A few years ago the National School Reform Faculty (NSRF) revised its mission statement to include language about working to "foster educational and social equity." The revision makes sense to the author as a graduate student in urban education and a former Philadelphia middle school teacher, as well as in her role as a facilitator of Critical…

Written by a prominent array of scholars and practitioners, this book elucidates the complexities, contradictions, and confusion surrounding adolescence in American culture and education. For too long, harmful public myths and lies have portrayed teenagers as a principal cause of our nation's social ills. Similar unfair charges have been lodged…

The author, who is an award winning college professor, is often asked about her philosophy of teaching. She reflects upon her own undergraduate experiences when she considers what makes an effective course. In this article, the author shares and discusses five principles of teaching that define her teaching philosophy: (1) Be approachable; (2) Use…

This chapter argues that liberal learning can be transformative and foster students' intellectual and ethical development only if we consider its development underpinnings and pedagogic strategies that illustrate that the skills of academic inquiry are the skills of personal development. (Contains 1 note.)

As educators endeavor to engage an increasingly diverse student population, the curricular inclusion of elements of popular culture has been found to represent a particularly meaningful and successful approach. Research has consistently documented how utilizing issues of interest to students enhances affective links to the classroom and engenders…

This book narrates the story of a literacy circle that was created by adults who were attending basic literacy and new reader classes. The introduction provides in-depth discussions of each of the seven principles of dialogic learning, which are as follows: egalitarian dialogue; cultural intelligence; transformation; instrumental dimension;…

This book examines the ideas of Antonio Gramsci and Paulo Freire regarding radical education and adult education's role in the struggle for liberation from oppression. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the following topics: Gramsci and Freire's theories; publications about both men in the adult education literature; and the principles of…