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NSTA Multi District Equity Presentation

Michelle Ellis, District VI Director

totalstemteach@gmail.com

@totalstemteach

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John Mulany- Bench: https://youtu.be/gwWNlaF-PLE

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Get of the Bench: Grassroots Efforts to Improve Racial Equity in Science Education

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Self

“ Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

  • Internal and External Reflection- as a person
    • Self- identity
  • Internal and External Reflection- as a teacher
    • Identity effects
  • Classroom Environment
    • Belief
    • Classroom practices
    • Behavior Management
    • Instruction

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Engagement

“He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

  • Your voice is power.
    • Speak truth, speak into existence
  • Your lack of voice is consent.
    • Ex. Anti-bullying education
  • Your collective voices can move barriers.
    • Turn complaints into actions
    • Use your voice properly (ex. NSTA)
  • Your voices bring change
    • Ex. NC computer science teach creates alternative and interdisciplinary courses
    • Form small group professional learning opportunities

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Empowerment

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous change. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom! ” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

  • Equity work can never be done in a silo
    • Route we take in education
  • Connections bring power
    • Allies and advocates help carry the burden
  • Joys of discovery
    • Exposure and representation
    • More than a month
    • Ex. Crop rotation and George Washington Carver
    • Ex. Caesar Chavez

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Determination

“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

  • Learn from the defeats and rejoice in the victories not matter how small
    • There will be many highs and many lows
  • Rest but don’t quit
    • Take the step back and regroup
    • Press and pull back
  • Alternate Approaches
    • Science Olympiad >Science Fair > Science Club

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Service

“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

  • Don’t forget the service side of education
  • What are you doing to help others learn about diversity, equity, and inclusion?
    • SEED Fellows Program
  • What are you doing to make school a safe and inclusive place for everyone?
    • Ex. Science Night
    • Place of education for some and traumatic for others

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“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

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Plant the seeds, so others can enjoy the shade.

  • Self
  • Engagement
  • Empowerment
  • Determination
  • Service

Now more than ever, our nation needs educators. Ones that not only teach the content but use the content to make connections that promote social justice and equity. Ones that not only promote independent thinking based on evidence and reasoning but provide opportunities to use that knowledge to address issues related to inequities and inequalities. Ones that not only embrace diversity but incorporate it in their science teaching on a regular basis.

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Where do YOU stand?

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“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.