Spring 2009 Meeting Summaries

MONDAY, March 30th (6:30-8:00 pm)
Social Justice and the Limits of Democracy:
Towards a Critical Pedagogy for the Twenty-First Century
Dr. Peter L. McLaren Professor UCLA
Saint Louis University, Lecture Hall Bare Fuller
(co-sponsored with Saint Louis University)
This talk will focus on the expectations and the realities of social justice in the age of neoliberal capitalism, and in light of the recent election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. Prospects of social justice education will be discussed as well as the necessity to rethink critical pedagogy from a classroom approach to a revolutionary social movement.
Download a Flyer and Map Here.

MONDAY, March 9th, 2009
Debating the Merits of Merit Pay
Meredith Labadie
University of Missouri-St. Louis
South Campus, Marillac Hall – Technology and Learning Center
Conference Room II
Merit pay or “performance pay” is being considered in many cities as part of education reform initiatives. It often includes cash incentives for teachers who will relinquish tenure and raise students’ test scores. What are the issues surrounding merit pay? What school districts and schools have adopted merit pay? Is merit pay effective? What are alternatives to merit pay? Come find out in this interactive workshop where we will collectively analyze the issue and brainstorm strategies for strengthening public schools.
Download a Flyer Here.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY24, 2009
Developing a Progress Report on Education: Obama’s First 100 Days
Public Forum
Carpenter Branch Library
3309 S. Grand Blvd. St. Louis
5:30-7:30 pm

Educational reform is one of our nation’s top legislative priorities. We need to make sure that those of us who work in education are involved in determining the direction of this reform.The purpose of this forum is: to provide an update on legislative issues, to identify and prioritize critical issues, assess the current status of these issues and determine an action plan for expanding and enhancing educational opportunities, particularly within the first 100 days of the Obama Administration. 
Click here for a Flyer.
Co-sponsored by LSJTRG, The Justice Institute, MASW, ABC's of Literacy

Fall 2008 Meeting Summaries
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Educating for Change Curriculum Fair
"Defining Democracy"
UMSL-- South Campus, Marillac Hall 9-3
Featuring: Kevin Kumashiro
"The Seduction of Common Sense: How the Right has Framed the Debate on America's Schools"

Bill Fletcher "Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and A New Path Toward Social Justice"
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MONDAY, OCTOBER 13 (5-7 PM)
Standing UP to High Stakes Testing
Saint Louis University, Fitzgerald Hall, 3500 Lindell Blvd

This workshop will explore the ways in which high stakes tests have dominated the field of education and threaten the ideals of democratic education. Come share your story of working with (and against) high stakes tests.
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MONDAY, OCTOBER 27 (5-7 PM)
Study Group: The Truth about the Dibels
Saint Louis University, Fitzgerald Hall, 3500 Lindell Blvd.

Is DIBELS taking over your instructional time? Join other educators to read, discuss and share strategies for showing colleagues, parents, board members and policy makes the limitations of DIBELS.
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Books provided by the Richard Burnett Literacy Clinic at the University of Missouri-St. Louis
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3 (5-7 PM)
Teaching -- and Learning from -- Immigrant Families
Dr. Lisa Dorner, Assistant Professor,
University of Missouri-St. Louis

Adult Learning Center, 5078 Kensington Avenue St. Louis
(for directions, see below)

This workshop will provide an overview of the linguistic and immigrant diversity of the Midwest. Participants will take part in activities structured to replicate what it feels like to be one of these students. We will discuss how to employ similar activities in the classroom, as well as tips for working with English language learners and building on their bilingual and bicultural skills. Participants will receive resources for working with immigrant families and child translators.

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17 (5-7 PM)
Using Literature in the Social Studies Classroom
to Teach Social Justice
Missouri Teacher of the Year
Margaret Williams
Adult Learning Center, 5078 Kensington Avenue St. Louis
(for directions, see below)

Missouri Teacher of the Year, Margaret Williams, will share an interactive workshop on integrating social justice themed literature into the social studies classroom. She will share literary works appropriate for grades kindergarten through grade twelve and some practical activities that can be used in classrooms to help children and youth understand social justice.

