30 episodes
Education for Sustainable Democracy Brett Levy
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- Society & Culture
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5.0 • 33 Ratings
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This show explores how we can prepare the next generation for informed civic engagement, environmental stewardship, and the development of a more just and peaceful world. Host Brett Levy is a researcher of civic and environmental education and an associate professor at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Episodes feature interviews with leaders, innovators, and scholars in civic and environmental education. Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, or listen from your computer. For information about upcoming episodes, guests, and more, please visit www.esdpodcast.org. Thank you!
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Best of ESD: Democracy Prep Charter Schools, with Rashid Duroseau (Civics Program Director, Democracy Prep Public Schools)
What if a school made preparation for democracy its central goal? That’s what Democracy Prep tries to do - not in just one school but in many. This charter school network includes 24 schools in five states, with schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
In this episode, Brett talks to Rashid Duroseau, the Civics Program Director at Democracy Prep. Rashid describes the civic participation experiences that these schools require of students, how various courses integrate civic issues into the curriculum, how he found his way into education, and more.
This a rebroadcast of an episode first aired in early 2022.
More about Democracy Prep
The Civics Program at Democracy Prep
Democracy Prep Public Schools Homepage
USA Today Story on Democracy Prep's Teaching of U.S. History
Empirical Study of Democracy Prep's Effects on Students (by Mathematica)
Rashid Duroseau's Brief Bio
ESD Podcast Resources
Education for Sustainable Democracy Homepage
Brett Levy's Open-Access Research Articles
Education for Sustainable Democracy Facebook Page (Please Like!)
YouTube Channel for Education for Sustainable Democracy (Please subscribe!)
Related ESD Episodes
Civically Engaged Districts Project, Part 1 (with Administrators & Prof. Beth Rubin)
Civically Engaged Districts Project, Part 2 (with Students & Teachers)
Engagement & Equity in Civic Education (with Prof. Jane Lo)
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Best of ESD: Teaching Elections & Modeling Political Tolerance, with Wayne Journell (University of North Carolina at Greensboro)
This is a rebroadcast of an interview with Professor Wayne Journell about teaching elections, recorded in 2020.
How should educators teach about elections? How can they maximize student learning, foster engagement, and minimize overly heated exchanges among students? Professor Wayne Journell from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, has conducted research on how high school teachers help students learn about elections. He describes how teachers can frame productive discussion of elections, integrate election-related content into other aspects of the curriculum, and model a tolerant attitudes towards different political perspectives. Dr. Journell also explains how educators can help students navigate our complex media landscape and avoid falling victim to misinformation.
Resources Related to this Episode:
Article: Teaching the 2020 Election, by Wayne Journell
Wayne Journell's Website
Theory & Research in Social Education
Teaching Elections Website
ESD Podcast Resources
Brett Levy's Open-Access Research Articles (Free Downloads)
Education for Sustainable Democracy Facebook Page (Please Like!)
YouTube Channel for Education for Sustainable Democracy (Please Subscribe!)
Brett Levy's Twitter/X Handle: @brettlmlevy
Education for Sustainable Democracy Homepage
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Maximizing Youth Voter Registration, with Laura Brill (The Civics Center)
We have millions of young people in school every year who become eligible to register during their time in school, but there are few mechanisms in place to get them registered. Laura Brill is starting to change that. Through her new organization, the Civics Center, she’s trying to make voter registration drives a regular feature of high schools around the country. We discuss why she started the organization, how they reach students, the variety of ways that voter registration drive can take place in schools, how educators can get involved, and much more.
Episode Resources
The Civics Center Homepage
About Laura Brill
Educator Workshops for Voter Registration Drives
Student Resources for Voter Registration Drives
Brett's Teaching Elections Site
ESD Podcast Resources
Brett Levy's Open-Access Research Articles (Free Downloads)
Education for Sustainable Democracy Facebook Page (Please Like!)
YouTube Channel for Education for Sustainable Democracy (Please Subscribe!)
Brett Levy's Twitter Page: Handle @brettlmlevy
Education for Sustainable Democracy Homepage
Related Episodes of ESD
Learning about Election Integrity
Democracy Prep: A Charter School Network
Seal of Civic Readiness for High School Students
A High School Course on Public Policy
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Lateral Reading & Other Media Literacy Skills, with Sarah McGrew (University of Maryland)
In today’s media environment, there’s no shortage of information and disinformation – so how do we know if we’re being misled? How can young people know? The ability to tell fact from fiction is vital for maintaining a healthy civil society, and researchers are exploring how to teach these skills. On this episode, Brett speaks with Sarah McGrew, a cutting-edge researcher in this area. After earning her PhD at Stanford in 2019, she joined the faculty at the University of Maryland, where she has several ongoing studies about fostering students’ media literacy. On this episode, she discusses her research, key findings, and practical advice for educators and parents.
