Opinions
New findings from TC Faculty and Students
Media Literacy and the Fog of War
Published: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
In a commentary in Education
Week, Professors Margaret Crocco and William Gaudelli contrast coverage of
the Vietnam War with current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and argue that changes
in the news media and other factors have put “recent wars in a more ambiguous
cultural and psychological space for Americans.”
Crocco and Gaudelli, faculty members in Teachers College’s Social Studies and Education program, designed a course, Vietnam Now, for teachers that was taught at TC this summer based on never-before-broadcast footage from the landmark 1981 WGBH series “Vietnam: A Television History.” Sorting through hours of documentary footage of the Vietnam War was striking, the professors note, given the “sanitized and streamlined coverage” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They call for teaching students to “read between the lines—to become media critics who understand who controls and shapes the information and images we see.”
“Student engagement is critically important to the nation’s civic life, especially as voting and community service by young people trend upward,” Crocco and Gaudelli write. “Research indicates that teaching history improves students’ interest in public life, especially when it’s taught in ways that encourage the students to dig deeply into controversial issues, debate alternative positions, and participate in servi ... more >>
Making the Case That School Finance Lawsuits Have Boosted Student Learning
In a commentary piece titled 'Assessing 'Success' in School Finance Litigations,' published in the online edition of Education Week, Michael Rebell, executive director of TC's Campaign for Educational Equity, and co-author Bruce Baker of Rutgers University argue that victories by plaintiffs in school finance lawsuits have indeed translated into improved student outcomes in states around the country. Published: 7/9/2009
Why an Education Degree is Important
Professor Margaret Crocco takes on the issue of whether teachers need education degrees in an opinion column on the New York Times Web site in which she argues that 'all teachers should have master's degrees that both deepen their content knowledge and help them learn how to shape content into subject matter for effective engagement in K-12 classrooms.' Published: 8/17/2009
Cuts to NYC Schools Budget Wrong—and Illegal
Michael Rebell, executive director of the campaign for educational equity, based at Teachers College, argues in the New York Daily News that the 'plain facts are that reducing appropriations to New York City's schools below the actual amount spent this year would be unconstitutional.' Published: 12/19/2008
TC and West Point: Lessons Education Can Learn from the Military
Warner Burke, TC’s Edward Lee Thorndike Professor of Psychology and Education and Chair of the Department of Organization and Leadership, believes that we can all learn a lesson or two about teamwork from the military. Published: 1/14/2009
A Call for University Public School Partnerships
In a commentary piece in Education Week, TC President Susan Fuhrman and Associate Vice President Nancy Streim argue that 'the moment is ripe for a new era of university-public school partnerships.' Published: 11/13/2008
Preschool Math: Why it adds up
Experts agree that early childhood education holds great potential for closing the nation’s education gap and boosting children’s long-term achievement. Yet scant attention is paid to one of the most important early subjects of all: math. Published: 9/15/2008
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Fuhrman Calls for Focus on Education in Presidential Campaign
In a commentary piece in the May 7th issue of Education Week, TC President Susan Fuhrman argues that it is time for the presidential candidates to make education a major issue in the campaign—and to offer policy solutions to specific problems. If we’re serious about overcoming entrenched racial attitudes and barriers, let’s recognize how important education is to that conversation. Let’s insist that the candidates debate policy solutions in this campaign. Published: 5/7/2008
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