To contribute to our collaborative glossary, you should choose a couple of words to define, or contribute words that are not yet part of the list but that relate to what you’ve learned and considered this week (i.e. these terms might be “accessibility,” “Universal Design for Learning,” or “equity” this week).
These words might be new to you, or they might be words that are already deeply familiar. Your definitions can be working definitions, or definitions that are already fairly well-developed.
Because we all come from different fields, we all have different identities and life experiences, and we all have different types of knowledge to contribute, you might hold a different definition of a word than someone else does. Rather than erasing their definition to replace it with your own, think about how you could add to what is already there. You might do this through using the comment function or the suggestion function on Google Docs, for example.
Another way to be mindful: consider that the way that you enjoy receiving feedback might be different than the way that someone else does. Some language for challenging and pushing back on a definition:
- Could you explain more what you mean when you say XYZ?
- What I’m hearing you say is XYZ. Am I getting that right?
- From my experience / perspective as [identity]…
- It feels risky to say, but…
- I’m not sure if this will make sense, but…
Some other ideas for language come appear in Özlem Sensoy and Robin DiAngelo’s article on the importance of building students’ stamina for engaging with difficult ideas in social justice education.
Remember: the purpose of a collaborative glossary is not to agree on the meaning of the words, but rather, to have a place where we are all defining / explaining terms together and teaching each other about what we each know or want to know.
You can access the glossary and some further instructions on how to add a term or contribute a definition in the “Collaboration Materials” folder on the Google Drive. If you have filled out the Welcome Survey, you should have already received access to the Google folder. If you haven’t received access, please e-mail me at [email protected].
