Dr. Kerkhoff’s research includes critical, digital, and global literacies. She uses mixed methods to investigate how teaching strategies for inquiry-based reading and source-based writing can help young people develop and utilize the tools for civic discourse and praxis. Supervisors: Hiller A. Spires
Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 2021
Through a thematic and critical discourse analysis framed by critical literacy and mediated conta... more Through a thematic and critical discourse analysis framed by critical literacy and mediated contact communication theories, the authors examined the discursive moves preservice teachers made when engaging in discussions on racial injustice through Flipgrid. Analysis showed that preservice teachers used language in productive and critical ways: moving from neutral stances to critical stances, challenging peers by questioning to understand, and reflecting on cultural assumptions. Preservice teachers thought Flipgrid provided the right balance of proximity and distance in order to see the issues in new ways and collaborating across locations and universities provided needed alternative perspectives for all and solidarity for some.
The goal of critical global teaching is to prepare learners to live in, communicate with and advo... more The goal of critical global teaching is to prepare learners to live in, communicate with and advocate for an inclusive and just world. In this study, teacher-researchers explored how integrating global thinking routines (GTRs) affected an undergraduate education course focused on communication diversity. A qualitative case study design was used to analyze how this pedagogical tool afforded 29 teacher candidates the opportunity to develop critical global consciousness. Data from written reflections and focus groups revealed students' varied beliefs about those who communicated differently from themselves. Students explored topics of ableism and linguistic privilege in local and global contexts. Findings lead to practical implications for infusing global thinking routines into teacher education courses as a means to develop critical global consciousness of perspective taking, empathy and advocacy. https://wp.nyu.edu/contingenciesjournal/fall2021/
mobile students in history, living in a world that is globally interdependent, a world in which g... more mobile students in history, living in a world that is globally interdependent, a world in which global competence is necessary to succeed in work and life (Ferguson-Patrick et al., 2018; Tichnor-Wagner & Manise, 2019). Extant research shows that teachers in the United States understand why global competence is important for their students, but that they do not necessarily know how to implement global teaching in their classrooms (Kerkhoff & Cloud, 2020; Kerkhoff et al., 2019). One way to address this problem of practice is through integrating methods of globally competent teaching with formal teacher education in universities. According to the Longview Foundation (2008) and Knight et al. (2015), education programs in the United States are among the least internationalized on college and university campuses. The aim of this chapter is to describe the yearlong Internationalizing Teaching and Learning program at our university. The program offered professional development for faculty, adjunct instructors, and graduate teaching assistants seeking to enhance personal global competence and develop the capacity to infuse global learning in their courses through instructional practices. We designed the faculty development program to provide an opportunity for community-building and professional learning with faculty colleagues. Research has shown that inquiry communities, where knowledge is co-constructed through dialogue, collaboration, and reflection, rather than transmitted through lecture, are an effective form of teacher professional learning.
Critical perspectives on global literacies: Bridging research and practice, 2023
This chapter describes and critically analyzes three tools for assessment of teaching global lite... more This chapter describes and critically analyzes three tools for assessment of teaching global literacies: NAFSA’s Global Preparation Lens for the InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards, Globally Competent Learning Continuum, and the Teaching for Global Readiness Scale. While the tools do not use the term global literacies, they align with the construct of global literacies the editors define in the introduction of this book. NAFSA’s lens on InTASC offers additional phrasing of the InTASC standards for teacher candidates to develop global competence as part of developing their teaching practice, rather than as an add-on. Tichnor-Wagner and colleagues’ Globally Competent Learning Continuum includes 12 dimensions of global competence for practicing teachers organized by knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The author’s Teaching for Global Readiness Scale, was empirically validated with both in-service and teacher candidates. The Teaching for Global Readiness scale and model consists of four factors: situated relevant practice, integrated global learning, critical literacy instruction, and intercultural collaborations. The chapter includes examples of how the tools have been utilized in professional development, teacher preparation, and research and suggests future directions for measuring the teaching of global literacies.
This paper shares findings of a qualitative study on professional learning with in-service teache... more This paper shares findings of a qualitative study on professional learning with in-service teachers during COVID-19. From 2020–2023, the authors facilitated comprehensive literacy professional learning with in-service teachers from 40 schools in the Midwest U.S. Our work aimed to center teachers as experts and be responsive to teachers’ social, emotional, and professional needs. Drawing on framework for adaptability, we analyzed formative assessments, interview transcripts, and written reflections to understand teachers’ perspectives on professional learning and their praxis during COVID-19. Data revealed that participants perceived an increased need for professional learning on differentiation and focus on growth and joy. Against the backdrop of a neoliberal fixation on teacher accountability that increases stress among teachers on top of a traumatic global pandemic, we attempted to center teachers as experts and attend to teachers’ socioemotional needs by offering flexible pathway...
