We found 173 results that contain "social justice"

Title: “That Doesn’t Work For Me!”: Tools for Students with ADHDPresenters: McKayla Sluga (History/College of Social Science)Date: May 11th, 2023Time: 11:30 am - 12:30 pmFormat: Learning Technology DemonstrationClick here to viewDescription:Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects undergraduate and graduate students—diagnosed and undiagnosed. Often, instructors are unaware of symptoms’ variability or helpful strategies. Even though ADHD’ers frequently have high intelligence, they drop out of academia or leave employment at double the rate of neurotypicals. If they stay, students often experience exacerbated anxiety, depression, and other psychological distress. Why? One explanation is that executive functioning differences often make academic advice ADHD’ers receive ineffective or even damaging. This presentation features three practical strategies instructors can explore to make higher-education teaching and learning more ADHD-friendly.Scrivener organizes large projects in one place with the ability to form subdocuments. This makes it easier to structurally and visually break projects into smaller components. Read Aloud features in Microsoft Word and Google Docs may ease revision or renew stimulation for those struggling to focus or avoid boredom when re-reading familiar work. Bionic Reading is a visual tool that bolds the first letters of each word. It can help those who jump around reading, get distracted reading unchanging text, and want to speed up their reading pace. Tools can remove access barriers while diversifying strategies to complement ADHD symptoms can help students reduce shame or anxiety rather than disparage learning differences. As Devon Price, author of Unmasking Autism, writes, “Refusing to perform neurotypicality is a revolutionary act of disability justice. It’s also a radical act of self-love.” Environments embracing diverse learning approaches can elevate students’ sense of belonging and confidence.

Topic Area: DEI
Presented by: Patrick Arnold
Abstract:
Diversity education increasingly takes an anti-racist, anti-sexist, and trans-inclusive orientation, and aims to highlight the dynamics between power, privilege, and forms of oppression which permeate many of our institutions and create conditions of discrimination and marginalization. Extensive scholarship has emerged on the theoretical frameworks, teaching methods, and the impact of diversity education within settings like university courses or DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programming. Educational and psychological research has studied anti-racist diversity education as a form of intervention: A central purpose of anti-racist education, after all, is to increase understanding of bias, and promote ways of ending systemic racial discrimination (Lynch, Swartz, & Isaacs, 2017). Naturally, then, it is common to evaluate the effectiveness of diversity education by measuring change in relevant attitudes, beliefs, or implicit biases of the participants of these interventions. However, diversity education is important not merely because it can be an intervention on existing bias, nor is the only appropriate audience for this context subjects who display such biases. In this pilot study, we explore more expansive data on the impact of diversity education, collected via a large intro course covering diversity in sex, gender, and current social justice issues like #BlackLivesMatter. Importantly, we find that diversity education is particularly impactful on the sense of belonging the students feel toward the university and its community, and especially for students of color enrolled in the course. We argue that further research is needed on diversity education as also an affirmation of belonging in our institutions.
Ingrid Lynch, Sharlene Swartz & Dane Isaacs (2017) Anti-racist moral education: A review of approaches, impact and theoretical underpinnings from 2000 to 2015, Journal of Moral Education, 46:2, 129-144, DOI: 10.1080/03057240.2016.1273825 

Title: Decolonizing the ClassroomPresenter: Sarah Prior (Decolonizing the University Learning Community); Dustin Petty (Bailey Scholars Academic Advisor, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources); Sarah Prior (Bailey Scholars Program Director, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Sociology Department, College of Social Science); Harlow Loch (Accounting Department, Eli Broad College of Business); Leah Morin (MSU Library); Tracie Swiecki (WRA); Jennifer McCurdy (Center for Bioethics and Social Justice); Members of MSU’s Decolonizing the University Learning CommunityFormat: WorkshopDate: May 11th, 2023Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pmClick to registerDescription:Members of MSU’s Decolonizing the University Learning Community will lead a discussion about practical ways to decolonize higher education learning spaces by establishing norms, drafting syllabi, and creating curricula that foster the development of non-colonial identities, disrupt established power systems and hierarchies, explicitly recognize systems of oppression, honor and incorporate ways of knowing and learning rooted in multiple traditions, and foregrounding the diversity of extant academic discourse. Attendees will leave with practicable strategies to decolonize their learning spaces and sample syllabi language and examples of lesson plans used by members of the learning community at and beyond MSU.

