Food & Culture Project
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Current Research Interests
Current research interests include the role and implementation of emerging
technologies, especially the Internet, multimedia, and social networking as
tools to design and deliver 21st century curriculum and instruction.
This includes, but is not limited to, the use of these tools to create virtual
learning environments, online courses, collaborative projects for students, and
professional development for educators.
Other research interests include development of 21st century schools,
from the actual architecture of the buildings, to designing the classroom;
creating change, or paradigm shifts in how we think about education; examining
emerging new schools; and developing 21st century curriculum and
instruction.
Workshop topics range from curriculum design
to service learning, after school programs, Web 2.0 tools, media literacy,
multiple literacies for the 21st century, the global collaborative classroom,
greening the classroom and the curriculum and greening the school district.
Course Descriptions for Independent Study
Coursework at University of Texas at Austin (1995-2000):
PHL 388 Digital Research
- examining the role of hypermedia in conducting and publishing research. In
what ways do the roles, or interpretative messages, contained in and delivered
through various media impact educational research? An introductory exploration
into digital, or hypermedia, research. This was a basic level investigation
into digital research. What is digital research, how does it differ from other
methods of research, how does a digital, or virtual, researcher address issues
such as validity, reliability, and generalizability? This investigation led to
topics such as: hypermedia as a new medium for authoring, linking together of
data, analysis and interpretation in the same medium; video as a document;
video data collection and analysis; conducting research online; evaluating
online resources; creating virtual communities in research; multimedia
technology as provider of new tools for historical research and documentation;
qualitative research methodologies and their philosophical underpinnings ; the
role of narrative in designing interactive multimedia systems; cyberspace,
virtual reality and critical theory.
PHL 388 Qualitative Research Design - an
exhaustive effort to determine types of research and their design methodologies
for a philosophical, theoretical dissertation. As this researcher’s interests
and studies have been largely composed of the analysis and critique of various
theories, and it was determined that experimental research was inappropriate for
this dissertation as were the most commonly treated qualitative methods such as
ethnographic studies, case studies, action research, etc., an intensive search
was conducted to determine what other types of research methodology would be
most appropriate for this dissertation. This research not only involved an
intensive search of the materials available at the PCL at UT, but also involved
a highly scrutinized investigation of methodologies used in recent
dissertations, and finally, an intensive search via the Internet.
EDC 396V Herbert Marcuse, the
Frankfurt School and Critical Theory – an in-depth study of the life, work and
theories of Herbert Marcuse, a member of the Frankfurt School and founders of
Critical Theory.
EDC 396V Integrating Theory
into Practice: a Course for Student Teachers – designed a course for preservice
teachers which enabled future teachers to understand the connections between
theory and practice – the connections between what is done in the classroom and
why it is done. The course is designed so that student teachers learn in the
same way they are being taught to teach – they learn through actual experience,
not by listening or reading only. Project-based, this course prepares student
teachers to enter their first classroom prepared to teach and assess their
students authentically. Theories included are those of William Glasser, Lev
Vygotsky, John Dewey, Howard Gardner, Jerome Bruner, and others, related
learning, curriculum design, instruction and behaviors.
EDC 396T Democracy and
Education - the Purpose of Schools and Critical Pedagogy - the theories and
ideals of John Dewey form a large part of the foundational ideals of critical
pedagogy. This course examines the writings of John Dewey as they pertain to
social justice, democracy in society, the democratic school and classroom,
freedom, consciousness and citizenship, social change, the nature of reality, of
learning, of growing, and the constantly evolving purpose of education as it
relates to the wider society.
EDC 396T Creating the 21st
Century Classroom - Interdisciplinary, Thematic and Integrated Curriculum
Design - examines the development and implementation of a curriculum which is
aligned with the needs of 21st century life. Several different
thematic and interdisciplinary units are designed which incorporate a variety
social, cultural, behavioral, psychological, instructional and learning
theories. Here we find that there is no real separation of curriculum,
classroom management, instruction, learning, teaching and assessment. Rather,
the curriculum is designed on several levels simultaneously – learning and
curriculum theories, scheduling, arrangement of the learning environment,
selection of activities and materials, determination of learning outcomes,
methods of authentic assessment and matters pertaining to diversity and social
issues.
PHL 388 Possibilities – a
Digital Archive - this ongoing project is the development of a web site which
will serve as a significant portion of a doctoral dissertation. Constantly
evolving as a result of further research and learning on the part of the web
site designer, as well as a result of the interactions between the web site
designer and visitors from around the globe, this web site strives to 1.)
contribute knowledge to the field of critical pedagogy, and 2.) expand
knowledge of critical pedagogy, its implementation and possibilities, to
educators.
PHL 388 Philosophical
Foundations of Critical Pedagogy - an archaeology of the sociohistorical and
theoretical foundations of critical pedagogy, including Marcuse, Hegel, Marx,
Husserl, Heidegger, Lukacs, Korsch, the Frankfurt School, Horkheimer, Freud and
others.
