There is now a podcast associated with the Teaching and Learning Forum. It can be accessed via various streaming services. Here is the list of current episodes. Click on the title to access the episode.
Episode Twenty Seven: Lessons From Martin Sostre’s Continuous Struggle
In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Garrett Felber, author of A Continuous Struggle: The Revolutionary Life of Martin Sostre. We begin with Garrett giving a brief overview of Sostre’s revolutionary work and thinking, and then explore the nature of Sostre’s political education inside and outside of carceral spaces. This includes a discussion of who Sostre himself learned from and his commitment to working with youth in the local communities he was a part of. Sostre demonstrates that nobody learns by themselves, even when in solitary. We end by thinking about the implications of Sostre’s praxis for teaching and learning during these fraught times.
You can find more information about Sostre’s case and updates about advocacy efforts to clear his name at martinsostre.com. For information about the Mississippi Five case, please go to https://www.studyandstruggle.com/ms5. To donate books or funds to the Free Society People’s Library, you can check it out on Instagram and other social media platforms.
Episode Twenty Six: Union Training for Green Jobs
In this episode I speak with Michaela Boren, from the Green Building Training Program of 32 BJ (a union for building services workers). We start by talking about her own experiences with sustainability in her home country of the Philippines and what changed when she moved to the United States. She then discusses strategies for helping adult learners develop an understanding of sustainability, particularly within the construction and maintenance trades. This includes making the case along economic lines. Part of our conversation explores finding language that encourages people to think more deeply about the issues involved.
You can find more information about the training programs at the 32 BJ Training Fund website. I would also recommend folks check out the work of other people and organizations doing work on adult education and green jobs (including The Open Door Collective and Paul Jurmo).
Episode Twenty Five: Teaching and Learning About Anti-Fat Bias
In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Stephanie Spitz, an educator and activist involved in the struggle to eliminate anti-fat bias in society, including in school settings. Stephanie addresses a number of issues during our discussion, such as the connection between white supremacy and anti-fat bias, the harmful effects of a health care system that stigmatizes weight instead of taking a more holistic approach to understanding the body, and how classrooms can be redesigned to be more welcoming and supportive of all body types. We also discuss the language that is used to discuss this issue, and Stephanie provides suggestions for preferred terminology.
Episode Twenty Four: Carceral Logic in Prisons and Schools
In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Talib Charriez, senior program coordinator for New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons program (also known as NJ-STEP). He is also teaching faculty in the Department of Urban Education at Rutgers-Newark. The conversation touches on a number of topics, including the carceral logic that informs schooling and creates the school-to-prison pipeline. A key aspect of this problem is the way that adolescent development is criminalized and racialized. We also discuss the nature of education in prison, where human contact and access to reading material are both limited as a means of punishment. As a justice-impacted scholar himself, Talib provides his perspective on the centrality of autoethnography as both a research method and a means of personal exploration and expression.
Episode Twenty Three: Teaching Palestine Now
In this episode of the podcast, I speak with three different colleagues who share their experiences with teaching about Palestine in this moment in time. Andy is a middle school social studies teacher, Terry is a high school social studies teacher and Hanan is a student advisor at a college. Although we address the events of October 7th and subsequent developments, we engage in a much broader and long-term analysis of the struggle for Palestinian freedom and the ways in which education in the United States works against that goal. As a group, we also make a point to move from critique to concrete suggestions for ways to change the way Palestine is discussed and taught, both in classrooms and in informal settings.
Episode Twenty Two: Comic Books, Gender Rebels and Baseball
In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Ellen Lindner, a comic artist whose work has been seen in places like World War 3 Illustrated, The Strumpet and The Washington Post. She is creator of The Cranklet’s Chronicle, self-described as a zine about women, baseball and social change. Ellen is also the author of a comic book series titled Lost Diamonds: A History of Gender Rebellion in American Baseball. The third issue is out now and is available on her Etsy site, among other places. During the conversation we talk about the history of radical comics, particular feminist ones, why baseball history matters, and comics as a teaching and learning resource for critical inquiry.
Lost Diamonds #3 is available here.
More of Ellen’s work available here.