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 8
Celebrating Readers' Rights
Legacy Books and Café
5429 Delmar Avenue St. Louis, MO 63108
6-8 PM

Join us for an evening of celebrating our rights as readers and connecting with other social justice educators! In honor of the Literacy Roundtable’s 10th Anniversary, we are holding a series of “Celebrating Readers’ Rights” events. This event will draw attention to issues around censorship and intellectual freedom. Each year hundreds of books are formally challenged or banned from schools and libraries, and thousands more book challenges go unreported. We believe that censorship is a violation of our intellectual freedom and, in our roles as literacy educators and advocates, affirm the importance of free speech and education as a human right. Our fight against censorship continues. Special invited guests will read from literature that has been censored or banned. Music, food and drinks available! 

Spring 2008 Meetings
Tuesday, January 22
Open Discussion of Current Issues Facing your Classroom, School and Community
Bring your problems, insights, questions and ideas ... Come join us for a lively discussion about current issues facing our classrooms, schools and community. Have thoughts about the political candidates and education? Worry about testing? Have a great new strategy you want to share? Need inspiration from other social justice educators? Join us!

Monday, February 4
Brad Porfilio, Saint Louis University
The Impact of Neoliberalism on Schools and Society: An Overview
This workshop will provide a brief overview of the social, political, economic, and historical forces behind the rise of neoliberalism, the dominant ideological doctrine impacting developments in schools and other social contexts across the globe for over thirty years.  It will also examine several pedagogical initiatives and suggest policy considerations designed to assist us in the struggle against the corporatization of schooling and social life.

Tuesday, February 19
Designing Social Justice Projects in your School
In this session, 2007 Courageous Educator Florence Borman from Keysor Elementary
will share a number of school wide social justice projects that she, her colleagues and students have participated in. Examples of projects include exploring poverty through a 'World Poverty’ banquet, sponsored a "no-name calling" week, created a 'From Black and White to Color' photo essay, sponsored a school-wide political rally before the primary in Missouri with candidate speeches, political posters and dialogue about the presidential candidates. Florence will have packets of information for all participants including fliers sent to parents about the projects and copies of grants she has received for her social justice teaching. You are sure to leave this session inspired and with ideas for social justice projects in your own classroom and school.....

Monday, March 3
Ritual, Culture and Transformation: An Interactive Workshop for Teachers and Activists 
Dr. Alice Bloch
How can rituals help us better communicate with each other and find healing and wholeness in times of crisis?  Today the media bombards us with images of violence and war.  But all cultures have rituals that help us make transitions into new stages of life, and through which conflicts can be resolved without violence.  In this interactive workshop, we will create imaginary cultures to explore how to transform images of violence into experiences of compassion and peace.  Using cultural tools including movement and dance from the West, African, Native American, and Hindu cultures, participants will create rituals for healing personal and cultural rifts. This material is ideal for using with youth groups.

Tuesday, March 18
Counter-Recruitment in Schools
**This session will be held at UMSL – College of Education, Conference Room I in the Technology and Learning Center from 5:00-7:00**
UMSL – College of Education (South Campus), Marillac Hall -- 8001 Natural Bridge Rd. St. Louis, MO 63121 -- Technology and Learning Center – Conference Room 1
5:00-7:00 PM

Join us for a workshop that explores how the military and war affects you, your students and  the educational community. Chuc Smith, a teacher and veteran, will share information that challenges many of the myths that military recruiters use with our youth. This session will provide you with resources to help young people question U.S. wars and military life. We will also have presentations of lessons from the new curriculum called Camouflaged, produced by the NY Collective of Radical Educators. Participants will receive a free copy of the curriculum.
www.umsl.edu/~lsjtrg

Monday, March 31
In What Ways can Teachers be Political?

