identities intersects with and influences their interactions and perceptions. Using Coates’s epistolary style as inspiration, students will share their own experience of identity and Intersectionality in an epistolary poem. This resource is part of the MacArthur Fellows Program Collection.

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Lesson Plans for the Novel Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

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Lesson Plans for the Novel Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

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This fantastic website has links to multiple resources for teaching Long Way Down in your ELA classroom.

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Free lesson plans, ideas, and other resources for teaching Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.

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Lesson Plans for teaching Dear Martin by Nic Stone

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Lesson Plans for teaching Dear Martin by Nic Stone

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This website compiles multiple resources for teaching Dear Martin by Nic Stone; including an interview with the author.

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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Dear Martin

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What are Restorative Practices? A place to start.

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What are Restorative Practices? A place to start.

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Restorative practices are approaches that focus on repairing harm and building relationships within a community. Instead of punitive measures, they involve inclusive dialogue between those affected by a conflict or harmful behavior. The goal is to promote understanding, accountability, and finding ways to make things right while strengthening the community's sense of belonging and mutual respect.

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Restorative practices are used in schools to foster an equitable and positive school culture. Restorative practices focus on strengthening relationships and connections between individuals, both youth and adults, in a school community.

What Are Restorative Practices?

Restorative practices offer schools an alternative to traditional disciplinary actions that center on punishment for misbehavior and breaking rules. These punishments push kids-disproportionately students of color and low-income students-out of their classroom and school community. They may be suspended or simply sent to the principal's office, but students who are pushed out may drop out of school altogether.

In contrast, restorative practices focus on resolving conflict, repairing harm, and healing relationships. They support a positive and safe school climate, prevent bullying, and reduce disciplinary incidents. A restorative culture can mitigate the negative effects of punitive discipline policies that exacerbate inequity.

Educators use two types of restorative practices in schools:

1. Proactive schoolwide strategies to create a sense of community, build healthy relationships, and develop conflict resolution skills, sense of belonging, and agency.

2. Restorative processes like circles, conflict-resolution programs, peer-led practices, and tribunals to respond to incidents that cause harm.

The Restorative Practices Guide from the Schott Foundation lists some examples of restorative practices: restorative justice, community conferencing, community service, peer juries, circle processes, preventative and post-conflict resolution programs, peer mediation, informal restorative practices, and social-emotional skills instruction.

Tools for Restorative Justice Practices

How do schools implement restorative practices? Watch how restorative practices are being used in Oakland schools to foster an equitable, respectful, and positive school community. Restorative practices, an outgrowth of restorative justice, provide ways to prevent and/or constructively address conflict and harmful behavior. Restorative practices in education are intended to build community and maintain healthy relationships. Since all learning is social by nature, strong relationships fostered by restorative processes play a powerful gatekeeping role. They help educators and an entire learning community understand each student's individual needs in order to create a more equitable experience and outcomes.

These video tools take you inside two schools to hear from students and teachers. You will observe students owning, leading, and participating in restorative processes such as fostering shared values and utilizing positive communication in face-to-face discussion.

Conflict Resolution at Edna Brewer Middle School

Restorative Circles at MetWest High School

For High School Educators in New England
Apply by December 9, 2022, to go deep into school redesign with Casco Bay High School in Portland, Maine, March 28-30, with the Innovative Schools Learning Excursion!
LEARN MORE AND APPLY

Purpose: Creating a Sense of Community

Part of designing more equitable school models includes community-building: shifting away from traditional disciplinary practices and "command and control" school cultures to embrace collaborative community, co-created values, and accountability for upholding shared ideals.

There's no evidence that punitive measures make schools more safe. What's more, they're often disproportionately used with students of color and those from low-income families with serious negative consequences for those students. Zero tolerance-style policies push out and further disadvantage the very kids who need learning and community connections the most. (See, for example, Closing the School Discipline Gap.)

Oakland Unified School District has made a commitment to use restorative practices to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. As a school district, Oakland has prioritized keeping more students of color, students from low-income families, and students from challenging circumstances enrolled, progressing toward graduation, and out of the criminal justice system and local detention centers. They view restorative practices as essential to realizing the spirit and goals expressed in their equity pledge.

Restorative Justice

Restorative practices focus on resolving conflict and healing harm. Restorative justice seeks the root cause behind individual and group behaviors instead of treating the behavior as an isolated symptom or judging students as good or bad based on isolated incidents. These practices assume that all students are worthy and deserving (a fundamental equity assumption), that behavior is learned, and that a specific incident is an extension of some other issue needing resolution.

Sujatha Baliga, Director of the Restorative Justice Project at the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. From the 2013 Workshop on Mindfulness in Legal Education at Berkeley Law.

Traditional Paradigm

Restorative Paradigm

What rule was broken?

What harm occurred and how has it impacted our relationships?

Who broke it?

What needs and obligations have arisen from that harm?

How do we punish them?

What harm occurred and how has it impacted our relationships?

Restorative justice utilizes talking circles and honors distributed power among students and the sharing of power between adults and young people. Students practice agency and engage in a form of self-governance as part of their shared identity in the community.

In addition to building an equitable and productive community, these practices help students acquire valuable social and emotional skills. Students practice listening with empathy; constructively communicating needs; problem-solving; honoring and embracing differences in opinion, perspective, and experience; and taking responsibility for personal feelings and actions to repair harm. With regular engagement in ongoing dialogue and reflection, students also build leadership, facilitation, and critical thinking skills.

Use Restorative Justice: Building Healthy Schools

More and more educators are asking, how do schools implement restorative practices? Use these videos from Oakland to help your school staff better understand what restorative practices are, why they're important to equity in education, and what it could look like in your school. Engage your school team in a review of the research on restorative practices and building collaborative learning environments, such as WestEd's Restorative Justice in U.S. Schools: A Research Review.

Next, examine the data in your community about disciplinary actions, from referrals to suspensions and expulsions to see if the national trends are repeated locally. Then, invite your team to unpack assumptions behind discipline procedures to reflect upon the extent to which they support and motivate equitable learning. Bolster or accelerate this inquiry using the discussion protocols and design principles found in this toolkit.

Abundant resources exist to help you make the case for restorative practices as a key component of an equitable and healthy school. Once your school team or district commits to the effort, as Oakland did with its equity pledge, seek training for facilitators and build restorative practices into the curriculum and classroom practices. That's how they will become part of regular school operations and contribute to an overall safe, respectful, and productive climate. In Oakland, the shift away from rules toward strengthening relationships has resulted in better attendance, fewer suspensions, and more positive and productive culture in these schools.

Considerations for School Leaders

Do you have community partners already interested in implementing this work? If so, could they be an ally or resource to your school? Many urban areas have community organizations (e.g., Oakland's Community Works) that can lend expertise, training, facilitation, and parent communication support.

Your school may want to couple the restorative practices with other student supports, such as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), social-emotional learning (SEL) initiatives, and mindfulness practices. Together these efforts build community and create powerful synergies in the school culture and climate. See the Breathing love into communities TEDx talk from Holistic Life Foundation.

Attending to your school culture pays dividends. If you don't already, survey students to find out how they feel about their school climate and culture. Do they feel safe? Respected? Heard? Valued by other students and adults? Dig into their responses. Listen. Then try out something new. Instead of using punishments and rewards to influence the way students behave, try a restorative approach to your classroom management. It will help you uncover underlying reasons for students' hurtful behavior and nurture their intrinsic desire to treat others with care and respect. Use listening circles in your classroom to host constructive racial and cultural communication among students (and teachers). The listening circles create a safe space to model how we all make mistakes, how mistakes can be healed and overcome, and how to practice empathy for and with one another.

Extended Resources

Unearthing Hidden Gems in an American Public High School: A Three-Pronged Approach to Meeting the Needs of Diverse Students, from NGLC co-director Carlos M. Beato and his co-author Daniel J. Sass for the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, & Justice. Infused with personal stories of students who are English language learners and recently-arrived immigrants and refugees, this essay explores how International High School at Langley Park (IHSLP) in Maryland leverages restorative justice practices to begin the long overdue healing process for students, families, and community members.

Repairing our schools through restorative justice, Jean Klasovsky at TEDxWellsStreetED. Jean makes connections between classroom and school restorative practices that benefited kids in her Chicago public school. Don't miss her powerful "what if" questions (12:00 min). Is it time to redesign old school discipline and control measures (that don't work anyway) in your school?

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Restorative Practices in Schools: Building Better Communities | NGLC

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Restorative practices are used in schools to foster an equitable and positive school culture. Restorative practices focus on strengthening relationships and connections between individuals, both youth and adults, in a school community. Restorative practices offer schools an alternative to traditional disciplinary actions that center on punishment for misbehavior and breaking rules.

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This website is a guide to implementing restorative practices in your classroom to help build community and promote accountability.