Though some science of reading rhetoric suggests otherwise, there is
not one way nor a simple app... more Though some science of reading rhetoric suggests otherwise, there is not one way nor a simple approach for how to define and teach literacy. Literacy is complex, and teaching literacy is even more complex (Duke & Cartwright, 2021). Additionally, because students’ needs change from generation to generation, research on literacy and instruction must evolve, making evidence-based practices that meet the literacy needs of students a moving target. In 2020, the Show Me Literacies Collaborative, a partnership among the Missouri Writing Projects Network, Missouri Language and Literacies Center, and University of Missouri System, partnered with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to work on a federal grant. The grant seeks to improve literacy instruction and literacy student outcomes in 80 Missouri schools. The authors, who are all members of the Missouri Writing Projects Network, are co-principal investigators or graduate students working on the grant. We began our work by supporting teachers to design literacy action plans for their school. The creation of teacher-generated literacy action plans presents rich opportunities for schools to address and respond to the complexities of literacy instruction. Before describing what literacy action plans are and our guiding principles for creating teacher-generated literacy action plans, we start with an expanded definition of literacy that recognizes the multifaceted nature of language and literacy.
A retrospective of teaching, technology, and teacher education during the covid-19 pandemic, 2022
The spring of 2020 ushered in what has been referred to as dual pandemics (e.g. Laing, 2020; Jone... more The spring of 2020 ushered in what has been referred to as dual pandemics (e.g. Laing, 2020; Jones, 2021). First, there was the global pandemic of COVID-19, which disproportionately impacted people of color. The health disparities of COVID-19 in combination with the murder of George Floyd shown a bright light on a pandemic that has been festering for centuries - that of systemic racism. COVID-19 brought about global shutdowns of schools, businesses and services, while the murder of George Floyd sparked the largest protests for racial justice since the Civil Rights Movement in the United States and around the world (Silverstein, 2021).
The response to these global crises was felt acutely in schools and necessitated an abrupt change in teaching and learning practices. Although the end of the 2019-2020 school year can be characterized as “emergency teaching,” as summer rolled around, educators began planning in earnest for virtual teaching to start the 2020-21 school year. In the St. Louis, Missouri area districts moved to adopt various online learning management systems and trained teachers on their use. Some districts developed and distributed curricular modules that teachers were required to use. However, even in the most prepared school districts, online platforms and pre-loaded learning modules could not alleviate two primary concerns of teachers returning to a changed classroom: 1) How will I build relationships and community with my students in a virtual setting; and 2) How can I demonstrate my commitment to anti-racist pedagogy and open up brave spaces (Aroa & Clemens, 2013) for critical conversations in a virtual setting? These concerns were exacerbated in communities marginalized by the digital and racial divides in St. Louis.
In an effort to center the needs of historically marginalized people and prioritize educational equity, colleagues at the University of Missouri - St. Louis designed and implemented a free virtual professional learning series rooted in anti-racism for teachers in our region whose schools could not afford to provide professional development or whose professional development experiences were not from a framework of social justice. This project brought together STEM, literacy, and special education researchers to utilize both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate building community in K-12 online learning.
The move to virtual teaching left many teachers underprepared and unmoored. Indeed, the ongoing staff shortages and increasing teacher burnout have over 55% of teachers considering leaving the field earlier than planned (Walker, 2022) and few who are looking to join the field (Maxouris & Zdanowicz, 2022). Although the reasons for the growing teacher shortage are complex, there are implications of this study for supporting educators who work at all levels of education.
While most schools returned to in-person, face-to-face instruction at some point in 2021, we know that some of the pivots made during virtual teaching are here to stay. For example, educators report being able to communicate more easily with parents via Zoom, and there is opportunity to prevent disruptions to learning using digital platforms for virtual tutoring and instruction during emergency days (e.g. snow days). To better support teachers before they ever enter the field, teacher preparation programs need to work with preservice teachers to consider beneficial uses of technology for creating supportive classroom communities in equitable ways. In addition, preservice teachers need practice with virtual teaching methods during their coursework and field experiences.
Understanding global perspectives and international cultures is
important because of increasing ... more Understanding global perspectives and international cultures is
important because of increasing global mobility, digital connections,
and national chauvinism. As students engage with diverse others in
schools and online, they need global, critical, and ethical understandings
of language, literacy, and culture. From a critical cosmopolitan
lens, language and literacy educators guide students to
develop a cosmopolitan worldview; dismantle hierarchies through
reading, writing, and thinking; and take action for justice worldwide.
The purpose of this article is to converge cosmopolitanism, critical
pedagogy, and teacher perceptions to construct a framework for
teaching critical cosmopolitan literacies. The findings suggest five
dimensions of critical cosmopolitan literacies: proximal stance,
reflexive stance, reciprocal stance, responsive stance, and praxis.
Overall, participants held positive views of infusing cosmopolitan
dispositions and global perspectives in their classrooms and
reported success with integrating global literature, structuring discussions
to promote empathy, and implementing inquiry to connect
local and global issues.
