Perhaps we might begin by learning what is good, right, and positive.<\/h4>\n
Assets based pedagogies<\/strong> are certainly not new. They have their roots in several curricular and scholarly movements.<\/p>\n An assets-based approach is not new, but it can be easy to forget in the work of designing service and project-based learning experiences.<\/p>\n As educators, we want to engage students in genuine problems and help them solve them.<\/p>\n In our excitement, we may fail to consider background knowledge, the local context, and an exploration of what is going RIGHT.<\/p>\n Coupled with the negativity bias<\/a> that can plague humans of any age, but sometimes more specifically early adolescent students<\/a>, the results can be… dare I say it.. problematic.<\/p>\n Students can confirm negative stereotypes, develop biases, and “other” those they are seeking to help.<\/p>\n I’m reminded of the quote by Hazel Edwards: “nothing about us without us is for us<\/a>.”\u00a0These concerns drove me to take another look at our project-based learning and service learning templates. I wondered, what might be missing? And while in my earlier writings about service learning, I encouraged teachers to look for local knowledge, and to connect with the deep well of community when planning service learning, there was no equivalent of that in the project-based learning templates and work.<\/p>\n So the template needed a spot for students and teachers to explore the assets and knowledge of the issues, community, and context before seeking solutions or improvements before diving into looking to improve conditions or solve problems. You can now see that here in the PBL 3.0 (Strength-based PBL) template.<\/a><\/p>\n In addition, there is an asset mapping activity linked here, in the service-learning toolkit.<\/a><\/p>\n But asset-mapping and approaches aren’t enough.<\/p>\n We need to fully work toward equitable learning environments. Environments where our students’ voices are valued, amplified, and listened to. Environments that include them in decision-making, and project-based learning plans. And these should include a step where students work to find a way to disrupt inequities, challenge dominant narratives, and amplify often unheard voices.<\/p>\n Sharing work with authentic audiences is important, and can increase purpose, motivation, and engagement in students. But if we stop there, are we really working to create more inclusive, equitable policies, procedures, and practices in our schools, communities, country, and world?<\/p>\n It can support the disruption of inequitable systems, practices and policies. Teaching Tolerance standards<\/a> include identity, diversity, justice and action and urge meeting these standards across grade levels, including saying, “Students will plan and carry out collective action against bias and injustice in the world and will evaluate what strategies are most effective.”<\/p>\n You’ll see a step in the updated project-based learning template for this here. This provides another opportunity for students to deeply reflect on their actions and plans as well.<\/p>\n It’s easy to rush through projects, lessons, and curriculum, without interrogating potential blind spots and falling into harmful equity traps.<\/p>\n I am thankful to scholars of color who have shown me the importance of grounding any meaningful project work in an assets-based approach, and to work toward creating more equitable communities through our work with students. While this often happens in practice, being intentional in the design phase of powerful pedagogies ensures that students will have a more meaningful opportunities to make significant changes for good in their schools, communities and world.<\/p>\n Thankfully, Vermont teachers and students are showing us how to make this work.<\/p>\n How to make sure their projects take direct action, for instance. How to make projects work toward justice, equity, and\/or shared goals. Like the United Nations Global Goals.<\/p>\n Jeremy DeMink’s middle school students at Edmunds Middle School in Burlington have participated in a Hands-Joined Learning project about social inequities and worked to take direct action to change them. These projects were in partnership with Jessica DeMink-Carthew, an assistant professor at the University of Vermont. Students demonstrated humanities learning targets through their social action projects, written about here\u00a0 by WCAX here<\/a>. You can read more about the Hands-Joined Learning process in this recently published academic article<\/a>, or in AMLE magazine<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/humans-of-burke-1024x768.jpg\")
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Updated project-based learning template<\/h4>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nPlanning for justice-oriented action<\/h4>\n
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Helping students move from authentic sharing to justice-oriented action can help them see their own civic power and agency.<\/h4>\n
![\""Justice\/Democracy](\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Screen-Shot-2020-01-16-at-10.24.12-AM-1024x339.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWhat does this look like in practice?<\/h4>\n
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