February 2024

Cultural Exchange in Japan

Ansilta De Luca ’25 and Maddy Crawford ’24, students from the School of Education’s International Training and Education Program (ITEP), traveled to Japan in January to enhance friendship ties between Japan and North America by exposing researchers and students to Japanese society and culture.

Assistant Professor Dr. Kenjus Watson is off to a flying start since he joined our faculty last fall. Read about the school abolition and youth wellness work he has been doing at SOE and AU in this Q&A article.

AERA's 2024 Annual Meeting, "Dismantling Racial Injustice and Constructing Educational Possibilities: A Call to Action," kicks off on April 11 in Philadelphia. Read about the significant contribution SOE's faculty and students will make to this event here.

AU Teaching Fellow and children’s author Riley Campbell, SOE/BA ’25, was featured in the EdSurge article, "This Children’s Book Author and Future Teacher Wants to Help Ignite Joy in Learning," about what inspired her to pursue a teaching career.

SOE in the Media

Director of SOE's Institute for Innovation in Education Danielle G. Sodani co-authored a chapter, "Figuring out my End Game: Supporting Novice ESOL Teachers' Emerging Identities as Humanizing Practitioners and Advocates through Peer Interaction," in the newly published book, A Sociopolitical Agenda for TESOL Teacher Education.

Adjunct Senior Professorial Lecturer Dr. Altheria Caldera co-edited the book Ourselves in Our Work: Black Women Scholar of Black Girlhood, which highlights how research on and activism focused on Black girls and Black girlhood are engendering the evolving field of Black girlhood studies.

SOE Adjunct Professorial Lecturer Dr. Tomiko D. Ball, EdD '22, wrote the chapter, “Proactively Equipping Self and Community with Navigational Tools to Disrupt Othering Within Higher Education,” in the book, Healing While Studying: Reflections and Strategies for Healing, Coping, and Liberation of Graduate Students of Minoritized Identities.

Dr. Annice E. Fisher, SOE Antiracism Pedagogy Scholar, penned an Inside Higher Ed op-ed offering advice for Black women in higher education on successfully navigating the challenges of leading social change, "Hold Steady or Issue an Exit Ticket."
 
Dr. Tyrone Howard, SOE Advisory Board Member and President of AERA, is the subject of a cover story, "A Race Scholar," about his efforts to dismantle racial inequities in education in the Black History Month edition of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education Magazine.

Acting Education Policy and Leadership MEd Program Director and Senior Professorial Lecturer Dr. Phelton Cortez Moss wrote a Diverse: Issues in Higher Education op-ed, "From Classrooms to Ballots: Unpacking the Significance of School Boards in the 2024 Elections," about the high number of uncontested school boards seats in the 2024 elections.

Dr. Lauren Shea, Adjunct Research Assistant Professor-in-Residence, was a co-principal investigator for the research project, "STEM Tales: Investigating the Effect of Media Read-Alouds on Young Children's STEM and Literacy Learning and Interest in STEM Careers," profiled on the Stelar (Stem Learning and Research) Center website.

Professor Dr. Jennifer Steele was the interviewee for an American Magazine Q&A, "AI in the Classroom," where she discussed the importance of teaching students the evolving strengths and weaknesses of ChatGPT technology.

SOE in the Community

SOE Librarian Hannah Park evaluated illustrated children's books submitted for the 2024 Randolph Caldecott Medal. "The Caldecott" is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished picture book for children published in the US. The 2024 award went to Vashti Harrison, who wrote and illustrated Big, a book about a child's journey to self-acceptance, which also highlights the impact of words.

Acting Co-Dean Dr. Rodney Hopson will give the opening remarks at the Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network’s 2024 All In National Summit, themed "Promoting the Value of Adult Literacy," at AU on February 27.

Dr. Phelton Moss was a panelist for the Washington Mardi Gras education-themed event, "Voices of Louisiana," which brought together superintendents and policy actors from across Louisiana to discuss education policy.

Senior Professorial Lecturer Dr. Eugene Pringle moderated a panel on the role of culturally relevant messaging and political socialization of HBCU students, “Empowering Voices: Unveiling Insights from 'The Other Black Voter,'" at Rutgers University's Elevate event, a professional development program for early-career faculty members.

Along with her AU Center for Teaching, Research & Learning (CTRL) student partners, elementary education senior Qudsia Saeed co-presented "Student Feedback and Co-Creation for Equitable Teaching and Learning," which emphasized the importance of professors embracing and integrating student feedback.

Dr. Jennifer Steele was named Associate Editor of the Journal for Research on Educational Effectiveness, which publishes multidisciplinary scientific inquiries on educational success and problems, including intervention, evaluation, policies, theory, and methodology.

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