Exploring for Equity: A Quest for Understanding & Eradicating Educational Disparities

I've learned that after speaking with Indians about India, my next favorite conversation is speaking to Americans about their time in India.  There's an instant sense of camaraderie and understanding that comes from living and learning in such a dynamic and diverse place. The Fulbright Conference 2022 was the perfect place for those conversations.    Initially I had no intention of presenting at the conference.  However with a little encouragement and a slight sense of obligation, I sent a proposal and was selected to be on the education panel.  The format was a fifteen minute presentation followed by a Q&A session.  There were also concurrent panels on theology and public health.  The other education research focused in higher education spaces. The presenter before me is a doctoral anthropology student at NYU and has been working on her project for over four years! She is courageously researching youth political movements at the university level. At the time of the conf

image  source Since my last post, I've been focusing my mental energy on the research side of my time here.  Thankfully I've been able to make connections with Fulbright alumni and other teachers and made headway on the project.  Shifting from practitioner to researcher has really pushed me out of my comfort zone.  I feel a little insecure with my research skills and knowing the next steps to take along the way, but have support from my faculty advisors.  I can say I've grown more in these short three months personally and professionally than I have in a very long time.  I'm so grateful for the space and time to dig into the literature, learn from other educators and interact with fellow researchers.     image source It makes me wonder why we don't provide the space and time for teachers to dive into research to enhance their own practices.  Immediately the dreaded terms inservice & professional development (PD)  come to mind.  In my experience, the time and spa