Education is political. Join teachers and parent activists who will share their experiences of working for change in educational systems mired with politics.  Join Jeanine Molloff and Cris Mann, both St. Louis Public School Teachers, for a lively session that explores the complexities of teacher-activism. Among the topics to be explored: getting involved in Independent political parties; balancing teaching and activism; and advocating for educational issues.  Another featured guest will be Millie Phillips, a parent in the San Francisco Public School system. Millie Phillips has an active role in the peace activist Cindy Sheehan’s Congressional campaign.

Tuesday, April 15
Teaching for Social Justice in Reading and Writing Workshops
Meredith Labadie
In this session, teacher Meredith Labadie will share her experiences with teaching for social justice in her second grade classroom. Topics that will be discussed include: teaching for critical literacy in reading workshop, writing for change in writing workshop, and using socially responsible children’s literature in the classroom. Educators across the lifespan are invited to bring lessons, books, or even student work samples to share with others as we explore the many ways we can infuse social justice into our everyday teaching.

Rally in Defense of Public Education!
Wednesday, April 30th -- 6 PM
Old Courthouse, 11 N. Fourth Street St. Louis, MO 63102
(stairs facing west)

Join local and national educators for a rally in defense of public education! Speakers, music, a declaration calling for action in defense of public education and more ...

Free, public education is the cornerstone of a democracy. Public education is under siege by those seeking to privatize it for profit. Together, we will call for a more equitable system of public education for all and ensure literacy as a basic civil right.

Organized by the Literacy for Social Justice Teacher Research Group and
the Acting for a Better Community Committee

Download the Flier and Program

Tuesday, May 13
Social – Pot Luck
Curriculum Fair Planning

Fall 2007 Meeting Summaries

Monday, September 10th 4:30-6:30
Educating for Change Curriculum Fair Meeting
Saturday September 29th

Educating for Change Curriculum Fair -- Peace Education

Monday, October 8
Writing to Connect: Linguistic Diversity in the Writer’s Workshop
Inda Schaenen
4:30-6:30

How can writer’s workshop be turned into an instructional space that integrates the linguistic and cultural diversity of students and also prepares them to meet the many demands they will face as writers? Please join Inda Schaenen, an author and enrichment specialist with Springboard to Learning & Young Audiences of St. Louis, for a collaborative, interactive seminar on the making of a socially conscious writing workshop. In this workshop, Inda will share some of the approaches and projects that have generated enthusiasm among her own students, and resulted in genuinely stunning written work.

Monday, October 22
Teaching about Jena-6

Have you taught about the Jena-6 events? Are you interested in teaching about the events but unsure of how to proceed? Come to this session to hear ideas of how you can engage your students (of any age) in discussions about why racist events like this are still happening and how people can challenge them.  To download a resource guide for teaching about the Jena 6, go to www.teachersforjustice.org/ and scroll down to the green box and live link. This is a resource guide put together by a national group of teachers and includes lesson plans, unit plans, lists of resources, books, videos, timelines, etc. Join us for this important discussion.

Monday, November 5
Socially Responsible Literature and Writer’s Craft

What books/text do you use in your classroom to begin conversations around critical social issues? Bring the books to our session to share with others. You might bring the books you’ve felt nervous or uncomfortable about using… Together, we’ll dialogue about issues and conversations that arise from books. Aleshea Ingram then will guide us to make a reading-writing connection as we examine the craft of socially responsible literature. What can be learned from studying author’s crafts? How can we encourage writers in our classes to use such techniques?

Monday, November 19
4:30-6:30
Ritual, Culture and Transformation: 
An Interactive Workshop for Teachers and Activists
Dr. Alice Bloch

How do rituals express cultural beliefs and practices?  How can they help us better communicate with each other and find healing and wholeness in times of crisis?  Today the media bombards us with images of violence and war.  But all cultures have rituals that help us make transitions into new stages of life, and through which conflicts can be resolved without violence. 

In this interactive workshop, we will create imaginary cultures to explore how to transform images of violence into experiences of compassion and peace.  Using cultural tools including movement and dance from the West, African, Native American, and Hindu cultures, participants will create rituals for healing personal and cultural rifts.

