Guest post: Patricia J. Brown, @msEdtechie, is a Technology Specialist for Ladue School District. Diversity is a buzzword and a commonly discussed edtech topic in Twitter chats, educational conferences, and PD sessions around the world. At this point, we should be going beyond surface level diversity chats, and instead have deeper conversations on how we can create diverse AND inclusive educational spaces where educators are equitable in their mindset, and practice, and are willing to gain the skills they need to embody and live out the idea that all kids can learn. These conversations are important because in this world there are too many ways that bias creeps into our lives: the media, our community, our families, our friends and our experiences. How do we move beyond these biases? How do we identify our own biases and address them in a healthy way? It starts with you as an individual with an understanding that you need to decenter yourself—ego aside...and reflect. There are many resources available to begin this very personal work but we can begin very simply by reflecting on these questions. How does my own social location (race, class, gender, religion) shape my mindset about teaching and learning, the students I am serving, and the practices I act out? What more do I need to learn about the things I don’t know related to culture, power, and difference? Where can I learn that material? How can I be a more critically conscious educator? Creating diverse and inclusive spaces allow for people to gain so much. Learning from each other is what makes us grow. How do you look internally and unpack your own implicit or overt biases?
