Today we swam, played outside, and somewhat organized the garage. The Lilly Conference session I watched tonight is entitled “Stepping Into Their Shoes: Perspective-Taking Activities to Spark Critical Conversations and Combat Implicit Biases.” Drs. Sarah Marie Berry (Winthrop University), Tammy Burnham (Winthrop University), and Mary Slade (Towson University) presented a 40-minute recorded session. Slade was previously at Winthrop and spoke about embracing diversity and not thinking about it as a topic. Berry explained that they were all previously in a K-12 setting and now teach future teachers. The session outcomes focused on describing implicit biases and their impact in the classroom and discussing emotional perspective-taking. They asked: “what is your ‘status quo’?” They then described implicit biases. Their explanation was that implicit biases are “attitudes towards people or associated stereotypes without our conscious knowledge.” They spoke about “empathy not sympathy” and “understanding the person’s plight and moving into action to help that person.” The Take-Two activity was one I didn’t know about. In this activity,. The next activity described was the “Reflection Color Palette” to promote emotinoal perspective-taking. Students can distinguish their perspectives with color digital notes. Berry and Slade then explained how their teaching philosophies highlight the importance of anonymity and multiple modalities for reflection. They specifically suggest:
- Offer a variety of opportunities to practice reflection.
- Offer a variety of formats such as small group reflection, class discussions, and reflective ideas.
- Expect high standards without grading. They use four levels for reflective practice: 1 – Habitual Action, 2 – Understanding, 3- Reflection, and 4- Critical Reflection. These levels are part of a published framework.
Berry and Slade say: “provide explicit instruction for reflective thinking skills.” They mentioned providing a framework for reflection, time for practice, feedback, multiple means of expression, a supportive environment, and various formats for reflection (e.g., individual, in groups…). I appreciate that they ended by speaking about the importance of reflecting WITH students. I currently share thoughts and could also participate in the same reflective assignments students complete. This goes along with the vulnerability and empathy that was an important part of this session.
