MIT Seeks District Partners for Free Equity Professional Development
Among the many challenges K-12 educators are gearing up for this upcoming academic year, building more equitable, inclusive schools is of utmost priority. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is proposing a new project for the U.S. Department of Education’s Innovation and Research program to implement and test a whole-school program called “Becoming a More Equitable Educator: Mindsets and Practice.”
MIT invites all district school administrators, teachers, and staff to participate in this 12-16 hour online course — and share with any partnering district.
Educators will gain opportunities to
- Learn and reflect on how to support an equitable learning environment for all students,
- Engage in active learning through game-based simulations that allows educators to try rehearsing different scenarios that address equity, and
- Participate at no cost for participating districts and schools and substantially benefit students.
Additional Course Information
This is a six module, 12-16 hour online/blended course, designed to support all school faculty and staff, and suitable for implementing in a wide variety of professional development programs — from short intensive workshops to programs spaced out throughout a semester or year. Highlights include
- Digital clinical simulations that allow educators and staff to rehearse for and reflect on equitable interactions with students
- Expert presentations on key ideas in equitable teaching practices from Rich Milner (Vanderbilt professor, director of the Institute for Race Research and Justice, and president of the American Educational Research Association) and Justin Reich (MIT professor, director of the MIT Teaching Systems Lab, and expert in online teacher learning)
- Short, inspiring documentary videos from real schools across the country where marginalized students are thriving
- Assignments and Activities that get participants engaged in making changes to their practice from the very first modules in the course
The project would start in the middle of the 2022-23 school year, and program implementation in schools would start in Fall 2023. For more information, sign up for a 15-minute information meeting.
Tags: AACTE partner organizations, elementary education, equity, secondary education, teacher quality
