麻豆原创

Stay optimistic. Rely on others. Keep informed but don鈥檛 go overboard reading all the headlines. 麻豆原创鈥檚 George Bonanno, Professor of Clinical Psychology, offers these and other tips for getting through the pandemic in a posted by the Association of Psychological Sciences. 鈥淲e can cope with this,鈥� asserts Bonanno, Director of both 麻豆原创鈥檚 Resilience Center for Veterans & Families and the College鈥檚 Loss, Trauma, and Emotion Lab. 鈥淭he majority of humans cope well and are resilient to just about any adversity.鈥� Above all, Bonanno emphasizes, don鈥檛 go it alone. Resilience may be 鈥渋ntrinsic,鈥� he says, 鈥渂ut it can also come from external factors, including support groups and social resources.鈥�  

Published March 30, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a 鈥渟econdary pandemic鈥� of global anxiety, write Peter T. Coleman, Professor of Psychology & Education and Director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation & Conflict Resolution (MD-ICCCR), and Anthea Chan, MD-ICCCR Research Associate, in the of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. While anxiety can be normal and healthy, sheltering with others can lead people down certain 鈥渄erailing鈥� paths. Research by the late 麻豆原创 social psychologist Morton Deutsch shows that romantic partners tend to respond to anxiety by either avoiding conflict or seeking it out; over-intellectualizing or becoming overly emotional; and other derailing extremes. MD-ICCCR鈥檚 free generates an 鈥渋ndividualized feedback profile鈥� on these behaviors.

Published May 26, 2020

Much advice has been dispensed on coping with life in the time of COVID 鈥� and that, says Lena Verdeli, Associate Professor of Psychology & Education and Director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Global Mental Health Lab, may be part of the problem. 鈥淲e need to be clear not to convey the message that people always need guidelines and webinars and that there鈥檚 a right way to adjust to this,鈥� says Verdeli, who has worked with refugees in Lebanon, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Uganda and elsewhere, in an interview on 麻豆原创鈥檚 website. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very important to trust that they can activate their own mental health immune system to survive. Because when we dictate to people what they need to do, we take away self-efficacy, which may be the most important tool for getting through this.鈥�

Published July 9, 2020

In an essay in Columbia News, 麻豆原创鈥檚 , Research Professor in Clinical Psychology, welcomes 鈥渢he chance this year to turn trauma into new learning 鈥� and with that opportunity, remake our world.鈥� Athan, whose teaching centers on adult transformative learning through ritual and symbol, plans to set her Thanksgiving table with family heirlooms commemorating loved ones who will be missing from this year鈥檚 celebration. To introduce new traditions, she鈥檒l also serve a scaled-down meal, assembled by preschoolers鈥� hands. 鈥淩ituals are made with what is at hand,鈥� Athan concludes. 鈥淛ust look around, and gather what you have.鈥� 

Published November 19, 2020

Eleven months into the COVID pandemic and its accompanying disruptions, most people are doing 鈥減retty well,鈥� says George Bonanno in the British daily . Still, Bonanno warns that sustained stress over a period of time 鈥渨ears us out.鈥� The key to adapting, he suggests, is 鈥渇lexibility鈥� 鈥� people鈥檚 proficiency at 鈥渞eading the context, reading what鈥檚 happening and decoding it so you know what you need to do.鈥� When a flexible response works well, he says, 鈥渢he outcome is resilience.鈥�

Published November 26, 2020

鈥淵outh of color and young women are the demographic groups that use social media the most鈥� but are also 鈥渢he least represented among digital technology developers, who are predominantly adult White males,鈥� write 麻豆原创鈥檚 Ioana Literat, Assistant Professor of Communication, Media & Learning Technologies Design, and California State University Northridge鈥檚 Melissa Brough in , a Teachers College-based nonprofit, independent news organization. In the authors鈥� own research, Black, Hispanic and queer youth have 鈥渢alked about the heightened social pressure to conform to dominant social norms online, and the ways in which platform design constricts their multifaceted, fluid identities.鈥� The antidote, argue Literat and Brough: 鈥淏ring these voices directly to the design table.鈥�

Published January 16, 2020

Games aren鈥檛 just fun, writes , Lecturer and Director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Games Research Lab, in the January issue of . They 鈥渃an be a powerful way to teach, persuade, or raise awareness about important topics that young people should care about, such as social justice or civic issues." Games also offer students the opportunity to interact and play with material in a way that makes it more 鈥渦nderstandable and accessible,鈥� writes Lee, who coordinates 麻豆原创鈥檚 M.A. program in Design and Development of Digital Games.