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University of San Diego - Professional & Continuing Education

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How to Implement Restorative Justice Practices in the Classroom

Restorative justice (RJ) is a trending topic in the world of education. While many educators have a basic understanding of what it is, what it takes to actually implement restorative justice practices is not as clear. But with an indisputable upside - research shows that restorative justice programs help reduce exclusionary discipline and narrow racial disparities in school discipline - more teachers are seeking resources to help begin the process.
Here are our tips to help you start implementing restorative justice practices in your classroom and school community.

What is Restorative Justice?

Restorative justice is defined as "a philosophy and a theory of justice that emphasizes bringing together everyone affected by wrongdoing to address needs and responsibilities, and to heal the harm to relationships as much as possible." Restorative justice in school settings is being used to replace traditional punishment practices with a community-oriented approach that involves all stakeholders finding a solution.

How Does Restorative Justice Work in the Classroom?

While the process will vary from incident to incident, there is a basic structure that frames all restorative justice interactions. It is as follows:

1. All involved parties discuss the incident in question.

2. The victim will be given the opportunity to share their feelings, as will the accused. Restorative practices must provide equal time to each party as the primary goal is not punishment, but restoration.

3. Teachers/administrators will act as facilitators to the mediation, where they ask open-ended questions in an effort to foster reflection. These group meetings are known as circles and are central to restorative justice practices.

4. Questions posed to students often include: What can you do to fix this? How would you feel if the same thing happened to you? How did your behavior impact your fellow students?

5. All involved parties decide on a course of action, and all parties work together to carry out that plan.

What Are the Benefits of Restorative Justice in the Classroom?

While research is still ongoing, there are a number of benefits that many organizations - both schools and other settings - have experienced after shifting to restorative practices. Here are some of the most important:

Reduces exclusionary discipline

Builds stronger interpersonal relationships

Improves respect amongst peers and teachers

Reduces overall stress in the school community

Allows teachers to focus more time on teaching

Narrows racial disparities in disciplinary action

Improves student academic performance

Encourages all parties to take responsibility

Strategies for Implementing Restorative Practices in the Classroom

Implementing restorative practices in your classroom doesn't have to be done all at once. In fact, it is easier - and you as a teacher will find more success - to add RJ strategies slowly in ways that work for your classroom environment. Here are some steps you can take to start using restorative justice in your class.

Circles are one of the pillars of restorative justice in schools, and are a great starting point for teachers looking to use more RJ practices. Circles are a whole class activity designed to help the class community set their expectations and standards of behavior for the environment. During the circle exercise, students and teachers alike are encouraged to share their goals, what worries them, and how they want to interact with their classmates. With circles, students are given the feeling of ownership over class rules that will directly impact them.

Circles are also used after an incident that needs remedying. In a post-event circle, all relevant stakeholders will meet with a teacher who acts as the mediator for the discussion. With restorative justice, the conversation follows the same format:

Discuss what happened

Address the harm, needs, and cause of the conflict

Determine acceptable outcomes

Act on the plans of action

Implement Focused Communication Practice

Communication is vital in any restorative justice model, so any RJ practices should start with focused communication practice. In your classroom, find ways to demonstrate clear, thorough communication skills. This will help students understand what is expected of them and learn how to effectively listen, learn, and share.

Introduce Restorative Skills

Skills like problem solving, empathy, positivity, and communication are all critical for restorative practices to be effective. And while these things are all introduced through other aspects of your teaching, make an effort to discuss and model these through the lens of restorative justice.

Have Daily Circle Discussions

Restorative justice relies on the classroom truly feeling like a community - a sense of closeness, honesty, trustworthiness, and dependability are all important ingredients. One way to foster these feelings is by holding circle discussions every day. In this environment, students can communicate openly and get to know their classmates, which builds a sense of closeness and strengthens your classroom culture.

Encourage Independent Communication

As you know, restorative justice practices involve the perpetrator and the victim (for lack of better terms) resolving issues together. To build a foundation for this type of interaction, allow students to independently communicate about issues that may have been taboo before. Discussing feelings, ideas, and reactions without teacher involvement will help them feel more comfortable in formal RJ interactions.

Let Students Share About Themselves

Restorative justice practices take students and their personal lives into account, so it's only logical that you would take time to get to know more about each pupil in your class. Depending on the age group this can be intimidating or even hard to accomplish, but students at the minimum should know they are encouraged to share. By getting to know the whole student, teachers and classmates can get to understand their behaviors better.

3 Real Examples of Restorative Justice Practices in Schools

To give you proper context around restorative justice in schools, here are three very different school districts who have found success with RJ practices.

1. Oakland Unified School District

2. Chicago Public Schools

3. Primary schools in Australia

Restorative Justice Resources

The best way to move to a restorative justice model in your classroom or school is to improve your knowledge and understanding of its practices in an in-depth manner. At the University of San Diego Division of Professional and Continuing Education (PCE), we offer a Restorative Justice Facilitation and Leadership Certificate that will equip participants with the level of mastery and understanding of restorative justice that empowers them to spearhead any implementation of restorative justice. Available online, this three-course certificate covers everything from the philosophy of RJ to the tenets of restorative leadership.

If you are an educator looking to do more high-level research first, here is an introductory list of restorative justice resources.

FAQs About Restorative Justice in the Classroom

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6 Restorative Justice Practices to Implement In Your Classroom [+Real Examples]

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Restorative justice in schools is proven to have countless benefits - here are 6 practices to implement in your class: [link]

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For Teachers: What Matters by Janet Fialka

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For Teachers: What Matters by Janet Fialka

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This non-fiction book follows the story of Micah and his fight for a fully inclusive education.

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As a parent of a young adult on the autistic spectrum, I found this book to be very encouraging and educational. It definitely supports the need for early intervention, determination and a huge circle of supports to achieve the best results. When our son received his diagnosis at a very early age, I was overwhelmed with many books that targeted the preschool and elementary school years. The last chapters always left me wondering how the various programs and recommendations would make a difference for our son as an adult. This book would have been a welcome addition to those books when our son was starting his interventions. It not only sheds light on the benefit of a well coordinated team approach, but it also provides insight to the possible successful outcomes for someone with a learning disability in spite of their limitations. I had the pleasure of attending a retreat with Janice, Rich and Emma who shared their experiences of life with Micah. He is an amazing independent adult who gives hope to parents beginning the walk through life with a child that has an intellectual disability. Janice's account of the early years brought back every emotion I felt after that first assessment and consultation with a specialist. This is a must read!

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What Matters: Reflections on Disability, Community and ...

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Read 2 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. This is the story of Micah, who has an intellectual disability, his community, and his groun...

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Podcast: Beyond Awareness, Connecting Disability Studies with Educational Practices 

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Podcast: Beyond Awareness, Connecting Disability Studies with Educational Practices 

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"In this episode, Diana has a conversation with Dr. Leah Kelley, author of The Person Who Arrives: Connecting Disability Studies and Educational Practice for Teachers, Parents, and Others. They discuss the importance of creating belonging, community, and connection in the classroom, understanding the breadth of diversity when it comes to inclusion, and how the disability experience intersects with so many other lived experiences that are important to bring to the table."

Dr. Leah Kelley

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In this episode, Diana has a conversation with Dr. Leah Kelley, author of The Person Who Arrives: Connecting Disability Studies and Educational Practice for Teachers, Parents, and Others. They discuss the importance of creating belonging, community, and connection in the classroom, understanding the breadth of diversity when it comes to inclusion, and how the disability experience intersects with so many other lived experiences that are important to bring to the table.

Dr. Leah Kelley

Links Mentioned or Related
The Person Who Arrives Book

Thirty Days of Autism Blog

Hannah Arendt - Natality

Stay Connected with Diana
Diana's Website, including blog

Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness

Free Resource - How to Talk with Kids about Disability

Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book

Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book

Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans

"Beyond Awareness" Digital Course

Diana's TEDx Talk

Beyond Awareness Facebook Page

Diana on Instagram

Beyond Awareness Tote Bag

Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie

Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt

Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook

Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity

Diana's Trifold Laminated Resource: Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)

Credits and Image Description
Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro.

Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography.

Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

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beyond awareness: disability awareness that matters

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‎Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters: 36. Creating Belonging, Connection, and Community with Dr. Leah Kelley on Apple Podcasts

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In this episode, Diana has a conversation with Dr. Leah Kelley, author of The Person Who Arrives: Connecting Disability Studies and Educational Practice for Teachers, Parents, and Others. They discuss the importance of creating belonging, community, and connection in the classroom, understanding the...

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This episode discusses the importance of changing perspectives in the inclusive classroom of "teachers vs. parents" to "us vs the problem".

