Block C: 2:15 – 3:15 p.m.

 

CWC (Conversations with Community), F15 (Focus 15), F45 (Focus 45)

CWC: Unpacking Serving the Unserved: Opportunities and Challenges for Urban Student and Community Programming: – room 002B In some respects, incorporating visible and transformative practices regarding Urban Student populations and the communities in which they live involves hard work, dedication, and commitment. As professionals serving in respective roles, Director of a Trio Service Program, Secondary Education Urban School Instructor, Director of Post-Secondary Preparation Program for Urban Foster Students, and Project Director for Urban Teaching Initiatives we seek to, collectively, create dynamic programing experiences to best serve urban populations. Yet a main determinant to confront the intricacies of urban students and their communities include making connections and building relationships, given that widespread collaborative efforts are paramount for advancing programming initiatives. As a result, this panel discussion will focus on exploring best programming practices. Panelists will bring visibility to central concerns regarding building and sustaining important urban student programing from the perspective of new administrators working, meeting goals, and making progress in their respective areas.

Amanda Wilkerson, Deshawn Chapman, Shalander Samuels, Whitney Watkins, University of Central Florida

CWC: Is Gentrification the New School Pushout?: A Conversation with Community about the Intersection of Urban Education Reform and Gentrification: – room 002C This presentation will serve as a continuation of conversations that have been conducted in an effort to include voices of those most impacted by urban education reform in Atlanta. Our participatory action research team, comprised of urban education teachers, conducted several community listening sessions in Pittsburgh and Washington Park Atlanta to determine if charter schools were keeping their promise to the neighborhoods and children they pledged to “rescue.” During this presentation, we will highlight several themes that emerged from data collected during the community listening sessions and invite conference participants to add their voices to “The New School Pushout” conversation.

Thais Council, Rebecca Graham, Shaeroya Earls, Shakale George, Marlyn Tillman, Georgia State University, Gwinnett STOPP

F15: After school curricula: Enabling and promoting youth culture:– room 002A This ethnographic case study draws upon understandings of ideologies and curriculum within an after school program. Data was collected across a year. Findings revealed how interpretations of curriculum by staff positioned youth as experts on their own needs and experiences.

Dorian Harrison, Belmont University

F15: Educating for Increased Awareness and Action through Critical Composition Pedagogy in an Urban Middle School:– room 002A Aim is increasing criticality of instruction in urban, public middle schools and making visible both how teachers enact critical composition pedagogy (CCP) in English language arts (ELA) classrooms and why. CCP’s major tenets are historicity, dialogism, problem-posing, emancipation, and praxis. Factors which enable or impede social justice instruction are examined.

Beth Marks, Latricia Oliver, Charity Gordon, Clarice Thomas, Heidi Goodwin, Nadia Behizadeh, Georgia State University and Atlanta Public Schools

F15: Creating the Next Generation of Digital Leaders:– room 002A Digital Learners to Leaders (DLL) is a K-16 pipeline that allows Georgia State University, including Perimeter College students to use digitization and the “Internet of Things” to impact local communities by developing ideas and prototyping solutions to challenges posed by the Atlanta business, education, government and nonprofit community.

Jackie Slaton, Georgia State University

F45: Growing as they give: Teacher development through cultural community wealth contributions: – room 041 From the findings of a study about I AM STEM, a STEM summer program developed within a community of color, we will share some of the stories of the cultural capital teachers shared and how they grew alongside their students from the cultural community wealth inculcated within the I AM STEM program.

Sonia Howard, Natalie King, Georgia State University

Workshop: Growing a Garden of Possibilities: Cultivating Collective Understanding, Climate and Community in Urban Schools:– room 304 Through the lens of single sex classes and schools as an alternative to the traditional structure, participants will question traditional schooling, and explore practical strategies that involve students, parents and community stakeholders to cultivate positive school culture and climate that transforms learning spaces and supports improved student academic outcomes.

Cheryl Jamison, Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy/Mercer University