On Saturday, March 7, Interim TRIO Director Arash Daneshzadeh presented on the intersections between pedagogy rooted in hip hop culture, the nuance of competitive chess, and martial arts at the 8th Annual Rock the School Bells Conference.
50 people from throughout the state of California including several doctoral students and educational practitioners focusing on issues of equity actively participated in his workshop. The theoretical frameworks for Arash’s presentation included Critical Race Theory, Mattering Theory, Involvement Theory, Restorative Justice, Self-Efficacy and Cultural Mistrust. These academic strands provided the bedrock upon which students were able to participate in an engaging dialogue and demonstration of “Restorative Classrooms” deconstructed from the lens of chess strategy and cultural responsive, anti-racist teaching practices. Participants were able to learn more about how this student-centered teaching praxis, bridging theory and leadership, has parlayed into partnerships with local school districts and juvenile penal systems, as Arash is acutely focused on deconstructing the school-to-prison pipeline.
Article by Arash Daneshzadeh
