EdTech and Equity: Mini Conference Presentations
Presentation Descriptions for the EdTech & Equity Mini-Conference
Dr. Jessica Pandya &
Dr. Rebecca Bustamante
CSULB Conference Co-Organizers
Dr. Vanessa Monterosa
Los Angeles Unified School District
Co-presenters:
Sophia Mendoza, Los Angeles Unified School District
Joy Wyckoff, UC Berkeley
"#EdTech: Framing the Future for Equity, Access, and Opportunity"
In this opening spotlight session, participants will learn about the importance of centering pedagogy, especially in an increasingly inequitable, digital moment. Presenters will explore system-level frameworks with an equity lens and provide recommendations on how to best prepare as leaders and best support our students by exploring three guiding questions:
- What does it mean to be a system-level leader who centers equity, access, and opportunity? (Presented by Sophia Mendoza)
- Why might it be important for education leaders to contribute and participate across digital spaces in our current moment? (Presented by Dr. Vanessa Monterosa)
- How can educators best support students in this time of emergency remote learning? (Presented by Joy Wyckoff)
Early Childhood Education/Elementary
Rochelle Martin & Ashley Rhoads, LBUSD
“Strategies to Support Students and Families with Social Emotional Needs During Distance Learning”
The shift to solely digital interactions in Education increased barriers for students with disabilities and their families. In this session, presenters will review a variety of practical strategies and considerations implemented by LBUSD teachers during distance learning. These strategies focus on using digital tools to monitor the emotional needs of students and families, as well as practical ways to support and respond to student needs.
Albert Morales, Whittier Unified School District/CSULB
Host & Producer, Teachers Care Society
“The whole child experience”
This interactive presentation will focus on the whole child learning experience, including social emotional learning, funds of knowledge, student engagement, support systems, and getting the community invested in children's learning.
Middle & High School
Katy Tinsley, Long Beach Unified School District/CSULB
“The Digital Community Building Circle”
This presentation is a quick introduction to using the restorative practice of community building circles in a virtual environment. Participants will have the opportunity to practice in a circle with colleagues. Prompts will allow participants to reflect on the barriers students often face as they try to access online learning, while allowing for reflection on how race and social status affect students' learning opportunities.
Brittney Holt
Garden Grove Unified School District
“The Choice is Theirs: Differentiated Learning”
Choice Boards can help teachers differentiate instruction for diverse learners by providing students with options for receiving information and demonstrating learning. The session will focus on what choice boards are, model how teachers can differentiate for diverse learners, and the various ways to structure and create choice boards. Participants can begin creating a choice board using one of the templates and a curated list of ideas and resources they can plug in.
Continuation of Special Opening Session
Dr. Vanessa Monterosa
Los Angeles Unified School District
Co-presenters:
Sophia Mendoza, Los Angeles Unified School District
Joy Wyckoff, UC Berkeley
"#EdTech: Framing the Future for Equity, Access, and Opportunity"
In this continuation of the opening spotlight session, participants will learn about the importance of centering pedagogy, especially in an increasingly inequitable, digital moment. Presenters will explore system-level frameworks with an equity lens and provide recommendations on how to best prepare as leaders and best support our students by exploring three guiding questions:
- What does it mean to be a system-level leader who centers equity, access, and opportunity? (Presented by Sophia Mendoza)
- Why might it be important for education leaders to contribute and participate across digital spaces in our current moment? (Presented by Dr. Vanessa Monterosa)
- How can educators best support students in this time of emergency remote learning? (Presented by Joy Wyckoff)
Early Childhood Education/Elementary
Eduardo Zurita
Los Angeles Unified School District
“Supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through Digital Citizenship and Restorative Practices”
Co-presenter:
Maria Magnanimo-Toledo, Los Angeles Unified School District
In this session, participants will be prompted to explore (1) how to Design Professional Development that combinesDigital Citizenship and Restorative Practices to help strengthen relationships, and (2) how to support Restorative School Communities schools by promoting a positive culture both Digital and Face-to-Face.
Rachel McBride
Lagoon Playgroup Parent Participation Preschool
“Having Courageous Conversations with Children about Race and Racism”
This presentation will define implicit bias and colorblindness and describe how they manifest in early childhood learning settings. Attendees will be encouraged to consider the messages that children receive about race and racism in their home, school, and communities. A few simple strategies will be discussed to support parents and educators in their pursuit to having courageous conversations with young children.
