Education Commons^™

The Cypher: “We've Been Inside These Systems”, Andrew Carter, Eghosa Obaizamomwan-Hamilton, Simple Ant, Stacey C. Ault

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

In this track, Black Educology Mixtape Producers Ant, Dre, and Eghosa sit around a virtual roundtable to discuss what has brought us to create a second volume of BE. Our conversation moves and meanders as we refrain and chorus each other's thoughts and experiences. We talk about systems. A lot. The systems of thought, systems of oppression, the systems of education that have led us to seek others to join in an ongoing and creative discussion that centerers Black experiences in formal and informal educational settings. In editing our cypher, we have done our best to preserve our spoken language …

Making Us Matter Workbook: Combating Anti-Blackness And White Supremacy: And Other Conversations About Racism In Schools, Eghosa Obaizamomwan-Hamilton

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

The Making Us Matter Workbook was designed to inspire communities to initiate and organize a small Clapback Collective that is well-informed and has developed a collective strategy to deal with racism and anti-Blackness in the culture and curriculum of their educational institutions. The author aims to help students and educators develop understanding, utilize tools, and employ strategies needed to effectively combat anti-blackness and racial injustice in their schools. This multi-media resource serves as both syllabus and workbook by providing structure, source material, exercises, discussion questions, and vocabulary needed to turn this knowledge into a comprehensive and collective plan toward educational …

Quiet Quitting Or Just Tired As Hell?: Embracing The Challenging Reality Of Work-Life Balance As A Black Woman In Academia, Wyletta Gamble-Lomax

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

Quiet quitting is a phenomenon that has swept the globe as result of burnout and apathy in the work environment. The result of deeper issues causes some employees to disengage in the professional environment. After reflection, there was a personal realization that quiet quitting was not my issue, but instead I was tired of the juggling act required for maintaining a healthy work-life balance in academia. Three practical approaches to implement when explicitly and intentionally dealing with the challenge of work-life balance in academia, particularly as a Black woman are (1) learning to say no, (2) establishing healthy boundaries, and …

Blackcrit Mothering, Kassie Michelle Phillips

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

The author of the track, Dr.Kassie Alexander, moves to create a theorization called BlackCrit Mothering(BCM) as a theoretical framework. This track brings light to new terminology through the scope of Safety and violence, trauma, and Black Women’s health to frame how the lived experiences of Mothering While Black continue to unfold in various political climates. She explains that to understand the intersection of Mothering and being Black, we must take a deep look at Black Mothers in their various systems that continuously put race and gender at the forefront of how Black Mothers are treated. It is significant to pay …

Erasure And Resistance: Dyeing For Black And Brown Lives, Mary Rambaran-Olm

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

As a scholar of pre-Conquest England, I was faced with the challenge of being both invisible and hyper-visible. The mental and physical toll this takes on racialized scholars in predominantly white fields is immense, which leads to many of us leaving. This track explores my departure from academia, how Black people in history and in academia are often erased and how fiber arts is utilized as a form of resistance. Resistance of hegemony and white supremacy can come in ways we least expect. Accordingly, this track examines how fiber arts has served as a form of liberation and helped me …

Dream Out Loud, Gerald Griffin

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

This opinion piece explores priorities and perspectives to help institutions facilitate the actualization of dreams and goals of a diverse faculty body. Moreover, the author relates personal stories and experiences to help transition institutions from surveilling faculty (looking for deficits) to watching faculty with a lens of enhancing professional growth. In all, this piece shares the hope that shifting paradigms at the institutional level will help increase the multitudes of subjects and approaches in the realm of recognized scholarship.

Black Teacher, Black Mommy: Co-Conspirators For Equity In American Public Schools, Shartriya Collier

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

This narrative piece is a reflection of one Black mother’s experience with navigating the public education system in a large city in the United States. The author explores the humbling and often powerless moments she feels as an educator with over 21 years of experience, yet also as a first-time mother of a Black girl. She discusses the impactful Black teachers and other co-conspirators who helped to advocate for her and her daughter, Aya, during their schooling journey thus far. She concludes by referring back to her own father’s text, which outlines a framework for transformational education for Black children …

The Inequity Of Education, Kaylee J. Hernandez

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

The Educational institution in the United States has become a contentious issue inprevious and ongoing elections, with terms ranging from CRT to the “Don’t Say Gay” movement brought up more frequently, social issues have become more prevalent in discussions correlating with how we educate our future generations. However, despite all the discussion, we fail to recognize the core issue of all these ongoing conversations: discrimination. This track addresses the inherent biases within the current educational system impacting the learning experiences of marginalized people, as well as how this affects their lives. This track focuses on a widely known issue: the …

Show Up And Show Out, Young Homie: Performative Assimilation For Black Boys In The Face Of Anti-Blackness In Informal Stem Environments, Kareem Edouard, Taquan S. Stewart

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

The main objective of this track was to investigate the complex identity negotiations that Black boys face in informal STEM learning environments. This track is dedicated to offering concrete solutions and insights, illustrating how the confluence of diverse identities impacts and molds the experiences of Black boys as they journey through these educational landscapes. Through this exploration, the track intends to illuminate the distinct challenges and prospects Black boys face in engaging in informal STEM environments.