This material is ideal for using with youth groups and middle and high school classrooms.

Monday, December 3
Implementing Gay and Lesbian Themed Literature in the Curriculum
Darryn Diuguid, Saint Louis University

Have you explored the current crop of gay and lesbian themed children’s literature?  Have you thought of using these diverse pieces in your classroom but never knew how?    The audience for these books is growing:  children of gay and lesbian parents, children who eventually self-identify as GLBT, and the rest of the universe who needs to be exposed to our ever-changing population.  Come join us as we explore the good, the not-so good, and the fantabulous pieces of children’s literature and learn how to integrate them into the existing curriculum. 

Fall 2007 Meeting Summaries

Tuesday, May 22nd
A Workshop on Multimodalities in the Classroom
Melissa Mosley

Reading, for children, adolescents and adults in today's world include many modes including images, music, action and spoken and written language. Teachers and students are always "reading" and "producing" texts using multiple modes at once. How can teachers draw on multiple modes in designing reading and writing curricula?

In this literacy and multimodality workshop, we will explore the complexity of multimodal texts. Together, we will look at videos and transcripts that include both words and images and discuss how literacy practices in classrooms are created using multiple modes. You will come back to your classroom a new lens for creating and viewing multimodal literacy practices such as play-acting, creating computer-based stories, and everyday conversations about texts and ideas.

Tuesday, May 1, 5-7 pm Talking about the Iraq War in Classroom
We invite you to the LSJTRG meeting on Tuesday, May 1 to a discussion of peace education, critical literacy, and curriculum from teachers and community activists in a time of war. In classrooms throughout the country, brave teachers are considering their role as a teacher and citizen in post 9/11 peace education. You may have heard students talking and considered what your role is in facilitating discussions about war and politics. Perhaps you have taken up these conversations and are looking for ways to extend the curriculum to address critical social issues. Maybe you have a story to share based on what has worked in your own classroom or community group. Whatever your experience, we know that there are tensions, worries, and high stakes to having these conversations that will be addressed as well. Please bring resources such as articles, children's literature, and lesson ideas to share. Bring a colleague!

Tuesday, April 17th from 5-7 pm=
Talking about Gay and Lesbian Issues in Classrooms and Schools
Leoytne Miller will conduct an interactive workshop focused on LGBT issues in schools. She will share a video called “It’s Elementary: Talking about Gay and Lesbian Issues in Classrooms and Schools” and facilitate a discussion about LGBT issues in classrooms and schools. It’s Elementary is a documentary film created by the Women’s Educational Media project. The film was created to model ways for educators to initiate dialogue about LGBT issues and family diversity with students of all ages. Leoytne will provide professional development resources for participants in the workshop.

Bring a Colleague!

Tuesday, April 3rd 
Advocating for Children with Special Needs
View and discuss the documentary called Going to School, a documentary that was produced as a result of a class action lawsuit against a school district in California that discriminated against children with special education IEP’s.
Suggested Reading: Interview with Richard Cohen, film-maker
http://www.humanrightsproject.org/vid_detail.php?film_id=6&asset=interview

Tuesday, March 20th from 5-7 pm
Center for Human Origins and Cultural Diversity
Join us at UMSL -- Center for Human Origins and Cultural Diversity, 406 Clark Hall (see specific directions below; parking passes are not needed)

What: Joni Hoscher will lead us in a participatory workshop focused on human origins, cultural diversity and the social construction of race. We will have time for discussions around race and diversity in our own lives in and out of the classroom. Joni will provide us with ideas and activities to try out in our teaching. Appropriate for educators across the lifespan -- from early childhood to adult educators. Bring a colleague!

Please call Joni 516-7227 to RSVP

See you there!

Monday, March 19th
State-Takeover of SLPS and Anti-War Protests -- What are the connectons?

