Supporting LGBTQ-Inclusive Teaching

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students fare worse in school than their non-LGBTQ peers. One major reason for this discrepancy is the severe lack of representation and validation, both in the classroom and in the curriculum. Despite a growing movement toward culturally-responsive teaching and an increase in the number of inclusive student-facing materials, there are still very few opportunities for educators to learn how to better support and engage LGBTQ students.

Where LGBTQ-inclusive teacher professional learning does exist, it is often proprietary, difficult to share, and without context to help teachers understand its importance or nuance. Leveraging open educational resources (OER) to get inclusive resources into the hands of more teachers may present a viable solution to this problem. But how exactly should OER be used in this way? Why does open licensing matter for LGBTQ inclusion and what challenges does it present?

Please join New America’s Teaching, Learning, and Tech team as we explore the answers to these questions. New America’s Sabia Prescott will present her recent paper Supporting LGBTQ-Inclusive Teaching: How Open Digital Materials Can Help, followed by a panel with experts from education, policy, advocacy, and open licensing. The panel will discuss best practices for better preparing teachers to create inclusive learning environments.

Join the conversation using the hashtag #LGBTQedu and by following @NewAmericaEd.
Agenda:

Welcome:

Lisa Guernsey, @LisaGuernsey
Director, Teaching, Learning, and Tech Program, New America

Report Presentation:

Sabia Prescott, @sabiaprescott
Senior Program Associate, New America

Panel Conversation:

Brandon Tensley, @BrandonTensley (Moderator)
National Political Writer, CNN

Jabari Lyles @itsjabarii
LGBTQ Affairs Liaison, Office of the Mayor, Baltimore City

Alison Lepard
Teacher and Parent, Montgomery County Public Schools

Bilan Jama, @blnjama
Education Policy Specialist, Creative Common USA

Sabia Prescott, @sabiaprescott
Senior Program Associate, New America

Audience Q&A

Adjournment and Reception
Please join us directly following the event for a light reception.