Alpha Delta Kappa
Collegiate Clubs Network
Welcometoourmonthly newsletter!Wearehereto provideyouwithsome helpfultips,connections, andnetworking AlphaDeltaKappa CollegiateClubs&Alumni
BridgetAlexander President
AlphaDeltaKappaCCatBallStateislookingforwardtoanother yearoffun!Weattendedtheactivitiesfairtowelcomethenew studentstocampusandendedupwith52signups Ourwelcome meetingwasverysuccessful,wehad30peopleattendforour
AΔKCCintrofollowedbyicecreamandascavengerhunt This semesterwelookforwardtogettingtogetherwithBetaEpsilonat CammackStation,attendingFounders’DayatMancino's,getting togetherforaHalloweenparty,discussingteacherselfcareand thedifficultiesfirstyearteachersface,aswellashavingdinnerat Gloria’sandvolunteeringforSecretFamiliesduringtheholiday season Somanyfunthingstodothisyear!Wehopetobuild strongconnectionsandcommunitywiththisyear’sgroupto spreadthegreatnessofAΔK
Forthe2024-25schoolyear,weplantoworkmorewith underservedstudentsandtheirfamiliesbyintroducinga mentorprogramwithinourlocalschooldistrict Thismaylook similartoaBigSister/BigBrotherprogram,wheremembers workindividuallywithstudentsneedingadditionalsocial interactionandsupport Wealsoplantocontinuewith differentfundraisingeffortstoservelocalstudentswithinthe USD348districtandpossiblysurroundingdistricts Wealso lookforwardtoworkingmorewithourBetaEpsilonsponsor chapter.Weareincrediblythankfulfortheguidanceand supporttheyhavegivenusoverthepastyear!
ThisyearatADKCCattheUniversityofKentucky,we areexcitedtowelcomenewmembersandtoget outintotheLexingtoncommunity Welookforward toformingnewpartnershipswithsurrounding schoolsaswellascollaboratingwithother UniversityofKentuckyclubsthatsharethesame mission,“Leaveourcampusandcommunitybetter thanwefoundit”Wehavesomegreatmeetings andopportunitiesplannedforthissemesterandare soecstatictobebackoncampuswitheachother!
NatalieMaxhimerRodriquex President
KayelynStrotman President
Diversity,Equityand InclusioninChildren’s Books:Selectingand EvaluatingInclusiveTexts
Children need to see themselves in their learning content. It tells them who is important. Culturally responsive teaching means using students’ actual customs, characteristics, experiences and perspectives to build better, more meaningful classroom instruction. Educators need to know their students’ cultures and life experiences. If you don’t know their needs, their cultures, their histories and who they are, you will be more likely to perpetuate the myths and stereotypesassociatedwiththeir culturesinthemainstream.
Culturally relevant and inclusive texts by and about individuals who have previously been omitted or silenced in literary collections are relevant and diverse in their authentic portrayals of backgrounds, identities, experiences and perspectives.
DIVERSITY,EQUITYANDINCLUSIONINCHILDREN’S BOOKS:SELECTINGANDEVALUATINGINCLUSIVETEXTS
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They provide access to texts and materials that reflect the complexities of children’s lives and experiences. These texts enhance the curriculum and are an effective tool for personal learning as well as thatofyourstudents.
So, how do you go about selecting the best materials and ensuring that they are suitable? Sometimes, even well-intentioned representations can go wrong. Kibler and Chapman (2018) have recommended these actionstogetyoustarted;hereisasummary:
Look for quality: Books should have an engaging story and illustrations, as well as high-quality text. Include your students and theirparentsinthisprocesstogettheirinputfromthestart.
Choose books that help children see themselves and mirror various aspectsofyourstudents’identities.
Seekbooksthathelpchildrenexpandtheirunderstandingofothers.
Cast a wide net in your search. Be alert to new titles; follow publishers, authors, and relevant hashtags on social media; communicate with your school or public librarian on the types of booksyou’reseeking;collaboratewithcolleagues.
Conduct an author study. Many authors are known to write books basedontheirculturalexperiences.
In addition, take advantage of sources that champion these principles and have strict review processes, such as the American Library Association, notable book awards and book lists that have a cultural focus. Selecting from resources such as these is a wonderful waytostart,butintheend,youmustconductyourownanalysis.
The Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools (NYU Center) (2020) developed a culturally responsiveeducation(CRE)scorecardtodeterminethedegreetowhich their schools’ English Language Arts curriculum were or were not culturally responsive. It examines the representation of characters, diversity, accurate portrayals, social justice, and provides teacher guidance for implementation. The representation section helps determinediversityincurriculumandexposuretodiversecultures,and the character and author tally is used to count representation by race, gender, and ability. Diversity of characters and accurate portrayals focus on diverse and non-stereotypical portrayals. The social justice section examines decolonization, power dynamics, and connecting learning to real life. Teacher's Materials provide guidance for culturally responsiveteachingstrategiesincurricula.
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Each category is examined and given a score. Negative scores range from culturally destructive to culturally insufficient and positive scores range from emerging awareness to culturally responsive, which will helpyoudetermineifyourmaterialsandcurriculumaretrulyculturally relevantanddiverse.
The Virginia AΔK Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee adapted the CRE scorecard for an S/P/N presentation so it could be used to analyze multiple media formats beyond texts in your personal world as well as in your curriculum materials. It’s a valuable tool for examining your own perspectives and determining how you can learn more about the diverse cultures in your classroom. The more you learn, the more responsive and effective you will be with your students. Enjoy the process!
LinktoResourcesList:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WY5GtBAuwHBNRdWunSbugsoD gZCyu7U4/edit?
usp=sharing&ouid=113714927717325270089&rtpof=true&sd=true
LinktoInventoryScorecard:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nCMqO8F9Z1IgbkFIdL5mkRD6PRRuAQy 4/view?usp=sharing
WorksCited:
Kibler, K, & Chapman, L.A. (2019) Six tips for using culturally relevant textsindiverseclassrooms,ReadingTeacher,72(6),741-744.(Retrieved August5,2024).https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1213680
NYU - Steinhardt. (2020, August). Culturally responsive curriculum scorecard - NYU Steinhardt. Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and Transformation of Schools. (Accessed August 5, 2024). https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/2020-12/CRE Scorecard RevisedAug2020.pdf
Virginia AΔK DEI Committee adaptation of the CRE Scorecard: Analyzing the diversity of voices in your world: and in-depth media inventory (2022).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nCMqO8F9Z1IgbkFIdL5mkRD6PRRuAQy 4/view?usp=sharing
