Brill Guides to Scholarship in Education – serie

Despite hopeful—though problematic—proclamations about the end of racism after the election of our first African-American President, we are witnessing a backlash and renewed racism at this point in American and global history. Put simply, Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS) has as much exigency now as ever. Critical Whiteness Studies is an interdisciplinary project—with scholars from legal studies, literature and rhetorical studies, film and visual studies, class and feminist theorists, etc.—that contributes to critical race theory. Scholars tend to posit whiteness as an ideological, political, legal, and social fiction that places so-called whites in a position of hegemony over other non-dominant groups. The project, then, functions to unmask and interrogate these fictions. As part of critical multi-cultural and race theory, the project is anti-oppressive. Those new to CWS are often unfamiliar with much of the court cases referenced and the critical terminology used by scholars in the field. As such White Out: A Guidebook for Teaching and Engaging with Critical Whiteness Studies is designed to orient readers to the history and purpose of CWS, to key concepts and legal cases, and to established and newer texts and resources. For educators wishing to include CWS in their workshops or courses, this guidebook also includes pedagogical resources ranging a sample syllabus to sample assignments and student texts to advice for structuring a dialogic workshop or classroom. Student contributors are: Thomas Drake Farmer, Daniel Giraldo, Abby Graves, Elaine Ruby Gunn, Faith Jones, and Connor McPherson.

In this volume, the author offers an exploratory analysis of the history of homeschooling in the United States, current curricular practices, religious and political rationales for homeschooling, a critique of the claims by homeschooling advocates that the practice leads to greater efficiency and effectiveness, and what homeschooling and individualistic-oriented approaches mean for society.Teaching the next generation at home is, with little doubt, the oldest form of educating children. Yet, this simplistic understanding of “homeschooling” does not adequately capture the growth of homeschooling as a practice in the 21st century nor is it a widely accessible form of “school choice” for most families. While many parents keep their children out of formal schooling – public and private – for myriad reasons, what is clear is that homeschooling is the epitome of a conceiving of education as an individualistic good – a commodity – that can, or should, be done outside of a conception of the common good, a reasonable understanding of teaching as a profession, and the elevation of ideological echo chambers of information which can have deleterious impacts on the students who are homeschooled and society, broadly.

Despite hopeful—though problematic—proclamations about the end of racism after the election of our first African-American President, we are witnessing a backlash and renewed racism at this point in American and global history. Put simply, Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS) has as much exigency now as ever. Critical Whiteness Studies is an interdisciplinary project—with scholars from legal studies, literature and rhetorical studies, film and visual studies, class and feminist theorists, etc.—that contributes to critical race theory. Scholars tend to posit whiteness as an ideological, political, legal, and social fiction that places so-called whites in a position of hegemony over other non-dominant groups. The project, then, functions to unmask and interrogate these fictions. As part of critical multi-cultural and race theory, the project is anti-oppressive. Those new to CWS are often unfamiliar with much of the court cases referenced and the critical terminology used by scholars in the field. As such White Out: A Guidebook for Teaching and Engaging with Critical Whiteness Studies is designed to orient readers to the history and purpose of CWS, to key concepts and legal cases, and to established and newer texts and resources. For educators wishing to include CWS in their workshops or courses, this guidebook also includes pedagogical resources ranging a sample syllabus to sample assignments and student texts to advice for structuring a dialogic workshop or classroom. Student contributors are: Thomas Drake Farmer, Daniel Giraldo, Abby Graves, Elaine Ruby Gunn, Faith Jones, and Connor McPherson.

In Jean Baudrillard and Radical Education Theory: Turning Right to Go Left, the authors argue that Baudrillard has been underappreciated in philosophical and theoretical work in education. They introduce him here as an important figure in radical thought who has something to add to theoretical lines of inquiry in education.The book does not offer an introduction to Baudrillard. Rather, his corpus is mined in order to describe how it functions as a counter to the code of education, rational thought, critical reason, etc. In effect, they establish that Baudrillard advocates for a counter-path to thinking that can shake us out of our ready-made thoughts and realize the radical potential for change.

In Jean Baudrillard and Radical Education Theory: Turning Right to Go Left, the authors argue that Baudrillard has been underappreciated in philosophical and theoretical work in education. They introduce him here as an important figure in radical thought who has something to add to theoretical lines of inquiry in education.The book does not offer an introduction to Baudrillard. Rather, his corpus is mined in order to describe how it functions as a counter to the code of education, rational thought, critical reason, etc. In effect, they establish that Baudrillard advocates for a counter-path to thinking that can shake us out of our ready-made thoughts and realize the radical potential for change.

In this volume, the author offers an exploratory analysis of the history of homeschooling in the United States, current curricular practices, religious and political rationales for homeschooling, a critique of the claims by homeschooling advocates that the practice leads to greater efficiency and effectiveness, and what homeschooling and individualistic-oriented approaches mean for society.Teaching the next generation at home is, with little doubt, the oldest form of educating children. Yet, this simplistic understanding of “homeschooling” does not adequately capture the growth of homeschooling as a practice in the 21st century nor is it a widely accessible form of “school choice” for most families. While many parents keep their children out of formal schooling – public and private – for myriad reasons, what is clear is that homeschooling is the epitome of a conceiving of education as an individualistic good – a commodity – that can, or should, be done outside of a conception of the common good, a reasonable understanding of teaching as a profession, and the elevation of ideological echo chambers of information which can have deleterious impacts on the students who are homeschooled and society, broadly.

Eco-Mathematics Education strives to show how everyone can experience the embedded connection between mathematics and the natural world. The authors’ sincere hope is that by doing so, we can radically change the way we come to understand mathematics, as well as humanity’s place in the ecosystem. The book hopes to accomplish this by providing in-depth lesson plans and resources for educators and anyone interested in teaching and learning mathematics through an ecological aesthetic perspective. All lessons are based on the inquiry method of teaching, aligned to standards, incorporate art projects inspired by famous artists, and utilize recycled and/or natural materials as much as possible.

Eco-Mathematics Education strives to show how everyone can experience the embedded connection between mathematics and the natural world. The authors’ sincere hope is that by doing so, we can radically change the way we come to understand mathematics, as well as humanity’s place in the ecosystem. The book hopes to accomplish this by providing in-depth lesson plans and resources for educators and anyone interested in teaching and learning mathematics through an ecological aesthetic perspective. All lessons are based on the inquiry method of teaching, aligned to standards, incorporate art projects inspired by famous artists, and utilize recycled and/or natural materials as much as possible.