The 10th Amendment: The Preclusion Of An Equal Education, Jamez E. Dudley

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

“The 10th Amendment: The Preclusion of an Equal Education,” scrutinizes how the Tenth Amendment impacts the U.S. public education system. The study argues that the decentralized nature of education policy inadvertently perpetuates educational disparities, despite historical milestones like Brown v. Board of Education. The study actively explores systemic challenges, including uneven resource allocation, disciplinary practices, and culturally insensitive staffing. It contends that the Tenth Amendment's delegation of educational governance necessitates a fundamental constitutional shift to rectify these issues. Advocating for collective action, the study actively proposes a comprehensive reimagining of public education, emphasizing equity, representation, and resource allocation. The abstract …

African Diaspora Literacy - The Mixtape: Learning Through And From The African Diaspora, Jarvais J. Jackson

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

This paper reveals the lasting significance of music in Black folx experiences, highlighting its various roles from communication to healing. It introduces African diaspora literacy as a solution to distorted Black histories in classrooms, promoting understanding and unity with a pro-Black stance. The study is centered on Black Joy and uses a mixtape format to navigate six key historical periods that promote pioneerism, resilience, and innovation. This engaging exploration of African diaspora literacy provides an active framework for educators and individuals to celebrate the wealth of Black culture.

Truth Be Told: Utilizing Music To (Re)Define The Narrative Of Black Women Educators’ Lived Experiences, Christina Fields, Gloria Howell, Shetina Jones

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

The experiences of Black women in the academy are unique and extremely nuanced. In this track, we utilize Black feminist thought (BFT) to explore how music can be used to [re]define Black women educators’ lived experiences. We meaningfully and symbolically explore song lyrics from notable Black women artists to uncover how racism, sexism, and other interlocking systems of oppression and privilege manifest in and create barriers for Black women to thrive and sustain in educational environments. By utilizing pop cultural analysis methodologies, we engage in storytelling as cultural productions, to not only highlight authentic counternarratives but also challenge dominant narratives …

Let Us Celebrate: Negotiating Black Joy In Academic (Un)Conference Spaces, Nathaniel D. Stewart, J.B. Mayo Jr.

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

This co-authored piece shares a story about how two Black conference-goers negotiated joy in an (un)conference space. In turn, finding celebration within sometimes volatile, traditional academic conferences. Black Educology scholarship would benefit from more specific investigations into how Black conference-goers celebrate each other across their dynamic identities. We inquire about how a conference session co-facilitator (Nate) and an audience member (JB) negotiated, experienced, and built relationships across their positionalities and roles in the (un)conference space. We interpreted themes from our dialogue, post-session conversations, converged lived experiences, intercollegiate exchanges, symposium planning agendas, and written notes. The three themes, Convergent Social Localities, …

Cultivating An Environment Of Black J.O.Y. In Educational Settings, Kamshia Childs

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

Jubilantly creating

Opportunities and possibilities to be

You…authentically and unapologetically.

This track focuses on creating and facilitating an environment of Black Joy within educational environments—particularly those environments that have not always been welcoming, affirming, or equitable. The track will first seek to explore current research and literature about Black Joy in schools, and then share strategies and curriculum ideas that promote authentic experiences with learning inside and outside of the classroom. The track closes with 29 tips that promote the uplifting and amplification of Black voices and the Black experience within education.

The Miseducation Of Black Youth: Black Youth Spittin’ Lyrical Lessons Of Black Joy, Laughter, And Affirmation In The Rural South, Julia A. Lynch, Beth Gafford, Jarvais J. Jackson

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

This counter-storytelling performance highlights the educational experiences of Black youth living in the Rural Black South. In the shadows of critical race theory and critical teaching pedagogy, the researchers draw from BlackMothering scholarship as a theoretical framework to illuminate insights into how Black faculty create critical pedagogy to help make students more critical consumers of their educational experiences and provide them with skills to produce counternarratives. The researchers created a critical teaching project that allowed Black youth participants space to critically reflect, interrogate, and dialogue about their educational experiences and in doing so the youth created verses to song telling …

The Esoteric Relationship Among Black Teachers: A Collaborative Autoethnography Exploring How Schools Work As A Disservice To Black Teachers, Virginia Redwine Johnson, Aminah Crawford, Salandra Grice, Quinita Ogletree