The first 48 minutes the professor spoke only in Telefolmin, a language from a remote tribe in Papua New Guinea, says Jay Loftus, curriculum development specialist who shared the story of his own experience as an undergraduate student listening to a lecture on defining culture from a professor of Anthropology. “He wouldn’t respond to questions in English, and he ignored pleas from the class to ‘explain’ what he was doing. He drew pictures on the board to try to explain things to the puzzled audience and pointed at people and objects to help us make sense of what was going on. During the last minute of the class, the professor said something to the effect that it must be disturbing not knowing the language or the culture of your surroundings.”
Such an experience is an almost perfect inversion of the inclusivity practices MSU faculty strive for. MSU’s inclusion ideal is wide-ranging; inclusion isn’t limited to identity or history, but the multi-dimensional layers that create unique individuals. Pedagogy isn’t written with formulas and checkboxes to ensure we’ve covered every facet of human experience. Inclusion is awareness of what we know and acknowledgement of what we don’t know. It’s the human side of the work, that when done well still has the risk of causing unintentional harm, and when ignored can impede a learner’s progress and ultimately student success. 
The Digital Pedagogy Lab (DPL) stresses the role that intentionality can play in mitigating negative impacts and empowering groups of learners often neglected by traditional approaches. The course Inclusive Design and Design Justice in Practice within the DPL uses the description, "Inclusive design is intentional and iterative design work aimed at supporting a range of human diversity. In education, inclusive design focuses on the creation of learning spaces and materials that support diverse learners and that help to counteract biased and exclusionary designs that pervade education.”
Those looking to center inclusivity in their pedagogy are not alone — a host of resources exists at the university to enable educators to bolster their inclusivity practices.
In the Classroom
“Every single person has their own lived experiences and truths that can be used to teach others,” said Jackie Heyman, director of the MSU Dialogues course. Student videos produced during an Integrative Studies in Social Science course highlight a few such perspectives. The “Free My Brothers” video by MSU student Naomi Johnson shares insights into the system of race and class that impact her family and many others. Dailin “James” Song provides a glimpse into “Garbage Sorting Guangzhou, China” and the change that resulted to the surrounding community. Anna Forest’s video entitled “The Blind Leading the Blind” discussed a world that so few people experience while educating them to better engage with the visually impaired population. 
A shift in focus to digital accessibility and the move to captions for video, as well as digital artifacts that can be read with a screen reader, has seen improved comprehension in overall classroom performance when made available to the entire class. As educators, there are expansive resources and ideas to implement in the classroom. Below are a few examples followed by a long list of additional resources.

Start with the “Cultural Embeddedness in Learning” assignment, recommended Dave Goodrich. This assignment pairs students with someone they do not know to interview each other using the StoryCorps app on their phones and a pre-selected set of questions. They tend to find the assignment helpful for building an inclusive community of learning together in the class early on. When we first ran it, we didn’t have it at the beginning of class which we quickly learned was a much better place for it. 
Use an intergroup dialogue model of sharing and learning to help students connect. 
Consider authors and researchers used in the curriculum to offer a variety of identities that may relate to students in different ways.
Bring DEI to the forefront in a project-based way, using technology to create a visual digital story. Eddie Boucher, Assistant Professor in the Center for Integrative Studies in Social Sciences and Hub Faculty Fellow, designed classes to complement the conversations and experiences 18-20-year-olds are already having, and to incorporate integrative studies and DEI into those experiences. 
Consider using open-format for final assessments. In Ellie Louson’s HPS classes at Lyman Briggs College, MSU, students can choose to write a standard paper or select from a variety of other formats: podcast, photo display, video, painting, presentation, or any other creative format where they can apply themes from the class and demonstrate what they’ve learned. In her experience, students enjoy and are more engaged by these projects, they’re more comfortable working in their preferred format, and they describe feeling much less pressure at the end of the term.

Resources

Academic Advancement Network resources on accessibility  
MSU Technology accessibility site 
Accessible Learning Conference 
Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives Anti-Racist Pathway resources 
MSU Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology Medium blog
General Education with a Twist article 
Student films from their perspectives 
#iteachmsu Commons articles

LEAD - Digital Access & Inclusion, a compilation of MSU policy and resources by Nate Evans 
Keeping Identity In Mind: A Teaching and Learning Story, playlist of articles by Maddie Shellgren 
Cultivating Inclusive Classrooms: Inclusive Curriculum Design, article by Melissa McDaniels 
Seven Tips Toward Linguistic Inclusion: article by Maddie Shellgren 
Accessibility Considerations in Remote Teaching, playlist posted by Makena Neal