Published January 29, 2020

Online instruction often replicates a flawed status quo, write 麻豆原创鈥檚 Nick Wasserman, Nathan Holbert and Paulo Blikstein in the . 鈥淲e do education a great disservice when we describe it as only about memorizing or using facts,鈥� assert Blikstein and Holbert (faculty in Communication, Media & Learning Technologies Design) and Wasserman, of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Mathematics Education program, responding to calls to expand remote learning in lieu of traditional schooling when the pandemic ends. 鈥淟earning certainly involves the mind, but also interactions between students, teacher and student, and learning spaces and tools鈥� for 鈥渄iverse, rich, and multimodal educational experiences.鈥�

Published April 8, 2020

Life pre-COVID included worries about excessive screen time, but socially-distant weddings, concerts and workdays can have upsides, says Ioana Literat in a . 鈥淚t鈥檚 not what social media does to us, but what we do with social media. We are social creatures . . . so we will use existing tools in ways that enrich, rather than impoverish our communication.鈥�

Published April 14, 2020

Zoom and other online meeting forums replicate many aspects of face-to-face gatherings 鈥� including the tendency of men to preempt, talk over and interrupt female colleagues. Yet the best-performing groups and teams afford all members equal airtime, says 麻豆原创鈥檚 Sarah J. Brazaitis in . Brazaitis, Associate Professor of Practice in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Organization & Leadership, suggests that professors teaching online issue instructions to ensure that outcome 鈥� and that women stick up for one another: 鈥淚t might be that they get labeled troublemakers . . . but better to advocate in groups than solo regardless.鈥�

Published May 1, 2020

With young children spending their schooling hours online, 鈥渢eaching about digital citizenship cannot wait,鈥� argue Barbara Sprung, Merle Froschl and Nancy Gropper, co-authors of Cybersafe Young Children: Teaching Internet Safety and Responsibility, K鈥�3 (Teachers College Press 2020). 鈥淚n this day and age, it is not a supplement to regular curriculum, but arguably the most important part.鈥� In an opinion piece for 麻豆原创's website, the authors urge establishing classroom rules for online behavior and educating youngsters that in the cyberworld, 鈥減ermanence鈥� means that what鈥檚 posted online stays there. Teachers should create classroom cultures of empathy and friendship, and grown-ups should be mindful that 鈥渢echnology is more effective for learning when adults and peers interact or co-view with young children.鈥�

Published September 10, 2020

During a glitchy radio interview on  about the pitfalls of remote teaching during COVID, 麻豆原创 Associate Professor of Science Education Christopher Emdin and substitute host Brigid Bergin wryly note that they are dealing, in the moment, with precisely the issue that many fear is leaving a generation of low-income, BIPOC students behind: lack of access to the necessary technology. Yet Emdin also affirms that creative teachers can keep their students engaged, even via snail mail: 鈥淭echnology is beautiful, but it will fail us, like during this call. But there are age-old practices of emotional connection that help us to develop skill sets that are lost in technology.鈥� 

Published December 3, 2020

Tired of people with differing views squaring off against one another like warring tribes? In in The Hill, Peter T. Coleman argues that most Americans are part of the 鈥渉idden tribes鈥� in the political middle, including those 鈥渨orking actively to bridge the tensions and promote understanding and compassion.鈥� If you are aligned with this growing 鈥渕iserable middle majority,鈥� find and join them, Coleman writes, because they represent 鈥渁 solid foundation for change.鈥�   

Published March 11, 2020

Why is 鈥渃ancel culture鈥� 鈥� the mass shaming and nullification of politicians, celebrities and companies (think Al Franken, Ellen DeGeneres, J.K. Rowling) after they鈥檝e said or done something considered morally beyond the bounds 鈥� increasing among the American left? Peter T. Coleman writes in that the practice evokes the 鈥渟haming and shunning鈥� of Puritan times or the strict taboos of societies such as Pakistan, Malaysia and Singapore. Today, he says, 鈥減rogressives are extremely frustrated and enraged鈥� that Donald Trump was elected and has 鈥渞emained, for the most part, untouchable鈥� in the wake of impeachment and investigations by Robert Mueller. Acknowledging the Democrats鈥� need for party unity, Coleman nevertheless argues that 鈥渄ebate within the progressive tent is a healthy and necessary one.鈥�

Published August 14, 2020

Fifty years of divisive politics has fractured American society. President Trump is hinting he鈥檒l refuse to leave office if the election doesn鈥檛 go his way. How will Americans 鈥減ick up the pieces . . . and get back to work on our most pressing problems?鈥� Peter T. Coleman鈥檚 answer, in , is through 鈥減ositive deviance鈥� 鈥� a peace-building term referring to effective, sustainable interventions that often come from bridge-building groups within a society. Coleman argues that, even in these fraught times, much can be done to support what he calls 鈥渙ur nascent ecology of unity.鈥� He calls for 鈥渁 national initiative to connect, support and expand to scale the many bridging groups currently working on their own,鈥� urging the nation to strengthen 鈥渢his most-essential autoimmune system and get us back on track.鈥� 

Published September 22, 2020

An extensively quotes Claire Raffel, Deputy Director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy on the importance of school food systems and the potential to expand their reach should the pandemic shut down more schools. Calling New York City鈥檚 school system 鈥渆xpert鈥� in feeding students, Raffel urges focusing on students who might not be able to travel to school sites: 鈥淭his is New York City 鈥� we have every food delivery system in the world. We should be able to figure something out for families who can鈥檛 walk to a school and pick something up.鈥�

Published March 12, 2020

Distance learning has nourished millions of children during the COVID pandemic 鈥� but it is undermining sound nutrition for others who spend their days on education sites where food companies advertise unhealthy snack food. School-based food programs must respond by remaining a presence even during closures, write Julia McCarthy, Interim Deputy Director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy, and Michele Polacsek of the University of New England in the Portland (Maine) Press Herald: 鈥淭he current public health crisis has highlighted the important role schools play in students鈥� diets. Let鈥檚 take this opportunity to ensure that even in this time of distance learning, schools promote healthy, lifelong behaviors.鈥�

Published September 20, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has 鈥渟potlighted a , where wealthier New Yorkers have consistent access to healthy, affordable food while low-income, Black and Brown and immigrant households do not,鈥� argue Pamela Koch, Executive Director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy and Associate Professor, and co-authors in the . The writers urge measures that range from expanding economic stimulus support, especially to small food businesses owned by women, people of color and immigrants, to expanding public benefits and improving conditions for low-wage food workers. 鈥淎s the next wave of the pandemic looms,鈥� they argue, 鈥渨e could make a lasting commitment to the city by using the lessons from COVID-19 to dismantle the food apartheid which leaves so many New Yorkers without access to food.鈥�

Published September 30, 2020

The closing of New York City鈥檚 public schools need not be a 鈥渨in-lose proposition,鈥� argues , Director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 (CPET), in , in March 2020. Lenger Kang calls for daily messaging by the New York City Department of Education, opening temporary school zone sites, particularly for students with no secure place to go, and staffing those sites with teachers who live nearby. Also appearing on , she advises parents that reward is more effective than punishment and that age-appropriate honesty can help children navigate the transition to online schooling. 

Published March 16, 2020

The school closings occasioned by COVID provide an opportunity to undo growing inequities that have been built into the nation鈥檚 education system, writes Amy Stuart Wells, Professor of Sociology & Education, in Wells calls for a renewed appreciation for teachers, extension of the reprieve from state-mandated standardized testing, use of the virtual arena to fight de facto segregation, and a clear and urgent demonstration of the importance of civics. 鈥淚t is time for educators, students, parents, and taxpayers to unite and demand a much-needed rebirth of our public education system,鈥� she concludes. 鈥淔reed from shortsighted education reforms, [teachers] are better positioned to do what they were trained to do 鈥� teach our children to think. That is the teachable moment for us all.鈥�

Published May 7, 2020

Carefully planning to reopen schools in Fall 2020 鈥� not reopening bars and restaurants this summer 鈥� should be the top priority, writes Sarah Cohodes, Associate Professor of Economics & Education, in an article posted to . But that entails: 

• Allowing teachers and staff to opt out of in-person teaching if they are at high risk of contracting COVID-19 or spreading it to family.
• Designating elementary school students and older children with special needs to return to schools first.
• Providing online-only instruction to older students, a policy that will require adjustments to teaching and curriculum.

