By Daniel Cohen
English Teacher, Oak Park and River Forest High School;
SEED Leader

As a SEED facilitator for the past 15 years, I've designed dozens of monthly seminar sessions to help participants further their self-understanding, their analyses of social systems, and their commitment to enacting justice and equity. One topic I have taken up in these sessions is Ableism, where I use the work of Riva Lehrer, including the picture of Eli Clare here.

We at SEED were delighted when author Grace Lin recently gave a TEDx talk on "The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf" which for us resonates with SEED Founding Co-director Emily Style's "Curriculum As Window and Mirror."

As Lin shares, "Here's the thing about your window. When the light hits it just right, you don't just see the world outside. You can also see your reflection, so the window becomes a mirror. That's also what a book does."

"Dismantling Fronteras through Multicultural Education" was the theme of the recent 24th annual NAME (National Association for Multicultural Education) conference held in Tucson, Arizona. The gathering brought together over 300 educators from elementary schools, high schools and universities who are committed to educating for empowerment and social justice. SEED presented a session on "Curriculum as Window and Mirror," a concept first developed by Co-director Emily Style to show how students need to see their own stories, as well as those of others, throughout their education.