Gap Analysis: This is the connection made to the on-line instructional model project completed in my Learning Designs System last semester. It consists of three Design Documents and a Facilitator's Guide. The focus is on multicultural education and teaching students about social activism. It is personal because I am the parent of African-American children who are university students. Also, my teaching experience has been in communities that are heavily populated with people of color. I have witnessed how the trauma brought on by negative interactions with the police affect student life, learning, and future potential. According to Lee (2004) Black people make up “sixty percent to eight-five percent of the victims of police shootings"... and "are more than six times as likely as Whites to be shot by police, and in large cities are killed by police at least three times more often than Whites” (p. 3).

Instrumental in relatedness to this topic is that my mother was also an officer of 30 years and was promoted to Chief of Police where I grew up. So she was an example that the relationship between police officers and the community they serve can be encouraged to be positive and influential.

 

Topic Addressed:  To possibly promote positive encounters between African American students with police officers of all ethnicities that do not result in violence or death. My hope is to also alleviate stressors that impact learning in the classroom and overall productivity.

 

“In the old days, the cops simply shot their black victims and [planted] a weapon the officers carried for such emergencies. Nowadays, weapons need exist only in the mind of the policeman in firing position” (Payne, 1998). The source is referring to the brutal murder of 22-year-old West African native Amadou Diallo. After returning home from selling goods on the streets of New York city, the Bronx resident was riddled with 19 bullets that decimated his body. Reaching for his identification, an officer yelled , “Gun!” and police fired 41 rounds at him. Statistics report that the black population are markedly victims of police shootings (Payne, 1998). The article states:

 

In a comprehensive review of the literature on police use of deadly force, James Fyfe reports that “every study that has examined this issue [has] found that blacks are represented disproportionately among those at the wrong end of police guns.

 

The target population of this learning module is an estimated 25 minority students attending an urban public high school. Underserved communities are more likely to become victims of deadly police brutality. Beginning with this background story, occurring in an on-line format, students will be encouraged to share encounters experienced with police officers.The students are familiar with some of the high-profile cases that will be studied, as well as more recent incidents. Some of them have had confrontations with neighborhood police and/or witnessed violence against black citizens. Modes of instruction will include: parental instructions (relevant to black culture) class discussions, video tutorials (with associated questions), instructor-led discussions, Google Doc worksheets, peer feedback (breakout rooms) and educator mediated interviews (GoogleMeet) with local participating law enforcement. I am hoping to gain insight that will be beneficial to creating positive experiences between the black community and the serving officers that do not result in excessive use of force. I will use formative assessments throughout the lesson while monitoring individual and group participation. My goal is to also help facilitate the officer interviewing process while directing student questions. Modifications to the lesson will be made as needed to enhance learning and skill-building.

The rationale for choosing this particular visual media as supporting content to grasp student attention is that it is relatable to real-world police encounters. Students may be familiar with the cases or may have experienced police force firsthand. They have learned that much of it is centered around racism and hatred due to their ethnicity. The first video sheds light on how policing people of color came about (See 1.4).  Many black students are taught at a very young age on how to conduct themselves if approached by law enforcement for any reason (See 2.5).

So the conversations in the video(s) will resonate with them. I believe the poem demonstrates lyrical skills and artistic expression as an avenue of coping with this constant societal threat (See 2.4).

 

Goal: of this instructional model is to offer African-American students and people of color in general a guideline on how to build a positive rapport between police officers and the disadvantaged communities they serve through non-violent interactions.
 

Learning Context: Students participate in an online instructional module that will be formatted on Google Meet.  All required material and resources for the course are provided by the school technology department. Instructions are given to the class which is organized in groups of six. They meet in scheduled breakout rooms to choose a case to study, share with teammates and devise a course of action that deters conflict..Local law enforcement helps to bridge trust gaps with the youth during an interview by sharing questions about what to expect if stopped and how to properly respond. I help to facilitate student inquiries during the process.  

 

Advocate for the values of diversity, inclusivity, and social justice

Project Overview

This module is based on the learning domain categorized as an attitudinal goal. The lesson focuses on individuals making a choice on which course of action to take according to personal values and beliefs (Dick & Carey, 2021)/. To encourage “anticipated outcomes for learning” (Dick & Carey, 2021) understanding the environment, context in which the skills are to be applied and relatedness to the user is imperative). Studies also indicate that the reiterative process is integral to success in acquiring skills for current pedagogical practices (Dick & Carey, 2021). Research also indicates that classroom material that is made more meaningful and applicable to real-world experiences peaks student interest,  improving academic achievement. 