鈥淟et us be bold together,鈥� Cohodes concludes, 鈥渁nd halt reopening the economy 鈥� and choose reopening schools, and a better fall for our families.鈥�

Published July 7, 2020

As part of 麻豆原创鈥檚 "Schools vs. COVID鈥� series, four 麻豆原创 education leadership experts outline challenges facing America鈥檚 K鈥�12 superintendents and principals during the pandemic. Barbara McKeon, Director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Cahn Fellows Program for Distinguished Principals, says leaders are 鈥渋n the trenches 24/7.鈥� Brian K. Perkins, Associate Professor of Practice in Education Leadership, asserts that 鈥渃onditions for reopening are not being equally met,鈥� with 鈥測our typical public high school, especially in a poor neighborhood,鈥� lacking the space and resources to observe COVID safety guidelines. Jeffrey Young, Professor of Practice in Education Leadership, says school leaders are scrambling to meet 鈥渢he academic, emotional and social needs of disadvantaged kids.鈥� And Ellie Drago-Severson, Professor of Education Leadership, suggests that principals are struggling with their own 鈥渨ays of knowing.鈥� 鈥淲ho do you go to,鈥� she asks, 鈥渨hen you bump up against your own limitations?鈥�

Published August 13, 2020

麻豆原创 alumnus Thomas Chandler (Ph.D. 鈥�09, M.A. 鈥�00), Research Scientist at the (part of Columbia University鈥檚 ), argues that, in adapting to COVID, 鈥渨e should look back to the 1918 Flu Pandemic, which is the only comparable disaster in the 20^th century in terms of spreading so rapidly and being so severe.鈥� Says Chandler: 鈥淭he lesson is that this is a global pandemic and that social distancing and sheltering in place when possible are vitally important.鈥� Citing the vacationing college students who recently flocked to Florida鈥檚 beaches on the mistaken assumption that younger people weren鈥檛 at risk, he concludes: 鈥淲e really just have to follow what the data is showing.鈥�

Published March 30, 2020

Responding in to President Trump鈥檚 prediction of 鈥渟uicides by the thousands鈥� if the United States doesn鈥檛 rapidly end mandatory social distancing, 麻豆原创鈥檚 Louis Klarevas, Research Professor, and Sonali Rajan, Associate Professor of Health Education, together with  and  of Columbia University鈥檚 Mailman School of Public Health, warn against 鈥渁 mistaken message鈥� that suicide is an expected and 鈥渞ecognized way for dealing with economic hardship.鈥� The authors argue that if 鈥渨e privilege financial gain over human loss鈥� by lifting social distancing protocols too soon, 鈥渢he number of deaths associated . . . could increase by upwards of 2 million people.鈥� 

Published March 25, 2020

Some societal ills have at least temporarily lessened during the COVID pandemic, but not so gun violence in America. Gun sales have jumped and gun-related deaths have reached new heights. Noting that current safety strategies 鈥渇ocus almost entirely on how to respond in the moment of a shooting,鈥� 麻豆原创's Sonali Rajan and , of Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health, ask, 鈥淲hat if, instead, we invested in stopping these tragedies from happening in the first place?鈥� Writing in , Rajan and Branas suggest measures that range from involving school nurses in educating families about safe gun storage to replacing punitive discipline strategies with trauma-informed practices. Conclusion: 鈥淟et鈥檚 challenge the notion that school gun violence is inevitable and, instead, seek better ways to prevent it.鈥�

Published December 10, 2020

The United States has fallen far short in its COVID prevention strategies, write 麻豆原创鈥檚 John Allegrante, Professor of Health Education; M. Elaine Auld, Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Public Health Education; and Sundar Natarajan of NYU Langone Health, in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 鈥淧reventing further viral spread will require strengthening evidence-based behavioral change and implementation of science strategies to effectively reach the large numbers of at-risk Americans who are anxiously navigating the difficult social terrain to keep themselves and their families safe from COVID-19 and its long-term sequela,鈥� the three write in 鈥淚n other wars, the U.S. committed resources, technology, and expertise to achieve overwhelming superiority and overcome the enemy. The strategy for winning this contemporary war will demand nothing less.鈥�

Published May 30, 2020

The rapid development of several safe and effective COVID vaccines is an extraordinary scientific achievement 鈥� but with winter upon us and infection rates spiking, social distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing masks remain our best defenses, writes John Allegrante on 麻豆原创鈥檚 website. Allegrante, Professor of Health Education, cites remaining challenges, from the unprecedented task of vaccinating 330 million Americans to the possibility that the virus could mutate, to the 鈥渧accine hesitancy鈥� of a segment of the population, as reasons for why Americans should remain vigilant and focused on prevention.

