Section 1

We all have biases. Our implicit biases — attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner — often influence and create inequalities in our programs, policies, and practices. In this section, you will be focusing on how we as educators recognize even the subtlest biases, inequities, and oppressive ideologies.

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“Prejudice is a great time-saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts.”

E. B. White- American Writer

Connected Knowledge and Skills

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Notice subtle bias in learning materials and classroom interactions
Show curiosity about ways school policy and practice might disadvantage some students unintentionally (or intentionally).
Reject deficit views that outcome inequalities (like test score disparities) are the result of the cultures or mindsets of students of color, student

Connected Terms

“ Definitions anchor us in principles. This is not a light point: If we don’t do the basic work of defining the kind of people we want to be in language that is stable and consistent, we can’t work toward stable, consistent goals.”- How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi (One World, 2019). Chapter 1, “Definitions.”

Bias [bi·as] (noun) an inclination of temperament or outlook especially: a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment: Prejudice
Equity [eq·ui·ty] (noun): justice according to natural law or right specifically: freedom from bias or favoritism
Intersectionality [in-ter-sek-shuh-nal-i-tee] (noun) the idea that we all have multiple identity characteristics that make us who we are, and the intersection of these identities come together to create unique forms of privilege and oppression. (Adapted from Teaching Tolerance video “Intersectionality 101”)
Microaggression [mi·cro·ag·gres·sion] (noun) a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a racial minority)
Privilege [priv-uh-lij] (noun) unearned benefits that someone receives due to their identity (Adapted from “White Privilege and Make Privilege” by Peggy McIntosh)
Oppression [uh-presh-uhn] (noun) a system of prejudice, discrimination, policies and ideas that benefits members of one identity group by exploiting, degrading or otherwise causing harm to members of another identity group. (Adapted “Does "Classism" Help Us to Understand Class Oppression?” by Fred L. Pincus and Natalie J. Sololoff)

Source: Learning for Justice

Initial Readings

Read more about implicit bias: Project Implicit® - Background Information
Book: Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice that Shapes What We See, Think, and Do, by Jennifer L. Eberhardt, Ph.D
Article: Unlearning Deficit Ideology and the Scornful Gaze: Thoughts on Authenticating the Class Discourse in Education, Paul Gorski

Activities

Complete one activity in each of the sections below, as you consider how implicit bias impacts you personally and professionally.

Reflect on your Own Bias: Click on the Personal Bias Survey link, then make a copy of the document for your own use. In your personal journal, or with your team, reflect on what was difficult to name and what was easy.
Visit the Project Implicit website and review Start by selecting two quizzes to take on the Project Implicit (harvard.edu)

Curriculum and Assessment Tools

Select a lesson you might have taught this year. Open the link (Mississippi Tool), and read about the process and examples (pgs 1-12), then apply the rubric to your lesson.
STEM Teaching Tools: ACESSE Resource C: Making Science Instruction Compelling for All Students: Using Cultural Formative Assessment to Build on Learner Interest and Experience: StemTeachingTools (en-US)

Videos

Reflection and Discussion Questions

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What type of implicit bias were you aware of before you started this quest?
As you worked through the Personal Bias Survey and the implicit bias tests on the Project Implicit site, what did you learn about yourself that was new and surprising? How can this self-knowledge be used in the classroom as you work with your students?
How can Gorski’s work help to move educators away from deficit thinking? (Pay particular attention to the distinction between intent and impact.)
What types of bias was exposed in your lesson, when you reviewed it against that Mississippi Tool? How can you implement the Mississippi tool to assess curricular materials for hidden bias in the future? Would you make any changes?
Are there additional examples of “Knowledge, Skills, and Actions” that you would add to support or supplement Gorski’s initial list for this ability?

Additional Resources

Social Justice Books (Children’s Literature) Early Childhood Anti-Bias Education Booklists - Social Justice Books
Other Books about Implicit Bias: Beyond the Bench, 2015 - Reading List and Educational Resources Implicit Bias and Racial Impact Statement
Analyze How Words Communicate Bias - This lesson, part of the Digital Literacy series on the Learning for justice website, focuses on teaching students to identify how writers can reveal their biases through their word choice and tone. In this activity, you will identify “charged” words that communicate a point of view. Consider how writers communicate a point of view implicitly by writing their own charged news stories.

References

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Dunn, J., (2021). Learning for Justice. Retrieved on July 21, 2021. https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/our-new-name-learning-for-justic
Gorski, P. C. (2008). Good intentions are not enough: A decolonizing intercultural education. Intercultural education, 19(6), 515-525.
Gorski, P. C. (2011). Unlearning deficit ideology and the scornful gaze: Thoughts on authenticating the class discourse in education. Counterpoints (New York, N.Y.), 402, 152-173.
Harvard, (n.d.) Project Implicit®, https://www.projectimplicit.net/.
Hockett, D. (2017). We all have implicit biases. So what can we do about it? Ted Conferences.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKHSJHkPeLY&t=25s
Mirriam-Webster, (n.d.). Merrieam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved July 21, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/.
Osta, K., & Vasquez, H. V. (2019, June 13). Don't talk about implicit bias without talking about structural racism. Medium. https://medium.com/national-equity-project/implicit-bias-structural-racism-6c52cf0f4a92.
Pincus, F. L., & Sokoloff, N. J. (2008). Does" Classism" Help Us to Understand Class Oppression?. Race, Gender & Class, 9-23.
Social Justice Books, (n.d.). Early Childhood Anti-Bias Education Booklists. Retrieved July 22, 2021. https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/early-childhood/.
STEM Teaching Tools, (2019). ACESSE Resource C: Making Science Instruction Compelling for All Students: Using Cultural Formative Assessment to Build on Learner Interest and Experience : StemTeachingTools (en-US). http://stemteachingtools.org/pd/sessionc.
The National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems, (April, 2006). Rubric 1: Decoupl. ing the Dimensions of Multicultural Education and Approaches to Multicultural Curricular Reform (nyu.edu). https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/2020-07/NCCREStMississippiTool%201.4.pdf

Wilson, T.D. (2004). Blind spots: challenge assumptions. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFcjfqmVah8

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