Activity Guide

Equity of Access to Knowledge

Materials

After participants have read the chapter, debrief the reading using the following discussion prompts:

  1. On page 8, Taulbert (who was schooled in the 1950s) provides descriptors for what he calls “an ideal school community.” Ask teachers if the descriptors he uses are reasonable expectations for us in the 21st century. Which behaviors on the list are evident in our school? Which things could we do better?
  2. Ask teachers to work through a group definition process following these steps:
    Personally define your ideal teaching/learning community in 12 words or less. Be as specific as you can.Work with a group of four to five others. Compare your personal definitions and combine them into a single definition for the group.Post and compare the group definitions. What are the similarities? Are there significant differences or omissions? Can you create a school definition that everyone can support? Would your definition be supported by your students?
  3. Ask teachers to next work in groups to create strategies that could be used to move your school toward the defined ideal community. Using the Process Circle (Module 1, Reading I) and the planning tools will help to organize your work, monitor the implementation of the strategies, and assure your work remains consistent with the stated ideal.

Reading: “Building Community,” Eight Habits of the Heart for Educators by Clifton L. Taulbert, Corwin Press 2006, pp. 1–11.