Search results for making sense of rac

What Do We Mean by That?: Interrogating Familiar Expressions in Education is a collection of essays that opens a space for all educational workers—teachers, teacher educators, administrators, politicians, and others—to unpack commonly used educational phrases and ideas. The idea is to carefully examine what we say to one another when we talk about schools, curriculum, students, and other educational problems or issues—when we say things like “We have to meet students where they are,” and “All children can learn,” or “What does the data say?” What Do We Mean by That? challenges and clarifies such phrases and the how, and why, that they shape educational policies and practices. The influential curricular theorist Dwayne Huebner charged us to always be aware of our “man-made tools,” such as language, and said that since “all educators attempt to shape the world; theorists should call attention to the tools used for the shaping in order that the world being shaped can be more beautiful and just.” Language is a tool in educational practice in myriad ways: between administrators and teachers, teachers and students, teachers and parents, and students and students, as examples. A scripted curriculum is a tool intended to provide fixed language to teachers. It is normal for phrases to make their way into our everyday practices and get lodged there. But we need opportunities to interrupt ourselves and study our language tools to ensure they help create beauty and justice. This collection of thoughtful essays seeks to be this interruption. It is an invaluable tool for improving the educational experience of students and schools.Perfect for courses such as: Foundations of Education; Curriculum Studies; Diversity in Education; Educational Rhetoric and Policy

What is a fandom, and why do fandoms matter for school? Fandoms are passionate communities dedicated to appreciating and engaging with texts of interest (movies, TV shows, books, bands, brands, sports teams, etc.) via personally and communally meaningful literacy practices. It is increasingly obvious that scripted literacy curricula and standardized tests fall short of meeting meaningful literacy goals and create culturally destructive learning spaces. Fandoms in the Classroom provides an alternative for educators looking to center passion in their classrooms, individualizing their literacy curricula by building from youth’s interests. The book describes how educators in a wide range of secondary learning contexts can build curricula around students’ already-present fandom interests to support literacy growth. This text supports educators in a range of learning contexts with step-by-step processes for building learning spaces that support navigation of fandom and disciplinary literacies, with a particular focus on common obstacles and roadblocks that teachers have shared with us. It addresses how classrooms doing critical fandom work can address social justice issues across both fandom and disciplinary communities. This book covers relevant topics such as:Why Fandoms? We introduce readers to the concept of fandoms and how engaging students’ experiences in fandoms is not an extra or add-on but instead crucial to flipping the script on literacy learning.Bring Your Fandom to Class: Critically Putting Communities in Conversation. The book discusses how to shift ideas of literacy learning contexts from teacher-centric instruction to a community learning model.Fostering Engagement & Choosing Texts Together: Teachers are often nervous about teaching what they don’t know. The text provides strategies for making learning ecologies and having kids fill it with their own interests, describing specific step-by-step discussion routines that can support youth’s engagement with critical tools on texts of their choice.Building Culturally Responsive Assessments Engaging Youth-Centric Audiences: the book describes how educators can design more expansive literacy assessments with examples of culturally responsive objectives and tasks. The authors include a range of fandom genres and audiences that they have seen in their own work.Transforming Your Current Curriculum in Conversation with Fandoms: Supporting educators interested in expanding literature units in conversation with fandom texts, the text describes how to design units that put various discourse communities in conversation without deadening or co-opting youth interests.Interdisciplinary Applications: there is a discussion about specific examples of how educators the authors have supported in various contexts have applied this kind of work. It includes a focus on cross-disciplinary literacy, with cases highlighting applications for math, science, social studies and music disciplinary learning.Fandoms in the Classroom is a step-by-step guide for literacy instructors struggling to engage their students in meaningful learning. It is essential reading.Perfect for courses such as: Foundations of Literacy; Disciplinary Literacy; Literacy Across the Curriculum; Children's or Young Adult Literature; Writing in the Classroom; Digital Media Literacy; New and Digital Literacies; Teaching Diverse Learners; Theory to Practice; Language, Literacy and Culture; Literacy Policy and Practice; Foundations of Literacy Education; Popular Culture in Literacy Classrooms; History of Literacy Practices; Reading and Language Arts; Critical Theory