Join St. Louis Instead of War, Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Alternatives to Military Service and other Peace Activists
for a 24 Hour Memorial Vigil Opposing the War in Iraq
On Monday, March 19th members of LSJTRG will be reading children's literature focused on peace and social justice to childern at the peace vigil. Come join us and bring a friend! Where: Kaufman Park (Chestnut and Tucker)

For more information go to: www.insteadofwar.org/site/weblog.php and sign up for a time. This will be part of a 24 hour vigil to remember the 4th anniversary of the Iraq War

Tuesday, March 6th 5-7 pm
Social Class and Ruby Payne in the High School English Class
Janet DePasquale

Janet will guide us through a workshop where we analyze high school students' written compositions constructed in response to literature that engages with social class. Janet shares her experience of teaching about social class and how her understandings changes after reading the critique of Ruby Payne's framework in the Rethinking Schools article (see below). Together, we will explore and discuss how the youth made sense out of social class in their writing.

Suggested Reading: “Savage Unrealities: Classism and Racism abound in Ruby Payne’s Framework” in Rethinking Schools
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/21_02/sava212.shtml

February 20th
Urban Reading Strategies (Josh Goldman)

February 6th 
Debrief and Discuss Hearing on State-Takeover
Letter writing campaign to State Board of Education and State Representatives

January 23rd
Agenda Planning and Business Meeting

Fall 2006 Meeting Summaries

Fall 2005 Meeting Summaries

September 14th, 2005, 5-7 pm: "What is Prejudice?: Facilitating Inquiry and Activism in a Third Grade Summer Reading Program"
Liesl Buechler and June Christian

In this session, June Christian and Liesl Buechler shared a literacy and social justice project that they collaborated on during a summer reading program. They shared the background of the reading program and their reading of the book "The Jacket" which was an integral part of their class. They then shared the recording of the KDHX radio show which allowed the students to share their perspectives on prejudice and race with a large audience. They closed with a discussion of the radio show and reflections on our teaching experience.

Wednesday, September 28th, 2005, 5-7 pm: Film: Granito de Arena (Grain of Sand) by Jill Freidberg

The film portrays the grassroots struggle in Mexico against the corruption of the public school system by the government. Corporate globalization is being advanced at the cost of school quality; this process is also increasing the disparity between the rich and the poor in Mexican society. A significant number of the citizens who took action to oppose the government were public school teachers who were an important force in the movement. The film illustrates their triumphs and setbacks.

Wednesday, October 12th, 2005, 5-7 pm: Joan Suarez: Jobs with Justice & Workers' Rights

Joan Suarez, Workers' Right Board Co-Chair with Jobs with Justice (JwJ), spoke about how she got involved in workers’ rights and made our group aware of several crucial components of workers’ rights, highlighting the right to organize and the importance of community-wide coalition building to support any one group’s rights. JwJ’s mission is to improve working people's standard of living, fight for job security, and protect workers' right to organize. JwJ's core belief is that in order to be successful, workers' rights struggles have to be part of a larger campaign for economic and social justice. To that end, JwJ has created a network of local coalitions that connect labor, faith-based, community, and student organization

Wednesday, October 27th, 2005, 5-7 pm: LSJTRG Book Planning Meeting
Margaret Finders

To help with the preparation of the LSJTRG book, Peg Finders presented several examples of possible styles and formats of books that include chapters by multiple authors. The group then discussed a draft of one chapter in the LSJTRG book.

Wednesday, November 9th, 2005, 5-7 pm: "Leaving Children Behind: The Untold Story Behind the Federal No Child Left Behind Law."
Peter Campbell, activist and educator

Peter Campbell is an activist, educator, and parent of a two-and-a-half year old girl. He is the Missouri State Coordinator for the Assessment Reform Network, part of FairTest (the National Center for Fair and Open Testing). In this volunteer position, he's been leading presentations and workshops on No Child Left Behind (NCLB), educating people in the St. Louis metro area on the problems associated with NCLB. He is committed to closing the achievement gap between the haves and the have nots and is looking for partners to join him in this effort. Peter outlined the flaws in NCLB and explained the ways in which the Act, by design, does not serve the needs of minority groups or special needs students and is therefore inadequate and flawed. As we learned about the chronological phases of the Act, Peter illustrated the disastrous results he envisions in the public school system if NCLB is maintained for several years.

