Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons^™

Rethinking School Curriculum Through Dewey, Michael Crosby

Curriculum Studies Summer Collaborative (2011-2025)

Presenter will provide.

Cssc Program [2018], Cssc

Curriculum Studies Summer Collaborative (2011-2025)

N/A

Using Literacy And Culturally Responsive Pedagogy To Enhance Science Content, Lacey D. Huffling, Alma D. Stevenson

Curriculum, Foundations & Reading: Faculty Presentations (1994-2023)

Come experience NGSS-focused lessons developed to incorporate literacy and culturally responsive pedagogies into middle grades science classrooms. Leave with resources to use in your classroom.

Steering At Risk Students In The Right Direction On Life's Highway, Sheila Coats Mrs.

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

The commitment of the W.O.R.K.S. Program is to educate our students for life, so they can maximize their potential and the totality of their lives: academically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Choices And Consequences: A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste, Ian Elmore-Moore, Demecca Jones, Jalani Traxler, John Doyle, Jimez Alexander

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Choices and Consequences: A Mind is a Terrible thing to Waste, is designed for school and community leaders to learn about the human brain. According to Dr. Nirav Shah, a board certified neurosurgeon, “The brain is arguably the most important organ in the human body. It controls and coordinates actions and reactions, allows us to think and feel, and enables us to have memories and feelings – all the things that make us human”. Within our presentation we will highlight the benefits or incorporating brain based instructional practices into the modern classroom. We will display our innovative brain based curriculum …

Cultivating A Culture Of Creativity – One Spam Carving At A Time!, Kasey L. Bozeman

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Educational researchers find that creativity and imagination are essential for learning, especially for difficult to reach students. How can you have a creativity-building activity that also develops critical social, emotional, and life skills for youth-at-risk populations? Educators from all areas can learn how to implement a series of creative challenges, such as mind puzzles, mystery games, and even Spam—yes, the canned meat—carving!

Literacy For Life: Daily Reading Effectively Promotes Success (Reps), Karen Washington, Terecia Gill

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Literacy is at the heart of basic education and essential for eradicating poverty, achieving equality, and ensuring that all students have the opportunity for lifelong success. Administrators, instructional coaches, and teachers will be fascinated by the simple, but effective strategy for improving the literacy skills of students at risk through authentic, highly-engaging daily “REPS” activities in every class.

The School Of Belonging: A Culture Building Process For Schools And Classrooms, David A. Levine

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

The School of belonging focuses on social and emotional culture building within the school and classroom settings. In this session we will explore the most effective ways to engage students and build community, by implementing diverse teaching methods while creating an emotionally safe school free from bullying and other low-level forms of aggressive behaviors.

Changing The Music: Understanding Educational Obstacles For Youth In Foster Care, Amie J. Stearns, Iyc

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Due to increased tendency of children in foster care placements to perform poorly in school and to become involved with the juvenile justice system, there is a dire need for school districts to improve support systems for this vulnerable student group. This presentation may be of most interest to conference attendees as it explores the specific barriers which may hinder educational success for youth in foster care.

The Beacon In Our Journey: Next Stop: From Student Voice To Student Action, Helen J. Webster, Norman L. Coleman, Beth W. Hester

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Is it possible to reduce the achievement gap simply by implementing effective instructional practices? Francis Scott Key Middle School in Montgomery County Maryland has learned that building the cultural proficiency of teachers goes beyond classroom practices. The school’s Student Voice Project has transformed ideas about instruction by empowering students’ voices and investing in the infinite power of students’ actions.

Why Peer Intervention Is Viable, Cynthia L. Morton, Antoinette Dunstan, Candice Anderson, Monica Seeley

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Welcome to the "Age of Indifference". Unfortunately, our culture is so busy looking at our own problems and issues that we have systematically stopped caring about others. However, if our culture would embrace a system based on collaboration and compassion, we may lessen many social and psychological issues that impact youth today.

Implementing A 5th Quarter Program For At-Risk Student Athletes - "Getting Them To The 3e'S - Enrolled, Enlisted Or Employed!", Ahmand Tinker, William Silveri

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

The primary focus and design of the program is to have the student athlete who has participated in the school's athletic academic support program be prepared and equipped to enroll in college, enlist in the military, or be gainfully employed after high school; simply known as the 3E's.