Episode Twenty One: Learning While in Solitary
In Episode 19 of the podcast, I spoke with Wali White and four of his high school students who participate in the Native Sons Book Club. The members of the club read books such as A Lesson Before Dying, Parable of the Sower and the Autobiography of Malcolm X, and then discuss them with writer and musician Keith LaMar, who is currently on death row in an Ohio state penitentiary. For this episode, I speak with Mr. LaMar himself. Our discussion starts with his thoughts about the Native Sons Book Club, and then expands into an analysis of the roles education plays in different societies, both inside and outside of prisons. One key focus is the importance of reading widely in coming to critical consciousness and finding authors that teach us lessons about writing. Mr. LaMar is the author of Condemned, which provides his account of how he came to be sentenced to die for a crime that he didn’t commit.
For More Information: https://www.keithlamar.org/condemned
Episode Twenty: A Conversation with Students For Justice in Palestine
For this episode of the podcast, my guests are three Palestinian college students who are active in their university’s Students for Justice in Palestine organization. During the conversation, we talk about what they are studying in school, what they have learned about social justice from their involvement in other movements (particularly Black Lives Matter) and the work they are currently doing in the struggle for Palestinian rights and lives. In addition to recounting their experiences in dealing with anti-Palestinian prejudice and Islamophobia, they also talk about the family and community ties that support and nourish them. We close by discussing their hopes for the future and what advocacy strategies they have found to be most helpful. In full disclosure, I am the faculty advisor for the student organization they belong to.
For this episode of the podcast, my guests are Wali White and four of his students – Ethlyn, Julian, Simone and Theo. Wali is co-facilitator of the Native Sons Books Club, along with Keith Lamar. Mr. Lamar is currently a death row prisoner in Ohio. As part of the book club, the students read texts such as The Parable of the Sower, the Autobiography of Malcolm X and the Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, and then discuss them with Wali and Mr. Lamar over the phone. During the conversation Wali explains the genesis of the project and what he sees as the overarching goals. The students share their experiences with the texts and how talking with Mr. Lamar has affected their meaning making. All the guests talk about what they have learned from being in the book club and what the implications might be for schools.
Episode Eighteen: The University of Orange – Popular Education and Restorative Urbanism
For this episode of the podcast, my guests are Margaux Simmons, Molly Rose Kaufman and Doug Farrand. They are staff and organizers at the University of Orange, a free school of restorative urbanism located in Orange, NJ. The discussion reviews the University of Orange’s activities and its founding principles. For example, one key idea is that the city itself is the university, and that you can learn everything you need to know about US history, both the good and the bad, by walking around and engaging with Orange as a resonant locale. In addition, in keeping with the approach of popular education, the University of Orange ethos is that everybody has something to learn, and everybody has something to teach. During the conversation the guests identify how this approach is made concrete in particular programs, what it takes to run a free people’s university and lessons they have learned.
University of Orange: https://universityoforange.org/
Episode Seventeen: Developing Data Literacy and Fighting for Data Justice
This episode of the podcast features a conversation about working with adult learners around data literacy and data justice. I’m joined by Sherry Ruff and Bonnie Taylor, two long time adult educators who are committed to connecting the work done in their classrooms with the lives and concerns of their students outside of them. Earlier this year the three of us took part in a study circle on communicative and data justice sponsored by San Francisco State University. During the discussion, Sherry and Bonnie describe the action research projects they engaged in and share lesson they learned about teaching from a data justice perspective. A key point is how adults should not just be the object of somebody else’s study – they should be identifying issues and leading the research and analysis themselves. The discussion also touches on how to communicate their findings in ways that are most effective– this means working with learners on the nature of rhetorical strategies and creating visuals to make data easier to understand.
Episode Sixteen: WE LEARN History and Future
This episode of the podcast features a conversation about the history and future of WE LEARN – the Women Expanding Literacy Education Action Resource Network. WE LEARN is an organization that promotes women’s literacy as a means of fostering empowerment and equity for women. In the conversation I am joined by three leaders of WE LEARN. The first is Mev Miller, the original founder of WE LEARN and veteran community educator and activist. The second is Stacie Evans, a long-time WE LEARN board member and adult educator. The third is Jaye Jones, director of WE LEARN’s advisory committee and higher education administrator. The conversation begins with Mev explaining how WE LEARN began and then covers what it has accomplished over the last two decades. A key point is how work related women’s literacy has played out differently in community-based projects and academia. WE LEARN has always kept the focus on women’s experiences as learners and amplifying student voices, and the three guests share insights about what that has meant to them, and what the implications might be for the field of adult education.
