Curriculum and Instruction News
UW-Madison alumna Rita Platt is the author of a new book, “Working Hard, Working Happy,” that is to be released by Routledge in July. In her new book, Platt shows how educators can create a joyful classroom community in which students are determined to work hard, be resilient, and never give up. Platt earned her undergraduate degree in elementary education from UW-Madison’s School of Education in 1996.
UW-Madison’s Michael Apple has just published two new books — “Re-imagining Education for Democracy,” with Stuart Riddle, and “Critical Studies of Education in Asia: Knowledge, power, and the Politics of Curriculum Reforms,” with Leonel Lim. Both examine the limits and possibilities of creating more critically democratic educational policies and practices, and current national and international contexts.
UW-Madison’s Carl Grant, John Diamond, and Jordan Conwell took part in a panel discussion last month to examine Grant’s latest book, “Du Bois and Education.” The talk, moderated by Tony Chambers, the associate director of the Network, is now available for viewing via the School of Education’s YouTube channel.
UW-Madison's School of Education put a spotlight on its newest class of graduates by hosting two major events at the Gordon Dining and Event Center. On Friday evening, May 10, the School honored its Spring 2019 Ph.D. and master of fine arts degree recipients during a traditional hooding ceremony. And on Saturday morning, May 11, the School celebrated with its latest class of bachelor’s and master’s degree recipients during the annual Pre-Commencement Celebration. Congratulations and best of luck to all of our graduates! And remember: You may no longer be a student, but you’ll always be a Badger!
UW-Madison’s Gloria Ladson-Billings will serve as Towson University’s commencement speaker, and will deliver remarks during the College of Education commencement ceremony in May, the institution announced in a news release.
Despite growing up unable to dream big, Gloria Ladson-Billings has become a renowned scholar who has helped change the way teachers teach with her groundbreaking 1994 book, “The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children.” She was the first black woman to become a tenured professor in UW–Madison’s School of Education in 1995.
UW-Madison alumnus Robert Lurie will receive the 2019 National Teacher of the Year award from the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect. Lurie is a social studies teacher at Waverly High School in Lansing, Michigan, where he introduces his students to a wide diversity of faiths and cultures, fostering opportunities for direct engagement with people from a variety of backgrounds. His students are connected to educational and humanitarian causes throughout the world, including India, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Europe, and elsewhere. Through travel, guests, Peace Corps, and Skype sessions, his curriculum ensures that students understand the world's ongoing history of genocide.
Among other recent accomplishments, UW-Madison’s Michael Apple gave the commencement speech for the teacher education program at the University of Crete.
UW-Madison alumna Jann Luciana Joseph was recently named president of Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville. Joseph currently serves as interim chancellor of Indiana University–South Bend. She was the executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at IU–South bend before she was asked to step into her current interim position. Joseph earned her Ph.D. from the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction in 1998. Georgia Gwinnett College is a public institution that enrolls more than 12,000 students. African Americans make up nearly one-third of the student body.
Two Ph.D. students from the School of Education — Mary Dueñas and Allison Murrow — won 2019 Peer Mentor Awards, which are sponsored by the UW–Madison Graduate School's Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Funding. This year, the awards recognized three students for their stellar mentorship qualities on- and off-campus.