Published December 15, 2020

In a column for The Hechinger Report, the Report鈥檚 Editor-in-Chief, , analyzes a higher education plan put forward by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who entered the 2020 presidential fray. 鈥淎s a Republican mayor . . . Bloomberg championed an education agenda that President Donald J. Trump could agree with: letting charter schools proliferate, giving parents choice and running education more like a business,鈥� writes Willen. 鈥淵et as a Democratic presidential hopeful, Bloomberg . . . echoes and expands upon policies his fellow Democratic candidates have already called for: free community college, greater investment in Pell grants and automatic income-based repayment plans for student loans.鈥�

Published February 19, 2020

Student loan debt in the United States totals $1.6 trillion 鈥� but speaking with National Public Radio鈥檚 Ari Shapiro on the show , 麻豆原创 education economist Judith Scott-Clayton says she鈥檚 not 鈥渇reaked out鈥� by that big number, much of which, she says, represents investments in education and in individuals鈥� future productivity. Her real concern is 鈥渢he number of people who are ending up in default鈥� 鈥� and never graduating. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the worst of both worlds,鈥� says Scott-Clayton, who has called at least some level of student loan cancellation 鈥渁 no-brainer.鈥� Furthermore, she adds, 鈥渟tudent loan default can have implications for your credit, your ability to borrow, and potentially even your ability to get an apartment or get a license for some professions in some states.鈥�

Published November 27, 2020

Higher education鈥檚 handling of the pandemic has created a 鈥渃lassic market failure,鈥� write , Associate Professor of Economics & Education, and University of Michigan education economist Susan Dynarski in . Many colleges and universities reopened their campuses this fall seeking revenue, but the move often created hotbeds of viral transmission on campuses and in surrounding communities. Some institutions closed again, incurring greater costs. The takeaway: When facing 鈥渘egative externalities,鈥� free markets must be regulated to protect innocent bystanders. 鈥淐ountries where the government traditionally plays a more active role in shaping markets have had more success in changing behavior and controlling the pandemic,鈥� conclude Cohodes and Dynarski. 

Published October 8, 2020

鈥淚 am worried and brokenhearted,鈥� begins the message from 麻豆原创 President Thomas Bailey. 鈥淚鈥檓 angry that my Black students, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and fellow citizens are subjected each day to indignities that I neither have nor could ever experience.鈥�  

The brutal police killing in May of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man in Minneapolis, prompted an outpouring of statements from Teachers College leaders, faculty members and many others.

鈥淲e lift up the name of George Floyd as an American patriot, a man with dreams and family and friends who loved him deeply,鈥� writes Erica Walker, 麻豆原创鈥檚 Clifford Brewster Upton Professor of Mathematical Education. 鈥淗is name is now an invocation: We do not abide this malfeasance. We resist this injustice. We claim our humanity.鈥�

鈥淐ommunities of color, who already are disproportionately affected by the deadly coronavirus, are now facing harsher treatment by police,鈥� writes Janice Robinson, Vice President for Diversity & Community Affairs. 鈥淭hese inequities remind us all that our collective work to highlight and address the needs of the most marginalized must persist even as we adjust to new ways of teaching, learning and researching.鈥�

Christopher Emdin, Associate Professor of Science Education, speaks of 鈥渢he larger pandemic鈥� of institutionally and state-sanctioned 鈥渧iolence, oppression and racism that has gone on unaddressed for far too long.鈥� Emdin urges critical examination of 鈥渢he ways that we are part of a machine that ensures that Black bodies are being discriminated against, or that violence is being impacted on them or that lives are lost.鈥� 

These and other messages confirm Bailey鈥檚 declaration that, at 麻豆原创, 鈥渢he fight against racism and inequity isn鈥檛 part of our mission 鈥� it is our mission.鈥�

Published June 5, 2020

Better training around diversity and safe restraining procedures won鈥檛 bring about 鈥渃hange of the magnitude needed to transform deep-seated cultures of bias, discrimination, profiling and abuse at institutions like large urban police departments,鈥� writes Professor of Psychology and Education, Peter T. Coleman in . In the face of 鈥渄eep-seated cultures of bias, discrimination, profiling and abuse . . . training only works when combined with other structural initiatives, like instituting effective, transparent systems of accountability and oversight, carefully reviewing formal and informal incentives and establishing joint community-police opportunities for meaningful contact and relationship building.鈥� 

