Equity in the Making: Before, During & After Distance Learning
On April 25th, 2020, Agency by Design Oakland Teacher Fellows presented a virtual conference encompassing ideas from their inquiries into maker-centered learning and culturally responsive pedagogy. It included three Ignite Talks and 13 Breakout Sessions, as well as segments on Making Learning Visible, Agency by Design thinking routines, and more. The following videos showcase the various parts of the event, which took place on Zoom, six weeks into shelter-in-place. Click here to learn more about our fellowship. (Note: the Breakout Sessions were not recorded; click here to see a selection of resources from the Breakouts).
“Culturally Responsive Teacher Making”
An Ignite Talk by Lawrence Teng, MATH Teacher, Metwest High School, Oakland
Lawrence Teng shares his inquiries around culturally responsive pedagogy, how he’s influenced by the work of Zaretta Hammond, and how he’s designed his own thinking routines for students to become co-creators of knowledge.
“What Does Learning Look Like in the Maker-Centered Classroom?”
An Ignite Talk by Chantall ParnelL, CS Teacher at Brete Harte MS, OAKLAND
An Ignite Talk by Chantall Parnell, 2nd year AbD Oakland teacher fellow & Computer Science Teacher at Bret Harte Middle School in Oakland. Chantall shares how students engaged with the Maker Center Learning Strategy Figuring it Out during code talks. Students dialogued in groups puzzling over code, predicting what will happen next.
“making learning visible”
Continuing to value a core practice as we shift to distance learning
Making Learning Visible is a reflective practice from Harvard’s Project Zero that includes taking notes, drawing and sketching. In this segment, Susan Wolf, demonstrates how to fold a simple one page zine for you to engage with during this virtual event.
“Main breakout session”
A quick dip into the Agency by design frameworks
Agency by Design Oakland’s directors Paula Mitchell and Brooke Toczylowski host participants in an interactive, hands on series of prompts inviting a deeper look at objects and the systems that they are connected to.
“How do we keep our Roots Alive?”
An Ignite Talk by Quinn Ranahan, Math Teacher, Montera Middle School, Oakland
Quinn Ranahan shares her story as a teacher in East Oakland. By looking closely at the systems that impact school closures and other inequities, she asks, “How can we challenge the system? Which system will you disrupt?”
“Getting Started, Our Virtual Welcome”
BeginNing with Intentional practices that help us remain connected to our values
In this segment we practice shifting and translating our community values to this virtual conference space. We begin by sharing our guiding questions, norms and our agenda while also pausing to take time for Indigenous Land Acknowledgement and a moment of mindfulness led by A’aron Heard, AbD Oakland teacher fellow alum.
“equity in the making”
The Story of our work and how it responds to change
This primary segment of the event introduces you to who we are and what we do. Directors Paula & Brooke give an overview of our Teacher Fellowship and how it shifted dramatically in March with orders to shelter-in-place and teach at a distance.
“Closing Reflection”
I used to think… Now I think…a Project Zero Thinking Routine
In the closing segment Ilya Pratt leads us through observational and re-centering prompts. Participants take a moment to reflect upon our work together using the thinking routine “I used to think... Now I think...”
We thank our partners and supporters for making our work possible. Gratitude to the Rogers Family Foundation, the Abundance Foundation, Oakland International High School, Grass Valley Elementary School, The Quest Foundation, and The Culture of Repair Project.