BCIT Synopsis of ELA PD, Facilitated by Dr. Kim Parker  

In five 90-minute sessions, the 9th and 11th grade BCIT ELA department met the following goals through a combination of small group breakout sessions and whole group discussion:

Session Goals:

1. Identify possible alternative and supplementary texts to broaden the literary offerings of the department

2. Determine next steps for future work

3. Determine strategies for successfully teaching through sensitive topics and discuss ideas about how to implement alternate texts

Participants considered the following texts for potential incorporation in their curricula: The Patron Saints of Nothing, Piecing Me Together, Marrow Thieves, Purple Hibiscus, The Poet X, Counting Descent, Electric Arches, Homegoing, and The Other Wes Moore

In the final session, participants discussed current texts that could perpetuate “curriculum violence” and considered actions to change the curriculum to be more responsive and reflective of a range of students.