Assignment task: Please complete the following activities in the order in that they appear. Use the resources posted on
Brightspace (readings, instructor lectures, videos) to inform your responses
Understanding Bias
1. What does bias mean to you?
2. Do some research on your own (you can use this timeline or this one as a start) and identify two examples of the schools' history of inequality, then explain both the role that bias played in those inequities and also how similar biases are evident in educational institutions today.
Example: The Lemon Grove Incident (July 1930) The Lemon Grove Incident involved the local school board building a separate school for children of Mexican heritage. The primary biases involved in this incident were racially and culturally motivated. The Mexican-American students were seen as inferior and lazy and the school board felt that their culture was incompatible with the rest of the student body. The big factory here that needs to be addressed is the concept of fear - fear of difference.
Similar biases play out today in schools in several ways, but one is the banning of ethnic studies courses or programs from public schools. A more recent example is the 2010 Arizona ban on ethnic studies, though this has been overturned, states like Florida are currently eliminating cultural studies courses
Reflecting on your Own Biases:
Explore your experiences with and attitudes about difference by asking yourself these questions. The answers are only for your eyes, so feel free to jot them down in a journal, but you do not need to submit responses to these questions to bright space.
- The first time I became aware of differences was when:
- As I was growing up, my parent(s) taught me that people who were different from us were:
- As I was growing up, my parent(s) taught me that people who were like us were:
- A time I was mistreated because of my own difference was when:
- A time I mistreated someone for being different was when:
- I feel most comfortable when I am around people who:
- I feel least comfortable when I am around people who:
- Additionally, you can create or just reflect on your responses to the privilege wheel linked here
The Assignment: Reflecting on Your own Biases
After thinking about the reflection questions above, describe how at least one of the biases you have reflected on may manifest in a classroom setting (this can include curricula). 250 words
Challenging Systemic Biases:
Review the list of organizations in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, Michigan linked on this website:
Post one organization local to your community that works to disrupt harmful institutional practices, policies and norms using these examples as a model. Provide both the link and describe the methods they use to disrupt harmful institutional practices, policies, and norms by advocating in ways like engaging in efforts to rewrite policies, change practices, and raise awareness. Your response should be 4-5 sentences in length.