Episode Fifteen: Rethinking Adult Education
This episode of the podcast features a conversation with Paul Jurmo about ways to rethink adult education. Paul has spent his career in the United States and internationally working in a variety of contexts, with a concern for social justice being a consistent element of his practice. He prioritizes a participatory approach, and has brought this commitment to his projects with unions and developing countries in Africa and the South Pacific. During our discussion, we strive to push back against historical amnesia and to identify existing models of adult education that are grounded in social justice. These models have already proven to be effective and demonstrate that it is possible to work outside of a limited and limiting workforce development model, given the pedagogical and political will.
Episode Fourteen: Working With Conservative Students
This episode of the podcast features a conversation with four teachers who work in a range of contexts – elementary, middle school, high school and adult education. Although they work with different student populations, they deal with many of the same issues. One in particular arises again and again -when teaching from a critical or liberatory perspective, what is the best approach when you have students in the classroom who have conservative or reactionary world views and opinions? These students often actively resist considering new information, ideas or perspectives. If we remain committed to a pedagogy that does not simply dictate to students what they need to believe, that means we need to explore multiple ways of getting critical dialogue started. Each of the teachers in this discussion share their own experiences and insights, and a group we push ourselves to clarify our thinking.
Episode Thirteen: Writing and Learning While Incarcerated
The guests on this episode of the podcast are Cynthia Peters and Sergio Hyland. Cynthia Peters works at World Education where she is the editor of The Change Agent – a magazine featuring pieces written by adult learners, with a focus on social justice. Cynthia also provides professional development to adult education teachers and staff. Sergio Hyland is an author, speaker, and human rights activist. He also works as an organizer in Philadelphia for the Working Families Party. While incarcerated, Sergio was a frequent contributor to the Change Agent., and during the discussion Cynthia talks about how Sergio’s work is a great representation of the philosophy informing the magazine. Sergio then shares his experience of writing while incarcerated, talks about mentors who shaped his thinking and identifies systemic and structural issues that are at the root of so many problems.
Episode Twelve: An Update on Education in Brazil
The guests on this episode are Karina and Laudo Nascimento, professors and education workers from Brazil. Their research focuses on teacher training, particularly with regards to the teaching and learning of English. Karina and Laudo are both interested in the ways that politics, culture and new technologies shape education. During the discussion the provide an overview of the structure of the Brazilian educational system and an update on current conditions. As in other contexts, Brazilian classrooms are spaces for heated cultural and political struggles, and Karina and Laudo provide helpful insights into the implications of education policy and practice.
Episode Eleven: Women’s Perspectives – Adult Learner Writers Share Their Work
I’m joined on this podcast by colleagues from WE LEARN – an adult education organization that in their own words focuses on the issues, needs, concerns, viewpoints, strengths, and wisdom of women. The latest issue of Women’s Perspectives, their annual collection of writing by adult learners, is out soon and some of the writers graciously agreed to read and talk about their work. This includes writers Marcia Costa, Norby Vilario and Jessica Ramos, who is also a WE LEARN Advisory Committee member. Stacie Evans and Shellie Walters, WE LEARN Board members, are also on hand to talk about WE LEARN’s work and the Women’s Perspectives publication.
Episode Ten: Adult Literacy and Social Justice
The guest on this episode of the podcast is Ira Yankwitt, a long-time adult educator. Over the years, Ira has been as a teacher, the director of a community based program and an administrator working within the New York City adult education system. He is currently Executive Director of the Literacy Assistance Center in New York City. Throughout his time in adult education, Ira has grounded his work in a commitment to social justice. This has often time put him at odds with approaches that speak in terms of human capital development, and during the conversation he notes how this tension has shaped the field. Ira highlights current openings for social justice work and he shares what he thinks the field needs to learn from its history in order to move forward.
Episode Nine: Health Literacy and Communicative Justice
This episode of the podcast features Maricel Santos, an adult educator, researcher and professor with extensive experience in the field of health literacy. During the episode, we discuss moving beyond decontextualized approaches to health literacy and towards education that is grounded in the lived experiences of patients. Maricel is particularly concerned with issues of communicative justice, and she centers her analysis on the interpretive burden that is put on some patients, particularly those from immigrant communities. This approach highlights the links between adult education, health literacy and social justice.
