Wednesday, April 26, 2023

The Journal of Educational Controversy Announces a New Call for Papers: Facilitating Discussions of Controversial Issues in Difficult Times

 The Journal of Educational Controversy announces a new call for papers for Volume 16.

Theme: Facilitating Discussions of Controversial Issues in Difficult Times

Controversy Addressed:

Controlling speech in classrooms has been an issue for as long as there have been schools. Who gets to speak, what they are allowed to say, what counts as a legitimate topic for discussion, and what constitutes “truth” have always been determined by the economic and political processes that control education. Recently, these processes have become the subject of public debate and political controversy.  From both the putative right and the putative left, morally inflected demands for control of classroom conversation have made headlines and have played a role in funding, legislation, lawsuits, campaigning, and voting choices. Bans on certain words, trigger warnings, a shift from politics to psychology, a focus on trauma, fear of certain theories (usually those with “critical” in their title), the struggle for control of historical narratives, the censorship of invited speakers, and the framing of identities have all become part of the discussion of what can and cannot be said in a classroom, what will and won’t get funded, and who can be fired for speech.

We invite authors to bring clarity and illumination to these issues from a conceptual, philosophical, historical, and political perspective and to offer ideas about actual classroom practices.

 ·       What do we mean by a controversy? Do all differences of opinion count as legitimate controversies? What purpose does the discussion of controversies play in the education of democratic citizens?

·       What are some effective practices in the teaching for complexity through the classroom discussion of controversial issues in the different disciplines—literature, science, social studies, history, environmental studies, mathematics, political science, economics, psychology, the arts and theater, etc.

·       What is the legitimate scope of decision-making by teachers and librarians based on professional knowledge, by the democratic control of education through state legislatures and governors, by local vs. state authority, by the rights and concerns of parents.

 Deadline for Manuscripts: October 15, 2023

https://cedar.wwu.edu/jec/


Saturday, January 22, 2022

The Progressive City: Wright & his Chicago Contemporaries Call for 2022 Conference Papers

Chicago around 1900 was a laboratory of progressive reforms and Wright, during these years, was part of group of designers and activists increasingly alarmed by crippling widespread social inequality, public health crises, and lack of access to education, nature and affordable housing. The United States, and the Midwest in particular, was experiencing explosive growth due to the rise of industrial capitalism following the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The Progressive movement sought to provide better living conditions for all classes of society. The breadth of progressive reforms imagined often led to ambitious urban planning schemes. The 1893 Fair, for example, offered an alternative vision of modern cities that incorporated numerous infrastructural innovations, spaces for recreation and rationalized circulation patterns, among many improvements, later taken up by Daniel Burnham in his 1909 Plan of Chicago. Wright, together with his progressive peers, explored various planning schemes, from coordinated suburban blocks to neighborhood units, that countered the monumentality of the City Beautiful with a smaller-scale approach echoing the Garden City movement. Other interventions included the construction of playgrounds, parks, recreation centers and public schools across the city, while environmentalists founded conservation groups and designed landscapes sensitive to local ecologies.



Driving many of these interventions was the emerging field of sociology at the University of Chicago and the related settlement house movement. Many economists and sociologists at the university, such as Thorstein Veblen, John Dewey and Jenkin Lloyd Jones, advanced theories seeking to understand and overcome social inequality through education and economic reform. Similarly, settlement houses offered a range of free social programs, such as adult education, kindergarten, childcare, supervised recreation, legal counsel, job training and more. In this context, women especially—such as Jane Addams and Florence Kelley, founders of Hull House, but also many of Wright’s clients, such as Susan Lawrence Dana, Mamah Borthwick Cheney and Queene Ferry Coonley—were at the heart of widespread concerns for social justice.


The 2022 annual conference of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, to be held in Chicago and online, October 19-23, proposes to engage Wright in this expanded context, focusing both on his contributions to progressive reforms and on those of his peers and collaborators. Examples of possible topics to examine are: suburb vs. city center; housing the poor; the middle-class domestic ideal; roles of the City Club, Hull House, and Commercial Club; development of public transportation; building of cultural institutions; rise of consumer culture; playgrounds, parks and recreation movements; and the preservation of period facilities bearing relation to these topics. Among other figures that might be considered are Dwight Perkins, Jens Jensen, Marion Mahony, Walter Burley Griffin, Ellen Key, Irving and Allen Pond, Charles Zueblin, Charles Mulford Robinson, Robert Spencer, Herbert Croly and George Hooker. 


How to submit: Proposals should present fresh material and/or interpretations. They should be submitted as an abstract of no more than one page, single-spaced, with the authors name at the top. The text should concisely describe the focus and scope of a 20-minute presentation. The proposal should be accompanied by a one-page biography/curriculum vitae that includes: authors full name, affiliation (if applicable), mailing address, email address and telephone number. Please also note any extraordinary audio-visual needs. PDF files are preferred and filenames should include the author’s name. Proposals must be received no later than March 16, 2022. Notification will be sent in early April 2022. Please submit proposals online at savewright.org/proposals.   