(Re)Learning To Question: Curriculum Studies And (Re)Thinking Science For The 21st Century, Anthony Jerome Stawiery

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation proposes a science literacy which revisits the nature of science and how it has fallen away from its inquiry-based roots and has become a tool for oppression and exclusion. The epistemological roots of science begin with curiosity and questioning. Asking questions is also foundational to democratic society. A critical science literacy emphasizes the need to question and to remain curious. Such skills can be incorporated across multiple disciplines. Therefore, this dissertation proposes science literacy not as a literacy in the life or physical sciences, but as a methodology of inquiry, a skillset that nurtures curiosity and strengthens critique. …

The Exertion Of A Choice: An Ecofeminist Vision ~ Aesthetic, Embodied, And Connected Learning, Sharon M. Eswine

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, I build upon Darwin’s (1859/1964) metaphor of the complex biological tangle of a river bank - plants, birds, insects, and earth - to paint a picture of transformative learning as aesthetic (Dewey, 1934/2005; Eisner, 1998, 2002b; Greene, 1995, 2001; Liston, 2001), and embodied (Dewey, 1958; Johnson, 2007; Shusterman, 2006), and thereby connected to the learner’s life experience, including his/her/their ecological, cultural, and historic situatedness. I call this complication of Darwin’s metaphor the ecofeminist tangled bank. For my purposes, an ecofeminist theoretical framework provides a means of analyzing oppressive conceptual frameworks that perpetuate hierarchy and domination, and which …

I, Too, Am A Woman: An Emancipatory Text On The Intersections Of Race, Gender, And Sexuality, Michelle M. Allen

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This inquiry builds upon Black Feminism and Critical Race Feminist frameworks by exploring the juxtaposition between Black Women and Queer Black Women. It is also an exploration of the similarities between Queer Black Women and Black Women and how they interact with femininity and masculinity, patriarchy, and heteronormativity. Claiming digital space through podcasting, it honors the power of counter narratives by employing autoethnographical story telling. It examines the multivalent ways in which critical geographies, safe spaces, and homeplaces nurture or alienate Black Women on the basis of sexual orientation, gender performance, race, and social class. Employing tenets of Black Feminist …

Embracing The Bounty: Countering The Curriculum Of Deficit, Diana Bishop

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Embracing the Bounty: Countering the Curriculum of Deficit (2018) addresses the restrictive nature of neoliberalism and offers alternative perspectives and possibilities for change by countering the curriculum of deficit now prevalent in the United States – a curriculum reflective of neoliberalism’s invasion of public schools and the rationality that reduces students, teachers, and schools to statistics emphasizing economic value above all else. In this dissertation, the impact of neoliberalism on public schools and its destructive effects are discussed as are alternative philosophical frameworks. Through a series of essays, I explore how a curriculum of deficit infiltrated American public schools and …

Carving My Own Bench By The Road: Examining The Seats Of Power For Black Women Educators Through Playwriting, Dawn C. Whipple

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In my dissertation inquiry, I explore the seats of power held by Black women educators in secondary education public schools in Georgia. Theoretically building upon such works as Black feminist thought (Hill Collins, 2000, e.g., hooks, 1981;), womanism (Walker, 2004; Phillips, 2006), critical race theory (Bell, 1992; Delgado, 1989), and engaged pedagogy (hooks, 1994), I create a play explore the oppression experienced by Black women educators who empower themselves for the benefit of students, in some cases abdicate their power, and in a few instances use their power to oppress others (Freire, 1970). The play is crafted based upon government …

A Multicultural Education Praxis: Integrating Past And Present, Living Theories, And Practice, Peggy A. Shannon-Baker

Curriculum, Foundations & Reading: Faculty Publications

In our current climate of heightened conservatism and criticism, multicultural education is as important as ever. This article argues for the need to reframe multicultural education as a praxis based on its social justice- oriented principles, values, and practices. Using practitioner action research, I examine my implementation of such a praxis in a college course. I discuss critical reflections on demonstrating the interconnections between current and historical social movements, theory and lived experiences, and the students’ and my learning. I conclude by arguing that reframing multicultural education as a praxis could encourage more coalitions within and beyond schools.

Content Matters--Teaching "The Case For Reparations," 9-12, Tamara Jaffe-Notier, Carol Friedman

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

We offer specific materials and plans for teaching the structure and content of Ta-Nehisi Coates' persuasive essay, "The Case for Reparations," and building trustworthy relationships with and among students. By participating in this interactive session, you will practice teaching five specific high school appropriate lessons addressing requisite knowledge and skills for studying this essay, from real estate redlining to building academic vocabulary for rhetorical analysis.

Experience And Enjoy Therapeutic West African Drumming, Danny S. Daniels

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation is designed to introduce the benefits of a therapeutic West African drumming program to educators and mental health professionals. Participants will engage in a basic drumming class where they will experience the academic and socio-emotional benefits of drumming while practicing an African rhythm. How to relate American School Counselor Association (ASCA) standards as well as Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) and Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) will be explained and demonstrated by the presentation facilitators.

Teaching Sweet (Students Who Have Experienced Extreme Trauma), Mavis J. Averill

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

High school youth who live in the inner city, many of First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) descent, have traditionally had struggles within school systems. Many have had a great deal of personal trauma in their lives. This presentation subscribes to the idea that the trauma they have experienced has affected them in a way, which compromises learning and causes students to be continually distracted from their classroom lessons. The presentation will illustrate how to work with these youth using trauma-informed teaching practices to support their emotional, behavioural, mental and spiritual well being.

Teaching The Value Of Work Through School And Community Integration, Sharon Singleton, Jason Bossart

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Bonnie Brae is a 100 year old residential treatment facility for youth at-risk. Recognizing a need to implement experiential learning into our school, we have effectively collaborated and partnered with numerous community non-profit organizations for work experience. Because of this integration, our boys are prepared to successfully transition from the residential environment knowing the importance of interpersonal skills and the value of work.