Episode Eight: Teaching the Troubles
The guests for this podcast are Saul Fussiner and David Senderoff, two high school teachers from New Haven, Connecticut. Saul and David have extensive experience with Facing History and Ourselves and the discussion focuses on how they refined their own approach to the material. A pivotal moment in their experience was when an African American student challenged them to move beyond units of study that all involved the oppression of Black people. In response, Saul and David were part of a team that developed a curriculum for teaching the Troubles in Northern Ireland as means of exploring issues of political violence and reconciliation. During the episode they talk about creating lesson plans, what they learned on a research trip to Northern Ireland and what student response has been.
Episode Seven: Teaching Palestine
In previous episodes of the podcast, I have had conversations with one or two people about their work. This episode is slightly different, as I am joined by four other teachers for a group discussion about teaching Palestine. Two of the teachers work in high schools, with one being an art teacher and the other being a language arts teacher. Another guest teaches social studies at the middle school level, and the last teaches at the college level. None of the participants claims to be an expert on Palestine or the Middle East, but we all have an interest in helping our students move beyond narratives that marginalize and silence Palestinian voices. Rather than providing clear answers, the conversation captures the work we are all doing to improve our own practice when it comes to teaching Palestine. We believe that there are many other teachers out there who are in the same position, and we hope that our conversation can contribute to the ongoing struggle. As a final note, several of the teachers in discussion requested to remain anonymous because their criticisms of the Israeli government have led to them getting threats. For their safety and job security, I am not sharing any personal information about the guests.
Resource Here: https://criticalteachingandlearningforum.org/curriculum-resources/
Episode Six: The Politics of Everyday Literacy
The guests on this podcast are Michele Knobel and Colin Lankshear, literacy scholars who have long been at the forefront of New Literacy studies. Their work has been a key part of efforts to re-examine the nature of everyday literacy practices. They are also interested in the opportunities that new digital technologies present for re-thinking learning and teaching. In the conversation, they discuss the politics of everyday literacy practices, how literacy research has been depoliticized and the ways in which neoliberalism domesticates and narrows what is possible in classrooms, schools and communities.
Episode Five: Using Music To Create Critical Dialogues in the Classroom
The guest for this podcast is Danné Davis, Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Montclair State University. Danné works with pre-service elementary school teachers and much of her activity focuses on helping these future teachers recognize and be responsive to the diversity within their classrooms. A key interest of hers is using stories, poems and popular culture to start and frame critical dialogues. In the conversation, she discusses how she uses music to help her students make deeper connections to the topics they are discussing and to understand key aspects of the Black experience in the United States.
Episode Four: Comic Books and Critical Pedagogy
The guest on this episode of the podcast is Kevin Pyle, a comic artist and working teacher. He is the author of a number of books, including Bad for You, Take What You Can Carry and Blindspot. He has also helped create comics that focus on the issues of wage theft, migration and the prison industrial complex. His non-fiction graphic work has also appeared in the LA Times. In the conversation, he discusses how he connects political commitments to comic art, and what that looks like in the classroom. I encourage you to check out his work at https://kevincpyle.com/
Episode Three: Immigrant Student Activists Fighting for Justice
The guest on this podcast is Giovana Castaneda, a youth leader at Make the Road New Jersey in Elizabeth, NJ and a student at Rutgers – Newark. Giovana has been an activist since she was 16 years old, focusing on immigrants’ rights and workers’ rights. She is currently involved in an effort to remove police from Elizabeth’s public schools. In the conversation, she discusses the criminalization of students, getting the receipts via Open Public Record Act (OPRA) requests and making unexpected connections.
Information about Make the Road New Jersey can be found here: https://www.maketheroadnj.org/
Episode Two: Presence and Socioemotional Health in Correctional Education
The guest on this podcast is Bill Muth, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Bill spent many years as an educator working in correctional institutions and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Hope House, a non-profit organization that helps families separated by prison to remain connected through literacy projects, video conferencing, summer camps and other activities. He is a founding co-editor of The Journal of Prison Education and Reentry and the author of the recent Fathers, Prisons, and Family Reentry: Presencing as a Framework and Method.
Episode One: Critical Pedagogy in the Suburbs
This episode features a discussion with Andy Beutel, a middle-school social studies teacher working in suburban New Jersey. Andy discusses the need for critical pedagogy in contexts where students’ experience of privilege limits their ability to empathize with communities they have little contact with. Andy shares samples lessons and explains his approach to helping students rethink their frames of reference when it comes to issues like immigration, Islamophobia and how social class impacts health outcomes. Samples of Andy’s writing on this topic can be found here and here.
The Critical Teaching and Learning Forum 