Techquity: Creating Learning Environments For Sustainability, Equity, and Access

This interactive keynote will address how to navigate one of the biggest challenges educators face today — providing students with equitable and culturally inclusive learning opportunities. This talk will include a detailed analysis on the varying levels of culture, addressing our social-emotional needs, and why we must ensure our students are provided a diverse and equitable educational experience. Further expanding on the primary purpose will be a look at how technology serves as both a needed and critical component to that end. Embedded within the keynote are personal narratives aligned with the central theme of incorporating both a culturally relevant and culturally responsive pedagogy to any content area.

Building Sustainable Pathways Towards An Inclusive and Mindful Culture

Among the many factors that play a role in our experiences being seen, being heard, and being included are critical to those. School is no different as these are aligned with some of our basic needs. Yet, how often do we look at our own habits of mind and cultural norms to ensure that we are mindful of our actions/interactions and ensure we are truly being inclusive and mindful? In this interactive session, we will take a macro perspective on school culture and develop strategies for consistent examination on our habits of mind and culture norms. We will look at the norms that can lead to a lack of inclusion and how we can make mindfulness a norm instead. Participants will be taken through design and problem-based protocols that will serve as the basis for sustainable restorative practices as well as be the catalyst for developing a sustainably inclusive culture.