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‎Inclusive Education Project (IEP) Podcast: Why Change is the Key to Truly Inclusive Education with Lacey Robinson on Apple Podcasts

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‎Show Inclusive Education Project (IEP) Podcast, Ep Why Change is the Key to Truly Inclusive Education with Lacey Robinson - Feb 12, 2024

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Creating Inclusive Lesson Plans Through UDL

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Creating Inclusive Lesson Plans Through UDL

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Start here in your journey for creating Universal Design Lesson Plans (UDL). This website explains what UDL is and has many more resources embedded within to help you create inclusive lesson plans for all types of learners.

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Universal Design for Learning | Center for Teaching Innovation

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Universal design for learning (UDL) is a teaching approach that works to accommodate the needs and abilities of all learners and eliminates unnecessary hurdles in the learning process and improves the learning experience for all. This means developing a flexible learning environment in which information is presented in multiple ways, students engage in learning in a variety of ways, and students are provided options when demonstrating their learning.

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Accessibility comes in many shapes and forms. This website gives tips and tricks on how to make your slideshows accessible to all of your students.

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Whether it’s Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint, slide presentations are a frequently used medium for sharing information with students during lectures. Slide presentations created in a Google Slide or Microsoft PowerPoint format, while more accessible than PDFs, still have a need for accessibility improvements. Creating accessible slides is very important to facilitate student learning. This section introduces some processes to help you get started.

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How the use of Social Media can include diversity and inclusion

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Sophie Lohmann, Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Methodology, Software, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing * and Emilio Zagheni, Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing - review & editing

Abstract

Many people engage with a diverse array of social media platforms, raising concerns that this diversity of platforms may be linked to negative affect, hypothesized to arise from multitasking or identify diffusion. Using a large representative sample ( N = 1,372) of US adults from the authoritative General Social Survey, we examine associations between social media diversity and well-being and propose a self-selection explanation for these associations. Even without accounting for selection bias, we find few and only small associations. Importantly, after using a rigorous propensity-score weighting technique to adjust for selection bias, these associations disappear. Further, we also document few negative associations between the use of specific social media platforms and well-being. Our findings suggest that (i) diverse social media use is not a major risk factor to adult well-being; (ii) negative correlations reported in the literature may be spurious; (iii) technology use research needs to take self-selection biases seriously.

Author summary

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest are not interchangeable. This is why it has been suggested that using many diverse platforms can have other effects than just spending a lot of time on a single platform. For example, people who use more diverse platforms may feel more overwhelmed because they have to multitask. On the other hand, they may also build more diverse relationships. We used a large, representative sample of US adults to look at whether diverse social media use is related to well-being. Overall, people who used more platforms were not happier or unhappier. The few effects that we found seemed to be due to self-selection. For example, people with worse mental health or who overall spend more time online may choose to use more platforms. When we took self-selection into account, these effects went away. Also, different platforms had very different associations with well-being. This again shows that different social media platforms cannot be treated the same.

Introduction

Over the past 15 years, our lives have become intertwined with a multitude of social media platforms. Within just a few years, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and recently TikTok have gone from virtually unknown to household names. For example, 69% of the US population now uses Facebook, 28% use Pinterest, and Instagram use recently reached 37% [ 1]. Similar trends have occurred globally, and an estimated 3.8 billion people worldwide, almost half the global population, use some form of social media [ 2]. Consequently, commentators and researchers have been keenly interested in whether the use, the over-use, or the time spent on any of these diverse platforms affects our mental and physical health. However, due to a lack of research, there is no conclusive evidence on whether this diversity itself is helpful or harmful.

We define social media diversity as the number of social media platforms a person uses. Even though they are often all summarized as "social media" and even sometimes treated as substitutable, different platforms have very different technical features, user bases, and community cultures [ 3]. The experience of being exposed to only one platform (and therefore one set of features, one user base, and one community culture) can therefore differ vastly from the experience of someone who participates in many different platforms. Additionally, the latter person likely uses social media in more areas of their life (e.g., Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family, Twitter to read and share news, Pinterest to find new recipes, and LinkedIn to connect with business contacts). This mechanism is important to study because individual platforms can come and go (see the deactivation of Google+ and the emergence of TikTok), but the underlying question of how the access to a diverse array of social media platforms shapes our lives remains.

Based on theoretical principles and the results of two previous studies [ 4, 5], we assume that social media diversity should be correlated with, but distinct from time use: On average, people who use many platforms likely spend more time on social media, but somebody who uses just one platform extensively may spend just as much time. Several highly-publicized studies have found detrimental effects of time spent on social media on depression and other indicators of well-being, especially among adolescents and young adults [ 6- 8]. Later re-analyses of these datasets as well as analyses of new large datasets, however, revealed only very small effects or even null effects [ 9- 13]. Meta-analyses of this literature have confirmed the latter findings by showing that, on average, associations between time spent on social media and well-being are no larger than r = -.10 [ 14- 16].

Since the field has started to tentatively converge on the conclusion that overall time spent on social media is only minimally related to well-being among adults, research has instead shifted to identifying particular characteristics of people or particular characteristics of social media usage that may pose a stronger risk to well-being [e.g., 17]. An important recent study hints at this possibility by showing substantial interindividual variability: 46% of adolescents actually felt more positive after using social media, whereas 10% felt worse and the rest did not feel any different than before [ 18]. It is therefore likely that several ways of using social media are more harmful than others. For example, the distinction between active and passive use has received much attention and the literature finds that passively consuming social media is typically associated with lower well-being, whereas actively creating and posting content is not [ 19, 20, however, see also 21, and 22]. One particular characteristic of social media usage that has been proposed as a risk factor [ 4, 5, 23], but has not received much research attention yet, is social media diversity.

How social media diversity relates to well-being is an unanswered question and there exists no consensus on which characteristics of social media diversity may threaten or promote well-being. There are several theoretical pathways which would predict either negative or positive effects. The few existing empirical explorations of social media diversity have linked it to negative affect, hypothesized to arise from multitasking [ 4, 5, 23], from increased opportunities for social comparison which are known to be detrimental to well-being [ 24], and to identity diffusion [ 4]. First, however, it may also hold positive potential: It may help people better tailor their online experiences to their needs by allowing access to more features [e.g., communicating with the public under a pseudonym on Twitter, while also leading self-deleting one-on-one conversations with friends on Snapchat, 25, 26]. Each new platform also offers users a new context in which to meet people, and having social ties in a variety of contexts (social integration), has been found to have health-protective effects along several dimensions, from susceptibility to the common cold to suicidality [ 27- 29]. Most of these studies have focused on offline social contexts, but in the online realm, it has also been established that increased social capital from social media platforms can have beneficial effects on well-being [ 30].

Second, much of the influence of social media diversity on well-being might be accounted for by self-selection effects. People self-select which platforms they want to use, which can bias the data if the reasons for their choices are also related to their well-being. If people choose to use many platforms based on some socio-demographic characteristics [e.g., younger age or lower socio-economic status, 1], but these characteristics also predispose them to lower well-being [e.g., young adults experience higher rates of mental illness than older adults, 31, 32; and low socio-economic status predicts lower well-being, 33], we may see an association between multi-platform use and well-being that is negative, but spurious. Similarly, people who generally spend much time online-whether due to addiction-like usage [ 34], attempts to compensate for offline loneliness [ 35], or another reason-will likely self-select into using a diverse array of social media. These are examples of self-selection effects based on demographic characteristics or based on general internet use that can therefore bias the data. Similar results have been found regarding social media time use, where people with pre-existing mental health problems are more likely to use social media more intensively, explaining at least part of the negative association between social media time use and well-being [ 21, 36- 38]. Without accounting for selection bias, we cannot draw firm conclusions about the effects of social media use. Nonetheless, past work in this literature has not properly considered selection effects. A very small number of studies has attempted to experimentally study the effects of social media use on well-being [ 39- 44]. However, questions of cumulative effects across years and across multiple platforms are next to impossible to study experimentally: For example, it would neither be ethical nor feasible to require participants to spend two hours each day on Twitter and Instagram for the next three years while not visiting any other social media sites. For this reason, the vast majority of studies in this area has used correlational survey data and, while sometimes mentioning self-selection biases as a limitation, did not address it methodologically [e.g., 45, 46].

Our contribution with this paper is twofold: First, we introduce a theoretical account of the so-far under-researched concept of social media diversity and its association with well-being. Second, we propose a self-selection explanation of this association based on demographic characteristics as well as general internet use and provide the first test of such self-selection effects in the social media use literature. We use a nationally representative sample to first examine the prevalence of diverse social media use and define the population of high-diversity users. Next, we study the effects of diverse social media use across the full range of well-being indicators (including mental health, physical health, and social well-being) and control for self-selection effects through rigorous use of propensity-weighting techniques. Finally, because the average effect of using many platforms may obscure contradictions when two different platforms have opposing effects that cancel each other out, we also present platform-specific effects on well-being. This paper therefore answers three research questions:

RQ 1: Who is likely to use diverse social media platforms?

