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August 15, 2024
Discover how the innovative Re-Imagining Migration Coaching App, developed in partnership with Playlab, utilizes AI to help educators create inclusive and supportive learning environments for students from diverse backgrounds.
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By Adam Strom
In a time when increasingly ugly anti-immigrant rhetoric from politicians and the media has emerged as a symptom of the predictable tension that comes with demographic change, schools are feeling the impact acutely. It’s already challenging enough to ensure we are meeting the needs of all students and families. This rhetoric exacerbates a crisis of loneliness and disconnection among students. When polarization seeps into the classroom, many students, particularly those from immigrant backgrounds, experience heightened anxiety and alienation. This, in turn, can hinder their academic performance and social interactions. As a result, it becomes crucial for schools to nurture hope and opportunity for all who walk through their halls.
Administrators and department chairs, already feeling pressure to promote achievement, may wonder how to ensure that their staff have the resources and professional support they need to address these challenges. It requires a concerted effort from educators and communities to foster an inclusive environment where all students feel valued. To achieve this, schools must become greenhouses for inclusion and connection. This involves understanding newcomers, revisiting curricula to include migration topics, and creating supportive learning environments where all students feel they belong.
While all of this can feel overwhelming, Re-Imagining Migration is here to help, providing professional development and materials for educators to improve their skills in fostering belonging among their students. While we are proud of our impact, we recognize that these efforts alone are not enough to fully meet educators' needs during these chaotic times. The challenges look different in every community, every school and every classroom. Moreover, the opportunities for interventions vary as well.
This tool aims to help educators transform the learning experience by promoting the knowledge, skills and dispositions all young people need to thrive in a world of migration and change.
The good news is that with support, the efforts of individual teachers and schools can make a big difference in young people’s lives. The challenge has been ensuring educators receive the targeted support they need. Through a groundbreaking partnership with Playlab, the leading education-focused AI platform, Re-Imagining Migration has developed a prototype generative AI professional coaching tool. This tool aims to help educators transform the learning experience by promoting the knowledge, skills and dispositions all young people need to thrive in a world of migration and change.
The app draws upon the Re-Imagining Framework (developed by Veronica Boix Mansilla from Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education) as well as more than 700 resources, educator stories, lessons, reflection materials, study guides and teaching tools we have developed. As educators interact with the app, suggestions for modules and resources are tailored to address their specific needs based on what they have shared about their goals, students, communities and roles.
Our partners at Playlab have told us that more than 400 educators have already engaged with this innovative tool. So, how are people using it to create curriculum, develop protocols for welcoming recently arrived students, plan professional development, and address various challenges in their classrooms?
Example: An educator working with K-12 and college-level English as a Second Language students in North Carolina expressed concerns about their students' sense of belonging. The app introduced them to the inspiring story of Sandy Mendoza, a Florida teacher who launched the International Café for her ELL students. This initiative allowed students to share their migration stories and cultural backgrounds, fostering a sense of community. Students became a welcoming committee for the school, greeting peers with signs that reflected the diverse languages spoken in their community, helping to create an inclusive and supportive environment.
Example: A high school teacher in Philadelphia, working with students from refugee backgrounds, utilized the app to delve into migration narratives. By integrating personal and historical migration stories into the curriculum, the teacher crafted lessons that resonated with students' experiences. This approach not only enhanced engagement but also helped students see themselves in the material, making learning more relevant and meaningful.
Example: An educator supporting teachers across various contexts used the app to explore the Re-Imagining Migration Framework. This framework encourages educators to reflect on essential questions, such as who the young people they are educating are and how to prepare them for a world on the move. By understanding their students' diverse backgrounds, educators can develop inclusive teaching strategies that enrich the learning environment, ultimately benefiting all students.
Example: A teacher in Italy sought to foster family engagement through storytelling activities. The app suggested organizing family story-sharing sessions based on a pilot project Veronica Boix Mansilla led in Virginia, where immigrant families could share their cultural narratives. This initiative not only strengthened community ties but also nurtured cultural pride among students and their families, creating a supportive network that enhances the school environment.
Example: A teacher focused on enhancing student belonging through writing activities. The app provided guidance on using personal narratives and peer editing sessions, enabling students to express their migration experiences. This practice fostered a supportive classroom community, allowing students to connect through shared stories and reflections.
These examples illustrate the diverse ways the Re-Imagining Migration Coaching App can be leveraged to create inclusive and engaging learning environments. We encourage you to explore and adapt these ideas to fit your unique context. Together, we can build classrooms that celebrate diversity and empower all students to thrive. Your commitment to creating an inclusive environment is vital, and the Re-Imagining Migration Coaching App is here to support you in that important work.
To foster ongoing dialogue, we invite you to share your experiences using the app and any adaptations you've made; contact us at [email protected]. Together, we can enhance this resource and continue to support each other in building belonging in our schools.
Join the team from the AI Educator Brain, which includes AFT’s Share My Lesson director Kelly Booz; New York City Public Schools teacher Sari Beth Rosenberg and EdBrAIn, our AI teammate (yes, it named and designed itself!). In this community, we will dissect the pros and cons of AI tools in education. Our mission: to determine how AI can support teaching and learning, and when it might be best to stick with tried-and-true methods.
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