10 Misconceptions About Hinduism in Society
Poster Description : This presentation is based upon a social justice project and equity audit concerning the 10 misconceptions about Hinduism in society . Using a poem titled “ A . U . M .” as a grounding technique , the nuances about Hindu American identity will be explored . Using interwoven data and accessible community resources , educational leaders will be critically engaged to better address the primary misconceptions affecting Hindu Americans , and ways to further advocacy for members of this community at the educational , governmental , and representational levels .
Poster Objectives : 1 . Describe nuances of Hinduism and the Hindu American identity . 2 . Identify actionable steps to address the misconceptions that Hindu Americans regularly face .
Themes : Instructional and co-curricular strategies for advancing DEI
Audience : PK-12 administrators and higher education faculty and administrators
Poster Presenter : Jay Mehta , Doctoral Student of Educational Leadership , Arcadia University
Biography : Jay Mehta is an English Language Arts teacher at Upper Merion Area Middle School in King of Prussia , PA . He is also a current Teach Plus Pennsylvania Policy Fellow in the working group for Expanding & Diversifying the Teacher Pipeline . He holds a B . A . in Creative Writing from The Pennsylvania State University , an M . Ed . in English Secondary Education from Arcadia University , and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Arcadia .
Supporting Inclusion through Strategic Pre-Assessment Practices
Poster Description : Students often have varying levels of background knowledge / skills needed to successfully begin a course . Yet , instructors typically utilize one-size-fits all instruction that presupposes students are uniformly ready to engage with content at identical levels . Consequently , students who start behind often stay behind , undermining efforts towards inclusivity and equity . Instructors can address this challenge by strategically pre-assessing students at the start of the course in order to glean information about students ’ varied readiness levels for engagement . Instructors can then design responsive instruction that aims to fill any identified background knowledge / skill gaps , which is critical to the goals of inclusive pedagogies .
Poster Objectives : 1 . Recognize how inclusive pedagogies involve responding to variations in students ’ background knowledge / skills and readiness levels for engaging with course content . 2 . Design pre-assessments that gather relevant data to help shape responsive instruction in instances when students ’ readiness levels vary at the start of a course .
3 . Utilize instructional strategies that can help students acquire background knowledge / skills needed for more equitable course engagement ( by creating resource collections , providing scaffolded materials , using AI , etc .).
Themes : Instructional strategies for advancing DEI