RQ 2: How is diverse social media use related to well-being (a) overall and (b) after accounting for self-selection?

RQ 3: How are specific social media platforms related to well-being?

To answer these questions, we drew on nationally representative data from the General Social Survey [GSS; 47], N = 1,372 US American adults.

Results

Influence of Socio-Demographic factors on social media diversity

First, we established how the socio-demographic factors that we considered as possible self-selection variables predicted how many platforms people were using (RQ 1). A linear regression ( Table 1 ) showed that respondents tended to use a more diverse set of platforms when they were younger, when they had been using the internet for longer, and when they spent more time using the internet on weekends (but not weekdays). In addition, women, people from higher socio-economic backgrounds, and those with a recent history of migration in their family used more diverse platforms. Finally, the living environment appeared to play a role as well: People living in smaller households or larger cities and those living outside of the largely rural and sparsely populated West North Central region of the US (see map in Figure C in S1 Appendix) tended to use the most platforms. Next, we used these results to form a propensity score with which we adjusted the influence of social media diversity on well-being to rule out self-selection effects from common third variables, such as age or socio-economic status.

Table 1

Model 1

Model 2

Term

b

p

95% CI

b

p

95% CI

City size

0.00

.053

[-0.00, 0.00]

0.00*

.010

[0.00, 0.00]

Household size

-0.09*

.046

[-0.18, -0.00]

-0.04

.393

[-0.13, 0.05]

Internet use time on weekends

0.08*

< .001

[0.03, 0.12]

Influence of social media diversity on well-being

We first present a series of simple, unadjusted linear OLS regressions of social media diversity on well-being (left section of Table 2 ; RQ 2a). Even without accounting for selection effects, we find few effects and small effect sizes on adult well-being. On the positive side, people who used more platforms reported finding life more exciting, b = 0.04 (i.e., one additional platform means an increase of 0.04 SDs) and having more confidence in societal institutions, b = 0.03; on the negative side, they were more likely to have ever felt like they were going to have a nervous breakdown, b = 0.06. It was this latter item that led previous analysts to conclude that social media negatively affects well-being [ 23]. However, this item had questionable validity because a breakdown was ill-defined and the item did not show strong concurrent validity with other well-being indicators. The question did not explain to respondents what a "nervous breakdown" meant, likely leading to considerable variation in subjective definitions. This item showed only low-to-medium correlations with all other well-being indicators in the survey (e.g., happiness: r = -.14, health: r = -.17, depression: r = .31, bad mental health days: r = .25). The item was, however, still included in the analyses to show a complete index of available well-being measures without selective reporting and for comparison with a previous study, which had used this item as their only outcome measure to argue that social media diversity is harmful [ 23]. Further, it was the only item referring to respondents' entire lifespan instead of current well-being, making it less than optimal for the analysis of recent phenomena (such as the widespread adoption of social media) and current well-being. If interpreting this result as non-spurious, it could therefore suggest potential reverse causation: If lifespan mental health relates to social media use but current mental health does not, the most likely explanation is that earlier well-being deficits led people to self-select into social media instead of social media affecting well-being.

Table 2

Unadjusted

IPTW-adjusted for demographics

IPTW-adjusted for demographics plus internet time use

Outcome (standardized)

Original range

b

95% CI

b

95% CI

b

95% CI

Depression

0 to 3

0.02

[-0.02, 0.05]

0.07*

[0.00, 0.15]

0.03

[-0.03, 0.16]

Ever breakdown

0 to 1

0.06*

[0.03, 0.10]

0.06*

[0.00, 0.11]

0.03

[-0.04, 0.08]

Excitement about life

-1 to 1

0.04*

[0.00, 0.08]

0.01

[-0.17, 0.08]

0.01

[-0.20, 0.10]

Social trust

-1 to 1

0.00

[-0.03, 0.02]

0.02

[-0.05, 0.08]

0.04*

[0.00, 0.10]

Confidence in soc. institutions

-1 to 1

0.03*

[0.00, 0.05]

0.05*

[0.00, 0.13]

0.03

[-0.03, 0.13]

Next, we used inverse-probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) for continuous independent variables, a propensity score adjustment method [ 48- 50], to understand selection biases, and partially correct for them in our estimates. IPTW is used when assignment to an independent variable was non-random based on selection characteristics (e.g., age and income), but analysts wish to estimate the independent variable's effect if assignment had been random (at least with respect to these observed characteristics). IPTW has been successfully and widely used in the medical sciences [ 51, 52], but has been largely ignored in the social media literature despite its potential for improving causal effect estimates in correlational data which are skewed by self-selection bias. IPTW offers an approach for controlling for a portion of this bias and can thus help disentangle spurious and substantive effects.

We now present findings after applying this IPTW procedure (RQ 2b; Fig 1 ). After adjusting for the propensity to use multiple platforms based on demographic variables, the positive effect of social media diversity on finding life more exciting decreased to almost zero, b = 0.01, ns. The remaining two effects appeared to be accounted for by time use self-selection factors, such that people who generally spend more time on the internet also use more platforms: After additionally including weekday and weekend time use in the calculation of the propensity score, the negative effect of social media diversity on ever having felt like having a breakdown was halved and became non-significant, b = 0.03. The positive association with increased social confidence also became non-significant due to increased variance introduced by the IPTW procedure and bootstrap, although the effect size remained the same, b = 0.03. After accounting for self-selection involving both demographic and time use variables, the only remaining effect was a positive influence of social media diversity on increased social trust, b = 0.04, which had not been visible in the unadjusted results.

Influence of specific social media platforms on well-being

Finally, we analyzed if any specific social media platforms were associated with personal or social well-being when controlling for the same socio-demographic characteristics as in the previous analyses as well as all other social media platforms ( Table 3 ; RQ 3). Again, all well-being indicators were z-standardized to facilitate comparison of effect sizes between indicators. Even after adjusting for these various controls, Tumblr users still reported pronouncedly lower well-being: Lower happiness ( b = .49 [-.75, -.22], p = .001), lower health ( b = -.55 [-.92, -.17], p = .009), and lower confidence in social institutions ( b = -.35 [-.58, -.12], p = .006). Tumblr is known as a platform with strong activist communities around mental health and physical disability where such problems are prominently discussed or turned into communal coping humor. It is therefore possible that users with physical or mental health problems are particularly drawn to this platform. Further, Pinterest users were more likely to report ever having felt like having a breakdown ( b = .25 [.06, .45], p = .018). All other associations, however, were either non-significant or positive, such as LinkedIn users reporting better physical health ( b = .25 [.10, .40], p = .003) and Snapchat users reporting fewer bad mental health days ( b = -.26 [-.43, -.08], p = .009).

Table 3

Happiness

Health

Depression

Bad mental health days

Ever breakdown

Excitement

Financial satisf.

Relationship satisf.

Trust

Confidence

Term

b

p

b

p

b

p

b

p

b

p

b

p

b

p

b

p

b

p

b

p

Tumblr

-0.49*

.001

-0.55*

.008

0.26

.407

0.10

.575

0.24

.302

-0.32

.192

-0.22

.179

-0.31

.195

-0.08

.512

-0.35*

.006

Snapchat

0.15*

.041

0.18

.148

-0.12

.249

-0.26*

.009

-0.01

.928

0.20

.088

0.13

.192

0.15

.167

-0.01

.913

0.09

.339

Pinterest

0.13

.126

-0.02

.849

-0.10

.264

0.02

.849

0.25*

.018

0.15

.088

-0.01

.898

0.02

.839

0.06

.365

0.01

.935

LinkedIn

-0.04

.661

0.25*

.003

0.03

.721

0.04

.665

0.07

.503

-0.07

.442

-0.1

.121

-0.07

.490

0.07

.368

-0.11

.180

Demographic controls (not printed here) a

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

Discussion

To answer our first research question of who is likely to use diverse social media platforms (RQ 1), we found that diverse social media use was more frequent in younger people, women, people of higher socio-economic status, from foreign-born families, and in larger cities. Further, those who started using the internet earlier and who spent more time using the internet on weekends tended to use more platforms. In examining effects of social media diversity on adult well-being and examining a self-selection hypothesis (RQ 2) in a large, nationally representative sample, we find that associations between social media diversity or individual social media platform use and adult well-being are (1) rare and inconsistent across operationalizations of well-being, (2) small when they occur, and (3) heavily driven by self-selection effects. Both negative (having ever felt like having a breakdown) and positive (more excitement about life, more confidence in society) associations disappeared when adjusting for the propensity to be using many social media platforms in the first place, based on demographic factors and general internet use. The only association that emerged after these adjustments was positive in valence, suggesting that people who use more diverse social media platforms also report higher trust in others. In short, we observed a third-variable effect: In unadjusted analyses, social media diversity and well-being appeared negatively related, but this was an artefact of underlying demographic and internet use variables, which produced a spurious association. Finally, there were no consistent effects when examining individual social media platforms (RQ 3). Most platforms were unrelated to most forms of well-being, with the notable exception of Tumblr use, which was consistently related to poorer mental and physical health. Our results shine a new light on the small number of previous analyses of social media diversity and well-being [ 4, 5, 23, 24] by suggesting that the negative effects that they found may be in large part due to self-selection effects.

