12517 ED: Designing Classroom Equity: Connected Learning and Co-Designed Research from Across the National Writing Project

Organizers: Antero Garcia, Christina Cantrill
Presenters: Christina Cantrill, Antero Garcia, Mark Gomez, Kim Douillard, Stephanie Rollag, Anna Smith
Discussant: Ernest Morrell

Though principles of connected learning strongly resonate with classroom teachers today, few empirical studies demonstrate how this work is taken up within classrooms and by teachers. To further the DML community’s dialogue around in-school research, this panel explores how equity-focused Connected Learning is being researched with teachers. Sharing research curated by the National Writing Project, this session bridges models of co-design and connected learning to focus on classrooms that sustain equitable education and civic engagement.

Since 1974, the National Writing Project (NWP) has linked local sites of engage practitioners in improving teaching and writing experiences in schools across the country. Continuing to remain at the cutting edge of professional development and teacher leadership, NWP supports teachers at the national, local, and classroom-specific level. This session build on these models of support to explore how connected learning can sustain civic engagement and equity within varied school contexts and age groups.

Framed as concentric circles of research, this panel begins with findings from Kim Douillard’s work within the San Diego Area Writing Project as she shares connected learning classroom practices that extend into local community spaces like museums. Building beyond the classroom, Mark Gomez and Antero Garcia will discuss how intentional school design sustains connected learning as civic engagement within the Critical Design and Gaming School – a public high school in South Central Los Angeles. Stephanie Rollag will illustrate how teacher-driven inquiry is sustaining lasting changes for networked teachers at various stages in their career. Finally, Anna Smith will share recent findings on the role of remix as professional learning in the National Writing Project’s CLMOOC initiative. By looking at a classroom, an entire school, and national efforts at collaboration this panel extends conversations around equity by looking at how stakeholders are supported within this work.

With framing from the National Writing Project’s Associate Director of National Programs, Christina Cantrill, and discussant remarks from Ernest Morrell, President of the National Council of Teachers of English (and DML conference committee member), this session invites participants to build connections to their own sites of research and to further conversations around classrooms, equity, and co-design. Ultimately, this session pushes for attendees to consider how models of equity-driven practices within classroom spaces can further educational equity across the country.