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Reflection on Instructional Change:

In my “Multicultural Children’s Literature class, we talk about culture, identity, diversity, and most importantly, robust and authentic representation of these topics in children's books. But how I approach curriculum involving race, culture, gender, dis/ability, intersectionality, LGBTQ+ issues, etc., is the key to reflecting a diverse society in my online classes. I have tried to respectfully represent the cultures and identities presented in class but am always aware that my own implicit bias and White privilege influences every action I make. I replaced all academic articles in the class Reader that were not "first-voice" (of the culture/identity) sources. I vet all videos (Ted Talks, YouTube, etc.) used in class to ensure that that they were not based on dominant-culture ideals. I continually refine signature assignments to increase first-voice and diverse perspectives. But the pivotal challenge - how to successfully offer group work that was relevant and welcoming to my students.

Online Group Work has been my Achilles heel subsequent to moving online in April of 2020. My initial attempts were painfully uninspired and confusing. I wanted students to enthusiastically dip into the tender and important topics detailed in my lectures, course readings and related materials. But it wasn't happening beyond a cursory effort by most of them. I then simplified prompts and instructions for group work and provided more open-ended activities that encouraged deeper discussions. I assured students that I would not enter breakout rooms unless invited. I became diligent, intuitive and vulnerable while crafting and hosting these weekly sessions and was truly excited when it hit those sweet spots teachers are always aiming for! Students became more involved and worked harder to present worthy end-products as shown in the examples below.

Examples

This FLC was *'the whole enchilada' for me! The ability to learn from so many modalities really served me well! The Demonstration Videos where I watched teachers actually teaching gave me some great ideas as to how I could improve. The Implementation Resources really spoke to me as I find reading articles totally fits into my learning style. The bounty of pdf's was fabulous and brought me great comfort! The fake bad teaching was a bit irritating but was useful to watch. The asynch connection to other Sac State teachers was just fabulous! It was a safe place to share my failures, ask questions and glean tons of solid ideas from my colleagues. This ongoing connection was really important to me. The Practice and Reflect assignments forced me to stay on track and solidify what I had learned and how to apply it. This was a pivotal aspect of the FLC as I often have a scattered approach to learning new things and needed the focus. The Observe and Analyze session with fellow teachers was a sweet way to wrap things up. It was great to hear what they thought about my progress and was also fun to see what they were doing. *the whole enchilada: every part of a multifaceted thing or situation https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/the+whole+enchilada

My "aha moment" in the Observe and Analyze Session was witnessing the generosity of participating Sac State teachers in this FLC! I received careful and generous feedback about my teaching and was privy to their work as well. This session was a sacred place to share with colleagues, a rare experience for sure! I appreciate the way our wonderful facilitators ensured we would have an accessible and dynamic learning environment. Even though it was online, it felt immediate and connected. Thank you!

**Evidence of Instructional Change**
Observe & Analyze Session In a short video I explained how I approach online group work. I typically pull out one part of that week's lecture to spotlight an important topic and then provide prompts/instructions for group work class presentations.	Students' Work In group work, students use Google Slides to display and share their research with the class on a specific topic. This specific activity was based on the quote in upper left column).	If you deny people their own voice, you'll have no idea of who they are. -Alice Walker

Practice and Reflect: Embracing Diversity in the Classroom: Raines_LE5 -Practice and Reflect

Course Syllabus: EDUC 121-06 Syllabus Fall 2022

Bio & Funding
	I have worked at Sac State as an adjunct lecturer for ten years in the Education Department and absolutely love the writing intensive classes that I teach!			This work was supported by: CSU Office of the Chancellor Academic Affairs grant for Faculty Professional Development.