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Resisting Deficit Labeling in Afterschool Tutoring Programs (Social Justice and Disability Studies)

My (ongoing) reading reflections on McCloskey and Cann (2013)’s article titled “What a Difference a Label Makes: Positioning and Response in an Afterschool Tutoring Program”.

Deficit labeling is a persistent issue in the P-20 educational system. A case study about a free afterschool tutoring program demonstrated “how educational tracking and understandings of disability permeated tutoring spaces and influence[d] tutors’ instructional decisions” (p. 338). This case study sheds light on how deficit views were learned behavior and thinking from the systemic nature of inequality in our educational institutions.

The purpose of this study was “to gain an understanding of how college-age tutors and their middle school tutees managed conversations about race, culture, and ability as they naturally occurred in this context” (p. 338)

Reference

Erin McCloskey & Colette N. Cann (2013) What a Difference a Label Makes: Positioning and Response in an Afterschool Tutoring Program, Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 21:4, 338-355, DOI: 10.1080/13611267.2013.855866

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Joe Biden Chooses Kamala Harris as his Vice Presidential Running Mate

Joe Biden chooses Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate. Harris is the first Black woman nominee as a vice presidential candidate for either parties. Previous women who were vice presidential nominees were Geraldine Ferraro (Democrat) and Sarah Palin (Republican). Harris is currently a junior senator representing California. Kamala Harris graduated from Howard University, a historically black college and university (HBCU). Harris is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Harris, a lawyer, was elected attorney general in California in 2010 and 2014. Harris’ parents immigrated from India and Jamaica. The Veepstakes have been going around for weeks and now Democrats have their marching orders…..Biden-Harris 2020.

References:

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/08/11/us/biden-vs-trump

Joe Biden picks Kamala Harris as his running mate

Kamala Harris Is the Third Woman to Run as a Vice Presidential Candidate for a Major U.S. Party. Here’s What to Know About the First

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Sign up for Bell Academy’s email list

Please sign up for Bell Academy’s email list (BELOW) so that you can keep up with the latest, updated information about course availability and new courses, etc.

JOIN THE MAILING LIST FOR UPDATES

Bell Academy is a free online learning academy focused on providing Black / African American middle and high school students with a Black Studies focused curriculum. We provide self-paced, supplemental educational materials to enhance our students’ ability to succeed in their classes. The goal of our supplemental educational materials is to assist students like a tutor or afterschool program would, but through virtual learning. We also encourage parents who are homeschooling their children to consider using our educational materials.

(1) The supplemental lesson plans are designed to align with a 180-day school year, broken into four nine-week quarters, over two semesters (Fall and Spring) for middle and high school students. The instructor designed the lesson plans to enhance (not replace) in-school curriculum by approaching the topic from a culturally relevant, responsive, and sustaining way. The lesson plans also include honors or advanced placement (AP) learning activities.

(2) or the lesson plans can be used as an introductory, survey course for college students or lifelong adult learners.

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Free Coronavirus (COVID-19) homeschooling and educational materials for Black parents

I am super excited to announce that I will be launching “Bell Academy,” a free online learning academy with a special focus on Black / African American middle school and high school students in January 2021.

The site is under construction, however, please signup for the email list so that you can receive updates. Send an email to academy@ceciBell.net or a message in my Facebook page‘s “Inbox”.

Here’s the site: http://www.cecibell.net/academy/

Many blessings,

Ceci

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The Black Millennial Renaissance Curriculum

Click Here for More About the Black Millennial Renaissance

  • To promote positive cultural identity formation in the African American community, with a focus on middle, high school, and college students
  • To provide a Black studies curriculum to parents who desire to supplement their child’s grades 6-12 education with cultural awareness
  • To provide a Black studies curriculum, aligned with Common Core Standards, to afterschool programs and homeschool parents to enhance and cater their educational programs for African American students
  • To provide a Black studies curriculum to middle and high school teachers who desire to incorporate culturally relevant, responsive, and sustaining teaching practices into their classrooms