Learn how to increase learner engagement through equity-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive instructional strategies. 

Course Description 

Learn innovative and equity-centered instructional strategies for engaging learners, teaching sensitive topics, and handling censorship. Equity-centered instruction is not just about the books or materials you teach, it’s about how you teach them.

This course will help you reimagine how you approach instruction and ensure you are equipped with tools for trauma-informed facilitation, equity-based engagement practices, teaching sensitive topics, building and leveraging dynamic relationships between librarians and educators, and more!

Whether you are a librarian or classroom teacher, and whether you primarily serve youth, adults, or both, join us and learn how to center equity in education!

You’ll complete workshop assignments over 3+ weeks in an interactive online classroom environment with personal coaching from an expert in the field. In addition, you’ll have access to our foundational bonus content—rich supporting materials you can explore at your own pace, including a series of webinars from Library Journal and School Library Journal contributors, readings, activities, and videos.

Our transformational online courses have given thousands of librarians the tools and vision for meaningful change. The live sessions run on Thursdays, February 2, 9, and 16, 2023 from approximately 2:00-4:15 pm ET (recorded for on-demand viewing) with an ongoing facilitator-led workshop over 3 weeks. Don’t miss this opportunity!
 

Learning Outcomes

After you attend this interactive online course and workshop, you’ll be able to:

• Proactively apply what you have learned about race/equity to your daily practice in the library/classroom 

• Teach sensitive topics in your library/classroom with confidence, sensitivity, and cultural humility

• Advocate for shifting policies, mindsets, and culture within your library/classroom    

• Help build productive relationships with students, peers, parents, and your community

• Engage in vigorous, culturally responsive teaching and facilitation 

• Incorporate trauma-informed, healing-centered practices into your teaching and facilitation

• Use data acquired from this course to effectively impact change within your learning community

Who should take this course 

Any educator or librarian who wants to cultivate trauma-informed and equity-centered instructional practices and who needs support teaching sensitive, challenging, or uncomfortable topics. 

Course Format

This will be a 3-week course and will include:

• Live speaker sessions with Q&A each week
• Interactive opportunities with peers during each live session
• Project-based, asynchronous workshop assignments to practice and apply new skills 
• Expert, individualized feedback on asynchronous work 

Live sessions are also available on demand 

Can’t make a live session? All guest speaker sessions are recorded and available on demand following the initial broadcast. Asynchronous workshops allow you to complete assignments and receive feedback from experts.

Certificate of completion provided 

15 professional development credits are available

For support with online courses, please contact libraryjournal@edmaker.co

Accessibility

All guest speaker sessions feature live captioning and are made available on demand after the initial broadcast. Please email libraryjournal@edmaker.co upon registration if you require any special accommodations and we will make our best efforts to facilitate them.

Group Rates

Have a team attend and increase your impact!

Discounted registration fees are available for groups of 3 or more. When you register your team for our online courses, they will be placed in the same small workshop group, where discussions and project-based assignments receive feedback from an experienced librarian.

Send us a request for a quote.

If your group prefers to work separately, just let us know.

Curriculum Advisor

K.C. Boyd 

K.C. Boyd is currently a school librarian with the District of Columbia Public Schools System.  She has previously worked as the Lead Librarian for the East St. Louis School District #189 in East St. Louis, IL., a Area Library Coordinator for Chicago Public Schools and a District  Coordinator for the Mayor Daley Book Club for Middle School Students.  She is a second generation educator and holds Master’s degrees in Library Information Science, Media Communications, and Education Leadership.  Boyd is currently the 2022 School Library Journal, “Librarian of the Year.” 

Boyd currently serves on the executive boards for the District of Columbia Library Association and Washington Teachers Union.  She is an active committee member for the American Library Association Chapter Council representing Washington D.C., and EveryLibrary Institute/Advisory Board. Boyd is also a member of the District of Columbia Public Schools Library Corps and serves on the AASL School Library Event Promotion Committee. Boyd currently is a National Ambassador representing the Washington D.C. area for Checkology Virtual Classroom and The News Literacy Project. Boyd can be reached through her website:  www.kcboyd.com.

By registering for this event you confirm that you have read and agree to our Code of Conduct.

For support with online courses, please contact libraryjournal@edmaker.co.

Week 1: Thursday, February 2, 2023
What is Equity-Centered Instruction? Understanding and Applying Antiracist Pedagogy 

Session 1 | 2:00-3:00 pm ET

Antiracist Pedagogy: Strategies for Equity-Centered Instruction

Equity in instruction goes beyond what you teach - it’s also how you teach it. This session will provide the groundwork for antiracist pedagogy and teach you how to diversify your instructional methods and practice. From lesson delivery to engagement tactics to assessing for understanding and more, this course will ensure you leave with a toolkit of tangible strategies to ensure your instruction considers the intersectional needs of your classroom and library. 