Episode Resources
About Sarah McGrew
Sarah McGrew's Articles (Google Scholar)
Media Literacy Standards Map
Brett's Media Literacy Education Paper
ESD Podcast Resources
Brett Levy's Open-Access Research Articles (Free Downloads)
Education for Sustainable Democracy Facebook Page (Please Like!)
YouTube Channel for Education for Sustainable Democracy (Please Subscribe!)
Brett Levy's Twitter Page: Handle @brettlmlevy
Education for Sustainable Democracy Homepage
Related Episodes of ESD
Helping Youth Become Critical News Consumers, with John Silva and Miriam Romais (News Literacy Project)
Teaching Social & Historical Issues through Film, with Jeremy Stoddard (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Combatting Misinformation in the Classroom, with John Silva and Miriam Romais (News Literacy Project)
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Best of ESD: Guiding Productive Political Discussions, with Diana Hess (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
What do students learn when they discuss controversial political issues? What are the benefits and limitations? How can teachers guide these discussions and maintain a positive classroom environment? In this episode - published originally in late 2020, renowned social studies education scholar Diana Hess explores these questions, drawing on her two decades of research in classrooms. Hess is professor and dean at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education and has written two award-winning books about how young people can learn about and productively discuss controversial political issues.
In this episode, she describes her major research findings and what they mean for teachers, and she also considers how educators should help students understand some challenging current issues, such as claims of widespread voter fraud and Donald Trump’s refusal to concede or facilitate a smooth presidential transition.
Episode Resources:
Article on Diana Hess
The Political Classroom, by Diana Hess and Paula McAvoy
Videos of Teaching Discussion Skills (by CERG)
Structured Academic Controversy Discussion Model
Brett Levy's Article Featuring a Structured Academic Controversy
Other ESD Resources:
Brett Levy's Other Open-Access Research Articles
ESD Episode on Teaching the Capitol Riot
ESD Episode on Teaching Elections & Political Tolerance
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Civic Education during a Democratic Crisis, with Walter Parker (University of Washington, Seattle)
How should educators prepare youth for democratic participation at a moment when democracy itself seems so fragile? For ESD's third anniversary episode, Walter Parker, professor emeritus at the University of Washington - Seattle, explores the answer to this question by sharing ideas from his new book, Education for Liberal Democracy: Using Classroom Discussion to Build Knowledge and Voice. Walter Parker is one of the most influential social studies education scholars of our time. In his new book and on this episode, he argues that education can and must address a twofold crisis in our democracy – a legitimacy crisis and an epistemic crisis. Brett and Walter discuss how this can be done in the classroom and beyond.
Episode Resources
About Walter Parker
Walter's New Book: Education for Liberal Democracy
Walter's Knowledge-in-Action Project
Gutman's Book: Democratic Education
Brett's Media Literacy Education Paper
ESD Podcast Resources
Brett Levy's Open-Access Research Articles (Free Downloads)
Education for Sustainable Democracy Facebook Page (Please Like!)
YouTube Channel for Education for Sustainable Democracy (Please Subscribe!)
Brett Levy's Twitter Page: Handle @brettlmlevy
Education for Sustainable Democracy Homepage
Feedspot's 100 Best Classroom Podcasts (including ESD!)
Related Episodes of ESD
Engagement & Equity in Civic Education, with Jane Lo (Michigan State)
The Civically Engaged Districts Project, with Beth Rubin (Rutgers) and NJ District Administrators (New Brunswick Public Schools)
Helping Youth Become Critical News Consumers, with John Silva and Miriam Romais (News Literacy Project)
Support the show
Customer Reviews
Great podcast!
I’ve really enjoyed listening to this podcast over the past few months. As a former elementary teacher and current doctoral student this podcast helps me stay engaged with what’s happening in the field of education. Brett has conversations with incredible educational scholars who speak to powerful resources and experiences in education. I highly recommend this podcast to anyone who is curious about the field of education!
Essential work
Brett is doing amazing job bringing these conversations to us! These podcasts are engaging, cover a diverse range of topics that every teacher and especially social studies educators can learn from. I commend him on this effort! Thank you Brett!
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Lightning in a bottle!