Creating an Inclusive and Diverse Space with Classroom Media Content
Presented by Rachel Hanley and Ebony Wrenn
The presentation begins with data showing the strong impact of visuals on children’s perceptions and behaviors. All visuals a child is exposed to send a message to the child so classroom visuals should be chosen with intentionality. Further, classroom visuals should be seen as an opportunity to build inclusion and identity with students. The presentation then reviews best practices for the types of visuals teachers should include in their classrooms taking into account differences in factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, religion, body type, and abilities. The presentation ends with resources for teachers to increase diverse representation in their classroom content, as well as a personal call to action to 1) continuously increase their exposure to different types of people, and 2) keep an open mind to recognize and address their own biases.