Educational Poetics

The Authors: Andrew Gitlin is a professor in the Department of Education, Culture and Society at the University of Utah. His writing focuses on issues of social justice and equity as they pertain to epistemological issues, schooling and teacher education. Recent books include: Power and Method: Political Activism and Educational Research; Becoming a Student of Teaching: Linking Knowledge Production and Practice (with R. Bullough); and Teachers Voices for School Change: An Introduction to Educative Research.Marcia Peck is a middle school teacher in Salt Lake City and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Utah. She recently completed research in her classroom on democratic education and nontraditional assessment which was funded by a grant from the Spencer Foundation. She has a long-standing interest in the theory and practice of teacher research.

«Invested in producing generative forms of knowledge, this is an ‘open text’ that questions everything, including itself. Across singular and collective voices of ‘author-learners’, inquiry is used to explore the ‘relations of freedom’ possible in action research oriented toward a ‘deep politic’ that performs what it announces. This book documents what must have been quite an interesting journey and should provide a model for others of us in teacher ed struggling to find forms to work against the same old same old.» (Patti Lather, Professor, Cultural Studies in Education Program, Ohio State University)«The book promises to be a significant contribution, which is no surprise given my respect for Dr. Gitlin’s work. In Educational Poetics, Andrew Gitlin and his colleagues show how combining a simultaneous commitment to aesthetics and social justice can illuminate the realites that teachers face. The multiple voices in this book provide hope for a better future for teacher researchers.» (Michael W. Apple, John Bascom Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, and Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison)