Culturally Relevant Pedagogy & Equity

Pre-existing disparities in access to adequate technology have been exacerbated by a shift to remote and blended learning environments over the past year, placing Black children at a further disadvantage. Black parents have worried about accessing resources or supplies that will help keep their children on track academically, and have voiced concerns regarding the safety of their children when returning to schools.

Educators from the Black Education Research Collective at Teachers College, Columbia University — Sonya Douglass Horsford and Phillip Smith — join us to connect these concerns to relevant research and discuss the implications these disparities have for the future of education.

Teaching Today

COVID's Impact on Students of Color

Beyond the functional level, literacy plays a vital role in transforming students into socially engaged citizens. How do we teach literacy in a way that is both culturally and socially responsive? We hear from our K-12 coaching experts as they unpack the importance of literacy and discuss the evolution of literacy instruction.

Complexities and Inequities in Learning Language

Today’s students use their digital expertise and the power of their voice to respond to issues of inequity in society. Therefore, it is essential that teacher educators develop their own racial literacy skills — and those of their pre-service and classroom teachers — in order to support students' digital activism. Authors and Teachers College, Columbia University faculty Detra Price-Dennis and Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz join us for a look at how educators can cultivate these skills, and how to promote equity in digital spaces.

Advancing Racial Literacy in Teacher Education

In the wake of Black Lives Matter protests, educators and schools across the nation are navigating anti-racist, anti-bias (ABAR) work. Often used in concert and sometimes interchangeably, by definition, these terms represent an activist approach to educational curricula that attempts to challenge prejudices, including racism, sexism, ableism, and ageism.

We're joined by Columbia University graduate students for a discussion on cultivating an anti-bias, anti-racist pedagogy, the process of developing an ABAR framework, and the lessons they are learning along the way.

Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist Curriculum

Our classrooms are made up of students with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In some cases, our students are learning a new language in addition to discipline-specific content. 

Multi-language learners require intentional support to improve their fluency both reading and writing. What do those strategies look like in teachers’ planning and instruction, especially when teachers do not speak their students’ home language? 

We are talking to Marcia Garcia Underwood, founder and CEO of M Ideas Consulting Services, and Lauren Midgette, a professional development coach at CPET. Both of our guests today will be sharing their most effective strategies to support multi-language learners based on their years of classroom and coaching experience.

Support for Multi-Language Learners

Equity in education requires that teachers and leaders offer every child an equal chance for success — but what does this success look like when it comes to testing? We’re joined by educational leaders Tangela Johnson and Laura Meili for a powerful and thought-provoking look at equity and assessment.

Equity in Teaching & Testing

Teaching Today is brought to you by The Center for Professional Education of Teachers (CPET) at Teachers College, Columbia University.

In conversation with teachers, researchers, and school leaders, we’re dedicated to breaking down the problems, policies, and promising practices that define teaching. Uniting theory and practice, CPET promotes rigorous and relevant scholarship, and is committed to making excellent education accessible worldwide.