Supporting Equity Literacies Through Collaborations

• In Event: Developing Literacies Toward Equity

Abstract

Collaborative meaning-making across difference is often undertaken in pursuit of equity, but too often socially-constructed power differentials between collaborators on the basis of class, race, gender, ability, age, or other markers are reified. In this presentation, we examine retrospective interview data from youth and teachers reflecting on The Digital Dialogue Project, where youth from different schools worked together to compose dramatic performances. Our findings reveal limitations to equitable outcomes across disparate groups working together. After juxtaposing a range of positionalities youth took up when describing collaboration after-the-fact, we suggest a set of equity literacy tools for teachers and researchers to facilitate more equitable collaborations.

Authors

• Julie Rust, St. Andrew's Episcopal School

• Christy Wessel-Powell, Purdue University