Equity and Social Justice in the CCR Framework

CCR was started in 2012 with the goals of reshaping the “What” of Education in the context of economic and social justice/equity issues, which are being amplified by new technologies (AI, Biotech etc.) and planetary-wide problems (global warming, pandemic, etc.). Through its work, CCR:

  • Provides students with the skills to tackle any social justice issue or equity issue that happens to come along in the next several years.
    • it is adaptive and flexible because it focuses on the core skills needed to interact with the world — instead of focusing too much on the way the world currently looks at this exact moment
  • Addresses the root causes and the symptoms (proactive and reactive)
    • Stanch the bleeding, then figure out what is causing it
  • Helps people in all situations, as we all have intersectional identities that place us with varying levels of privilege depending on the context

Please download CCR’s paper on Equity & Social Justice

Equity and social justice are addressed at three levels of the framework, to insure inclusion:

1) embedded in the design flow of learning objectives/standards, alongside modernized context, essential content, core concepts, and competencies:

Equity & Social Justice

2) embedded in the Interdisciplinary Themes:

Interdisciplinary Themes Relevant Concepts
Environmental Literacy Environmental injustice
eco-fascism
Global Literacy Cultural competence
Appreciation for diversity
Moving against ethnocentrism
Civic Literacy How laws and policies shape our worlds and assumptions
Information Literacy Big data: sifting through massive amounts of information
Bias: identifying bias in information
Application: using the information effectively and ethically
Digital Literacy Access to technology is an issue of equity
Technology rapidly advances, equitable solutions tend to lag

 

3) embedded in the Competencies themselves:

Competency Competency Description Applications for SJ/Equity
CREATIVITY The process of producing ideas and artifacts that are both novel to the individual and useful in response to a stimulus

the ability to imagine a world that is different than the one you inhabit

thinking outside the box to tackle complex issues

CRITICAL THINKING Manipulating information (through e.g., organization, analysis, synthesis) to facilitate processes such as decision-making, interpretation, and reflection

identifying and dismantling the “filters” through which you see the world

learning how to hear information that contradicts your own beliefs

hearing different perspectives and embedding them into your own worldview

understanding how the world around us was deliberately built for certain bodies

COMMUNICATION A bi-directional process wherein all participants are actively listening, asking questions, and using any and all methods of communication available to them in order to effectively communicate their or understand the other’s message

active listening is a powerful way to engage with those around us and to begin to unlearn our biases

nonverbal or paralingual communication can often communicate our implicit or explicit biases

COLLABORATION A process of effectively co-laboring working with others to produce something greater than the sum of what any of the individuals could have produced alone

making sure everyone’s voice is heard

creating an equitable design and creation process

empathizing with teammates

MINDFULNESS Awareness of one’s thoughts and feelings, developing strategies to regulate them, and cultivating presence & positivity.

being aware of your emotional or gut reaction to hearing information or opinions that contradict your own beliefs

we are fighting so many psychological factors and instincts, so being emotionally and mentally aware of those reactions is critical

CURIOSITY The drive to seek new experiences or deeper understanding

Issues of social justice and equity are complex. Only by seeking to understand deeply can we hope to disentangle overlapping and intertwined systems of oppression

Humans — aided and abetted by algorithms — naturally create echo chambers. It is important to burst these bubbles and see the world for how it actually exists.

COURAGE The strength to realize one’s goals and values while withstanding fear or difficulty

standing up for yourself and standing up for others

overcoming fear of social repercussions or discomfort in order to enact your values

RESILIENCE The ability to overcome any form of adversity using mental, emotional, and social skills and supports the fight against oppression can be overwhelming and it is rarely gratifying… resilience helps us persevere and keep working
ETHICS The ability to identify ethical components of a situation and navigate that situation in a way that reflects one’s values

developing a moral compass and a personal value system

understanding that other people have different value systems and are coming from different situations and perspectives

LEADERSHIP A process that includes both leader(s) and follower(s) achieving a larger goal or aim, guided by the environment/context — not the individuals.

understanding the ethical weight of leadership

recognizing the power you have as a follower

being cognizant of power dynamics and group roles

METACOGNITION

The ability to reflect on one’s own mental processes to choose relevant strategies for accomplishing tasks and solving problems. Monitoring the strategy in real time and adapting them accordingly

The ability to reflect on one’s knowledge and thought processes to plan, execute and monitor the progress of a chosen strategy and then evaluate its effectiveness in accomplishing the task or solving a problem.

being aware of your implicit and explicit biases and internal processes

changing your mental processes to be more equitable

GROWTH MINDSET The belief that human capacities are not fixed but can be developed over time through hard work, good strategies, and input from others. believing you can change and believing others can change and grow