Cultivating Ecological Literacy And Rethinking Our Connections To Nature, Sean Fretwell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation I explore the complex, often contested, relationships between humankind and nature. I consider the changing state of these relationships as they are influenced by factors rooted in science, technology, and economics. I also examine these relationships as they relate to human activities with agriculture. Considering the present state of environmental crisis and the abundance of evidence indicating the deleterious activities of humankind as primary causes for the many global calamities, I argue for revising industrially-driven ideologies; particularly those driven by the economic paradigm of capitalism and self-interest. Additionally, I submit that a return to kinship with nature …

Finding My Voice: Surviving Childhood Sexual Abuse, Diane Lafrance

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This autobiographical study reflects experiences of surviving child sexual abuse and my journey through curriculum studies as a route to finding power through my voices. Using currere as a lead theory to frame this work, this study reveals a first-person account of sexual abuse to detail my development to empowerment and how I learned to advocate for myself and other childhood victims. Within this work, the method of currere, psychoanalytic theory, focusing, hypnosis, and healing through writing are discussed as processes for increasing self-understanding.

“I’M Not Good At Math”: Mathematical Illiteracy And Innummeracy In The United States, G. Wesley Rogers

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Why do we view mathematics the way we do in the United States and how have these views created an environment where we consider mathematical illiteracy and innumeracy socially and culturally acceptable when a lack of this knowledge and ability can function to enslave, exploit, restrict, and oppress. Throughout this investigation, I have explored some of the possible reasons for why we view education, mathematics, and the learning of mathematics the way we do and the impact of these views on our motivation and desire to learn mathematics. Using my over 20 years of teaching experience and the review of …

My Life Is A Manifesto: From Rich, To Poor, To Teacher, Angela M. Pieniaszek

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This inquiry travels through stages of my education and life in order to explore the following three questions: How do a teacher’s values and personal experiences translate into teaching lives and teaching acts? How do teachers and students live counterstories inside and outside of the classroom? How do class, gender and place impact teaching and learning? Building on the works of critical theorists, (Apple, 2004; Ayers, 2004; Delpit, 2006; Freire, 2005; hooks, 1994; Kincheloe, 2004; Kincheloe & Pinar, 1991; Kozol, 1992; Watkins, 2001,2004), autobiographical studies (He, 2003, 2010; Miller, 2005; Pinar, 1994; Schubert & Ayers; 1990) and memoirs (Angelou, 1993; …

Liberty's Hidden History: The Dorchester Center And Citizenship Education In Southeast Georgia During The 1960s, Amy Blanton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Citizenship Education Program held at the Dorchester Center in Midway, Georgia was an adult literacy program piloted by the Highlander Folk School and eventually transferred to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The purpose of the program was to teach literacy skills to black adults so they could pass their state’s voter registration test. Believing that first class citizenship could only be achieved through the ballot, and that the ballot was the key to changes in the lives and welfare of Southern blacks, ordinary citizens traveled to Dorchester for weeklong workshops on how to teach reading and writing to others. …

Puzzled Representations: Popular Media And How Educators Come To Know Autism, Vanessa N. Keener

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

People learn about the world through popular culture. Popular culture media representations of autism can be found in TV, film, literature, Internet media, advertisements, and more. This study employed a quantitative correlational design to survey 273 Georgia educators regarding their perceptions of autism, including knowledge about autism, best practices for teaching students labeled as having autism, perceived positivity and accuracy of popular media representations of autism, as well as participant identification with popular media representations of autism and personal characteristics (i.e., age, sex, level of education, type of degree, years of teaching experience, professional and personal experiences). Six major findings …

Reimagining The Stacks: Classroom Technology And Library Collaboration For Writing In The Disciplines, Jossalyn Larson, Daniel C. Reardon

Journal of Student Success in Writing (Archived)

This article details the process by which one university redesigned a first year writing course to better promote discipline-specific and best-practice research techniques. The program offers experiential learning activities through scholarly collaboration, using library staff as mentors, producing an open-access peer-reviewed student journal, and emphasizing face-to-face interaction of peer research communities. It has the potential to establish for students in high school, community colleges and universities that research writing is fundamentally about joining and contributing to a conversation.

Interview With Bettina Love: Creating Spaces That Matter, Meca Williams-Johnson

Curriculum, Foundations & Reading: Faculty Publications

This is an interview with Dr. Bettina Love on her work with the Kindezi Schools, a small, high-performing charter group in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Love’s thought provoking responses provide insight into the dynamics that make Kindezi Schools successful at reaching their students. Additionally, she shares concerns about the dilemma of Opportunity School Districts (OSD) and the schism OSD’s create in minority communities. Lastly, she shares how Kindezi became an opportunity school for Atlanta youth. This interview will be beneficial for parents, principals, teachers, and stakeholders who are interested in understanding how and why creating spaces to nurture student learning matters.