Cultural Competency Resources

  • Clear Filters
Resources / Cultural Competency / Moving Equity Forward in Adult Ed

Moving Equity Forward in Adult Ed

Video Series

While some practitioners enjoy and learn well from the more scholarly readings in the study circle, we recognize that many educators prefer to learn in ways that use multimedia, have immediate applications to the classroom, and offer one new idea to consider at a time.

To that end, we created Moving Equity Forward in Adult Education – a series of short videos around DEI/antiracism topics in adult education. Each video and accompanying discussion questions will package an important concept that works toward justice in a format that is easily accessible for educators. Videos cover topics such as understanding culture, discovering learners’ funds of knowledge, being a warm demander, and using diverse teaching materials.

View the YouTube playlist with all the videos in this series >>

Video #1: Why is DEI Important in our Adult Education Classrooms?

In this video, we start from the beginning and introduce the terms Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and what they mean for adult education. We talk about why honoring learners’ backgrounds and cultures in our schools is necessary for learner success.
Videos
View Resource

Video #2: Discovering Learners’ Funds of Knowledge

In this video, we define and discuss the terms “funds of knowledge” and “an asset-based perspective.” A key element of equity in the classroom is acknowledging learners have a wealth of knowledge based on their own experiences, and we should provide opportunities for learners to be the experts in the room. Once we learn what students’ assets are, we can weave this information into class content, which helps learners be more successful. We take a look at an example lesson.
Videos
View Resource

Video #3: Being a Warm Demander

This video takes a look at a spectrum of different kinds of teachers and asks you to reflect on where you would place yourself. We argue, based on Zaretta Hammond’s work, that the “warm demander” is the sweet spot of the spectrum which focuses on building trust with learners while also holding them to high standards to meet their learning goals. We then discuss tools to practice building relationships with learners, creating a learning partnership pact, and giving quality feedback so learners can meet their goals.
Videos
View Resource

Video #4: Tapping into Diverse Perspectives and Teaching Materials

This video discusses what “diverse perspectives and teaching materials” mean, and why this is important to learner success in the classroom. Using diverse materials makes class more relevant to learners’ lives and helps them bridge information they already know to new information. Utilizing diverse perspectives in class content is also key to building up critical thinking skills. We take a look at numerous resources that can help each of us diversify the visuals, videos, audio, and written materials we use.
Videos
View Resource