My first time visiting Leyden High School was two summers ago, when I also visited Chicago for the first time. I was there to conduct an Equity and Inclusion workshop for staff and teachers, as part of their summer Professional Development. I was very inspired by the teachers and admin staff. Their dedication to make … Continue reading How a Chicago Lunch Program is Supporting Families During COVID19
Category: Education
Interview with Education Week: Blogging for English Language Learners
My interview with Larry Ferlazzo for Education Week: LF: You write about the concept of "communicative pedagogy." Can you elaborate on it here and share some specific examples of what it might look like in the classroom? Rusul Alrubail: Communicative pedagogy is the practice in the classroom that centers the importance of interaction as one … Continue reading Interview with Education Week: Blogging for English Language Learners
Intersectionality: What “Diversity” Really Means
When we talk about "Diversity" and "Diverse spaces", what do we really mean? Do we mean to include some people, and not others? Of course, we don't mean to do that! After all, who intentionally goes out of their way to be exclusive? In today's political climate, we can't afford to think about what … Continue reading Intersectionality: What “Diversity” Really Means
Disruption in Education: It’s a good thing, and it’s more than a buzzword
This post was originally published in International Literacy Association's Literacy Today magazine. Google defines disruption as a “disturbance or problems that interrupt an event, activity, or process”. We need to look at disruption as a concept to use and implement in education, not as a problem, but as a strategy to formulate solutions to current … Continue reading Disruption in Education: It’s a good thing, and it’s more than a buzzword
Equity in Collaborative Spaces
We discuss collaboration in different spaces a great deal in and outside of education. We talk about the benefits of collaboration, the importance of it, and how it can look like. But do we ever discuss the downside of collaboration? Do we ever spend enough time to focus on how collaborative spaces can be equitable … Continue reading Equity in Collaborative Spaces
3 Diverse Children’s Books My Kids are Reading
For me, as a mom, it's so important that my kids read diverse books in school and at home. Diverse books allows children to see that there is not one variation of what it means to be human. We're all different, and representing that really well in books helps children to develop an understanding, empathy, … Continue reading 3 Diverse Children’s Books My Kids are Reading
How to Grow your Social Media Community
A little while ago, a large publishing company consulted with me to get advice on how to engage their audience and build interest-based communities. Here is a snapshot of the framework I presented to them. Your social media’s growth cycles are incremental to exponential, it embodies ripple effects to create organic growth cycles. These cycles … Continue reading How to Grow your Social Media Community
Create a Safe Space for Students to be Heard: A Workshop
The week before elections, I was invited to speak to The Hun School of Princeton students in New Jersey about the concepts of Grit and Resilience. The Hun School works to read 1 or 2 common books each year and have a conference about the theme of the books. This is such a neat way … Continue reading Create a Safe Space for Students to be Heard: A Workshop
Writing Tips
This post was originally published on The Writing Project. Introduce your Subject: If you are discussing a story, textbook, article, or a person, you need to introduce and mention the name of the subject and source. For example, "In the book, 'Of Mice and Men' the theme of loneliness is prominent to our understanding of … Continue reading Writing Tips
Literacy Beyond Reading & Writing
This post was originally published on The Writing Project. When we hear the word “literacy” immediately some of the things that come to mind are: books, reading, writing, libraries, and maybe even magazines, newspapers. But we all know that’s not what encompasses literacy. Literacy moves beyond reading and writing. It includes the process of deciphering … Continue reading Literacy Beyond Reading & Writing