Equitable Community Based Learner-Centered Ecosystems: A Transformative Vision of Education
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Macdonald, Bobbi Ruth
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Macdonald, Bobbi Ruth. 2021. Equitable Community Based Learner-Centered Ecosystems: A Transformative Vision of Education. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University Graduate School of Education.Abstract
A transformational vision for education is emerging across the country from a deep place of shared imagining and shared experience. I joined Education Reimagined, a nonprofit dedicated to learner centered education, while historic change was taking place in the country that touched the lives of every citizen; through the profound disruption and isolation caused by COVID-19, the rising awareness and activism for the Black Lives Matter movement, and the crisis in governance exposed by the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. This Capstone examines my work to find and bring together a diverse group of people and engage them in a process to invent multiple systems and templates to structure, support, and bring to life equitable, community-based, learner-centered ecosystems. Through this Capstone, I share my quest to find participants from the Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities for the working group. I investigate the nature of living systems and emergent systems change while making connections to some of the education movements in the past. I analyze my work using the National Equity Project Leading for Equity Framework (National Equity Project, 2020). Finally, I suggest three actions for the education sector: (a) invest in transformational change: gather people across sectors to imagine new possibilities for being in community inspired by living systems; (b) create strong networks to catalyze change: strengthen relationships, do the healing work together and reimagine and reclaim social community; and (c) clear the way: identify policy, structures, and systems that serve as a barrier to transformational social systems where every child is loved, honored, and free.Terms of Use
This article is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of-use#LAACitable link to this page
https://nrs.harvard.edu/URN-3:HUL.INSTREPOS:37370265
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