There is light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. But from whose sun?
A year from now will the light again show us what we’ve always seen? Will the new normal be the old normal? Will the school to prison pipeline remain intact? Will test-centric curriculum in underfunded schools resume their place atop the throne? Will fantasies about learning loss continue to trump the simple reality that culturally responsive and liberatory pedagogy lead to actual learning gains?
Or will this future light show us something new? Will we, as Amanda Gorman urges us in her poem “The Hill We Climb,” find a way to free the dawn and allow it to bloom?
As ever in matters of education and social justice, this is our choice to make. In their truthout article, Maxine McKinney de Royston & Shirin Vossoughi highlight how important this choice is. They argue that the nation's current response to the pandemic-induced educational crisis perpetuates the same racial, economic and gender injustices that have always plagued it. A choice must be made.
and the norms and notions
of what just is
isn't always justice.
Systemic change requires that youth, families, and educators collectively serve as decision makers and designers of educational possibilities. It is the only way to confront harmful myths about human learning, to redefine the processes and purposes of education. Partnering with students, families and communities requires purposeful action. True partnerships are based on mutual respect, relationships and effective communication.
STEM Ed uses empathy interviews to get this process started. The skill of empathy is so essential that we cannot truly improve our students' learning experiences without it. Only when we can deeply understand our students will we actually see what they need to thrive in STEM classrooms. This is the space where we innovate.
For there is always light,
if only we're brave enough to see it
If only we're brave enough to be it
Join us on Tuesday, February 9th at 7:00 EST to learn more about the empathetic design process.
Register for the Empathy Workshop