Wednesday, November 30th, 2005, 5-7 pm: Planning Meeting

This meeting served as a time to plan for future meetings and speakers as well as a time to informally discuss group members’ ideas about eliminating racism and racial segregation in St. Louis.

Wednesday, December 7th, 2005, 5-7 pm: Black Leadership Roundtable
Nellie Watkins

Nellie Watkins, Director of District Liaison Coordination for the Black Leadership Roundtable (BLR), has a background in library science and education. She presented information about her work with the BLR and her work on its Education Committee. The current agenda of the Education Committee of the BLR is to eliminate the African-American achievement gap through cooperation with St. Louis school districts. Nellie explained some of the efforts of the BLR and the group discussed the BLR’s 2005 Regional Report Card, to which all twenty-five districts in St. Louis contributed statistics on performance by different demographic groups. The Report Card also includes each district’s plan to eliminate the African-American achievement gap.

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2005, 5-7 pm: Race and the Death Penalty
John Simon, JD

John Simon is a local lawyer who currently is representing a man on death row and who has worked on desegregation cases in St. Louis. Instead of discussing the morality of the death penalty, John is concerned with the way in which the death penalty is implemented. First, John presented a brief overview of the history of the constitutionality of the death penalty in the United States. Then, he argued that the State of Missouri should put a moratorium on the death penalty until the state can prove its administration of the death penalty is fair and unbiased. John outlined data that show that the best predictor of a man’s being sentenced to death is his race; black men committing crimes against white people received a sentence of death much more often than any other race situation. Until race is no longer a factor in sentencing decisions, John will fight for clients who may receive the death penalty as a result of flawed procedures in the judicial system.

Archived Syllabi

Syllabus Fall 2001-Spring 2002
Syllabus Fall 2002-Spring 2003
Syllabus Fall 2003-Spring 2004
Syllabus Fall 2004-Spring 2005

Syllabus Fall 2001-Spring 2002

Literacy Action Research Group: Exploring the home-school disjuncture in an era of higher literacy standards, community knowledge, and teacher research

General framework: Exploring the home-school disjuncture in an era of higher literacy standards, community knowledge, and teacher research.

Goal: Teaching linguistic and culturally diverse people in ways that draw on their strengths and knowledge and extends their abilities.

October 11: Initial agenda is proposed

Moll, L., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and families. Theory into Practice, 11 (2), 132-141. [examples of funds of knowledge]

October 25: Thinking about ourselves as learners

• Conditions of Learning: Immersion, responsibility, expectations, approximations, engagement, scaffolding
• Presentation of "traditional" and "alternative" models of literacy education from a funds of knowledge perspective
• Discuss "Sharon" case study

Ruane, S.F. (2000). Culture in literacy education: Thirteen ways of looking at a blackbird. National Reading Conference Yearbook, 49 , 12-30. [Examples of culture and literacy]

Heath, S.B. (1982). Protean shapes in literacy events: Ever-shifting oral and literate traditions. In D. Tanned (Ed.) Spoken and Written Language: Exploring Orality and Literacy , 91-117. Norwood, NJ: Ablex. [Examples of the range of literacies that exist in homes and communities]

Homework: Write Literacy memoir

November 8

• Order materials from Teaching for Social Change Catalog
• Discuss "Becky" case study
• Discuss issues in elementary and adult education programs including funding, parentand community involvement
• Distribute family literacy surveys from Pat Edwards book as one possibility for increasing family literacy/parent involvement

Hale-Hankins, K. (1998). Cacophony to symphony: Memoirs in teacher research. Harvard Educational Review, 68 (1), 80-95. [example of literacy memoirs - how our cultural, racial, social backgrounds shape how we see our students]