It is worth noting that none of the effects, positive or negative, unadjusted or adjusted, significant or not, were sizeable. For example, the likelihood of ever having felt like having a breakdown was increased by only 6% of a standard deviation when using one additional social media platform (strongest effect in our unadjusted analyses) and social trust increased by only 4% of a standard deviation (strongest effect in our fully adjusted analyses). These generally low effect sizes match results of social media time use on well-being [e.g., meta-analytic r = -0.07, 53,14,9,15,10,54]. It may therefore be hard to observe noticeable, practically relevant differences in an individuals' well-being unless they are using very many platforms, for example, eight platforms instead of the sample median of three.

Because the social media module was included in the GSS only once to date, this dataset offers only a cross-sectional snapshot. It is possible that, at the macro-level, population well-being changed when a diverse array of social media platforms first reached widespread popularity or that, at the micro-level, increases or decreases in social media diversity change well-being. However, such a historical analysis is beyond the scope of the current paper. Because the only wave of the GSS that included the social media module is from 2016, the data are additionally several years old at this point and patterns may have changed. We encourage the GSS to add this module to a future wave, given that the importance of social media to society has not lessened since 2016. That said, our study may be more robust to changes in the social media landscape than other studies precisely because our key results do not rely on the characteristics of any single platform, but rather on the variety of platforms that exist. Individual platforms coming and going might therefore not be expected to lead to major changes in the patterns we observed. On the other hand, new developments like the convergent evolution of several platforms (such as the increasing use of shorts or reels on many platforms including TikTok, Youtube, Instagram, Reddit, and even Spotify) could be speculated to decrease the variety in the social media landscape overall. We encourage future research to take up this question.

Even though our findings in this article cannot speak to such macro-level developments, they offer relevant and timely information going forward: With diverse social media already a ubiquitous part of everyday life and interpersonal communication patterns, should people avoid most social media platforms to overall improve population well-being? The present results suggest that this step may not be necessary because the number of used social media use is not consistently related to poorer (or better) well-being. Future studies should collect longitudinal data to extend these findings to intra-individual changes over time. Such longitudinal data would also be valuable to test the direction of associations through cross-lagged paths: One possible explanation of the selection effects we found is that while diverse social media use does not influence well-being, but that prior well-being could have influenced diversity of current social media use. Our current cross-sectional data do not allow us to test this possibility directly, but future longitudinal data could.

Although the current dataset was based on a representative sample, it included only US residents and the extent to which results transfer to other structural and cultural contexts is an empirical question that future work should examine. Finally, our results represent an average across the population, and future research may uncover more diverse underlying effects. For example, social media diversity may have negative consequences in some circumstances [such as when the choice to use many platforms was driven by peer pressure and fear of missing out, 55], but positive consequences in others [such as when it is perceived to be an autonomous choice to reap the multiple benefits that different platforms offer, 56]. Typically, there is a tradeoff in data sources in this field: Studies that aim for high explanatory depth by assessing how exactly people use each social media platform, which content they're exposed to, and how they subjectively perceive this use usually focus on just a single or, at most, a handful of platforms and a smaller sample size to keep the study manageable. Conversely, studies that aim for wide coverage of different platforms or for a large, representative sample usually ask only surface-level questions about their use to keep the study manageable. In this study, we chose the GSS, which falls into the latter category, because our goal was to assess the full span of social media diversity and to obtain generalizable results. This choice means that we know how many platforms people are using, but future research is needed to fill in how they are using them.

In sum, we document few associations between the diversity of social media platforms that US adults use and their physical, mental, or social well-being. When associations with specific platforms persisted after controlling for socio-demographic factors, they were most often positive in nature, with Tumblr as the strongest exception. The strongest influences on how many social media platforms someone was using were whether they were young, female, and of high socio-economic status, as well as how long and how often they had been using the internet. We presented the first analysis of self-selection effects on social media diversity and find that how many platforms someone uses depends on who they are and how much they use the internet in general. These factors may, in turn, influence their happiness, but after taking these influences into account, how many different types of social media we are using does not appear to determine whether we are happy or unhappy.

Materials and methods

We use the 2016 wave of the General Social Survey [GSS; 47] which asked N = 1,372 respondents about their social media use. The GSS comprises predominantly face-to-face interviews (English or Spanish) targeting adults living in households in the US. Participants were, on average, M = 42.94, SD = 16.00 years old, ranging from 18 to 89+ (coded as 89); 56% were women, and 69% identified as Non-Hispanic White (14% Non-Hispanic Black, 13% Hispanic, 5% Other). Because not all questions were shown to all respondents, sample sizes differ by dependent variable (see Table A in S1 Appendix). However, even the sparsest variable had enough participants ( n = 680) to detect effect sizes of r ≥ .11 with 80% power. The GSS uses an area-probability cluster sample with two-stage sub-sampling for nonresponse with weights and is designed to produce results that are representative of the US population when taking survey weights into account. Our results are therefore based on design-corrected standard errors that incorporate design weights and nonresponse weights. The original data collection was approved by the NORC Institutional Review Board and details of the ethics compliance can be found in the GSS documentation at https://gss.norc.org/. Data was collected only from adults aged 18 or older. As a form of secondary data analysis, our study was IRB-exempt. The full analysis script and the Supplemental Materials can be found at https://osf.io/d9xn2/.

Variables

Social media diversity

Respondents indicated whether they used Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Tumblr, WhatsApp, Google+, Pinterest, Flickr, Vine, and Classmates, plus optional free-form responses (we excluded gaming, dating sites, and Spotify from these responses). Values were treated as missing for people who reported not using the internet at all. By summing these binary variables, we derived a continuous index of social media diversity (0-14, M = 2.88, SD = 2.06).

Personal well-being

The survey included several indicators of subjective well-being: Happiness (1 = very happy, 0 = pretty happy, -1 = not too happy), physical health (2 = excellent, 1 = good, 0 = fair, -1 = poor), and excitement about life ( In general, do you find life 1 = exciting, 0 = pretty routine, or -1 = dull?). Although these questions provide only a short subjective assessment, prior research has found that such subjective single-item questions are strongly predictive of future outcomes, including mortality [ 57, 58]. Another question asked participants about their financial satisfaction (1 = satisfied, 0 = more or less, -1 = not at all).

Mental health was assessed with a 5-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale (feeling depressed, happy (reverse-coded), lonely, sad, and experiencing restless sleep during the preceding week). Responses ranged from 0 = none or almost none of the time to 3 = all or almost all of the time and formed an internally consistent index, Cronbach's α = .76, and were thus averaged into a composite score. Respondents also indicated how many days in the past month their mental health had not been good (0-30), as well as whether they had ever felt like they were going to have a nervous breakdown (0 = no, 1 = yes).

Social well-being

Relationship satisfaction was assessed by whether participants considered their marriage or partnership a happy one (1 = very happy, 0 = pretty happy, -1 = not too happy). Respondents also indicated whether they considered people in general helpful (1) vs. looking out for themselves (-1), fair (1) vs. likely to try and take advantage (-1), and trustworthy (1) vs. "can't be too careful" (-1). These items were averaged to obtain a composite index of social trust, Cronbach's α = 0.65. In addition, 13 items asked respondents how much confidence they had (1 = a great deal, 0 = only some, -1 = hardly any) in societal institutions, such as organized religion, education, television, or congress. These variables were combined into an index of social confidence, Cronbach's α = 0.78.

Socio-demographic characteristics

Respondents indicated their gender, age (the oldest participants were identified as "89 or older", which we counted as 89), how long they had been using the internet, race (White, Black, Other) and ethnicity (Hispanic/Latino/Latina or not), household size, and number of children. The interviewer coded the approximate size and region of the respondent's place of living. We further included an index of socio-economic status (standardized and averaged: income, occupational prestige, employed vs. not, full-time employed vs. not, college degree, subjective social rank recoded so 1 = bottom and 10 = top), an immigration index (number of foreign-born grandparents, whether at least one parent was foreign-born, whether participant was born abroad), a religiosity index (strength of religious affiliation, frequency of attending worship, frequency of attending other religious events), and an index of political conservatism (self-rated conservatism and whether the participant had or would have voted conservative in the 2012 election).

