Introduction to Study

Districts, schools, and classrooms are inundated with initiatives in K-12 education. Educational technology and culturally sustaining pedagogy are two prevalent initiatives. 

Many initiatives from improvement strategists are created to maintain the status quo and are a brain drain for teachers instead of prioritizing initiatives like educational technology and culturally sustaining pedagogy that revolutionize learning experiences and heighten student engagement. 

Instead of allowing educational institutions to create an environment where these ideas are “just another thing to do,” I believe that educational technology and culturally sustaining pedagogy can be intertwined and linked to benefit both school leaders and students, making school a more thoughtful, safe, and successful place for everyone. 

In this arts-based podcasting study, I will interview 5 educators who work with culturally sustaining pedagogies and educational technology. These educators will represent all aspects of the educational hierarchy and the geographical regions of NC. Using critical theory, I will critique the existing structures that control initiatives in school districts.

The significance of this study is that these educational technology and culturally sustaining pedagogy initiatives are important to the health of our educational system and further our society and should not be merely designated as an item on a to-do list. By critiquing the existing process, this research asks why educational technology and culturally sustaining pedagogy initiatives are implemented the way they are and what might be possible if alternatives are considered. 

But why now? Integrating initiatives is crucial to building thought and empathy in educational spheres and among wider audiences and with the political polarization as it is,  I believe that podcasting beyond just an academic audience brings this about in the best way.

Podcast Trailer and Rationale