Crystal Machado, Professional Studies in Education, and Lizoon Nahar, doctoral student of Curriculum and Instruction, presented a co-authored paper, “Using Social Media and Web-Based Technology to Empower Science Teachers and Students: A Culturally Relevant Professional Development Project in Bangladesh,” at the International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership on August 5, 2021.
The theme of the conference was Ubiquitous Learning: Harnessing the Power of Digital Learning in a New World.
Abstract
Students in many parts of the global South have limited access to qualified teachers who are ready and able to experiment with student-centered pedagogy. As part of a larger mixed-method study, we describe how a teacher-leader in Bangladesh harnessed her leadership potential and became a catalyst for change. We use data from three sources: interviews, teacher and student experience surveys, and social media interaction to describe how the teacher-leader designed, initiated, and sustained the first phase of the grant-funded professional development at five urban schools. We identified the benefits of focusing on the four elements of Culturally Responsive School Leadership namely, critical self-reflection community advocacy and engagement, school culture and climate, and instructional and transformational leadership. We described how we used social media and other free web-based technologies to support teachers and build community.