Find my collection of blogs on equity and social justice here.
Read MoreIndigenous Language & Values in the Classroom + Home
If you’re looking to better understand indigenous approaches to education, come to a discussion at Book Sweet in Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 9 at 3:30 pm. The event will provide caregivers and educators with fresh ideas on how to bring Indigenous language and values into the classroom and into home learning.
This conversation is designed to be interactive for teachers, parents, and caregivers. Participants will learn from our local experts and share their experiences, ideas, and questions as well.
Featuring authors (left to right) Stacie Sheldon, Erin Leary, Susan Santone. Moderated by publisher and educator Christi Craig (right), this discussion brings forward Indigenous values of gifts and responsibilities, approaches to common core curriculum integration, and resources for continued learning.
This event is FREE, but your Eventbrite RSVP is so helpful to our planning.
Banned Books and Free Speech in Schools: Tips for Teachers, Authors, and Readers
Banned books, censorship, and other assaults on free speech in school. What’s a teacher or author to do? In this blog, I discuss two defining legal cases on the topic and offer strategies for defending challenged content.
Read MoreHow can we improve civic dialog and heal divisions?
The hard work of becoming informed citizens is a dying art, but we can revive it. The health of our democracy depends on it. Effective dialog is the foundation.
The Pseudoscience Driving Hate
While the physical differences we associate with race are real, there is no single “race gene.” Nonetheless, the idea persists, resting upon a troubling yet often hidden history of misusing science to justify social-constructed racial hierarchies.
Read MoreNew Podcast Episodes
What’s more fun than listening to podcasts? Being a guest on one.
I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed on two educational podcasts on the following shows. I hope you’ll take a listen.
Read MoreCritical Race Theory and the Race to Silence Teachers
With the new school year upon us, a growing number of states are in overdrive to ban honest teaching about race, with fears of Critical Race Theory as a flagship motivation. In this post, I dig into the controversy, expose hypocrisy, and share the analysis created by my students at the University of Michigan.
Read MoreYes, you can teach about religion during the holiday season
It’s December, and that means K-12 students and their families will be celebrating Hannukah, Christmas, and other religious holidays. It also means that school officials wonder if they can discuss religious beliefs, display related decorations, or include sacred music in holiday concernts. This blog offers some answers.
Read MoreEconomic Growth Fails the Science Test
Growth is the sacred cow of economic policy, a goal fueled by this unquestioned premise: Unlimited growth is both desirable (because it’s always beneficial) and possible (because nothing can contain human ambitions). It’s an alluring narrative. But do the storytellers realize they’re spinning science fiction?
Fall Focus: Learning for Social Change
From theories of intelligence to place-based learning to curriculum design, my Learning for Social Change course at the University of Michigan takes students from theory to practice as they become educators for sustainability and social justice.
Read MoreSummer Events
Summer brings new opportunities for teaching and learning through my education reform course at the University of Michigan and two conference presentations.
Read MoreEarth Day and the Coronavirus: Hard lessons about equity and humility
The arrival of spring and Earth Day is a great excuse to get outside (assuming you can, and with social distancing, of course). Nonstop screen time from our digital, quarantined lives makes us even hungrier for the physical and mental renewal nature can bring. And although we have fewer options for outdoor activities, we may still find smaller pleasures: buds on a tree, flowers peeking through the ground, the music of birds, or simply the opportunity to put the snow shovel away.
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