About the Conservancy: The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy facilitates the preservation and stewardship of the remaining built works designed by Frank Lloyd Wright through advocacy, education, and technical services. Learn more about the Conservancy at savewright.org. 

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Conference on Border Justice and InterAmerican Cooperation: CALL FOR PROPOSALS


 Conference on Border Justice and InterAmerican Cooperation: 



A Joint Conference of the John Dewey Society, 

and Alliance San Diego



CALL FOR PROPOSALS 



Due: January 15, 2022 




The John Dewey Society aims to foster intelligent inquiry into the pressing social problems of 

our time, especially pertaining to the place and function of education in resolving such

problems, as well as to share, discuss, and disseminate the results of such inquiries.


The John Dewey Society invites paper proposals for its annual meeting, to be held in San Diego, California on April 21, 2022. Come join us for a full day of scholarship, community, and experiential learning immediately prior to the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association.


To acknowledge the wide impact of Dewey’s work across philosophical scholarship, community organizing, education, and more, we issue a broad and open call. We seek submissions that take up the ideas and spirit of Dewey in new and creative ways. We welcome papers that apply Deweyan approaches to engage philosophical issues and analyze social, political, and educational situations. We request papers that use a Deweyan lens to provide directives through challenging times and environments. We invite papers that continue the Deweyan legacy by opening new conversations about the

continued relevance of the American Pragmatist tradition.


At the same time, we make note of our collaboration with LAPES and Alliance San Diego. Our theme for joint special sessions and experiential learning opportunities will focus on Border Justice and InterAmerican Cooperation." Our John Dewey Lecturer is Professor Christopher Tirres, a Vincent de Paul Professor of Religious Studies and the Inaugural Endowed Professor of Diplomacy and Interreligious Engagement in the Grace School of Applied Diplomacy at DePaul University. The Presidential Symposium will feature Professor Wayne Yang and associates and will reflect Dr. Yang’s characteristic transgression of the border between scholarship and community concerns. Proposals aligned with these issues are welcome.


Accepted submissions will also be considered for publication in one of the journals sponsored by the John Dewey Society, including Education & Culture, the Journal of School & Society, and Dewey Studies.


How to Submit


Submit all proposals via email with an attachment as a Word document. All proposals are due by midnight EST, January 15, 2022, via email to Barbara Stengel, John Dewey Society President-Elect, Professor Emerita, Vanderbilt University, barbara.stengel@vanderbilt.edu. Any questions should be directed to Barb. Proposals accepted for presentation will be notified no later than February 15, 2022. Full papers will be due by April 7, 2022 for the discussants

to prepare remarks.


Proposal Guidelines


Part 1


Using the subject line, JDS Proposal, send an email to barbara.stengel@vanderbilt.edu with the following information included in the body of the message:


(1.) The title of your paper

(2.) Your name, title, and institutional affiliation (if any) (3.) Your address, phone, and email address

(4.) An abstract of up to 100 words

(5.) The status of your JDS membership (current member, interested in joining, needs more information, etc.)

(6.) Are you a graduate student who is interested in being considered for the

John Dewey Society Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award?


Part 2


Attach a Word document to your email. That document should have all identifying information removed for anonymous review. In that Word document, please provide the following:


(1.) The title of your paper

(2.) A descriptive summary of your paper (maximum length 1000 words), explaining your paper and its significance. List several references to place your contribution in the broader scholarly conversation.


Thank you for your interest in progressive education, social

amelioration, and the pragmatist philosophy of John Dewey!

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

The Journal of Educational Controversy Announces a New Call for Papers: Teaching for Social Justice in a Highly Politicized Historical Moment

 The Journal of Educational Controversy announces a new call for papers for Volume 15.

Theme: Teaching for Social Justice in a Highly Politicized Historical Moment


Controversy Addressed:

As the nation begins to reckon with its racial past, it is now experiencing a backlash by some states implementing laws and policies that will target how civics education, controversial topics, and divisive issues will be discussed from kindergarten through higher education.  From restrictions on the teaching of academic theories that analyze systemic racism to limiting other race-related discussions in the classroom, actions by these states pose not only a challenge and a danger to traditional academic freedom but also to the very definition of the role of education in a democratic society.


 This issue of the Journal of Educational Controversy asks authors to contribute their thoughts on issues such as:


 1.            How should racism be appropriately addressed at different age levels and the college classroom?  What social, historical, political, and cultural understandings should be brought to bear on the conversation?  How do we defend the educational significance for the choices we make?  How do we act in proactive ways to engage in such work so that we are not forced to be reactive?

2.            How are we to understand the political nature of the attacks against theories like Critical Race Theory and other current political actions by states to restrict and censor discussions on race in order for us to counter them more effectively?  What political dynamics and historical precedents are at play?  Can incidents from the past illuminate a response today?