NATIONAL




Learning for Change - We provide free resources to educators—teachers, administrators, counselors, and other practitioners. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create inclusive school communities where children and youth are respected, valued, and welcome participants. 
SEISMIC - sustained multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary STEM education research and development collaboration. This collaboration is motivated by a clear-eyed, openly stated focus on equity and inclusion in large foundational courses as the central goal of the reform process, harnessing a higher level of collective passion from the students, faculty, staff, and administrators who participate. We will help to define a new standard for STEM reform projects: a class cannot be successful unless it is equitable and inclusive. 
NCFDD - National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity: an independent professional development, training, and mentoring community for faculty members, postdocs, and graduate students. We are 100% dedicated to supporting academics in making successful transitions throughout their careers. MSU has institutional access to the NCFDD that is available to educators. Learn more at AAN.

What is ungrading?“Ungrading is a practice which eliminates or greatly minimizes the use of assigned points or letter grades in a course, focusing instead on providing frequent and detailed feedback to students on their work, in relation to the course learning goals…the primary purpose of the assessment is to help students learn and improve their knowledge and skills, rather than to create a summative score that students use to compare themselves against an external credential.” (Kenyon, 2022)MAET Principles:Providing support from application to beyond graduationValuing diversity of resources, perspectives, and communitiesPromoting growth as curious learners and transformational leadersWhat is ungrading in MAET?
Why Ungrading?

Act of social justice
We are biased
Grades are problematic
Better learning

MAET Ungrading Overview

All learners begin with a 4.0
Weekly unit schedule with due dates
Learners submit creations (assignments)
Instructors provide timely, balanced, qualitative feedback
Learners iterate creations
Instructors review iterations
Learners reflect on progress
Submit final grades to MSU

How is this different from what we used to do?

Program wide ungrading (all courses)
No points for assignments 
No participation points
Gradebook has only 1 item (final grade)
Instructor communicates if student work does not meet expectations/falls below 4.0
Students reflect on learning/grade twice
Use single-point rubric for feedback

Lessons Learned and MAET Recommends
unveil and define beliefs

How do you communicate expectations?
What is sufficient? Exemplary?
What is a 4.0? 3.5? 
Can all students get a 4.0? Should they?
Who has the responsibility in student experience and student learning?

responding to students and instructors

Consistency (and iteration)
Realistic timelines (1+ year)
Regular check ins/meetings

iterate and refine

Still some anxiety over potential email that their grade dropped*
About Me

For more information, access the full slide deck (and source of this article).ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Liz Owens Boltz - MAET Director & Instructor
Brittany Dillman - Director of Graduate Certificate Programs, GC Advisor & Instructor
Candace Robertson - Asst Director of Student Experience & Outreach, MA Advisor & Instructor
Heather Williamson - Academic Program Coordinator & Admissions

This article is a component of the Resources for Teaching After Crisis playlist.
Teaching on the Day After a Crisis by Alex Shevrin Venet, Unconditional Learning [blog] This morning, thousands of teachers are walking into classrooms across the country, trying to show up for their students after a national crisis. A crisis within a crisis, really, as that “walk into the classroom” might look like logging onto Zoom. How do we show up for our kids when we feel shattered, too? How can we help others feel safe when we feel unsafe?
Navigating Discussions Following a School Shooting A special The Moment section from Learning for Justice magazine, by Southern Poverty Law Center [online magazine section]This edition of The Moment shares resources to help educators support students after a school shooting. Its 3 articles are “When Bad Things are Happening” “Showing up strong for yourself—and your students—in the aftermath of violence” and “A love letter to teachers after yet another school shooting.”
On Days Like These, Write. Just Write. by Tricia Ebarvia on Moving Writers website [blog post]This article for writing instructors recommends giving students time and space to write to help reflect and process their experiences. Written in the aftermath of the Parkland school shooting.
Resources for Talking and Teaching About the School Shooting in FloridaNew York Times article by Natalie Proulx and Katherine Schulten [article]Features suggestions from teachers, recommendations, and conversation topics for students (13+) about school shootings. Also has age-appropriate reading suggestions and class activity prompts, offers some history and political context around school shootings and gun control debates, and discusses feeling “numb” to violence.
PERSPECTIVE: Teaching Through Traumaby Dave Stieber for TRiiBE, a digital media platform for Black Chicago [perspective]This article is from the point of view of a public school teacher reflecting on what educators do when a student dies.
Support Students Who Experience Trauma Edutopia article by Alex Shevrin Venet [blog post]Brief list of classroom tips and strategies to support students who are or have gone through traumatic experiences. Communicate with counselors or social workers; Provide structure and consistency; Ease transitions; Provide choice; Develop strengths and interests; Be there; Make an “out” plan; Take care of yourself.
Adapted from materials curated with love and solidarity by Kaitlin Popielarz, PhD  Dr. Popielarz is an MSU alum and you can contact her at: kaitlin.popielarz@utsa.edu