An exponentially increasing number of students experience traumatic events in their daily lives. To address this phenomenon, Beginning Within: Marking a New Journey Toward Equity in Trauma-Informed Education Practices delves into the profound impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). It brings together extensive research, thoughtful contemplations, and innovative ideas that shed light on some of the lesser-explored aspects of trauma-informed practices in education. Authors in the book have developed chapters around three guiding models for systemic change: John Kotter’s (1996/2012) Eight-Step Model for Organizational Change; Fallot and Harris’ (2001) Five Guiding Principles of Trauma-Informed Practice; and Smith, et al.'s (2017) five-level Building Equity Taxonomy.The chapters reflect the growth, grief, and galvanizing challenges that have shaped and continue to shape our understanding of equality, safety, and organizational change around trauma-informed educational practices. Hear from authors, experts, and leaders in the education field who are leading the way in systemic change, ranging from the work in Missouri after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, to university professors and classroom teachers seeking ways to use the past as guideposts toward a new journey of equity in trauma-informed practices, with each step paved by three research-supported tenets for creating a climate of trauma-informed practices, as offered by the editors of the book:The journey to equity begins with a deep dive into each stakeholder's internal beliefs about self-care.Self-care must be a priority, otherwise, caring for students comes at the lasting cost of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and teacher burnout.A sense of well-being must extend beyond the school building and into the community. Whether the reader is a pre-service teacher, a current teacher, an aspiring or current administrator, or an educator preparation faculty member, ideas are shared that can be implemented within a variety of schools, programs, or academic organizations.Perfect for courses such as: Trauma-Informed Education; Trauma-Informed Teaching; Foundations of Trauma-Informed Education; Trauma-Informed Practices and Pedagogy; Trauma-Informed Practices and Resilience; Trauma-Informed Classroom Teachers; Introduction to Becoming a Trauma-Informed Educator; Trauma-Sensitive Learning Environments; Foundations of Trauma-Informed Practices and Wellness

Advancing Special Education Through Improvement Science: A Practical Guide offers a comprehensive and accessible resource for educators, administrators, and policymakers committed to enhancing equity and effectiveness in special education. It bridges the gap between theory and practice by providing a structured approach to applying improvement science within the unique context of special education services. Grounded in the principles of continuous improvement, the book introduces a methodical process for identifying, testing, and refining practices to achieve better outcomes for students with disabilities. It emphasizes the importance of understanding educational systems' complexities and using data-driven strategies to foster lasting change.A key strength of this guide is its focus on the role of data in driving improvement. Readers are guided through practical methods for collecting, analyzing, and using data to inform decisions, along with solutions to common challenges in the process. By centering evidence-based decision-making, the book empowers educators to make meaningful changes that positively impact student outcomes. Collaboration is another major theme. The text highlights the importance of engaging teachers, administrators, families, and students in improvement efforts. Strategies for building strong teams, fostering trust, and ensuring inclusive stakeholder participation are woven throughout, reinforcing the idea that sustainable improvement depends on shared responsibility.Real-world case studies illustrate successful applications of improvement science in diverse school settings. These examples provide readers with insights into implementation challenges and successes, offering practical takeaways that can be adapted for their own contexts. To support day-to-day implementation, the book includes a variety of tools and resources such as data collection templates, PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycle checklists, and facilitation guides for collaborative meetings. These practical assets make it easier for educators to incorporate improvement science into their routines.Finally, the guide addresses the critical need for sustainability and scalability. It offers strategies for embedding improvement practices into school and district operations so that gains can be maintained and expanded over time. By focusing on long-term change, the book helps ensure that students with disabilities benefit from ongoing, systemic improvements.Whether you're a classroom teacher, school leader, or policymaker, this guide provides the knowledge and tools needed to drive meaningful progress in special education through improvement science.Perfect for courses such as: Introduction to Special Education; Exceptional Children; Foundations of Special Education; Special Education Leadership; School Improvement and Reform

The intent of Challenges in (Re)designing EdD Programs: Supporting Change with Learning Cases is to provide faculty, who are seeking to redesign their EdD programs into professional practice doctorate, with case examples that describe common challenges and pitfalls encountered during the redesign process. Each of the cases portrays real situations generated from case study research conducted by the chapter authors. Each case is comprised of three parts: a) a contextual overview of the challenge or problem, b) case study notes that ground the challenge or problem in literature and provide deeper understanding of the issues at hand, and c) a set of discussion questions that will guide faculty in conversation about similar issues they may face in their own program redesign. This volume is an invaluable resource for program leaders, faculty, and graduate students involved in EdD programs.