Published June 7, 2020

Education in America has remained racially segregated because of White people who talk a good game but don鈥檛 walk the walk, agree 麻豆原创鈥檚 Sonya Douglass Horsford, Associate Professor of Education Leadership, and other commentators in a on race and education. Horsford, founding Director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Black Education Research Collective, adds that 鈥渢he integration conversation is more of a conversation that鈥檚 happening among those who enjoy some level of privilege 鈥� nice White parents.鈥� Black parents are worried about whether or not their children will be safe, she says, whether because of COVID or violence on campuses or hate crimes or police brutality.

Published August 21, 2020

What鈥檚 offensive about a compliment to one鈥檚 husband for playing with your children? When the compliment is made to a Black father by a White onlooker 鈥� and when White fathers playing nearby with their children go uncomplimented 鈥� the message is that you鈥檙e 鈥渃ontradicting the stereotype of the absentee Black father,鈥� writes The Washington Post鈥檚 Michelle Singletary in . Singletary 鈥� whose husband received that compliment 鈥� cites the work of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Derald Wing Sue, Professor of Psychology & Education, a leading expert on microaggressions, who explains that the power of these 鈥渆veryday slights . . . that people of color experience in their day-to-day interactions with well-intentioned White [people] . . . lies in their invisibility to the perpetrator, who is unaware that he or she has engaged in a behavior that threatens and demeans the recipient of such a communication.鈥�

Published December 4, 2020

Joe Biden鈥檚 selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate is playing well with a diverse cross section of Americans, says 麻豆原创 alumna Sayu Bhojwani in . 鈥淧eople are seeing the part of her they want to see,鈥� says Bhojwani (Ph.D. 鈥�14), Founding Director of , which recruits and prepares first- and second-generation Americans to run for elective office. 鈥淏lack women are focused on her Blackness. Jamaicans and people from Caribbean countries are focused on that, and Indian Americans are much more focused on her Indian background.鈥� Bhojwani, former New York City Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs, adds that 鈥渢he nomination of Kamala is a signal, an opening to the possibility that any of us who consider ourselves American can run for the highest office of the land.鈥�   

Published September 9, 2020

Writing in , Amra Sabic-El-Rayess, Associate Professor of Practice in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Education Policy & Social Analysis, draws on her teenage years amid the genocide in 1990s Bosnia and Herzegovina to call out White supremacy in the United States today. Sabic-El-Rayess warns that religious and racial violence are inherently related, and that White supremacists here are borrowing the violent tactics and nationalist and Islamophobic narratives employed by Serbs: 鈥淲hite supremacists in America today look at Muslims 鈥� along with Black people, immigrants, gays, Jews and all other minorities 鈥� through the imagery of the Crusades and see all minorities as an existential threat to their ethnic purity.鈥�

Published October 1, 2020

In two , 麻豆原创鈥檚 Mariana Souto-Manning, Professor of Early Childhood Education, addresses misconceptions about teaching strategies for honoring the knowledge of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC).

鈥淐耻濒迟耻谤补濒濒测&苍产蝉辫;responsive teaching and culturally relevant pedagogy have been misread by educators,鈥� Souto-Manning says. 鈥淏oth concepts demand a proactive positioning of teachers 鈥� so that they plan to teach for justice instead of taking reactive approaches to address issues of harm and injustice after the fact, after they take place.鈥� Another strategy, culturally sustaining pedagogy, 鈥渄emands moving away from the performance of White middle-class norms in favor of exploring, critically problematizing, honoring, and extending the histories, legacies, and practices of BIPOC.鈥�

Published December 14, 2020

When children learn about Black people in America, what is the first thing that they see in textbooks? Slavery, Christopher Emdin tells NBC鈥檚 Rehema Ellis. 鈥淭hey may see a family that鈥檚 half-dressed. They may see slave quarters.鈥� And yes, those are racist portrayals, says Emdin in discussing the battle to remove racial bias from America鈥檚 textbooks. 鈥淚f your introduction to my history is my down-troddenness, you never see me as a victor.鈥� Calling books 鈥渢he bricks that build our society,鈥� Emdin adds that deliberate omissions are as bad as misrepresentations 鈥� for example, a textbook that describes post-WWII government policies as encouraging home ownership but neglects to describe how those policies 鈥渋ntentionally discriminated against Black Americans.鈥�

