Category: Education
The Poet X Goes To Court
The Poet X and its perceived challenge to the Establishment Clause is called into question by a North Carolina couple seeking to shield their son from “negative” depictions of Catholicism in fiction provided by the local public school system.
The War on “Porn” at Kent State
When Kent State refused to violate the First Amendment and its policies on academic freedom, Ohio Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus threatened to cut millions of dollars of funding in retaliation, and hopes to pass legislation imposing his views on public universities.
The Extortion of White Supremacy
This Executive Order is not only censorship but extortion too. The Federal Government is censoring intellectual ideas and curriculum to continue its endemic ignorance of racism in this country. It is intimidating organizations addressing racism by withholding funds by threatening sanctions and debarment.
Educating Children in a Time of Masks
When it became clear that masks and online education would be a part of fall teaching this year, I know many of us in academia (and education more broadly) discussed potential challenges for accessibility when teaching with a mask. But as an academic librarian who is childless, I didn’t think about the broader potential impacts of mask wearing, or online learning, on children trying to learn early literacy skills.
Is the Truth Liberal?
We teach students to consider multiple points of view on topics in order to appreciate and understand diverse viewpoints, but what happens when there can’t be another point of view because the topic is false information?
The Trouble with Critical Thinking
Parent complaints over teachers’ use of CNN 10 reveals the trouble with teaching critical thinking skills.
The Far Reaches of Misinformation
The 2020 Presidential election, the COVID-19 pandemic, and an increase in digital, remote learning reveal the importance of providing students with nuanced, varied learning opportunities related to misinformation.
‘The Right of a Woman to Her Own Person:’ Interview with ‘Jane Against the World’ Author Karen Blumenthal
Abortion rights is a topic that some teachers may choose to avoid or be prohibited from teaching. Karen Blumenthal’s latest book, “Jane Against the World,” provides students with a well-researched and nuanced history of reproductive rights in America, connecting to larger issues of poverty, racism, and gender and workplace discrimination. Learn more about the censorship she experienced while researching Texas state documents as well as experiences with censorship related to her books.
Teaching America’s Exceptionalism
The ongoing struggle to ensure racial justice in American society should prompt educators to take a closer look at the wording of history standards and the learning resources used by students. Then, collaborate with school librarians to provide students with a more accurate, complex look at history and current events.
Who I Am & The Books I Choose: Teacher Identities & Text Selection
Like all readers, teachers and librarians develop intimate relationships with books, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the books teachers and librarians choose to offer our students are intimately tied with who we are, what we care about, and what is happening in our lives at any given historical moment.