MSU Resources on Civility and Community Enhancement in Academic Environments
Michigan State University is a large and diverse institution hosting a variety of climates and cultures. Understanding and navigating these cultures can sometimes be challenging, so this list of resources is provided to increase awareness of the opportunities for learning and growth that are available to enhance our community and those that engage with it. It is the responsibility of everyone at MSU to contribute to an academic environment that welcomes every individual and respects their unique talents as we all work toward preparing future generations of Spartans. 
Resources available at MSU

Conflict Resolution: 

The Faculty Grievance Office responds to inquiries from MSU faculty, academic staff and administrators concerning alleged violations of MSU policies and practices.






The Office of the University Ombudsperson assists students, staff members, instructors, and administrators sort through university rules and regulations that might apply to specific student issues and concerns and help to resolve disputes.






MSU Human Resources offers Organizational Development Consulting Services on a variety of topics including climate/culture/interpersonal relationships. 


The Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives offers programs and resources to bridge understanding across difference:

Inclusive Communications Guide (coming soon). 






One-page Tip Sheets (printable/shareable .pdfs) These were designed to aid in building inclusive classrooms, but many of the concepts are more broadly applicable to other academic spaces and environments. 

Setting up an Inclusive Classroom (PDF)
Some Dialogue Basics (PDF)
Intercultural Dialogue Facilitation (PDF)
Strategies for Managing Hot Moments in the Classroom (PDF)
Interrupting Bias: A Technique (PDF)
Microaggressions: A Primer (PDF)








Learn at Lunch this informal series welcomes anyone to bring their lunch and join the conversation. A variety of topics related to inclusion, social justice and equity will be highlighted - the schedule for the year is posted on the website in August.


Implicit Bias Certificate Program (available through MSU HR in EBS): this series of three sessions include topics on Creating an Inclusive Environment, Implicit Bias and Microaggressions, and Preparing for the Next Encounter. Sessions can be attended consecutively or combined to complete a certificate. 


List of diversity and inclusion workshops offered (examples include Building an Inclusive Workplace, Disrupting Bias in the Academy, Racial Literacy, Building an Inclusive Classroom, Inclusive Leadership, Diversifying and Retaining Faculty and Staff) 


MSU Dialogues a cohort-based experience exploring deep conversations about race, gender and other important aspects of identity. Undergraduate, graduate, faculty and staff groups are formed through application and the series of 6-8 meetings is offered each semester. 


MSU Human Resources also has information and workshops available to further productive conversations about workplace culture and environments: 

List of behavioral competencies
Free online learning opportunities through elevateU including topics such as: 

Building a High-Performing Work Culture (example topics: personal skills, optimizing team performance, leadership skills)
E-books available in the Library (titles on health and wellness, etc.) 


In-person workshops in collaboration with units across campus. Access to these programs is through EBS - Some of these include: 

Building Capacity-Resilience as a Leader
Creating & Sustaining Positive Workplace
Creating an Inclusive Environment
Crucial Accountability    
Crucial Conversations
Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
Engaging Teams for Maximum Performance
Ethics: How Do We Deal With "Gray Areas"
Honing Your Emotional Intelligence
Inclusive Communication Series
Managing Difficult Customers
Prohibited Harassment: for employees, for supervisors, student employees
Thriving through Change




Prevention, Outreach and Education Department offers a variety of trainings on  violence prevention and bystander intervention, healthy ways of practicing consent and establishing boundaries, creating a culture of respect in the workplace, navigating boundaries in professional settings and more.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): no cost, confidential counseling service offered to MSU faculty, staff, retirees, graduate student employees, and their families. 
Health4U Program: some examples of resources provided include: emotional wellness coaching, courses, events and resources to support more healthy habits and practice 
The Academic Advancement Network offers thriving sessions for Academic Specialists, Fixed-term Faculty, and Tenure-System Faculty are focused on supporting career progression. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with people who can help individuals and units navigate the various appointment types at MSU.
LBGTQ Resource Center offers QuILL training: Queer Inclusive Learning and Leadership Training for understanding the experiences of people who may be marginalized by their gender identity.
Office of Cultural & Academic Transitions  offers intercultural leadership training for departments and organizations

