LDES 5001 | Fall 2024: Session 10 Synthesis

1. Pros/Cons of These Strategies

1.1. Reflecting on my own experience as a student who often needs more time to think, I find it nerve-wracking when a teacher uses “Random Calling” with minimal wait time. Although “Random Calling” is intended to promote equality by keeping everyone engaged, could it instead create an overly tense atmosphere? How can teachers balance engagement with a supportive environment?

1.2. Would the application of these strategies differ in traditional, larger classrooms?

1.3. These types of strategies work well in small-group settings. How can we apply Tanner’s engagement strategies in big classroom settings with more than 100+ students?

1.4. How do you assess the potential impact of "random calling" versus "think-pair-share" on students' willingness to participate? Could one method inadvertently lead to greater anxiety or disengagement, and if so, under what circumstances?

1.5. In what ways do power, authority, grading, and discipline interact with belonging and inclusion? Are they always necessarily in tension with each other?

2. Cultural Differences

2.1. Can culturally diverse materials or examples be integrated into learning without extending dominant narratives (i.e., Henrietta Lacks cultural contribution to biology was stolen cells.)?

2.2. How can we introduce more equitable approaches in a classroom environment where open discussion is not the norm?

2.3. How do you suggest encouraging participation from students in personally sensitive issues, especially if they are younger and might not have a full understanding? Since we just got out of a pretty stressful presidential election, how do you suggest teachers should cover a history of immigration when at least one student is a child immigrant and may continue to feel out of place? What if you're about to teach about the Holocaust--should you let your Jewish students talk about any experiences they may have had with anti-Semitism?

3. Equity of These Strategies

3.1. Can we create a set of rules that are unified and unbiased, without favoring any one group, even when assisting students with specific needs?

3.2. How can teachers use differentiated instruction in a fair way, so that all students have equal access to resources and opportunities?

3.3. Does culturally diverse instruction adversely stereotype specific learners?

3.4. Is this based on the teacher's experience in knowing which questions to ask?

3.5. Does this differ by subject (i.e., science v. non-science)?

3.6. How can we introduce more equitable approaches in a classroom environment where open discussion is not the norm?

3.7. How can educators ensure that quieter or less-prepared students are equally encouraged to contribute, without putting them on the spot?

3.8. How can educators create a truly inclusive environment that accommodates all voices?

3.9. And how might transparency and equity practices reshape classroom dynamics in a meaningful way?

3.10. How could strategies like the cold calling strategy be well implemented if even one student is negatively affected by it? Is it reasonable for strategies to be assessed through “all or none” criteria?

4. Implementation

4.1. How can you best plan a course ahead of time (or plan an online course that will be taught for several semesters without much change) without knowing who the students will be?

4.2. How can faculty be prepared to implement IPT effectively?

4.3. How do we keep students engaged when the political environment negatively affects them? How do we make them feel they belong and are safe? How do we create a safe learning environment?

4.4. What resources can assist educators with identifying materials?

4.5. Are there strategies for determining which open-ended questions learners will receive well?

4.6. Is creating a culture of belonging something that can be assigned to students from an external source, or must it be an intrinsic pursuit for it to be effective/genuine?

4.7. Taking into account “all” students in learning design is rather ideal. If there are indeed special students in a class group, including physical and psychological problems, how should the designer solve such problems to ensure they also have equal access to the learning?

4.8. Each educator and designer has their own design inclination, so how can we better “examine your own biases and take steps to prevent them from impacting students.”？

4.9. How can instructors balance the need for structure and clear expectations with the need to be responsive to individual students' needs and circumstances?

4.10. What are some practical strategies or tips for analyzing student feedback and making adjustments to course design or instruction based on this feedback?

4.11. Is it reasonable to expect teachers to care deeply for their students? And if not, should a teacher who does not feel this level of care consider stepping back from the teaching profession, at least in K-12?

4.12. How would designing for inclusivity and community building manifest in asynchronous classes? How might strategies best suited for in-person classes be adapted for synchronous online classes? Or asynchronous online classes and hybrid/hyflex classes?

4.13. Think about the identity pie (from "Inquiry and Discourse Toolkit") activity that can prepare students for lessons related to history or literature. How would you assign this to students who will become defensive and protest why they need to do this to read a novel or study a time in history? Think about last week's reading, when people burned copies of her book after she commented on "whiteness".