Why seat, why now?
Ivette Bayo Urban
As an educator, Ivette has always been fascinated about how we teach with and about technology. She studies people and their relationships with technology paying particular emphasis to the messages we send about our values. Her research moves away from normative definitions of digital inclusion and contributes a deeper understanding to the experiences of technology in peoples lives. Her scholarship works at three levels, on the ground, in community(ies) and in systems.
Social justice in Education Around Technology (SEAT) is a call to action to merge conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion and outreach to serve ALL our students, together with instructional technology and library leaders and ask critical questions about who is left out, which values are . All too often, schools focus on opportunity gaps and propose a technological solution to solve the problem, either investing or implementing technological solutions. SEAT serves as a platform for educational leaders to come together and engage in critical conversations, on the ground and hear the other side.
Why Now?
Schools are digital trust providers. We are serving as models of whose worldview, values and beliefs matter every time we come into contact with people and make decisions. Likewise, the technological devices, hardware and software that schools adopt, implement and advocate for, reach the lives of students, as well as their families and their communities. The messages that schools send have the potential to make families feel included and part of their children's educational journey or further distanced.
Recently author Simon Sinek's interview went viral on "What's Wrong With Millenials". He states that "part of the responsibility inevitably lies with the context in which they have been raised" and part of that context is that they have been educated in a world that a) priorities technological solutions over the solutions rooted in community, inclusive processes and shared values, and b) lacks critical conversations about technology.
How can students and staff become aware of personal and cultural issues that affect participation in the “global Internet community? Technology, changes things – it transforms things in the lives of users and non users, alike.
Technology is not neutral; it amplifies human intent.
Technological diversity is here, in our workforce and in the communities we serve. IF our goal is to make bring about educational equity for all students, we need to create spaces to dialogue about what is working and not working, and truly listen. We invite you to be a part of the conversation, come take a SEAT at the table.
- On the ground with individual interactions in learning spaces.
- In community by bridging thoughts and communities through multiple paths.
- In systems through collaborative reflection of current processes and practices, reframing and reorganizing.
Social justice in Education Around Technology (SEAT) is a call to action to merge conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion and outreach to serve ALL our students, together with instructional technology and library leaders and ask critical questions about who is left out, which values are . All too often, schools focus on opportunity gaps and propose a technological solution to solve the problem, either investing or implementing technological solutions. SEAT serves as a platform for educational leaders to come together and engage in critical conversations, on the ground and hear the other side.
Why Now?
Schools are digital trust providers. We are serving as models of whose worldview, values and beliefs matter every time we come into contact with people and make decisions. Likewise, the technological devices, hardware and software that schools adopt, implement and advocate for, reach the lives of students, as well as their families and their communities. The messages that schools send have the potential to make families feel included and part of their children's educational journey or further distanced.
Recently author Simon Sinek's interview went viral on "What's Wrong With Millenials". He states that "part of the responsibility inevitably lies with the context in which they have been raised" and part of that context is that they have been educated in a world that a) priorities technological solutions over the solutions rooted in community, inclusive processes and shared values, and b) lacks critical conversations about technology.
How can students and staff become aware of personal and cultural issues that affect participation in the “global Internet community? Technology, changes things – it transforms things in the lives of users and non users, alike.
Technology is not neutral; it amplifies human intent.
Technological diversity is here, in our workforce and in the communities we serve. IF our goal is to make bring about educational equity for all students, we need to create spaces to dialogue about what is working and not working, and truly listen. We invite you to be a part of the conversation, come take a SEAT at the table.