Published August 13, 2020

In an with The New York Times, 麻豆原创's  and her frequent research partner, Neta Kligler-Vilenchik, Assistant Professor of Communication at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, discuss the importance of the TikTok social media app for the ideological and political formation and activism of young Americans. Research by Literat and Kligler-Vilenchik shows that TikTok is 鈥渁 diverse, diffuse and not nearly united community of millions of young people,鈥� the Times reports. Nevertheless, there is 鈥渁 sense of generational awareness and generational solidarity.鈥� Youth may be reclaiming terms such as Gen Z or Gen Alpha from academics, commenters and brands to 鈥渁ssert their agency, or perhaps these larger societal discourses are seeping into youth discourse too.鈥�

Published June 28, 2020

In the midst of the COVID pandemic, and with the United Kingdom recently announcing billions of pounds in funding for the arts, Judith Burton, 麻豆原创鈥檚 Macy Professor of Education, calls for a re-valuing of the arts in the United States and a rethinking of the role of the arts in education. 鈥淭he arts nurture the ability to be collaborative across difference, to construct self-identity within relationships, to understand the continuity of past within present and old with young,鈥� all of which 鈥減ropel the kind understanding and empathy that will be required to heal our world,鈥� Burton writes in an essay on 麻豆原创鈥檚 website. 鈥淲e might do no better than turn to the arts as a light in troubled times 鈥� a beacon that can guide our minds and imaginations.鈥�

Published July 9, 2020

麻豆原创's Judith Burton calls for re-envisioning schools within clusters of cultural institutions in which the arts serve as extended 鈥渢exts鈥� for revitalizing learning. She argues that the shutdown of schools during the current crisis presents an opportunity to recast the arts as a central, universal language for education that restores an emphasis on making, socialization, and the imagination itself.

Published August 20, 2020

Kosovo鈥檚 repudiation of its recently elected prime minister, Albin Kurti, resulted from a U.S.-orchestrated 鈥減arliamentary coup d鈥櫭﹖at鈥� that included the threatened withdrawal of $49 million in American support, charges Amra Sabic-El-Rayess in . 鈥淧rogressive, pro-American, pro-justice and anti-corruption, Kurti was precisely the kind of politician Americans would ordinarily wish to see in power in the region,鈥� Sabic-El-Rayess writes. His mistake: refusing American requests to remove import tariffs Kosovo had imposed on Serbia for its refusal to recognize Kosovo鈥檚 independence. Kurti鈥檚 successor has since made concessions to Serbia, Sabic-El-Rayess asserts, and given Russia鈥檚 Vladimir Putin new opportunities to expand his power. 鈥淧utin has successfully enlisted Donald Trump as a pawn in Russia鈥檚 long-term geopolitical game,鈥� she writes. As a result, 鈥渨e may soon be witnessing another round of serious bloodshed in the Balkans.鈥�

Published August 6, 2020

Much like the COVID-19 crisis, budget cuts throughout New York State disproportionately threaten low-income students of color, warn 麻豆原创鈥檚 Michael Rebell, Professor of Law & Educational Practice, and New York State Senator Robert Jackson in . Fourteen years ago, Rebell and Jackson led a coalition of parents and community groups to victory in a court case to bring New York City schools more state funding. Now, the two call on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and State Attorney General Letitia James to join in establishing 鈥渁 new funding system that will ensure on a permanent basis an equitable and cost-effective system for ending opportunity gaps and educating all of the state鈥檚 children.鈥�

Published August 22, 2020

The United States must make 鈥渁 national commitment to make up for our children鈥檚 unfinished learning,鈥� asserts 麻豆原创 alumnus , President and CEO of The Education Trust and former U.S. Secretary of Education, in a New York Times Magazine roundtable in print. Charging that 鈥渢he failure of the federal administration to respond appropriately to the pandemic, and the failure of Congress to act [will] cause kids to lose even more ground academically,鈥� King (Ed.D. 鈥�08, M.A. 鈥�97) urges 鈥渁 nationwide focus on tutoring鈥� and 鈥渁dditional counselors and mental-health services.鈥�  