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

In an effort to shed light on the experiences of Black girls in an after-school program, this study captures how their peer and teacher relationships were impacted by in-school suspension(s). Over the course of eight weeks, an ethnographic case study was conducted with two kindergarten Black girls who attended a predominately white after-school program. Using critical race theory and critical race feminism, this study adds to existing literature that reveals the harmful nature of in-school disciplinary practices on Black and Brown students in general, and Black girls in particular. The results of this study reveal how in-school punishment spills over …

Exploring Liberatory Practices Of Dreamkeepers, Yaribel Mercedes, Ashira Mothersil, Bettina L. Love

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

In this paper, we interviewed four extremely accomplished Black educators who represent a range of disciplines, ages, and levels of education. We relied on referrals from peers in the field, then determined whether those individuals were exemplary Black educators using the extraordinary historian, psychologist, and teacher Dr. Asa Hillard’s definition of a master teacher. The four educators we ultimately selected met those criteria. Our lengthy conversations with each educator explored their drive, inspiration, joy, and practices in the journey toward becoming and being a Black liberatory educator.

“They’Re Always Actin Up”: Exploring The Impacts Of In-School Disciplinary Policies In Out-Of-School Spaces., Nakisha Whittington

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

In an effort to shed light on the experiences of Black girls in an after-school program, this study captures how their peer and teacher relationships were impacted by in-school suspension(s). Over the course of eight weeks, an ethnographic case study was conducted with two kindergarten Black girls who attended a predominately white after-school program. Using critical race theory and critical race feminism, this study adds to existing literature that reveals the harmful nature of in-school disciplinary practices on Black and Brown students in general, and Black girls in particular. The results of this study reveal how in-school punishment spills over …

“Am I No Longer Gifted?”: Imagining A More Capacious World For Black Girls In Alternative Education, Taryrn T.C. Brown, Brittany N. Anderson, Kiarra Wigfall

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

Advancing the discourse on the experiences of historically marginalized students in alternative learning settings, this track delves into the intricate terrain through which Black girls in alternative education navigate their high-ability and gifted educational journeys within these distinctive learning environments. In this sphere, we advance the evolution of innovative theoretical and pedagogical paradigms in alternative education, transcending conventional boundaries and drawing from the diverse lived experiences of Black girls. In this regard, the conceptualization of the Black Girl Educology (BGE) framework embodies this ethos, fostering an environment conducive to inquiry and exploration of essential variables in alternative education. Our BGE …

Insisting On Success As Resistance: Building An Ecosystem Of Black Joy, Laughter And Affirmation, Whitney Hanley, Breanya Hogue

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

School climate is a complex system involving norms, goals, values, relationships, practices and organizational structures. It includes the composition of the school and school practices. School composition encompasses the social and economic characteristics of a school, whereas school practice includes administrative leadership and the utilization of resources (Anyon et al., 2016; Opdenakker & Van Damme, 2006; Rumberger & Palardy, 2005; Thapa et al., 2013). If students do not feel their needs are being met by their school environment their emotional, psychological and academic needs are at risk (Cohen et al., 2009; Connell & Welborn, 1991; Libbey, 2004). Black students in …

Are U.S. Schools Obsolete?: Examining An Anti-Black Carceral System Of Schooling, Re’Nyqua Farrington

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

When studying the link between U.S. prisons and schools, educational research widely relies on the school-to-prison pipeline (STTP) to understand how students are funneled from the schoolhouse to the jailhouse. However, this track critiques the STTP framework for its limitations in understanding how schools operate like prisons for Black students. Further, this track applies a prison abolitionist perspective to analyze the function of schooling for Black students and suggests that Black educational justice and liberation exist outside of the modern-day schoolhouse. Thus, this track begins by specifying the connections between U.S. schools and prison abolition. It goes on to explicate …

We Have Arabic At This School?: The Impact Of Neoliberalism And Orientalism On Arabic Education In The United States, Ella V. Pastore

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research examines Arabic education in the United States at the undergraduate level, highlighting the question: How do forces such as Orientalism, globalization, and neoliberalism affect the way that the Arabic language is taught and recognized in the United States? The Arabic programs of three highly accredited American universities are presented, in relation to their Japanese programs. While Japanese is a language that faces its own Orientalisms and imperial history with the West, Japan is currently not a country that is prioritized through national security interests, with Arabic being designated as a “Critical Language”. Through examination of the advertisement of …

From Margins To Museums: Tracing The Evolution Of Representation For Contemporary African Artists In The United States, Victoria Mouraux Durand-Ruel

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement on the art community in the United States and the evolution of representation for Contemporary African artists. By analyzing the careers and artistic contributions of Omar Ba, Toyin Ojih Odutola, and Njideka Akunyili Crosby, the study explores the concept of artistic agency according to which African artists have more control over the production and distribution of their works.