November 29

• Discuss literacy memoirs
• Distribute Purcell-Gates book for future discussions
• Circulate multi-cultural materials (labor curriculum, multi-cultural art and education, annotated bibliography of culturally responsive children's literature)

Voss, M. (1993). "I just watched": Family influences on one child's learning. Language Arts, 70, 632-641. [example of teacher research]

December 13

• Videos, materials come in - brief review of materials
• Discuss Voss (1993)
• Distribute transcripts of literacy memoirs
• Continue discussion of literacy memoirs

January 3, 2002

• Discuss "David" case study
• Watch and Discuss One Million Postcards Video [organizing for social change]
• Distribute the curriculum guide that accompanies the video
• Revisit the original agenda and discuss what we have accomplished and what our goals are for the spring.

Devine, J. Literacy and Social Power.

January 17

Purcell-Gates, V. (1995). Other people's words. MA: Harvard University Press. Chapters 1-3.

January 31

• Presentation by Rebecca Light "Funds of knowledge in a 5 th grade classroom"
• Problem posing - Sheila - integrating funds of knowledge with SS and CA curriculum

February 14

• Presentation by Sheila Carves "Food is Political" unit in 3rd grade classroom
• Watch and Discuss My Brown Eyes video and discuss implications for administrators, adult education and elementary education teachers
• Problem-posing: Tambra - using this in ABE/GED classroom

February 28

• Presentation by Tambra: Showed My Brown Eyes to ABE/GED class and video-recorded their discussion
• Discuss Purcell-Gates (1995) Other People's Words .
• Problem-Posing: How would this video work in an ESL classroom? Did the boy understand English?

March 14

• Presentation by Rhonda: Showed My Brown Eyes to ESL class and video-recorded the discussion.
• Problem-posing: Mary Ann and Phyllis - women's center literacy strategies that are relevant

March 28

• Ice-breakers - Tambra
• Discussion of educational reform

St. Louis Public Schools: Weak Sectors and Low Cohesion.

April 11

• Presentation by Earline Scott on running records

April 17

• Discuss Purcell-Gates
• Watch Building an Anti-Racist Curriculum discuss implications for adult literacy and elementary classrooms
• Issues of gender in family literacy programs
• Problem-Posing : Mary Ann and Phyllis gender and literacy at the women's center

May 3

• Discuss possible action research for classrooms
• Presentation by Mary Ann and Phyllis
• What has been learned?

Baumann, J., Duffy, A. (2001). Teacher-researcher methodology: Themes, variations, and possibilities. The Reading Teacher, 54 (6), 608-615.

May 16

• Final Meeting for the semester -Meet at a restaurant?
• Future directions

Syllabus Fall 2002-Spring 2003

October 7

Wells, G.   (2001).   The development of a community of inquirers.   Action, Talk and Text:   Learning and Teaching Through Inquiry.   Teachers College.

October 22

Comber, B., Thomason, P., Wells, M. (2001).   Critical literacy finds a "place":   Writing and social action in a low-income Australian grade 2/3 classroom.   The Elementary School Journal 101 (4), Univ. of Chicago.

November 19

Cohn, M.   Action Research:   Conducting and modeling classroom inquiry.

Hubbard, R., Powers, B. (1993), The art of classroom inquiry.   Heineman:     Portsmouth, N.H.

Freedman, S., et al.   Inside City Schools. Teachers College Press, National Council of Teachers of English.

December 3

Rogers, R. (2001), "That's what you're here for, you're supposed to tell us":   Teaching and learning critical literacy.   Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 45(8), 772-787.

December 17

Marautona, T. (2002), A Critical analysis of literacy practice in Botswana. Adult Basic Education, 12 (2), 82-99.

January 23

Allen, J. (1999), A community of critique, hope, and action.   Class Action:   Teaching for Social Justice in Elementary and Middle Schools.   Columbia University.

February 3

African American Read-In.

February 6

Allen, J., Fecho, B.   Teacher inquiry into literacy, social justice, and power.

February 24

Reflection and analysis.

Conference.

