Step 1: Consider the Images

In this image entitled: "Equality?", two children of equal height are standing on two ladders with equal size and height. They both are carrying bags to pick apples.
However, the tree has more apples on one side of it than the other. Also, the tree has a slight bend to it which means the child to the left of the tree can easily reach the fruit, while the child to the right of the tree cannot reach the fruit at all. The result is one child's bag full of fruit. The child who does not have fruit has raised arms and an exclamation point overhead that seems to suggest the child is wondering how they're supposed to get any fruit. — *By Tony Ruth, based on Shel Silverstein's Giving Tree for John Maeda's 2019 Design in Tech Report*

As in the previous image, with this image, entitled "Equity," two children of equal height are standing on ladders and carry bags to use to store any apples they pick.
The tree is also the same as in the previous image—it has more apples on one side of it than the other as well as a slight bend to it. However, in this image, the child on the right now has a ladder tall enough to reach the apples. Although there are still less apples to select from than those in front of the child's peer, the child on the taller ladder now is able to fill their bag with apples. — *By Tony Ruth, based on Shel Silverstein's Giving Tree for John Maeda's 2019 Design in Tech Report*

Equality aims to ensure that everyone gets the same things in order to enjoy full, healthy lives. Like equity, equality aims to promote fairness and justice, but it can only work if everyone starts from the same place and needs the same things.

Equity involves trying to understand and give people what they need to enjoy full, healthy lives.

Take another look at the image of equity below.

This image is a repeat of the previous equity image. Two children of equal height are standing on ladders and carry bags to use to store any apples they pick.
The tree is also the same as in the previous image—it has more apples on one side of it than the other as well as a slight bend to it. However, in this image, the child on the right now has a ladder tall enough to reach the apples. Although there are still less apples to select from than those in front of the child's peer, the child on the taller ladder now is able to fill their bag with apples. — *By Tony Ruth, based on Shel Silverstein's Giving Tree for John Maeda's 2019 Design in Tech Report*

The image of equity is what the education system seeks to achieve—that every student has the tools and supports they need to access the same opportunities and resources. However, it also is problematic in that the focus for addressing inequality is on fixing the child.

The final image below, Justice, helps us refocus our attention from the ladder to something else—the tree itself.

In this image entitled, "Justice," the same two children are present with bags for apples, and their bags are filled with apples. In this image, however, the tree has equal amounts of fruit on both sides. And there is scaffolding pushing and holding the tree in an upright position so that both children can stand on ladders of the same size and height and successfully reach the fruit and fill their bags. — *By Tony Ruth, based on Shel Silverstein's Giving Tree for John Maeda's 2019 Design in Tech Report*

In the Justice image, the tree represents the system; and instead of fixing the child, the image shows how we can fix the system to achieve justice. In the work to advance equity, we must simultaneously address the needs of individual students while also understanding that the educational system needs to be fixed, as it is tilted to favor some students over others. In order to truly achieve justice and equity, as individuals, we must focus on addressing systemic barriers by building our own knowledge, skills, attitudes, and predispositions to be more aware of our own biases and to become culturally responsive and sustaining educators.

Step 2: Reflect in Your Journal

If you did not download your Cluster 1 Reflection Journal in Module 0, please download it now and save it in a place you can access throughout the course. You will use this same document throughout your engagement with Cluster 1 activities.

Open your Cluster 1 Journal and go to Activity 1.1 where you will reflect on Equality vs. Equity vs. Justice. Keep your Module 1 Reflection Journal handy as you will be using it throughout Module 1.

Remember: You are a public official. Your reflections may be requested and might be considered a public record based on your school’s or district’s legal counsel. Posts to the Padlet Community Wall are anonymous unless you add your name to your post. There is no state records retention policy for reflections within a training environment like these professional learning modules.