Speaker: 

Altheria Caldera, Ph.D. (she, her, hers) Senior Professorial Lecturer, School of Education, American University, Washington, DC

Workshop Q&A | 3:00-3:15 pm ET

An introduction to this week’s assignment and an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course

Session 2 | 3:15-4:15 pm ET

Centering Critical Thinking: Foundations for Equitable Instruction

Critical thinking is at the core of equity-centered instruction and facilitation because students must have the ability to understand, analyze, and critique systems, structures, and texts in order to grapple with social justice concepts. Critical thinking is also at the core of the current mis/disinformation crisis. This session will teach you how to teach critical thinking skills and give you tangible tools, activities, and lesson ideas that you can implement in your library or classroom, regardless of the ages you engage with. You will leave this session with mainstays for your instructional practices that will help you infuse critical thinking and analysis into the lives of your students and community members.  

Speaker:

S. Michele Echols, Thought-Leader Librarian

Week 2: Thursday, February 9, 2023
Whole-Person Instruction: Trauma-Informed and Culturally Responsive Facilitation as Equity Practice

Session 1 | 2:00-3:00 pm ET

Trauma-Informed Facilitation: Foundations and Practices 

An equitable and intersectional lens to education should be trauma-informed. This session will teach you tenets of and practical approaches to trauma-informed facilitation. You will learn how to identify your own triggers and practice self-grounding techniques as well as how to best support the emotional needs in your library or classroom while maintaining clear boundaries.

Speaker:

Tim McLeod, (he, him, his) SparkED facilitator

Workshop Q&A | 3:00-3:15 pm ET

An introduction to this week’s assignment and an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course

Session 2 | 3:15-4:15 pm ET

Culturally Responsive Facilitation: Foundations and Practices

Equity-centered instruction must engage with cultural humility and cultural responsiveness. This session will give you concrete tools to approach your instruction in ways that value diverse student and community cultures and identities. You will learn techniques for empowering students through your instruction by listening to and incorporating diverse perspectives, differentiating your instruction, and understanding the unique contexts of students and community members in your library or classroom.

Speaker:

Shamika J. Simpson (she, her), Collection Development & Outreach Librarian

 

Week 3: Thursday, February 16, 2023
Equity-Centered Approaches for Teaching Sensitive Topics

Session 1 | 2:00-3:00 pm ET

Teaching Sensitive Topics Pt. 1: Tools and Strategies 

You’ve decided to include diverse topics in your programs and curriculum - but where do you go next? This session will provide you with the tools you need to approach topics such as race, ethnicity, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation through an intersectional lens with compassion and confidence. You will also learn how to advocate for these topics to parents, administrators, and community members as well as tips for conflict management if those conversations ever go sideways. 
Speaker:

Donna Gray, New York City Department of Education

Workshop Q&A | 3:00-3:15 pm ET

An introduction to this week’s assignment and an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course

Session 2 | 3:15-4:15 pm ET

Teaching Sensitive Topics Pt. 2: Digging Deeper

This session builds on the foundations of the previous session and takes a deep dive into the specific topic of teaching about race and racism. Race and racism, while necessary topics to teach, can make many educators uncomfortable: how do you teach this in a trauma-informed, age appropriate, and antiracist way? Moreover, how do you advocate for teaching this topic amid more and more cultural backlash? And how do you teach this topic with cultural humility and responsiveness? Join this session to enter this ongoing conversation and learn new approaches while using specific anchor texts as tangible examples for your library or classroom. 

Speaker:

Matthew R. Kay, author of Not Light, But Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom (Stenhouse)

 

Online Course Preview

A preview of how we build your library skills and bring inspiration to your projects with our online learning experience.

Course Format

One-Week Timeline (Course Runs 3+ Weeks)

DAYS 1-2 On Demand	DAY 3 2.5 hours	DAYS 4-7 1-2 hours (optional)
PRE-LIVE SESSION - Resources - Discussions - Bonus Content	LIVE SESSIONS - Guest speakers via webcast - Q&A via chat - Recordings available on demand	ASYNCHRONOUS WORKSHOP - Project-based homework, applied to your job - Personalized feedback from a facilitator - Group discussion in an asynchronous workshop setting via discussion forum	3-WEEK WORKSHOP - Facilitator-led feedback WEEK 1 Gather data and set goals WEEK 2 Identify gaps and priorities WEEK 3 Synthesize your action plan

Inspiring Live Guest Speakers + Facilitated Group Workshop for Project-Based Learning

Live session with Andrea Blackman and Tasneem Ansariyah Grace	Live Guest Speakers Each Week Engage with presenters via live video stream, visual presentations, and chats Map out your own equity initiatives with guidance from an expert advisor Leave with refined, robust strategies designed to make a lasting impact on your community Workshop tangible antiracist approaches to your work with input from peer groups

Online Course Features

Recordings of guest speakers

Recordings Available After The Live Session Real-time guest speakers and conversation via live video stream (with recordings available afterward) Instructor-led online course features personalized interaction over 3+ weeks

Facilitator-led workshop

Online Classroom Organizes All Materials Workshop assignments to help you make progress on your goals Individualized attention from course facilitators who work with you in a coaching environment in the workshop to help sort out challenges Ongoing group conversation via discussion forums

Early Access On Demand Resources

Resources To Support Learning Supporting resources (articles, videos, worksheets) in the online classroom to provide a foundation for your work Access all course content for six months after the course ends Bonus: Register early and get immediate access to archival video recordings from related courses and other bonus content