Typically the holidays are a time for connecting with others. With the current pandemic limiting our ability to gather together, StoryCorps is one way people can maintain their connections and create new connections in a new and memorable way. StoryCorps… Read More ›
inclusion
Addressing Implicit Bias
I must say that I have learned more about equity, diversity, bias, and inclusivity in the past year than I have during my entire adult education. Lately, students, faculty, and staff have been doing training sessions and reflective practice where… Read More ›
Developing Inclusive Learners & Citizens: A Call to Action
One year ago, our ALA Emerging Leaders group presented our project, “Developing Inclusive Learners and Citizens Activity Guide.” We had no idea at that time that just a year later our country would be in crisis with nation-wide shutdowns due to… Read More ›
Thoughts about Navigating Our Strange New World
As president of AASL, it is an honor to have this space to share my thoughts with you. Please bear with me as I ramble through some of the thoughts and issues that are on my mind as we shelter… Read More ›
White Privilege Part 3
Recently I heard the song “White Privilege II” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (play it before you read…) and using the lyrics as inspiration I started thinking about this blog post: There’s blood in the streets, no justice, no peace… Read More ›
White Privilege Part 2
Recently I heard the song “White Privilege II” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (play it before you read…) and using the lyrics as inspiration I started thinking about this blog post. But the one thing the American dream fails to… Read More ›
Building Cultural Competence through Reading Diverse Books
A few years ago a conversation started in my library that was prompted by a student reading Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give. The student in question identified as a person of color, but in our extremely homogeneous community she… Read More ›
Welcoming Students with Special Needs to the Library
As I presented my database introduction lesson to a class of ninth-graders, I wondered if I was going too quickly for them. I looked at their focused faces and continued speaking, making a decision not to simplify my words. When… Read More ›
That’s just the way it is
Recently I heard the song “The Way It” Is by Bruce Hornsby and the Range and I started thinking about the words: “Said hey, little boy, you can’t go where the others go ‘Cause you don’t look like they do… Read More ›
Providing Structures for Learning and Change: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Equity has always been a big deal to me. My mom and dad intended to be fair with me and my twin sister, but they inadvertently created a zero-sum game: If they couldn’t afford to do something for both of… Read More ›