A 2023 SPE Outstanding Book Award Winner In Justice for Black Students: Black Principals Matter, Kofi Lomotey begins with a two-pronged premise: (1) Black students do not receive a quality education in US public (or private) schools, and (2) Black principals, like Black teachers, can make a positive impact on the academic and overall success of Black students. Through the chronicling of his own work over 50 years—as a practitioner and an academic—Lomotey puts forth this argument with a focus on Black principals. In this book, he positions his 1993 coining of the term ethno-humanism—a role identity which he attributes to successful Black principals—as a fundamental/critical component of the leadership of these principals. In reprinting three of his earlier articles and sharing new information (including a review of the literature on Black male principals), he provides a broad-based description of this role identity and then links it to the more recent concepts of culturally responsive/culturally relevant teaching/pedagogy and culturally responsive/culturally relevant school leadership, before describing the implications for Black students of his own work and of other research that has been conducted on Black principals. This volume is essential reading for all educators interested in seeing a significant improvement in the academic and overall success of Black students. Preservice teachers, practitioners, and administrators will find enormous value in the book’s message.Perfect for courses such as:  Introduction to Education │ Leadership for Equity and Social Justice in Education │ Black Education │ Multicultural Education │ School Leadership │ Culturally Responsive Leadership

A 2023 SPE Outstanding Book Award Winner2023 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Award Secret Lives of Children in the Digital Age: Disruptive Devices and Resourceful Learners offers an examination of the impact on children, their families and their teachers, as digital technologies and new literacy practices have rapidly transformed how children learn, play and communicate. While ease of access to enormous knowledge bases presents many benefits and advantages, mobile screen technologies are often perceived by parents and teachers as disruptive and worrisome. Developed from a wide range of the authors’ research over the past decade to an examination of remote learning during the COVID 19 pandemic, this book posits that while teachers, parents and governments are focused on protecting children, what is often neglected is children’s own agency and capacity to engage with mobile technologies in ways that support them in pursuing their own interests, pleasures and learning. This text works to disrupt boundaries in research, policy and practice, between home and school, and across virtual and actual worlds, positioning children as both users of media texts and coproducers of digitally mediated knowledge, with peers, family and teachers. Secret Lives of Children in the Digital Age contributes to research on digital literacies, and offers a pedagogical examination of digital possibilities for bringing playfulness and innovation into learning.

2026 SPE Outstanding Book Award Winner Letters to the Field: Curriculum Scholars’ Stories for Future Generations encapsulates a generation of scholars who revitalized the field of Curriculum Studies across North America in the mid-1970s, as well as the generations of scholars who immediately followed, all of whom are now themselves senior scholars. Rather than another edited work of reprints or new monographs, this volume seeks to do something special by providing an opportunity for this group of scholars to speak to their field about understandings they believe to be of significance. The strength of this book generally resides in two overarching factors. First, there is the depth and strength of this well-rounded, highly regarded group of scholars whose work speaks to the heart of the interdisciplinary nature of curriculum studies and curriculum theorizing. Second, as you might imagine, this is a significant moment in the United States when the very foundation of curriculum theory–critical inquiry and often an engagement with questions of race, queerness, disability, and the like–continues to be under attack in K-12 schools and universities across the United States. Contributors speak to the foundations of the field and the contemporary challenges that the field and schools of education more broadly must survive. Contributions to this important work are five to seven handwritten or, in the case of scholars who are unable to write, typed pages. There are also chapters that have accompanying photos and drawings. The reproduction of actual letters in the book lend authenticity and will appeal to readers by giving an intimate view into the thoughts and wishes of these scholars. We also understand that, similar to the challenge folks might face when handwriting a document, some writing might not be legible to all readers. Therefore, stable QR codes and/or hyperlinks to typed versions of handwritten chapters are included so that readers can easily look at typed versions alongside the handwritten work online. Letters to the Field makes an invaluable contribution to Curriculum Studies. By providing a history of the rationale used to revitalize the field, it will prove a valuable addition to the libraries of educators in a variety of disciplines.Perfect for courses such as: Introduction to Curriculum Theory; Introduction to College Teaching; Social Foundations of Education; History of American Higher Education; Traditions of Inquiry; and Introduction to Scholarship