In addition to self-selection based on demographic factors, we consider self-selection based on general internet use. Participants reported how many hours they spent online on a typical weekday, M = 3.13, SD = 3.43, and a typical weekend day, M = 2.93, SD = 3.42. The two variables correlated substantially with each other, r = .63, but only weakly with social media diversity, r = .18 [.13, .24] and r = .20 [.14, .27], respectively.

Analysis

IPTW [ 48- 50] was used to control for selection effects. In IPTW, participants are re-weighted to generate a pseudo-population in which everyone, regardless of their selection characteristics, is equally likely to have a specific level of the independent variable. First, we calculated propensity scores by obtaining the fitted probabilities from a regression in which social media diversity was regressed on the socio-demographic variables (results in S1 Appendix). In a second step, we used these propensity scores as inverse-probability of treatment weights when regressing well-being measures on social media diversity. We combined these newly-calculated weights with the GSS survey weights by multiplying them [ 59]. To calculate standard errors and confidence intervals, this procedure was bootstrapped with 5,000 replicates; we computed bias-corrected and accelerated confidence intervals based on these results. The well-being outcomes were z-standardized for easier comparison.

Supporting information

S1 Appendix
All analyses from the manuscript as well as additional analyses, direct output from rmarkdown/knitr to verify results reported in text.
(PDF)

S2 Appendix
Codebook of all variables names, definitions, and recoding procedures used from/applied to the GSS dataset.
(PDF)

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Diego Alburez-Gutierrez, Samin Aref, Ugofilippo Basellini, Maarten J. Bijlsma, Emanuele del Fava, Denys Dukhovnov, Sofia Beatriz Gil, André Grow, Daniela V. Negraia, Francesco Rampazzo, Asli Ebru Sanlitürk, and Tom Theile for their feedback on earlier versions of this manuscript.

Funding Statement

The authors received no specific funding for this work.

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Articles from PLOS Digital Health are provided here courtesy of PLOS

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Diversity of social media use: Self-selection explains associations between using many platforms and well-being

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Many people engage with a diverse array of social media platforms, raising concerns that this diversity of platforms may be linked to negative affect, hypothesized to arise from multitasking or identify diffusion. Using a large representative sample (N ...

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Social Media bringing people together and allowing for the ability for connection and cultural exchange.

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Diversity and inclusion initiatives support the realization that everyone is different. Social media reinforces this fact, demonstrating that we're more connected and have more in common with each other as we communicate using different platforms. It's an opportunity for individuals to connect with people of all different backgrounds-to find commonalities, to share experiences, and to solve problems in new ways. How can you achieve this? On social media, it's through sharing one's experience of an action that's taking place, an image that evokes different responses, or a hashtag that provokes an array of thoughts.

With the smartphone revolution, we live in a time when most of us walk around with a powerful computer in our pockets. As a Millennial, I'm part of the first generation that grew up constantly connected and is often credited for embracing this technology. Social media has opened us up to outside experiences that couldn't be accessed in the same way in years past.

Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and others have allowed for different forms of communication. Instead of being able to connect with someone only by a phone call, we can use email, text messages, Facebook Messenger, tweets, Instagram tagging, FaceTime, and other platforms to interact with new people.

BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER

These days, hashtags allow for people from different backgrounds to find each other and communicate in different ways. The birth of the hashtag in 2007 helped to move conversations forward by allowing groups to focus and filter for a specific topic. As a result, people can search for something that's of direct interest to them.

Hashtags have evolved to become a link for people to relate to each other, defining a particular action, event, thought, or movement with text, photos, or video. This representation has allowed people to connect at a different level by not only conveying a message but by broadcasting it to an already engaged audience.

For example, using the #accountingstandards and #changes hashtags, accountants from around the world can find each other's posts. So an accountant in India dealing with changes in government regulation that had a direct impact on his financial reporting can connect with an accountant in the United States addressing changes in U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and they can both connect with someone in Europe facing changes to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Those shared experiences allow us to connect with others in different parts of the world with whom we ordinarily would never communicate.

We're now enabling individuals to openly communicate and answer questions that may not have been thought of before. When we communicate with someone who's different from us-for example, regionally or generationally-we allow ourselves to appreciate new viewpoints and to benefit from their expertise and experience, especially if we remain open to what the conversation can become. Alternatively, we can offer guidance to someone who's just now experiencing something we have gone through.

SHARING EXPERIENCES

These shared experiences give us a window into what life really is like for people other than ourselves. In our day-to-day lives, we can see life through someone else's eyes with live feeds of war, protests, government hearings, weddings, graduations, and family gatherings, and we will have developed a different level of empathy, understanding, and communication if we allow ourselves to take a step back to ask questions. The result? We develop a level of inclusion that we didn't have before by being present even when we physically can't be there.

The use of hashtags on a post or photo allows for it to be searched, liked, and found by others interested in the same topic. For example, IMA ® (Institute of Management Accountants), which has a large global presence outside of the U.S., has made it even easier for U.S. members to find and network with those in other regions when they actively post using IMA hashtags such as #IMALeadership and #IMAEurope, or handles such as @IMAglobal on Instagram.

IMA CONNECTIONS

Recently, I connected with a student from India who saw a post of mine while searching for IMA-related content on Instagram. Because he thought I might be from the same region of India, he reached out to me. The conversation started with what IMA is about, what the CMA ® (Certified Management Accountant) exam entails, and how I got involved with IMA. It then evolved into helping each other prepare for the CMA exam, such as sending the occasional possible test questions for practice.

Another way for people to connect is through Facebook groups, which are communities of Facebook members focused on a shared interest or topic. You can join or like a group and communicate with others in it. Groups are often moderated by administrators to ensure that discussion is done in a positive and healthy manner. Much like the chat rooms of the 1990s, these groups have become a popular way for people to communicate with others on specific topics in a forum.

Social media platforms have allowed people of different backgrounds to reach out and share what they know, giving us a glimpse of the lives of people all around the world. By doing this, diversity and inclusion are promoted and celebrated.

Social media has given us various platforms that enable us to be more vocal on important topics. When used wisely, this can lead to healthy discussions and positive solutions. Having diversity of thought allows for more inclusion when differences are seen and appreciated.

VISIT THE IMA D&I PAGE

IMA recently launched a Diversity and Inclusion page on its website thanks to a collaboration between volunteers on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and IMA staff. The page features IMA's position and commitment to D&I, IMA's D&I origin story and global reach, current D&I trends, and resources for IMA members, professionals, students, faculty members, volunteers, and partners. The page is accessible in the "About IMA" section at www.imanet.org/about-ima/diversity-and-inclusion.

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quality management and continuous improvement

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quality management and continuous improvement

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quality management and continuous improvement

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recognizing and resolving unethical behavior

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quality management and continuous improvement

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quality management and continuous improvement

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Social Media as a Means to Diversity | IMA

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Different forms of communication have made it easier than ever for people of diverse backgrounds to connect.

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December: Creating an Inclusive Classroom During the Holiday Season

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December: Creating an Inclusive Classroom During the Holiday Season

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There's more to December than Christmas. This website gives ideas on how to make sure everyone is included during the holiday season.

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Students of all backgrounds, religions, and upbringings require us as educators to strive for an inclusive classroom, especially during the holiday season. We know every classroom is made up of a unique group of kids, so it can sometimes be challenging to make everyone feel welcome and included. So how do you create a holiday classroom environment that will allow all students to feel included?

From Thanksgiving onward, the holiday season is centered around generosity, thankfulness, and anticipating new beginnings in the coming year and the teachers at Teach Starter have put together our favorite ways to bring that spirit into an inclusive classroom environment. Here are some ideas that may spark a new conversation, encourage open-mindedness with your students, and end the calendar year on a high note.

What Is an Inclusive Classroom?

This may feel obvious to some, but we would be remiss if we didn't talk about the meaning of an inclusive classroom before we start talking about how to celebrate the holidays in one. After all, holidays only come around once a year, but inclusivity should be embraced all year round.

Inclusive classrooms include all students of a similar age in a general education environment, inclusive of:

disabilities

special needs

social and economic backgrounds

minority languages

religious practices

sexual orientations

Think about this: About 32% of all public school students attended schools where students of color made up at least 75% of total enrollment in the fall of 2019. About 15% of the total public school enrollment in the US is receiving disability services. And about 12.3 million American kids are attending what the federal government considers high-poverty schools, where more than 75 percent of the students receive a free or reduced lunch.

It's a diverse nation filled with students of all different backgrounds.

The purpose of inclusive classrooms is to expand the cultural knowledge and acceptance of all students, regardless of their background and upbringing. When children feel equally valued, the more likely their classroom will turn into a thriving learning environment.

