Techquity- Creating Learning Environments for Sustainability, Equity, and Access
Guest Post by Victoria Thompson
Microsoft Educator Center provides
One of my personal favorite Microsoft Educator Courses: it focuses on Techquity!
“Techquity” refers to the infusion of technology and equity, and equity refers to the concept of every student needing what they need to be successful in the classroom. Specifically, how do we make meaningful connections with all of our students—and how do we use technology to create equitable experiences for our students?
Equity issues have always been around, but I honestly believe that the pandemic has really shown a spotlight on these issues. Articles claiming “learning loss” and “academic issues,” to me, are a farce—we have always had students in need of equitable solutions but they have largely been ignored; the pandemic (unfortunately) gave us a window into what some of our students are dealing with, as well as a mirror into how we have (or have not) addressed these issues.
As a one hour course (and a recent course—this was published on 3/1/2021), I really appreciate the wisdom and focus given in this Techquity course, especially if you are just starting out with using educational technology in the classroom or beginning on your journey with culturally responsive education. The course aims to answer the following questions:
- How might I use technology in a differentiated way?
- How can I use technology to make more meaningful connections with my students?
- How can technology support me being a culturally responsive educator?
- How can I use technology to ensure my learning environment is culturally relevant?
As someone who regularly thinks about these questions as I work with students and teachers as a STEM instructional coach, I recommend you check it out.
About the Author
Victoria Thompson is a STEM Integration Transformation Coach at Technology Access Foundation–a nonprofit leader redefining STEM education in public schools–a consultant for Ignite EdTech, and a learning specialist for NCCE. She has been in education for five years and began her journey teaching fifth and sixth grade math and science in Summerville, SC. After completing her masters degree in curriculum and instruction she moved to the Seattle, WA area in 2018, where her career has pivoted to focusing on STEM integration in schools, K-12 mathematics instruction with research on decolonizing mathematics curriculum for teachers and learners, creating inclusive math environments, and using technology to bridge equity gaps in math education. She has presented at ISTE, ImpactEducation, CUE, and DigCitSummit on topics such as creating inclusive math classrooms, culturally responsive STEM education, and equity in educational technology.
