Washoe County School District May 13, 2011

1. Washoe County School DistrictMay 13, 2011 Superintendent’s Administrators and Supervisory Meeting

2. Random Seating • Structured opportunities to learn with and from all class members. • Greater perspective taking occurs with the greater diversity of ideas. • Quality of reasoning increases through the opportunity to consider multiple perspectives. • More frequent giving and receiving of explanations deepens understanding and improves long-term retention. • Responsibility for learning is shared. • Students develop collaborative skills required in an ever-changing and increasingly diverse workplace.

3. Feedback on Feedback • Great venue • More time to talk with colleagues • Take-away strategies • Too little research and too much talking • Information too repetitive

4. Outcomes By the end of the session, participants will have: • Continued relationship building as a prerequisite for courageous conversations about race and culture. • Examined research on how racial and cultural group membership influences communication and learning preferences. • Discussed counter-story telling as an approach to eliminating racial disparities in education.

5. Ground Rules Be willing to think about situations and issues with a new or expanded perspective Listen to hear, not respond Be mindful that your truth can be different from others Take responsibility for your own learning Maintain confidentiality

6. Community Builder:Messages from Home • Think about messages or rules for living you received throughout your childhood. Were they implicit or explicit? As you reflect, pick three key messages/quotes and write them on the index card. • Choose the one that you believe has shaped you the most as an adult and which drives how you function and operate in your professional practice and/or personal life. Be ready to share. • In your small group, share: Messages Attributes, values, or qualities are reflected in the message; How the messages were communicated How the messages are revealed in your personal and /or professional life • Discuss how your messages were the same or different; how they impacted your perceptions of and interactions with people; are there any patterns; what may account for the patterns or lack of them?

7. Teambuilding • Creates a positive context for learning through networking • Helps individuals value differences and perspectives • Provides experiences of mutual support for professional success • Builds trust for courageous conversations about race. • Develops synergy

8. Essential Question 1 How do awareness, knowledge, and understanding of one’s racial and cultural identity promote effective learning and teaching?

9. Language Religion Economic Status Race Immigration Status Ethnicity Gender Learning Style Profession Region Age Factors of Diversity

10. fine arts drama literature music VISIBLE SURFACE CULTURE (Explicit Culture) folk dancing cookingdress notions of modesty conception of beauty body language ideals governing child raising ordering of time patterns of superior/subordinate relationship approaches to problem-solving conception of “self” conversational patterns in various social contexts preference for competition or cooperation social interaction rate patterns of handling emotions AND MUCH, MUCH MORE... DEEP CULTURE (Implicit Culture) INVISIBLE Complex constellation of values, beliefs, expectations that serve as a pattern for interpreting reality. Underachievement stems from cultural mismatches.

11. Partner A Reflecting on the factors of diversity and the iceberg of culture, what information, concepts, and/or ideas, are still resonating with you? How can these ideas be used to promote your equity work?

12. Partner B • Equitable processes used last session included: • Delayed Response • Numbered Heads • Read and Respond • Give One, Get One, Move On • How have you used or how could you use these strategies with staff to promote discussions about race and equity?

13. Essential Question 2 How do awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the racial and cultural identity of students promote effective learning and teaching?

14. Research Base for Essential Question Two • CAUTION: Individual and internal group differences always present • Variations in communication styles • Task engagement preferences • Perspectives in curriculum and supplementary instructional materials

15. Interpersonal Communication Passive-Receptive Participatory-Interactive Animated Emotional-texturing Physical expression Varying vocal qualities Frankness of manner • Lack of affect • Constraint • Deference to authority • Turn-taking

16. Narration Styles Topic Centered TopicAssociated More than one focus Overlapping explanations Implicit relationships • Single focus • Sequential ordering • Explicit relationships • Clarity • Closure

17. Cognitive Styles Field Independent Field Dependent Global Impersonal Learning for own sake Needs organization Externally-defined goals • Analytical • Social oriented • Relevant materials • Self-structure • Self-defined goals

18. Inviting Students’ Voices • Student Panels • Teacher Panels and Surveys • Parallel Teacher-Student Surveys • Student Journals • Community Input • Shadowing • Action Research

20. Table Talk What educational concepts/practices have been normalized through single stories? What are some ideas for countering the dominant story about race to eliminate disparities in achievement?

21. Ticket to Leave How do awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the racial and cultural identity of students promote effective learning and teaching?