School-Based Technology Specialist Rachel Baxter brings a new perspective on inclusive learning with her passion for social justice.
Baxter is used to misconceptions about her job, the most notable being the “Technology” part of her title.
“I don’t think tech is always the answer,” Baxter said. “I think a lot of times, my job is just asking the questions.”
She refers to the 2019 Deeper Learning Conference in San Diego, California, as the moment that changed her life. It focused mainly on project-based learning, a new approach to education.
“I had all these ideas about what education should be, and that conference sort of turned it all upside down,” she said.
From then on, Baxter has devoted herself to recognizing each student’s individual strengths to personalize their learning.
“The first day I was back from that conference, we sang karaoke and danced and ripped up our essays,” she said.
She also advocates for disadvantaged students by ensuring each one has the appropriate tools to be successful.
“Because I wasn’t marginalized [in school], I think that’s why it took me so long to realize the importance of equity and cultural responsiveness,” she said.
This new perspective gained from both the Deeper Learning Conference and her awareness of social inequality has led Rachel Baxter to use her position as the School-Based Technology Specialist to help students and faculty make Marshall a more welcoming place for everyone.