Other useful external resources

Climate/Culture/Inclusive Environments

Link to SHRM article: 6 Steps for Building an Inclusive Workplace
Definition of Workplace Bullying and other resources from WBI 
More information about workplace bullying, what to do, difference between hostile work environment
Forbes article on commonality and bullying in the workplace
Book: Lester, J. (Ed.). (2013). Workplace bullying in higher education. Routledge.
Belsky, G. (2013). When good things happen to bad people: Disturbing news about workplace bullies. Time. 
Wilson, S. M., & Ferch, S. R. (2005). Enhancing resilience in the workplace through the practice of caring relationships. Organization Development Journal, 23(4), 45.
Youssef, C. M., & Luthans, F. (2007). Positive organizational behavior in the workplace: The impact of hope, optimism, and resilience. Journal of management, 33(5), 774-800.
Work Culture and Environment - Key Principles
Arianna Huffington: 10 Ways to Actually, Finally Improve Company Culture




Inspiration & Personal Growth

Brené Brown video on shame, guilt and empathy and empathy vs sympathy
Alain de Botton, TED talk on A kinder, gentler philosophy on success






8 Secrets to Success TED talk with Richard St. John
Free edX course on Happiness at Work
Free edX course on Mindfulness and Resilience to Stress at Work




There are also numerous resources available at the MSU Library: 

Taking the Liberty of Incivility: Workplace Bullying in Higher Education by Lee Gloor, Jamie, Human Resource Development Quarterly, 02/2014, Volume 25, Issue 1, pp. 121–126, Article PDF: Download Now Journal Article: Full Text Online (book review)
Workplace bullying policies, higher education and the First Amendment: Building bridges not walls by Coel, Crystal Rae and Smith, Frances L. M First Amendment Studies, 07/2018, Volume 52, Issue 1-2, pp. 96–111, Article PDF: Download Now, Journal Article: Full Text Online
Workplace Bullying as Workplace Corruption by Vickers, Margaret H Administration & Society, 10/2014, Volume 46, Issue 8, pp. 960–985, Article PDF: Download Now, Journal Article: Full Text Online
Bully University? The Cost of Workplace Bullying and Employee Disengagement in American Higher Education by Hollis, Leah P SAGE Open, 06/2015, Volume 5, Issue 2, p. 215824401558999, Article PDF: Download Now, Journal Article: Full Text Online
The Gendered Nature of Workplace Bullying in the Context of Higher Education by Ambreen Anjum and Amina Muazzam, Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 07/2018, Volume 33, Issue 2, pp. 493–505, Journal Article: Full Text Online

This article is a component of the Resources for Teaching After Crisis playlist.
#EnoughisEnough Syllabus: Responding to School Violence in the Classroom 
Collaborative syllabus by students and faculty in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Minnesota [online syllabus] This syllabus includes reading lists (with examples in many formats including from the arts), annotated resources, class responses and activities, and other related collective syllabi. The authors encourage us to be critical, complex, and hopeful as we wrestle with these topics.
Teaching on Days After: Educating for Equity in the Wake of Injustice
by Alyssa Hadley Dunn [book/ebook available at MSU Libraries; preview on Google Books]
Book description: What should teachers do on the days after major events, tragedies, and traumas, especially when injustice is involved? This beautifully written book features teacher narratives and youth-authored student spotlights that reveal what classrooms do and can look like in the wake of these critical moments. Dunn incisively argues for the importance of equitable commitments, humanizing dialogue, sociopolitical awareness, and a rejection of so-called pedagogical neutrality across all grade levels and content areas.
Restorative Justice Resources for Schools
Edutopia resource by Matt Davis including links and case studies [website]
Offers examples of and evidence for the benefits of restorative justice frameworks in K-12 schools.
Restorative Justice: What it is and What it is Not 
by the editors of Rethinking Schools magazine [article]
This article explains restorative justice approaches as an improvement over zero-tolerance policies in schools. It advocates for restorative practices that take time, build trust and community, require commitment and resources, and can’t be a band-aid for schools in crisis.
Transformative Justice, Explained 
by Kim Tran for Teen Vogue [article]
Describes the overall framework and examples of transformative justice, an approach aiming to reduce inequitable incarceration and facilitate community-centered healing. 
Transformative Justice: A Brief Description 
Article by Mia Mingus from the TransformHarm.org resource hub [article]
This article describes and introduces transformative justice, an approach aiming to break cycles of generational and state violence and to build resilient, accountable communities. Includes links to examples and case studies.