I chose this activity as evidence ​because I felt that it was a very successful presentation. From the planning of the activity in our SDG group meeting, the collaboration of creating and printing materials, and the implementation of the lesson, I felt that the class was engaged and interacting with the text in a very meaningful way. Classmates were using their creativity, their recollection, and their understanding of the reading to better understand the content and apply it to their future classroom/teaching perspective.
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Milner, H. R. (2012). Beyond a test score: Explaining opportunity gaps in educational practice. Journal of Black Studies, 43(6), 693–718.
This activity and reading was really aimed at being able to "identify strategies to help students learn to actively advocate for equity for self, peers, and students to promote opportunity and access." The Opportunity Gap as defined by Milner includes "Color Blindness, cultural conflicts, myth of meritocracy, low expectations/deficit mindsets, and context-neutral mindsets and practices" as the root problems to explain the gap. In order to identify strategies to promote opportunity and access, we as educators must understand why these gaps occur in the first place. Milner's text is intended to shine light upon the reasons and actions from teachers, administration, and society in general that lead to this perceived "achievement" and "opportunity" gap.
As mentioned in a previous piece of evidence, I am a very visual learner. I enjoy information to be organized and meaningfully categorized to help me understand and internalize information/content. For that reason, my SDG group came up with a modification of the Frayer Model for groups to fill out using the Milner text. They were instructed to come up with a basic definition of the Opportunity Gap Reason using a Golden Line from the text, examples of what to do in the classroom, examples of what not to do in the classroom, and then some sort of conceptualization of the topic using either a picture, a word, or an action. Using ideas from the Strategy Log, we decided to utilize the Jigsaw Process in order to increase student communication and have groups share their ideas and insights into their assigned topic. Coming up with this idea as a team helped me to suggest some ideas, get some input, and adjust those ideas to come up with what we thought was a very successful activity.
A true sign of growth for educators is by active use of the Reflective Cycle. Being able to accurately and objectively analyze our teaching choices, our selection of content, our implementation of that content, how we differentiate, scaffold, accommodate, react, and decide moment after moment in the classroom is a hard thing to do. It requires input from colleagues, from students, and honest reflection from ourselves. It then takes time to adjust and change and alter to improve and then trying again with these adjustments--changing course slightly and observing the outcome yet again. Understanding the Opportunity Gap and the attitudes and actions that can further this gap, is a step in the right direction in regards to the reflective cycle. We need to understand what not to do, in order to adjust what TO DO. This activity shows that not only can my SDG group present a lesson to help future educators understand this "What to do" vs. "What not to do" but also sets us off on the right foot in regards to our teaching decisions as we start our student teaching experience in nearly one month!
The theory of this activity/reading was the idea of the Opportunity Gap--this idea that the actions of the teacher in regards to his/her students culture, background, funds of knowledge, abilities, etc. can have major effects on student achievement, student attitudes, and student reactions to their current and future education. Ignoring race/ethnicity, having low expectations or only teaching what you know, can further this opportunity gap for students. As a Caucasian, young female teacher from an upper-middle class upbringing, it is vital that I take the time to understand the diversities (in all aspects of the word) of my future children. I cannot teach just what I know, from my perspective, using my history--I would reach a very small percentage of my students if I chose to conduct myself that way. Activities like the auto ethnography (mentioned previously), student interest surveys, allowing for student choice for activities and assessments, and really engaging with students on a more personal level is important. It is vital that I see a group of humans in front of me each and everyday rather than just a group of students.
ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION
EDUC 671 Opportunity Gap SDG Presentation: Each week, a Student Discussion Group (SDG) presents an activity to further our reading assigned for that class. Within Unit 3, which was all about how Reflection and Assessment affect Choices related to Environment, Pedagogy, and Curriculum, our group presented on Howard Milner's text regarding the Opportunity Gap