How To Create An Inclusive Classroom This Holiday

Holiday time is one when some of the more inclusive classroom practices get put to the test from holiday programs to tree lightings. So how do you make sure you have holiday practices that are in keeping with the environment you've been working to create for your class? Try some of these ideas to get started:

Organize cubbies, small groups, or lines by alphabetical order, birthdays, or clothing color instead of gender

Create a diverse classroom library

Display inclusive bulletin boards that don't lean towards a specific race or holiday

Enforce classroom standards consistently (i.e., using kind words, keeping hands and feet to ourselves, etc.)

Morning Meeting Discussion

Use this time to ask your students to share their winter traditions with the rest of the class instead of focusing on a particular holiday. You can ask them prompts such as:

What is your favorite part of winter?

What is your favorite smell this time of year?

What's your favorite holiday?

What's one food you want to eat this month?

What is the best gift you have ever been given?

What is the best gift you have ever given to someone else?

Keeping these questions generic will allow everyone in the class to feel like they can contribute to the discussion while giving your students some perspective on how their peers celebrate the season.
Teach Starter Teacher Tip: Download 180 morning meeting questions to keep the conversation going all year long.
Winter Decor

Take down that turkey-themed bulletin board, and have your class help you create a winter wonderland on your bulletin board. You can Warm Up With a Good Book, set up Twelve Days of Kindness or add a little fun with some deer mischief. The greatest part about winter bulletin board themes is that you can keep them up after the holiday break for January (and even into February before Valentine's Day rolls around)!

Winter-themed crafts are fun and inclusive too! Make pomander balls that kids can take home to hang for a fresh holiday scent. All you'll need are oranges, cloves, ribbons, and toothpicks (to help younger students place their cloves more easily). Students can get creative with their own clove patterns! Wrap a ribbon around the entire project at the end for a festive look.

Other fun ideas could include cutting out snowflakes, coloring a winter drawing, creating winter cabins, or turning toilet paper rolls into snowmen.

Giving Back

The theme of giving back and helping others is a universal winter theme that never goes out of style. It's never too early for children to learn how they can help their friends, their family, and their community, laying the groundwork for a more inclusive future.

One way to give back to the community is through a food drive. Make it fun by competing against other classrooms in the school! Reward the classroom that collects the most canned food with a PJ day at school with pizza and hot chocolate. Explore Feeding America 's website to see where your local food bank is located, and consider including that information in a newsletter for students to take home. Some families may want to contribute, while others may find it necessary during the holidays.

Other drive ideas include lightly used clothing and toys. You can set up a box in your classroom or school lobby then find your local clothing drive drop-off locations or use a company like Toys for Tots to get started.

Focus on Winter

Your weather might not change much from season to season, but there's plenty to talk about when it comes to winter, regardless. The season lasts quite a while, so your December winter preparations will be relevant for the foreseeable future, saving you time after the holiday break!

Depending on your geographic location, winter may look very different. Ask your students:

What changes do you see outside when fall turns into winter?

What's the weather like in winter? How do you keep warm when it's cold?

What do you think animals do during the winter months?

You can also try some Winter Would You Rather questions to prompt your kids into winter discussions.

If reading aloud is your style, here are some beloved winter-themed books for story time:

How Can You Celebrate Holidays in a Diverse Classroom?

Winter celebrations are beautiful and diverse. In the classroom, you can be inclusive by focusing on traditions and facts to introduce cultural awareness. Some holidays include:

Dec 8: Bohdi Day to Rohatsu

Dec 18-26: Hanukkah

Dec 21: Winter Solstice/Dongzhi Festival

Dec 25: Christmas

Dec 26-Jan 1: Kwanzaa

Some teachers use a theme such as Holidays Around the World to introduce various traditions and cultures. Focus on the dates and facts, such as where each holiday may be celebrated, instead of any religious aspect. Here's a video that may give you some inspiration or ideas:

New Year Goals and Wishes

New Year is right around the corner, and it's one December holiday that is celebrated by all. Now is a good time to reflect on the past year and set new goals. You can dedicate a Morning Meeting session to this topic or have it be a writing theme for the day. Prompt your class with questions like:

What's something exciting that happened to you this year?

What are some things you learned this year?

What is your favorite book or movie from this year?

What is something you hope to accomplish in the New Year?

To formalize these reflections, use this Goal Setting Workbook for resolution setting, crafts, and puzzles. This is a great activity to include in a newsletter to students' parents when they head home on the last day. Parents will appreciate seeing what their kids have worked on, classroom goals for the New Year and how they can help their child over the holidays through activities like reading.

Gifts for Students

Planning on student gifts for the holidays? Skip the Santa pencils and focus on items that have no connection to the holidays. This is a great opportunity to set them up for a winter break with something positive - after all, those vacations away from school can be especially rough for some children.

These positive affirmation cards are cute ways to end the year on a high note. Go a step further and attach each card to a packet of instant hot cocoa they can enjoy at home.

You can also encourage reading for fun with affirmation bookmarks that include a positive note every time they read.
Explore winter resources to celebrate this month with every child in mind!

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How to Create Inclusive Classroom Holiday Celebrations: 7 Teacher Tips

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Here's how to make your classroom inclusive throughout the December holiday season.

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A list of influencers who dedicate their platforms to DEI

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20 Trending D&I Influencers to Follow on Social Media in 2024

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Diversity and inclusion are essential for an equal society. Take a look at the most popular speakers to follow on social media.

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Why DEI in the classroom is instrumental in student development and how the classroom can thrive.

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Affirming Diversity In The Classroom Why it Matters to Your Students | Nadiyah Herron | TEDxCSUSB

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How inclusion doesn't mean a student has access to higher education

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On Diversity: Access Ain’t Inclusion | Anthony Jack | TEDxCambridge

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Social Emotional Learning and DEI Podcasts in the classroom Webinar

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Social Emotional Learning and DEI Podcasts in the classroom Webinar

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This webinar discusses the benefits of bringing podcasts in the classroom to bring underrepresented voices into the conversation.

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Bringing SEL & Diverse Perspectives into Your Curriculum with Podcasts [2021 Webinar]

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Zaretta Hammond discusses how to use students cultural learning styles and tools to create a more inclusive learning enviornment.

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Last month, I reviewed Zaretta Hammond's fantastic book, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain. Now I'm proud to have Zaretta here as a guest writer to share some specific strategies with us.

Culturally responsive teaching. Everybody is talking about it. The big question is: How do you actually make lessons culturally responsive? That comes up regularly when I am working with groups of teachers to improve outcomes for diverse students who are struggling. I remember working with a group of sixth grade teachers on improving learning for their at-risk students. These teachers were frustrated that their students, 95 percent of them students of color and English language learners, were not applying themselves to learning.

I suggested that we explore making lessons more culturally relevant in order to accelerate student learning. I remember the reaction of Janice, the science teacher. "I am not going to be rappin' about the periodic table," she said defiantly as she crossed her arms and sat back in her chair.

I couldn't blame her. Google "culturally responsive teaching" and you can find a dozen videos of well-meaning teachers leading some call-and-response chant about exponents or rapping about the Boston Tea Party while students sit back and giggle. That's because we usually talk about culturally responsive teaching only as an engagement strategy designed to motivate at-risk students to take learning seriously. Or we try to find a race-based connection to the content to make it "relevant" to minority students.

One of the biggest misconceptions about culturally responsive teaching is thinking you have to tie the lesson's content to African American or Latino students' racial background. The common belief is if you mention Africa, Mexico, or famous black and brown high achievers, it will spark students' attention. Then they will be motivated to participate.

In reality, culturally responsive teaching is less about using racial pride as a motivator and more about mimicking students' cultural learning styles and tools. These are the strategies their moms, dads, grandmas, and other community folks use to teach them life skills and basic concepts long before they come to school and during out-of-school time.

Culturally responsive teaching leverages the brain's memory systems and information processing structures. Why? Many diverse students come from oral cultural traditions. This means their primary ways of knowledge transfer and meaning-making are oral and active. It's a common cultural tradition that cuts across racial groups: African American, Latino, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander communities all have strong oral cultures. Each of these cultural groups uses the brain's memory systems for turning inert information into useable knowledge. They use memory strategies to make learning sticky, like connecting what needs to be remembered to a rhythm or music (that's why we still know the ABC song) or by reciting it in fun ways like a poem, riddle, or limerick.

I asked Janice what area of learning she wanted to help her kids improve. She said science vocabulary; they weren't learning the weekly words and it was getting in the way of their understanding of key concepts. She was frustrated and at the end of her rope. I asked how she was teaching it. She used the typical approach: On Monday, she listed the words on the board. Students copied them down and were required to look each word up and use it in a sentence. On Wednesday, there was a vocabulary test.

I suggested that we design word study to be more culturally responsive by making it more like the students' own cultural learning process. She was open for trying something different.

I offered her these three tips for transforming any lesson into something that looked and felt more culturally responsive to diverse students, something that would allow them to engage more and process the content effectively.