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For 21st century citizens, social activism skills are requisite to advocate for their needs and civil rights. Introducing culturally relevant pedagogy into classrooms will be necessary to ensure the success of the growing minority population in the United State.From an educational standpoint, in referencing Banks and Banks (2001), Haviland( 2008) states there is more work to be done than just teaching the familiar "heroes, holidays, and discrete cultural elements" (p. 41). In accordance with Nieto’s (1994) stance that multicultural education transcends racial boundaries. Haviland (2008) also suggests a radical position towards social justice. However, this does not void the importance of a multicultural education that highlights language, social and cultural context. It enables teachers to develop insight into understanding students culturally as it relates to racial experiences by fostering communication (Louie & Pacheco, 2021). Citing Hooks (1997), maybe students could then view school as a place to exercise ownership in practicing educational freedom (Haviland, 2008).  A place where important conversations in education are not “g;ossed over” and their existence in this world is better understood. Teaching topics such as police brutality and lessons on maintaining an appropriate temperament could be instrumental for mending relationships between officers and inner-city residents in general. I believe if the youth are taught how to respond and follow through in a positive manner when stopped by law enforcement, it may make the difference in the outcome. Unfortunately for African Americans compliance can still be a matter of life or death. This evidence highlights the importance of implementing cultural context into pedagogical practices.

 

Instructional Strategy:  This online learning module serves as part of a series of tutorials for assisting teachers in pedagogy centered on multicultural education. The focus is to prevent escalation of scenarios where black individuals are stopped by the police. Discussions highlight that communities of color, especially Black are harmed disproportionately in comparison to other groups. However, this lesson can be beneficial to learners of all ethnicities. Perhaps through mediated debates students and participating law enforcement can mitigate the issues causing the use of excessive force. It may shed light on the motivation behind it causing victims involved to modify existing reactions that may decrease the risk of death. * Through examination of six high-profile cases students interpret that findings are inconclusive as it relates to non-violent stop and unlawful force.

 

Assessment:  Initial evaluation of student learning will consist of observations of group discussions where each student in the group will choose a  police brutality case to study. Their findings will be presented to the group and peer feedback will be given to promote teamwork, public speaking, sharing and/pooling of ideas to evoke change through activism. The video links historical content of slave patrols, catchers, and registers to the hatred perpetuated by some police authorities.  An associated worksheet helps students recall information by reinforcing the material. Access to a comprehensive database which provides up-to-date facts on police killings since 2013  helps learners to foster critical thinking skills.

Learning Context: Students participate in an online instructional module that will be formatted on Google Meet.  All required materials and resources for the course are provided by the school technology department. Instructions are given to the class which is organized in groups of six. They meet in scheduled breakout rooms to choose a case to study, share with teammates, and devise a course of action that deters conflict..Local law enforcement helps to bridge trust gaps with the youth during an interview by sharing questions about what to expect if stopped and how to properly respond. I help to facilitate student inquiries during the process.  

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Bonnie K. Nastasi, Prerna G. Arora & Kris Varjas (2017) The meaning and importance of cultural construction for global development, International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, 5:3, 137-140, DOI: 10.1080/21683603.2016.1276810

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Cynthia Lee, 'But I Thought He Had a Gun' - Race and Police Use of Deadly Force, Hastings Race and Poverty L. J. (2004).

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Dick, W., Carey, L., & Carey, J. (2021).The Systematic Design of Instruction

(9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson

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Futterman, C. B., Hunt, C., & Kalven, J. (2016). Youth/Police Encounters on Chicago’s South Side: Acknowledging the Realities Policing the Police. University of Chicago Legal Forum 2016. 

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Fyfe, J. J. (1988). Police use of Deadly Force: Research and Reform. Justice Quarterly, 5(2), 165–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418828800089691 

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Haviland, V. S. (2008). “Things get glossed over” rearticulating the silencing power of whiteness in education. Journal of Teacher Education, 59(1), 40-54.

 

Hooks, b. (1997). Representing Whiteness in the Black imagination. In R. Frankenberg (Ed.), Displacing Whiteness: Essays in social and cultural criticism (pp. 165- 179). Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

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Louie, N. & Pacheco, M. (2021). Love as a necessary corrective: Toward antiracist schools for our children. Multicultural Perspectives, 23(3), 181-187.

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Nieto, S. (1994). Affirmation, solidarity, and critique: Moving beyond tolerance in education. Multicultural Education Magazine, 1(4), 9-12, 35-38.

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Payne, L. (1998, September 6). Black youths have good reason to march.  NEWSDAY. 

 

Visual Media

 

Noted in Design Document 1

1.4 Video link: Police Brutality: Racial (In)justice and Systemic Violence - Criminal Justice Series | Academy 4...

Learners complete the Police Brutality Comprehension Worksheet (focuses on recent high-profile cases). https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zcxCJxJaIM19XX4DEF_DH6QYUdxucPBo-QSFSV1JJ6s/edit?usp=sharing

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2.4 Poetry Video: Watch  Nate Marshall - When the Officer Caught Me

During his poem, “When the Officer Caught Me,”  he gives an account of his first experience with police at age 13.

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2.5 The Talk - black parents share how they teach their children what to do when approached by police.

https://youtu.be/bCq1pTav1yI?feature=shared