Faculty-led Inquiry into Reflective and Scholarly Teaching (FIRST)
Date of this Version
2020
Document Type
Portfolio
Citation
Morales, Amanda. "An Exploration of Student Engagement and Learning within a Newly Online Version of TEAC 861: Teaching in a Pluralistic Society" (2020). UNL Faculty Portfolios, 160. digitalcommons.unl.edu/prtunl/160.
Abstract
Given the current racial, economic, and socio-political tensions in K-12 education, the work of teacher preparation arguably has never been more important or difficult. This benchmark portfolio targets a core required course aimed at increased teachers’ cultural competence and equity literacy, 861: Teaching in a Pluralistic Society. In this portfolio, I focus primarily on methods and mechanisms I used to increase student engagement in and critical reflection on a social justice-oriented curriculum in a new online format. I describe the context for the course, my initial anxieties around teaching the course online for the first time, student demographics, my redesigned course objectives, and my teaching methods, course materials, activities and assignments. I highlight innovations and modifications I made as a result of PRT program learning within these areas. I then provide documentation of students’ learning using two sources of data: 1) peer discussion venues, and 2) cultural competence self-assessment pretest/ post-test data. Finally, I reflect on my overall experience, lessons learned, and ways I will apply my learning to future teaching.