IDENTITIES, COMMUNITIES, AND INCLUSIVE LEARNING CONTEXTS

There were many factors that led to my choosing of this artifact for Learning Outcome 2: Identities, Communities, and Inclusive Learning Contexts. This outcome requires a holistic understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion in not only school contexts but also communities. The outcome also encourages a stern commitment to the development of students by creating inclusive learning environments in which students are given an opportunity for an equitable education. This artifact is a critical analysis of a marginalized group, specifically African American males, and how they are viewed in the media and news. This may seem like an educational foundation is lacking in this approach; however, this topic was further analyzed from an educational standpoint. In other words, educational theory, experiences, and other forms of qualitative research was used to determine the effects of media on the experiences of African-American males; consequently, African-American students who are also boys. Being that this artifact combines social and multicultural research, in addition to educational research and instructional recommendations, the Media Analysis Project is a live example of DEI being made live in education and critical theory.

Learning Outcome 2 is based on diversity, equity, and inclusion which are critical in today’s ever-diverse classrooms. While this artifact does not look at every culture or community, the artifact does develop understandings of students who could be disadvantaged by negative stereotypes and biases. For this reason, I believe this artifact aligns with the learning outcome. The topic in the Media Analysis Project was in regard to the representation of black males in the news and other forms of media; however, the broad but focused scope in which information was obtained was specific to understanding the effects these representations could have on students. So, even though the focus of this project was on one minority group, implications from this research can arguably be used among other minority groups with further research and author input. Nonetheless, this artifact contains information regarding research that will allow for students in diverse contexts to be included in rigorous learning and receive an equitable education.

The production of the Media Analysis Project started with the creation of questions that would guide the research for this particular topic. After questions had been developed, it was then necessary to search for articles and publications that would align to what was being aimed at by this project. Insight was gained from different online publications surrounding actual statistics; however, the most insight was gained from the work of Punyanunt-Carter (2008). The author gives a very unique perspective on the possible effects of media portrayal of any marginalized group. The insight received by Punyanunt-Carter (2008) gave me a better understanding of how these attitudes and implications would be affecting the students that I and others work with. After considering the relationship between black students and other minority students, it was then time for me to consider what the next steps for educators should be. After studying the works of Banks & Banks (2013) it was then made clear to me how significant the impact that I have as an educator on my students. The authors in this text suggest that teachers develop classroom contexts and environments that foster and encourage diversity and inclusion of varying cultures. This was arguably the most important aspect of the Media Analysis Project because the work proved to be not only contextual but applicable to multiple marginalized groups. The combination of specific and critical research regarding the effects of media portrayal of black males and implications for teachers when working in diverse classrooms proves to be a strong example of diversity, equity, and inclusion being applied to the classroom.

This artifact allowed me a tremendous opportunity to do some self-reflection with intention to implement my learning into my professional context. Understanding the effects that diversity can have on the experiences of my students will allow me to further develop my classroom to be as inclusive as possible. If black males are facing discrimination and bias due to their representation, presumably so are other minority groups. Knowing this, it is my responsibility as an educator to facilitate discussions surrounding diversity and encourage the multitude of differences that students have. This research is fundamental in cementing my need to be a social advocate for my students.

Overall, this artifact aligns with Learning Outcome 2 because it is a research based example of how diversity, equity, and inclusion are affecting students regularly. It also shows how these different characteristics are aligned with how teachers should interact with students. The Learning Outcome warrants the understanding of how DEI is affecting school and communities, while also creating inclusive learning environments; this artifact displays that specifically. First, the artifact shows how a group can be affected by different stereotypes and biases. This allows the understanding of the importance of instructional practices and inclusion methods for all students to receive an equitable education. The artifact then goes to explaining how educators and others can use this information to inform considerations in their careers. The need for students to be comfortable being themselves is critical to development, especially with students with different cultures, identities, and other factors. The diversity of students makes the need for inclusion to be truly one of the most important characteristics of a learning environment. Being that this artifact highlights multicultural contexts with educational considerations, I believe it is a strong example of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the context of learning.