EQUITY

Effective online teachers apply equitable methods to promote student access and success while acknowledging institutional obstacles.

Equity is all about:

Reducing the achievement gap

to increase the student's success

Equity means not treating everyone the same, especially when it comes to our students. That's because each student comes from a unique background and has their own situation. Taking this course has helped me identify barriers that contribute to the achievement gap. The achievement gap refers to the uneven distribution of educational outcomes and advantages. As Curtis Linton notes in his Equity 101 framework, reducing the achievement gap requires collaboration among three key elements: personal, institutional, and professional systems.

To address this, we must first recognize our personal biases and stereotypes, as well as the systemic factors within our school institutions. Finally, we need to implement professional practices that promote equity for all students, such as inclusive teaching methods and policies that provide support for marginalized students.

REFLECTIONS

Started!

Before taking the Equity and Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning class through @One Courses, if someone had asked me about equity in an online class, I would have simply said that I aim to treat all of my students equally. I believed that offering special opportunities to students with unique circumstances would be unfair to the rest of the class. However, through this course, I learned how to analyze my own biases and stereotypes, and how to identify any negative thoughts or practices I may have unintentionally used in my online classes.

I know a lot!

The Equity and Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning course has broadened my understanding of how to comprehensively assess the needs of each student in an online class. I now realize the importance of taking proactive steps as an instructor to provide individual support to my students, with the aim of exceeding the common standard. Furthermore, I have come to understand that educational equity cannot be achieved without institutional equity. As Linton states, “The success of equity depends on the school and/or system’s ability to create an effective framework that guides all decisions, practices, and policies according to equity” (Linton, 2011, p. 49). Therefore, it is essential for the entire educational system to work collaboratively to eliminate the achievement gap for our learners.

Placing my knowledge into work!

Now that I understand the definition, different frameworks, and how to apply the equity lens, I am eager to enhance my personal and professional contribution to online teaching. I am enthusiastic about learning more about the California Community College system and my college campus's equity framework to guide my future work in addressing the inequities and achievement gaps that students from marginalized communities face.

Furthermore, I plan to examine my daily practices with an equity lens and communicate to my students that I am always available to support them.

REFLECTIONS

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

As I strive to become an equity-minded educator who utilizes culturally responsive teaching and learning practices, I have made a conscious effort to incorporate my teaching philosophy in my syllabus (as shown in the screen capture).

Moreover, I am continuously working on improving my teaching philosophy with each passing semester. This process has helped me gain a better understanding of my purpose and motivation as an educator. By having a strong WHY statement, I can stay committed and dedicated to my role in empowering and supporting my students. I believe that this will enable me to approach my teaching with fearless determination and make a positive impact on my students' lives.

LATE SUBMISSION POLICY:

This is a screenshot of the "Late Policy" section in my syllabus. My previous version stated:

"There are no make-ups, regardless of any reason."

However, after taking the Equity and Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning course, I realized the importance of reviewing the language used in my syllabi and the messages it may convey to my students. I recognized that my old policy could negatively impact students who may face unforeseen circumstances or challenges.

Thus, I revised the policy to offer more flexibility and support for students. I made an effort to use more inclusive and humanizing language and provide opportunities for students to receive higher grades, even if they encounter difficulties submitting their work on time.

Increasing Student Engagement in Discussions:

The image on the right is from a discussion in one of my business classes. One of my takeaways from the Equity and Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning course was the importance of increasing student engagement. To achieve this, I added a new component to each discussion for this course, with the aim of fostering interaction between students. Specifically, I asked students to generate at least one thoughtful and substantive question for a classmate and to reply to a question posted by another classmate.

I strongly believe that it is our responsibility as educators to create a collaborative and cooperative learning environment by designing dynamic and thought-provoking assignments in our online classes.

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