The research begins with a comprehensive literature review, investigating the historical contexts that have shaped the art landscape, including the impact of colonization, decolonization, and globalization. The study reveals how these …

Advancing Justice: A History Of The School Of Education At The University Of San Francisco, Alan Ziajka

School of Education Faculty Research

In 1947, the University of San Francisco began a Department of Education that originally enrolled twenty-two secondary credential students. After significant enrollment growth and program development, the Department of Education was upgraded to the School of Education by the USF Board of Trustees in 1972. By the 2022-2023 academic year, there were more than one thousand students enrolled in the School of Education in a wide range of doctoral, master’s, credential, and certificate programs.

The School of Education celebrated its 50th anniversary during the 2022-23 academic year, during which it offered eighteen master’s and credential programs to prepare teachers, counselors, …

A Case Study Of A School-Supported Extracurricular Activity's Influence On Stem Identity And Interest For Females, Letta Meyer

Doctoral Dissertations

Even though there has been a narrowing of the gender gap in STEM, there is still a pronounced gap in the physical sciences, engineering, and computer science. Females who persist in these fields have a strong STEM identity, including developing specific STEM interests. Females can develop STEM identity through long-term, active involvement in extracurricular STEM programs. Extracurricular STEM programs significantly impact the persistence of females in the STEM pipeline. This case study examined the effect of Science Olympiad, an extracurricular STEM program, on current high school students and alumnae’s perceptions of their STEM identity and personal specific STEM interest. Potential …

Uncorking The Speaking Skill: Wine And Prosody In Conversation, Efren Antonio Serra

Master's Projects and Capstones

Although the skill of speaking is necessary for attaining basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS), most traditional second language acquisition programs base their pedagogy and curriculums on lexis and grammar of the written form and phonology/phonetics. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate how to effectively adapt content-specific material for developing the speaking skill at community colleges with adult students who are interested in pursuing a career in the wine industry as a sommelier. Courses for becoming a sommelier or a server in the wine industry are traditionally offered at community colleges under the culinary arts and hospitality management programs, …

Braiding Hearts/Corazones: The Healing Of Intergenerational Stories, Nicole A. Buchanan, Glendy V. Alvarez

Master's Theses

This field project incorporates the practice of fluid desire into the context of migration educational spaces within spaces such as the University of San Francisco Migration Studies Program (MIMS) and nonprofit organization Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS). Our research objective is to explore the importance of educational spaces for communities who are impacted by migration and how these spaces may allow these communities to be authentically themselves and embody fluid desire. We articulate fluid desire as a practice and state of being that encompasses complementary work from various scholars who focus on one or more components: (1) desire-centered; (2) advocacy …

Beyond Carceral "Solutions": Using Transformative Human Rights Education In Domestic Violence Prevention, Alli E. Rios

Master's Projects and Capstones

Domestic violence is a choice a person makes to gain and exert absolute power and control over another person. Unfortunately, the predominant structure for addressing domestic violence - the criminal justice system - is rife with problematic social and structural constructs, like patriarchy, white supremacy, and neoliberalism, which are themselves rooted in issues of power and control (Acheson, 2022). The influence of these factors, which are largely defined by exploitative hierarchies, helps to explain why domestic violence remains prevalent. To more effectively address and prevent domestic violence, research suggests that comprehensive policy and curricular reform are necessary on multiple levels …

Final Report: Oer Textbook For Core A2 Courses, Cathy Gabor, Leigh Meredith

USF OER Faculty Grant

This report provides an overview of the project completed with OER grant funds received from USF’s Gleeson Library in 2021. Our OER project was to create a textbook that would reduce costs for students in USF’s current Core A2 classes, including RHET 120, 250, 295 and HONC 132. It was also intended to provide a “multimodal” (writing, speaking, digital) approach to composition to reflect best practices and pedagogical innovations in the teaching of composition and communication. This report will cover the specific plan for the OER, what was accomplished, what assessment efforts were undertaken, and areas for further development. Findings …

White Womanhood: Finding Oppositional Epistemologies And Community At The Intersection Of Whiteness And Womanhood, Hannah Joy Fischer

Doctoral Dissertations

White women continue to contribute to the reproduction and maintenance of White supremacy even when they attempt to pursue antiracism. To better understand their antiracist agency, this study analyzed White women’s experiences and comprehension of White womanhood. Using phenomenology and critical autoethnography, this qualitative study invited six self-proclaimed antiracist White women to participate in individual interviews, attend two focus groups, and reflect on five guided prompts on White womanhood and antiracist action. The study revealed antiracist White women’s feelings of responsibility and lack of perceived agency for antiracist action. Participants demonstrated attempts to disengage from whiteness while also expressing desires …