Games are the power strategy for culturally-grounded learning because they get the brain's attention and require active processing. Attention is the first step in learning. We cannot learn, remember, or understand what we don't first pay attention to. Call and response is just a way to get the brain's attention. Most games employ a lot of the cultural tools you'd find in oral traditions - repetition, solving a puzzle, making connections between things that don't seem to be related (Ever play Taboo or Apples to Apples?).

Organizing learning so that students rely on each other will build on diverse students' communal orientation. This communal orientation can be summed up in the African proverb, "I am because we are." Even making learning slightly competitive in a good-natured way increases students' level of attention and engagement. It's why the T.V. show Survivor has been around for so many years; it's a social-based game.

The brain is wired to remember stories and to use the story structure to make sense of the world. That's why every culture has creation stories. In oral traditions, stories play a bigger role in teaching lessons about manners, morality, or simply what plants to eat or not eat in the wilderness because it's the way content is remembered. Diverse students (and all students, really) learn content more effectively if they can create a coherent narrative about the topic or process presented. That's the brain's way of weaving it all together. (Bonus: It also offers a great way to check for understanding and correct misconceptions.)

So Janice took her weekly list of science vocabulary and created a variety of sorting and matching games for students. She built a set of simple card games based on Go Fish or Old Maid. In addition she created some team games. Each week students had different active ways to learn the vocabulary. For 10-15 minutes a couple of times during the week, students got to play these learning games rather than look up words in a dictionary. She gave them instructions for making the games at home if they wanted to.

Instead of the traditional weekly vocab test, she asked them to "storify" their understanding of key concept words like metamorphosis, using vocabulary from past weeks.

When I checked in with the group a few weeks later, she was the first one to share. She said student engagement was like night and day. Now all students were participating. She said she knew they were learning the vocabulary at a deeper level because they were actually using the new science terms during discussions and in their writing with no prompting from her.

The big A-ha's for the group that day were that (1) Culturally responsive teaching doesn't have to be some performance the teacher does to entertain students and (2) It doesn't have to mention race or reference culture at all. Instead, what makes a practice culturally responsive is that it mimics students' own cultural learning tools. They all realized that these practices are helpful for all students, not targeted at minority students.

The real trick is to use these strategies regularly as part of your instructional routine rather than doing them randomly every now and then. Consistency is the key. ♦

Learn more about how to improve diverse students' information processing skills and actually grow their brains in Zaretta Hammond's book, Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students .

Stick around.
Join my mailing list and never miss another post. You'll get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration - in quick, bite-sized packages - all geared toward making your teaching more effective and joyful. To thank you, I'll send you a free copy of my e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half. I look forward to getting to know you better!

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3 Tips to Make Any Lesson More Culturally Responsive

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Google "culturally responsive teaching" and you can find a dozen videos of well-meaning teachers leading some call-and-response chant about exponents or rapping about the Boston Tea Party while students sit back and giggle.

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This website has many articles and tools discussing religious tolerance and antisemitism in the classroom.

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Empowering teachers & students to think critically about history & to understand the impact of their choices.

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"This unit is designed to help students reflect on how Islamophobia manifests in contemporary society and what needs to be done to challenge it."

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This unit is designed to help students in the UK reflect on how Islamophobia manifests in contemporary society and what needs to be done to challenge it.

This resource is intended for educators in the United Kingdom.

Three or more 50-min class periods

Culture & Identity

Democracy & Civic Engagement

Equity & Inclusion

Human & Civil Rights

Global Migration & Immigration

Racism

Propaganda

Resistance

Using the strategies from Facing History is almost like an awakening.

- Claudia Bautista, Santa Monica, Calif

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Discussing Contemporary Islamophobia in the Classroom

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This unit is designed to help students in the UK reflect on how Islamophobia manifests in contemporary society and what needs to be done to challenge it.

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Follow this link to a Google Doc with all the links you need in one place!

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October: The 6th is World Cerebral Palsy Day

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October: The 6th is World Cerebral Palsy Day

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This website has teaching tips on how to create a more inclusive classroom. You can also search the website to learn more about CP.

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Fact Checked

Being included-in the classroom, in the family, in recreation, in social events-is important for anyone, but for children, it plays a significant role in healthy emotional, physical, and social development. For children living with a disability, like cerebral palsy, being included is more complicated than for other children. Teacher tips for inclusive classrooms are so important for making kids feel more welcome.

A child with cerebral palsy not only has every right to inclusion in school like other children, they actively need inclusion.[1] While it is great for other children to actively include those who seem different, the responsibility comes down to the adults, particularly the teachers.

Teachers need to ensure all children get a full educational experience and have every opportunity to participate, learn, and grow.

Although teachers understand this responsibility, they don't always have the knowledge or experience, especially working with particular disabilities like cerebral palsy. Every teacher can use advice and tips to help them build and create more inclusive learning experiences:

Get to know the needs of every student. Every student is a unique individual with different abilities, and teachers know this, but it is still easy to make assumptions and generalizations about students with disabilities. Cerebral palsy causes a wide and varied range of issues, and each child truly has their own limitations and abilities. When teachers are better aware of the needs of each student, inclusion is easier and more natural.

Assign seating. When children are allowed to choose their own seating positions, the classroom can become segregated. A child with a disability and low self-esteem may choose a seat in the back corner every time, next to a similarly quiet student. Pair up disabled students with more outgoing children and encourage more engagement.

Instead of asking for volunteers, call on students randomly. Asking for volunteers to participate in solving problems or discussions can lead to exclusion with only the most vocal and assertive students stepping up. Make sure all children are called upon and push each student to participate in everything.

Provide group discussion time. Teachers may find that calling on students randomly is difficult at first, and that those who don't like to speak up lack confidence. By giving students time to discuss a problem or question quietly with their desk mates, they get a chance to gather their thoughts and prepare to be called upon. Alternatively, a quiet, reflective minute for all students before answering questions can also be helpful.

Use personal response devices. Another way to get all students involved in answering questions and participating is to use response devices. These are handheld systems or apps on tablets, which students can use to input an answer that will then appear on a projection screen. The teacher can then see that everyone has input an answer.

Expose students to diversity. Many classroom lessons showcase professionals in subject areas, like scientists, athletes, or musicians. Choose a variety of people in professional fields of all races, genders, and even abilities. Representation is very powerful. When a disabled child sees an independent, successful disabled adult, it sends an encouraging message.

Vary teaching strategies. This is important for all students, not just those with disabilities who tend to be excluded more often. All children learn in different ways, so various instructional strategies, like lecturing, reading, videos, interactive apps, small group work, projects, and discussions, help include everyone.

Make classrooms physically accessible. For some students with cerebral palsy, the only disability could be a lack of mobility. Simply having enough space to get around easily can increase inclusion. Make sure there is plenty of space between desks and other obstacles so that a child with a wheelchair, walker, or other devices can move as freely as any other student.

Provide inclusive playgrounds. The most inclusive playgrounds were designed that way, and often teachers can only work with what they have. They can make existing playgrounds more inclusive, though, by providing guided activities that involve all students and in which all can participate, regardless of ability level.

Be proactive-and active-about bullying. Bullying is a greater risk for disabled children than others, and it can lead to long-term harm. In the short term, it can cause a student to become even more excluded and withdrawn. Teachers must address bullying through education, awareness, and acting when there are any signs that it is happening.

Combat discriminatory language immediately. Do not tolerate any discriminatory language against anyone by gender, sexual orientation, race or religion, or disability. Sending a clear message that this kind of negative language is not tolerated in a classroom makes it safer for all students. It also educates students who may not realize how damaging their language can be.

Provide choice in sports and recreation. Students with physical disabilities, like cerebral palsy, are routinely left out of physical activities. Even those with limitations can participate, although they may need modifications or assistive devices. The choice is important in sport. If the only offerings are baseball or football, it may be impossible for everyone to participate. Provide more options for recreation, and more students can be included.

Communicate with parents. Sometimes parents can provide insights that teachers can't get from observing students in the classroom or that students are too shy to share. Parents can tell teachers, for instance, if a child has been struggling to read the board from her seat in the room or if she feels intimidated by a particular student.

Practice collaborative teaching. Collaboration between teachers is so important in providing the best opportunities for all students, but it is not always encouraged. Whenever possible, general and special education teachers should collaborate on creating ways to make every classroom more inclusive for every student.

Inclusion in the classroom-and in school in general-is essential for every student at every age. Not being included can lead to low self-esteem, lack of confidence, lack of social engagement, and academic, emotional, and physical development deficits.

Exclusion is often not intentional, but to ensure that students who are too often left out get all the opportunities of other students, teachers have to be active participators in inclusion.

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References

A guide to disability rights laws. (2020, February). U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Disability Rights Section
Retrieved from: https://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm

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Teacher Tips for Inclusive Classrooms | Cerebral Palsy Guidance

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