ECOO 2012

My first time last year at ECOO, when the keynote speaker had asked " what is going to change in 21st century learning" I had responded " hopefully ableism". I was sitting in the back row and my raised hand was not seen. But I knew that I had to say what I wanted to at the time. So I stood up and raised my hand. The next day when I told my students this story and asked them should I have done had I not been called to speak, they replied: You should have stood on the chair so that your raised hand would be seen". They know what accommodations are, we learn about them together.

I don't label myself therefore will not call myself a techie nor an equity oriented teacher; I am just me.

I am presenting a session with a colleague at ECOO 2012 called Equitable Outcomes in 21st Century Learning where we plan to address the needs of marginalised communities and therefore students.

My observation in schools has been that the more competent people get with new learning especially technology, the greater is the gap created by the ivory tower that they inhabit. This marginalises teachers who are themselves learning; due to issues of subtle organisational power, social capital coming out of ageism, gender bias and other factors, concentric circles are alive and well. The farther these teachers are from the centre of learning and therefore power, the more marginalised are their students. This is a hidden reality in education. Not many speak about it: those who hold power do not see their entitlement and those who do not have it are silenced by invisible barriers that arise maninly out of unprofessional conversations that shame and segregate those who strive to learn. Thankfully, some of us break through those barriers and continue to ask courageous questions. I speak up because these silenced voices matter: my colleagues, students and communities walk with me on this journey.

The journey is therefore to create awareness and to speak up, something many of us continue to do.

No labels here, they just don't stick.