Published September 11, 2020

The 2008 Recession interrupted a long run of lawsuits that compelled states to provide more equitable funding for poorer school districts. But expect different outcomes during and after the COVID pandemic, says Michael Rebell in. Rebell cites a recent settlement in Delaware that compels the state鈥檚 governor to propose a budget by 2024 that will alter Delaware鈥檚 tax structure to annually provide at least $60 million for historically disadvantaged students. Rebell鈥檚 read: 鈥淒elaware basically said, 鈥榃e鈥檙e not going to squeeze the state to come up with money during the middle of this pandemic . . . but we鈥檒l make a settlement that鈥檚 looking at a future time period.鈥�

Published October 20, 2020

Twenty years ago, as a novice teacher, Christopher Emdin was notified by the principal鈥檚 office that two planes had hit the World Trade Center and told to keep the news from his students. 鈥淚 ignored the chaos of the world beyond the classroom because I believed it was my job to just keep on teaching,鈥� writes Emdin, Associate Professor of Science Education, in . 鈥淟ooking back now, I realize I was not actually teaching at all.鈥� Today, with COVID 鈥渢earing through our collective sense of normal,鈥� Emdin calls for teachers to employ a 鈥渞eality pedagogy鈥� that 鈥渋nvolves connecting academic content to what鈥檚 happening in the world that affects students.鈥� To do anything less, he argues, is to place 鈥渁 metaphorical knee on the necks of young people.鈥�

Published July 24, 2020

Schools鈥� importance has never been more obvious than during COVID, writes Amra Sabic-El-Rayess on 麻豆原创鈥檚 website. Yet 鈥渙ur society continues to under-value and even denigrate the single most precious gift our schools give us: teachers,鈥� with many calling for increased cyber education to make teachers superfluous or else blaming teachers for the failures of virtual instruction. Sabic-El-Rayess, Associate Professor of Practice, underscores the importance of 鈥渄irect teacher-student interactions during dark times like these.鈥� We risk marginalizing and radicalizing American youth unless we make post-COVID classrooms into 鈥渟afe spaces鈥� that 鈥渁llow them to confront their traumas, losses, and fears about their futures,鈥� she writes. That means investing more in teachers 鈥� from what we pay them to 鈥渉ow we esteem them for the courageous work they do.鈥�

Published August 20, 2020

鈥淲e must recognize the inspiring and transformative role that teachers working in armed conflicts, forced displacement, climate change-induced disasters and protracted crises play in their students鈥� lives,鈥� assert Teachers College鈥檚 , Associate Professor of Practice, and co-authors writing in on World Teachers Day. The authors urge prioritizing teachers 鈥渇rom the very onset of an emergency, through to recovery and development, with increased financial investments, better data, and effective planning鈥� (including ensuring sufficient presence of female and minority teachers), and 鈥渞espect[ing] teachers, including volunteers and facilitators, as individuals and professionals with appropriate and equitable recruitment policies, pay and employment terms, and working conditions.鈥� 

Published October 5, 2020

With the pandemic diminishing social and learning opportunities for babies and toddlers, 鈥渢here is going to be a bit of a collective lag in academic skills and in those executive-function skills that allow a child to navigate a classroom,鈥� predicts developmental psychologist (Ph.D. 鈥�11, M.A. 鈥�05), Co-Founding Director and Director of Clinical Programming at New York City鈥檚 , in . But 鈥測ou can turn almost any home-based activity or interaction into an opportunity,鈥� from bath time to getting dressed, says Pressman. 鈥淚t is in those caregiving moments that some of the biggest brain-boosting interactions occur.鈥� Young children鈥檚 language skills may even improve through added time with their primary caregivers: 鈥淚n some ways, babies are living their best lives.鈥�

Published October 14, 2020

Responding to guidelines proposed by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that would require international students in higher education to take at least one class in person if they want to retain their student visas, Daniel Friedrich, Associate Professor of Curriculum in the Department of Curriculum & Teaching, warns that 鈥淧resident Trump, who is trailing significantly in the polls, is sending a clear message that he is hellbent on reopening the economy at all costs in the midst of a devastating pandemic.鈥� Colleges and universities 鈥渕ust take a stand against this cruel policy,鈥� writes Friedrich in a piece for 麻豆原创's website, who came to the United States from Argentina to earn a master鈥檚 degree, while 鈥渆ven the most 'America First'-minded policymakers ought to recognize that, by and large, international students subsidize American students.鈥�

Published July 14, 2020