March 11

Dowdy, J. Ovuh Dyuh.   The skin that we speak.

Dowdy, J. (2001), Carmen Montana, The General Education Diploma, and her social network. JLR, 33 (1), 71-98.

March 20

Joanne Kilgour Dowdy:   "GED Stories:   Black Women and their Struggle for Social Equity". Sponsored by the Lawrence Cohn Literacy and Learning Lab.

April 7

"isms".   Focus on Basics, (February 2003), 6 (3).

April 24

John Berry Meachem (1789-1854), St. Louis Pioneer, Black Abolitionist, Educator, and Preacher.

Syllabus Fall 2003-Spring 2004

September 10, 2003

Group review handout

Planning the new year and BBQ

September 24, 2003

Power, Race & Trust and Lack of Trust Poisons School Debate:   St. Louis Post-Dispatch

October 15, 2003

Literacy for Social Justice Vignette

Discuss current and future classroom projects; decide on group readings

October 29, 2003

Values and Beliefs:   The World View Behind Curriculum (Focus on Basics)

Review draft of article for JoBeth Allen's book:   Diverse Families, Welcoming Schools:   Partnerships for Learning.

Discuss personal/professional connections with social justice in classroom, community.

Introduce Sister Souljah's book:   No Disrespect

November 12, 2003

Read and Discuss Sister Souljah's No Disrespect

Project Updates and Info

Guest Speaker from Cultural Essence Book Store

November 25, 2003

Read and Discuss Sister Souljah's No Disrespect

Project Updates and Info

January 8, 2004

Finish and Discuss Sister Souljah's No Disrespect

Donate books to Carolyn Fuller's classroom

January 22, 2004

Guided Reading - An Instructional Framework for Adults: Donita Massengill(Adult Basic Education, Fall 2003)

The Literacy for Social Justice Teacher Research Group (under review). The Long Haul:   Professional Development as Social Change . Language Arts for consideration in their themed issue on "Valuing Teachers through Professional Development".

February 1 and 2, 2004

African American Read In

February 12, 2004

Taffy E. Raphael, Susan Florio-Ruane, and MariAnne George. "Book Club Plus:   A Conceptual Framework to Organize."

Book Club Video - Melissa Mosley

Caroline Hendrie "In U.S. Schools, Race Still Counts." (Education Week)

Teacher to Teacher:   Using Problem -Posing Dialogue in Adult Literacy Education

February 27, 2004

Inequalities in Schools and Neighborhoods - St. Louis and Beyond:   Panel and Roundtable sponsored by Washington University

March 11 and 12, 2004

The Literacy for Social Justice Teacher Research Group presented at the:

ABC's of Literacy:   A cting for a B etter C ommunity Conference - Webster University

March 12 and 13, 2004

The Literacy for Social Justice Teacher Research Group presented at the:

Border Crossings in Research Conference - University of MO - St. Louis

Fuller, C. & Rogers, R. Critical and Accelerative Adult Education . UMSL Qualitative Research Conference , St. Louis, MO.

Mosley, M. Critical Book Clubs in a Second Grade Classroom . UMSL Qualitative Research Conference , St. Louis, MO.

March 25, 2004

Field   Note-taking Process

Video and Discussion: "Rhythm, Rhyme, and Life:   A Documentary on the Oral Tradition in African American Culture" - Part I

Presentation and Project Updates

April, 2004

AERA

Rogers, R. & Mosley, M. (2004). Critical Literacy in a White Working Class Classroom . American Educational Research Association , San Diego, CA.

April 15, 2004

Video and Discussion:   "Rhythm, Rhyme, and Life:   A Documentary on the Oral Tradition in African American Culture" - Part II

April 29, 2004

Rhonda Jones: Life history narrative from adult education student

Reflections and Directions Questionnaire

Melissa Mosley: Critical Book Clubs in a Second Grade Classroom

May 13, 2004

Stepping Over the Color Line:   African American Students in White Suburban Schools - Amy Stuart Wells and Robert L. Crain

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