PHL 388 Technology, the
Media and Education in the New Millennium - a first look at the rapid
developments in technology and the media and how these developments impact the
field of education. Primarily researched through the Internet, and supplemented
by print texts, this study strives to establish a foundational knowledge in the
wide area demarcated by the intersections of technology, media, education and
life in the new century.
PHL 388 Intersections –
Media and Education - an examination of cultural and media studies which
analyses the saturation of daily life by multiple forms of media, and what this
means for education. This saturation by the media extends from the global -
transnational capitalism, nation-states, to the individual – and the processes
of identity formation and perceptions of reality. Examination of the phenomenon
of media and education is conducted from multiple perspectives such as media
studies, cultural studies, critical theory, feminist theory, critical race
theory, postmodern theories and communication theories.
PHL 388 Learning Theories
and Critical Pedagogy - an examination of the contributions of various learning
theories to the development of critical pedagogy. Includes Vygotsky, Bruner,
Dewey, Gardner.
PHL W388 Multiple Literacies
and Critical Pedagogy - a study which investigates the multiple literacies
required for successful life in the 21st century. Beginning with a
review of what literacies were considered as necessary in the 20th
century, this study then ferrets out a new set of literacies required as a
result of drastic and rapid changes in society due to technology, making a call
for equally drastic changes in how schooling is structured, and how curriculum
is designed and delivered. New literacies required include media literacies,
financial literacy, ecoliteracy, cultural literacies, computer literacy, and
many more.
PHL W388 Media Literacies and
Pedagogy - a relatively new arrival to the field of education in the United
States, media literacies have been an integral part of education in Canada , New
Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. This course involved an
investigation of the development and evolution of media literacy as an integral
part of curriculum and instruction for the 21st century, an
exploration of topics and methods utilized in more experienced programs in other
countries, an exploration of the beginnings of media literacy as part of
education in the United States, discovering the many facets of media literacy,
and locating resources for educators who wish to pursue media literacy, or the
critique and use of multiple forms of media, as part of their curriculum.
PHL W388 Paulo Freire and
Multimedia - this course examines the writings and life of the Brazilian
educator, Paulo Freire. Considered by many as the “father of critical
pedagogy”, he has been criticized by some as being “anti-media”. This course
examines the theories of Freire and how they actually support multiple media
literacies as a necessary part of education today.
PHL W388 Panopticon Elementary
– an autobiographical narrative. Adopting a storytelling format as she relates
her experiences, observations and feelings, the author reflects upon and
analyses her experiences as a teacher implementing critical pedagogy at an
elementary school. During this experience, the author is able to connect many
of the theories of Henry Giroux and Peter McLaren to real life in a particular
school and community. As a result of her studies in critical pedagogy, which are
based upon the works of Giroux and McLaren, the author is able to observe with
heightened awareness the injustices and inequities which operate within our
educational and social systems that are based on race, class, gender, ethnicity,
religion, etc. These observations lead to new understandings of critical
pedagogy and ideas for its development and implementation.
Other independent
coursework has included, but has not been limited to, the following topics:
September 11 -
9/11 in
the Classroom and
September 11
The Global Classroom - designing and implementing curriculum and
instruction with collaborative colleagues around the world
Video Production in Education
Multiculturalism
The Digital Divide – from the local to the global – the city of
Austin, Austin ISD, Texas, the United States and Global Gaps in Accessibility
Social Action for Kids – a study of real life examples of
children making differences, creating personal and social change, and resources
for classrooms who want to do the same.
The Colonias of Texas – an example of critical pedagogy and
creating social change via the media
National and State Standards in Curriculum
Standardized Testing – analysing the debates
The Isms and Education - classism, racism, sexism, linguicism,
heterosexism, anti-Semitism and religious oppression, ableism and ageism
The Language of Critical Pedagogy
Analysing the Media – Presidential Election 2000 – a case study
Funding in Education
Democracy in Education – democratic schools, the democratic
classroom, the role of education in a democratic society
Educational Reforms
Computer Literacy - Developing and Maintaining Web Sites, an
ongoing project
Focused studies of the works of Henry Giroux, Peter McLaren, Douglas Kellner,
Herbert Marcuse, Michel Foucault, the Frankfurt School of Germany, John Dewey,
Howard Gardner, Paulo Freire,
Teacher Education and Critical Pedagogy
21st Century Issues - for example, Racism, World
Poverty, Ecology, Diversity, Globalization, Cloning, etc
Media Literacies
Qualitative Research Methods
Children’s Literature – as part of an interdisciplinary, thematic unit;
multicultural children’s literature and authors in various genre; connections
to other media – film, radio, theatre, music, multimedia, hypermedia, etc.;
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