Middle & High School
Vanitha Chandrasekhar
Long Beach Unified School District
"Using Flipped Classroom to Promote Student Engagement and Learning”
Flipped Classrooms enable teachers to differentiate for student learning and engagement, but also to use synchronous and asynchronous learning environments to effectively engage students in higher order thinking and reflection. Flipped Classrooms promote student confidence by allowing them to explore and engage with content at their own pace, while extending their learning based on their individual needs and interests.
Jesse Yamamoto
Long Beach Unified School District
“Creating Interactive Google Slides”
Google Slides can be used to create rich lessons. By using a variety of modalities, graphics, and various tech tricks, Google Slides can be used as a standalone tool for students to navigate individualized learning or can also be used as a teacher resource during live online teaching sessions. Participants will learn how to build an interactive “Game Board” for extension activities.
*Please note, participants in session, “Creating Interactive Google Slides”, will need a secondary device.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Sharla Berry, California Lutheran University
"Toward a Culturally Relevant Approach to Teaching with Technology"
In this keynote address, Dr. Berry will discuss the importance of establishing an expansive vision for teaching and learning with technology. She will highlight the assets that students of color bring to digital learning, and outline a culturally and contextually relevant approach for teaching with technology. This talk will focus on centering the needs of students of color and ensuring that education technology use in schools is empowering and transformative.
Early Childhood Education/Elementary
Octavio Gutierrez
Wiseburn Unified School District
“Supporting English Language Learners During Distance Learning”
This presenter will share how he connected with and supported the families of English Learners during distance learning. Failure and success stories with remote learning will be shared, as well as ideas for how one can support ELLs in the four language domains.
Eris Ann B. Gallego
Anaheim Elementary School District
“Using ClassDojo beyond Behavior Management”
The presenter will share how ClassDojo can be used to amplify educators' communication with families through messaging and bridging home and school connections. Along with other tools, ClassDojo can provide information to guide lesson creation, build relationships, and create an inclusive classroom climate.
Middle & High School
Mikle McBride
Compton Unified School District
“Using E-Sports to Promote Equity”
Co-presenter:
Eric T. Elder
Media Arts Consultant
The presenter will introduce participants to the importance of e-sports as a means of bridging digital literacy gaps for student of color by providing access to learning and the multi-billion-dollar video game and tech industry. Key factors educational leaders will want to focus on when building similar tech efforts in their districts will be discussed based on Compton USD’s initiative.
Garron Hillaire
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
“Using Teacher Moments to practice high-stakes interactions around issues of equity with simulations”
Teacher Moments simulations can help teachers practice difficult interactions around issues of equity. Authoring tools in the Teacher Moments platform support teacher educators to author simulations that are contextually relevant around issues of equity in practical simulated experiences. In this session, we will demonstrate how to author a simulation and have participants in the session practice using the tool.
Early Childhood Education/Elementary
"'In their own Words' Elementary School Children Share their Experiences with Learning in Digital Settings"
Rarely do we account for student voices and experiences in planning for teaching and learning in digital spaces. This moderated panel of elementary students will share their experiences and perceptions of online learning during the COVID pandemic. What did they like and dislike? What helped them learn? What suggestions do they have for educators to make online learning more engaging for them?
Middle/High School
Dr. Nina Wooldridge & Dr. Betina Hsieh
“Culturally Responsive Teaching & Distance Learning”
In this session, participants will engage with: what culturally responsive teaching is (generally and in online settings), what effective culturally responsive instruction looks like, feels like, and sounds like in online learning experiences, and what educators need to be mindful of as we engage in culturally responsive teaching during a time of distance learning (particularly as we serve our most vulnerable students, families and communities). The facilitators will model and share activities and experiences from their own practice as well as engage participants to share their own strengths and struggles related to culturally responsive instruction and distance learning.
Dr. Sharla Berry
California Lutheran University
“Big Visions for EdTech Equity: An Ideation Session”
In this interactive closing session, Dr. Berry will address the limitations and growth opportunities of past and current EdTech efforts. Participants will work collaboratively to identify policies, practices and ways of thinking that need to shift in order to make room for a more expansive and equitable vision of technology in schools.