The Instructional Leaders Companion Workbook to Implementation Science: A Playbook for Instructional LeadersThis companion workbook, aligned to the three components of Implementation Science, Enabling Context, Effective Practices, and Effective Implementation, is a hands-on resource designed to help educators, instructional leaders, and district teams bring implementation science principles to life in real-world educational settings. The workbook provides structured tools, practical strategies, and real-world examples to bridge theory to practice, ensuring successful, sustainable, and equity-centered improvements in teaching and learning. Leaders will be able to plan, implement, monitor, and assess their chosen intervention. By the end of this workbook, leaders will have a complete strategic plan with all supports to finally reach their intended outcomes.Enabling Context focuses on creating the conditions for effective and lasting change, providing protocols, planning tools, and team-building activities to build capacity and align resources across leadership, staff, and support teams.Effective Practices translates research-based instructional strategies into actionable steps for the classroom, supporting continuous improvement through cycles of planning, implementation, and refinement.Effective Implementation guides teams through the entire process of planning, executing, monitoring, and assessing new initiatives, offering practical frameworks and data-informed decision-making tools to drive meaningful change.Whether used individually or together with Implementation Science: A Playbook for Instructional Leaders, this workbook empowers educators and leadership teams to create cohesive plans, collaborate effectively, and ensure their efforts lead to measurable improvements in student outcomes.CLICK HERE TO BUY THE PLAYBOOK/WORKBOOK BUNDLE AND SAVE!Perfect for courses in: Foundations of Implementation Science in Education; Instructional Leadership and School Improvement; Curriculum Design, Adoption, and Implementation; Data-Driven Decision Making for Educational Leaders; Systems Change and Continuous Improvement; Strategic Planning for K-12 Educational Initiatives; Evidence-Based Practices in Teaching and Learning; Educational Change Management and Policy Implementation; School Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness; Professional Development and Coaching for Educators.

African American males are confronted with formidable barriers in their pursuit of quality education, resulting in stark disparities in academic performance, economic opportunities, and social outcomes. Despite numerous educational initiatives striving for parity, African American males persistently bear the brunt of the highest rates of suspensions, expulsions, and dropout rates, surpassing all other demographic groups. Educational environments often fail to acknowledge and integrate the cultural and social needs of Black males, viewing them as "problems" rather than recognizing their immense potential for academic and leadership success. The prevalence of negative stereotypes in media, particularly in video games, exacerbates societal biases, portraying African American males as inherently violent and criminal. These representations contribute to implicit biases that affect perceptions and treatment in real-life scenarios. The systemic issues within the education system, coupled with socioeconomic factors, result in African American males being underrepresented in advanced placement and gifted education programs. This underrepresentation limits their opportunities for higher education and professional advancement. Confronting these challenges necessitates a comprehensive approach that encompasses the creation of inclusive educational environments, the eradication of systemic racism, and the promotion of positive representations of African American males in media. By acknowledging and fostering the potential of Black males, society can strive to reduce disparities and cultivate a more equitable and just education system that recognizes and celebrates their academic and professional achievements.African American Males and Video Games explores the perspectives of four African American male college students aged 18 to 21 on the impact of video games on their academic growth and development. The participants, all maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher, shared their experiences with teachers, video games, and coping mechanisms. This qualitative approach allowed for a rich understanding of the participant's experiences and the role of video games in their academic and mental well-being.Video games emerged as a significant coping tool for the participants, providing a mental escape from academic and social pressures. The games allowed them to engage in competitive and creative activities, fostering a sense of accomplishment and reducing stress. For example, games like NBA 2K21 and Forza Horizon 4 enabled them to explore alter egos and interests in a virtual space, offering entertainment and a sense of community.African American Males and Video Games is a critical text for exploring alternatives in providing a quality education experience for young African American males. It is vital reading for educators in all areas of higher education, and a valuable teaching tool in Colleges of Education.Professor Rudolf Inderst interviewed Kenneth Jones for a New Books Network podcast. Listen at: https://newbooksnetwork.com/african-american-males-and-video-gamesPerfect for courses such as: Educational Psychology; Sociology of Education; African American Studies; Media Studies; Game Design; Youth Development; Digital Literacy; Cultural Studies; Educational Technology; Social Psychology; Gender Studies