In this fully virtual course, teachers and other school staff will be introduced to books on diversity and social justice issues that can be used effectively with English learners and others who find text-heavy material difficult to understand. There will be an emphasis on sophisticated picture books, graphic memoirs, and other illustrated texts that will stimulate discussion, artwork, and writing. For the final assessment participants will select one book that they would like to use to teach about diversity or social justice (whether contemporary or historical) and will give examples of how they would engage English Learners (real or hypothetical) in meaningful exploration of the issues raised in the text and illustrations.
Each educator will leave the course with a list of books and internet resources that they may use with present or future students, and a repertoire of teaching/learning strategies to make these books accessible to English Learners.
The course will involve both large group and breakout room discussions, creative and problem-solving activities, and individual work responding to videos and articles. The course will have an explicitly anti-oppressive focus, using books that explore the ways that various groups—including People of Color, LGBTQ+ individuals, those with disabilities, and those from a wide variety of cultural and language groups—have been treated unjustly, as well as stories of those who have fought back against both prejudice and systemic oppression.