3.            How should university professors prepare the next generation of teachers in confronting these issues?  

4.           What would it look like if a college of education took on the work of dismantling structural racism?


Deadline for manuscripts: February 15, 2022

Journal of Educational Controversy Website: https://cedar.wwu.edu/jec/

For questions, contact Lorraine.Kasprisin@wwu.edu

Monday, August 23, 2021

JOHN DEWEY MEMORIAL CONFERENCE|October 8th & 9th 2021


JOHN DEWEY MEMORIAL CONFERENCE|October 8th & 9th 2021


Conference Headquarters:

The University of Vermont

Old Mill Building 94 University Place

Burlington, VT 05405


Link to Interactive Campus Map and Downtown Burlington Map

University of Vermont Parking Information

University of Vermont COVID-19 Policies


Please note that we will strictly adhere to all UVM health and safety regulations as well as all CDC recommendations. All conference participants will mask while indoors. 

Vaccination is strongly urged for all visitors to UVM’s campus.


Thursday, 10/7/21


6pm-8pm                        Cocktail party at John Dewey house, hosted by Eric & Robin                                                        Gershman


                                        186 South Willard

                                        Burlington, VT 05401


                                        *Weather permitting. At 7pm, host and author Eric Gershman will be

                                        reading from his John Dewey based story, Alive in the Basement.                                                Sneak preview: https://www.wattpad.com/Eric_Wayne.


Friday, 10/08/21


7:30am-10:00am

Registration & Welcome Table (Old Mill Building/John Dewey Lounge)

8:00am-8:15am

Official Conference Welcome (John Dewey Lounge)

8:15am-9:45am

First Concurrent Paper Sessions

9:45am-10:00am

Coffee Break

10:00am-11:30am

Second Concurrent Paper Sessions

11:30am-12:30pm

Lunch Break (on your own)

12:30pm-1:30pm

John Dewey Memorial Symposium (John Dewey Lounge)


1:35pm-3:05pm

Cynthia Belliveau, Lisa Heldke, & Raymond Boisvert

Third Concurrent Paper Sessions

3:10pm-4:40pm

Fourth Concurrent Paper Sessions

3:10pm-4:40pm

School & Society Forum (John Dewey Lounge)

4:45pm-5:45pm

NEPES Keynote Address and Coffee Reception (John Dewey Lounge)


5:45pm-6:45pm

Mariana Souto-Manning

NEPES Business Meeting (John Dewey Lounge)


Saturday, 10/9


8am-9:00am        Fellowship Walk of Dewey Sites with Sarah Stitzlein and Cara Furman

(Requires approximately two miles of walking total. Meet at Dewey’s gravesite beside Ira Allen Chapel on University Place for a prompt departure at 8:00am.)

9am-9:45am        Tour of the Dewey Collection at UVM Billings Library (Billings Library,

48 University Place, Burlington, VT 05405)

10:00am-12noon    Fifth Paper Session (John Dewey Lounge)


12noon-1:00pm    Lunch Break (on your own)


1pm-2:45pm       John Dewey Memorial Lecture and John Dewey Society Awards Ceremony (John Dewey Lounge)

Meira Levinson, Distilling the Spirit of Ethical Democratic Education: New Craft Cocktails of Challenges, or Old Politics in New Bottles?

In this talk, Meira Levinson will explore contemporary challenges in educational ethics, including conflicts over history and civic education, whether (and if so how) to measure COVID-related learning loss, and who should decide if (and if so, when) children and teachers should be required to attend schools in-person rather than remotely. She will argue that each of these challenges poses ethical questions that are specific to the current moment, but that they also collectively activate longer-term concerns about democratic decision-making and the distribution of power in a diverse polity. In the spirit of inclusive and Deweyan collaboration, Levinson will invite audience members to deliberate together about some of these dilemmas, in addition to offering her own ideas.


3pm-5:30pm       John Dewey Society Emerging Scholars Forum (John Dewey Lounge) 


6:30pm-7:30pm     John Dewey Society Business Meeting & Reception (John Dewey

Lounge)

8:00pm            Dinner and Drinks at local restaurant for those interested


Experiential Learning Opportunities

Saturday, 10/9

*Must Pre-Register with Kyle Greenwalt, greenwlt@msu.edu. Thanks to the generosity of our conference partners, all experiential sessions are free for participants.

**More information on the nature of experiences will be shared as it becomes available.


10am-12noon      Dewey Kitchen session (must pre-register, 16 participants per session)

Marsh Life Sciences Building 109 Carrigan Drive

Burlington, VT 05405


A Day on the Farm: Experiencing Place and Sustainability in Teacher Education

3:30pm-6:00pm, 1611 Harbor Rd, Shelburne, VT 05482

Shelburne Farms is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. Together, Shelburne Farms and the University of Vermont are working to envision a new kind of teacher education that is place-based and attuned to global sustainability. In this workshop you will learn about the principles, pedagogies, and protocols that guide this work as we engage with the complexity of the Shelburne Farms landscape together. Dewey knew this landscape well as a child exploring the farms, forests, and mountains surrounding Lake Champlain.


*Families are invited to walk and explore the Farm during the workshop.


Number of Participants: 25 under current COVID protocols; 12 if more strict social-distancing is required. Pre-registration is first come, first serve. Participants must have their own transportation (though JDS can help with carpooling).