Author:
Jessica Murray
Subject:
Social Work
Material Type:
Lecture Notes
Level:
Community College / Lower Division, College / Upper Division, Graduate / Professional
Tags:
License:
Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives
Language:
English

Decolonizing Curriculum through Empathy and Representation

Decolonizing Curriculum through Empathy and Representation

Overview

Decolonize Curriculum through Antiracist Pedagogy to Support Our BIPOC in Building Resiliency - Presentation

Co-Creation Workshop Slides

by Gigi Polo, MA

Decolonize Curriculum through Antiracist Pedagogy to Support Our BIPOC in Building Resiliency

For too long now, curricula have been designed through a euro-centric and colonialist lens where many of our student populations have no representation, which perpetuates systemic oppression in the educational system; CUNY has one of the most diverse student populations in NYC yet the curriculum is still a reflection of a colonialist mentality, and our BIPOC (black indigenous and people of color) are often marginalized as they navigate spaces that don’t recognize their history, idiosyncrasy, and culture. In this hands-on workshop, we introduced participants to the principles of antiracist pedagogy and the ways in which this could serve as a conduit to decolonize curricula. In bringing together students, faculty, and administrators, we aimed to co-create a set of teaching tools and resources that consider engagement, validation, and sense of belonging at the core of instruction, and that prompt a collaborative approach to curating materials that are inclusive and accessible to all; we used the open platform Mural.co for all participants to share their knowledge and expertise. Together, we discussed the created teaching tools on zoom breakout rooms in order to assess the effects of such tools on students’ affective filters, mental health, and overall learning experience. These tools aim to provide faculty with new ways to foster inclusive, equitable, and supportive spaces to better our students’ performance and overall learning experience; by co-creating with students, we are decentralizing power structures, and giving voice to students’ needs rather than imposing in them what we—as “figures of power”—belief to be the most beneficial for them. As a result, we will produce a set of open-source teaching tools and a podcast that documents conversations and thoughts elicited in the workshop. Facilitators: Gigi Polo, CUNY Professor & Julie Saperstein, MSW.