Courageous Critical Conversations: Writing Questions to Explore Tough Topics with Elementary Students
Date: Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Time: 9:00am-3:00pm
Location: Hanahau‘oli School Professional Development Center, 1922 Makiki Street, Honolulu, HI 96822
Cost: $200. Scholarships and neighbor island travel stipends are available! Please inquire here.
In this workshop, Pre-Kindergarten through 6th Grade educators will learn how to create and ask purposeful questions in the practice of Courageous Critical Conversations (CCC)–conversations on the topics of race, class, gender, privilege, sexuality, and racial violence–in elementary curricula. Offered as both a stand-alone and follow up session for those already familiar with the CCC framework, participation in a prior CCC workshop is not required.
This workshop offers an opportunity for hands-on practice with Courageous Critical Conversations. After some introductory work focusing on identity and goal-setting, participating teachers and administrators will practice writing questions around critical topics that engage, elicit, challenge, honor, and propose action for their elementary students in relation to one or more children’s texts. Participants will leave the workshop with the new and extended knowledge and confidence they need for making Courageous Critical Conversations a regular part of their teaching practice.
All workshop participants will receive two children’s books related to social/environmental justice that they can use to facilitate Courageous Critical Conversations with their students. If you are attending a second CCC workshop, you will receive new texts (not the same as the previous workshop). Lunch will be provided.
About the Facilitators:
Rayna Fujii, Ph.D. serves as the Elementary Statewide Coordinator for the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa College of Education providing licensing for K-6 teachers throughout the island state. Previously, she worked as an elementary school teacher for nine years in the Department of Education for the State of Hawaiʻi. Dr. Fujii currently teaches undergraduate courses on teacher preparation, including introduction to teaching, social studies and multicultural education. Additionally, Dr. Fujii has co-facilitated professional development workshops focused on social studies, social justice issues, CCCs and elementary social studies to in-service teachers. Dr. Fujii has presented her work at local, national and international conferences, including the International Conference for Social Justice, Schools of the Future, National Council for Social Studies, Association of Teacher Educators, and the International Conference on Education Hawai’i. Throughout her career, she continues to pursue her interests in social justice, social studies, teacher education and online/distance learning.
Rosela Balinbin Santos, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor and Cohort Coordinator at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, College of Education working with teacher candidates pursuing a Bachelor's degree in K-6 education. Dr. Balinbin Santos currently teaches undergraduate courses in teacher preparation, including introduction to teaching and social studies. She spent several summers co-teaching an inquiry into Japanese education and field study experience course with other COE faculty in partnership with a university from Japan. Dr. Balinbin Santos has also taught ethnic studies and women’s studies courses at the UH Maui College through the UH Mānoa Outreach Summer Session Program. She has co-facilitated professional development workshops focused on social studies, the Hawaiʻi Core Standards in Social Studies (HCSSS), social justice issues and Courageous Critical Conversations (CCC). Dr. Balinbin Santos serves on the UHM College of Education’s Teacher Education Committee on Social Studies and co-chairs the Tinalak Filipino Advisory Council. She has presented her work at local, national and international conferences, including the Association of Teacher Educators, International Conference for Social Justice, Schools of the Future, National Council for Social Studies, and the Hawaiʻi Educational Research Association. Throughout her career as a former elementary teacher and in higher education, Dr. Balinbin Santos continues to pursue her interests in social justice, diversity, equity and community advocacy.
Lisel Alice Murdock-Perriera, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Studies at Sonoma State University. In addition teaching preservice and in-service teachers during her Doctoral work at Stanford University and as a lecturer at Mills College, Dr. Murdock-Perriera received a three-year teaching fellowship and two independent development (TEAGLE) grants to provide training and course development in rehearsal techniques and pedagogical approaches essential to this project. She has also received small research grants to support this work through her University. Her research in this area has been presented at the Literacy Research Association Annual Conference, the American Educational Research Association Conference, and the Conference on Education and Social Justice. In addition to a publication in Professing Education, she has one manuscript in revision and one under review on the topic of critical conversations. Dr. Murdock-Perriera has coordinated with ten schools and districts and more than thirty classrooms in implementing CCCs with young children (ages 3-10) as well as teaching sections on this topic in two of her courses each semester.