The goal of critical global teaching is to prepare learners to live in, communicate with and advo... more The goal of critical global teaching is to prepare learners to live in, communicate with and advocate for an inclusive and just world. In this study, teacher-researchers explored how integrating global thinking routines (GTRs) affected an undergraduate education course focused on communication diversity. A qualitative case study design was used to analyze how this pedagogical tool afforded 29 teacher candidates the opportunity to develop critical global consciousness. Data from written reflections and focus groups revealed students' varied beliefs about those who communicated differently from themselves. Students explored topics of ableism and linguistic privilege in local and global contexts. Findings lead to practical implications for infusing global thinking routines into teacher education courses as a means to develop critical global consciousness of perspective taking, empathy and advocacy.
Digital literacy involves any number of digital reading and writing techniques across multiple me... more Digital literacy involves any number of digital reading and writing techniques across multiple media forms. These media include words, texts, visual displays, motion graphics, audio, video, and multimodal forms. There are myriad cognitive processes at play, along a continuum from consumption to production when a reader is immersed with digital content as well as with print text. The purpose of this chapter is to (1) define digital literacy from multiple theoretical viewpoints, (2) illustrate how the definition continues to evolve in light of emerging technologies, and (3) discuss the cognitive, social, and affective dimensions of digital literacy as it is a key requirement in contemporary K-12 education.
Dr. Hiller A. Spires is an Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor of Literacy and Technology in ... more Dr. Hiller A. Spires is an Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor of Literacy and Technology in the College of Education at North Carolina State University. She is also a Sr. Research Fellow at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, where she co-directs the New Literacies Collaborative (newlit.org). She is a member of an interdisciplinary research team that publishes in the area of game-based learning and literacy targeting elementary and middle school students. She can be contacted at haspires@ncsu.edu ABSTRACT: Based on the emphasis from the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards, K-2 teachers are expected to provide students with close reading experiences with increasingly complex text. Because close reading as an instructional routine is in its infancy for early grades, we conducted a collective case study to uncover how teachers perceived implementing close reading in K-2. The overarching research question was: How do K-2 teachers perceive making instructi...
The present study examined middle school teachers’ perceptions of literacy demands in their disci... more The present study examined middle school teachers’ perceptions of literacy demands in their disciplines and specific literacy strategies they used to teach their disciplines. The eight participants in this multiple case study included 2 middle school teachers from each of 4 disciplines (i.e., English/language arts, science, social studies, and mathematics) who had completed 6 weeks of online professional development on disciplinary literacy. Data sources comprised 2 classroom observations and 2 semistructured interviews following observations for each of the 8 teachers, as well as classroom and school artifacts. Qualitative analyses included within-case and cross-case themes. Findings indicated participants used a range of content area literacy and discipline-specific literacy instruction. Based on cross-case analysis, 4 themes emerged from the 4 disciplinebased cases: (a) interdisciplinary literacy, (b) power in disciplinary language, (c) pedagogical tensions related to end of grad...
Journal of Comparative Studies and International Education , 2019
Striving to educate globally competent, multiliterate citizens has been at the forefront of many ... more Striving to educate globally competent, multiliterate citizens has been at the forefront of many initiatives in the U.S. In Indiana, the Department of Education and higher education institutions have taken steps to internationalize teacher education. However, previous research in Indiana has shown that even teachers who believe that global education is important may not be teaching it. The purpose of this study was to describe current K-12 Indiana public school teachers’ description of their practices that promote students’ global readiness using the Teaching for Global Readiness Scale. The conceptual framework Teaching for Global Readiness is an empirically validated model of four dimensions: situated practice in the local context, integrated global learning with the standard course of study, instruction from a critical frame, and transactional experiences where students engage in active learning through intercultural collaboration. Overall, teachers scored highest on the subscal...
Thoreau said, "Simplify, simplify."I have a different mantra: "Complexify, complexify."Often, we'... more Thoreau said, "Simplify, simplify."I have a different mantra: "Complexify, complexify."Often, we're given two choices (e.g., soup or salad; which one's clearer, 1 or 2), but education isn't that simple. As teacher educators, we know that concepts traditionally thought of as binaries (e.g., male or female) are now thought of as a continuum. Other concepts operate more as a both/and rather than an either/or. For example, we do not teach grammar or writing, we teach both at the same time.Three years ago when I was in graduate school at North Carolina State University, I sought the advice of my mentor Hiller Spires, as was often the case. I was debating about whether to focus the course I was teaching on traditional literacy or new literacies. She said, "Embrace the and."This was a lightbulb moment for me. Years earlier, when I was in preservice teacher education, the buzzword was context. We were shown how to teach grammar in the context of...
All American Boys, a young adult novel written by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, features a du... more All American Boys, a young adult novel written by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, features a dual perspective from two narrators. Rashad Butler and Quinn Collins attend the same high school in a town called Springfield. Their lives do not intersect significantly until one night, when Rashad, a young black teenager, is arrested and beaten by a police officer on suspicion for robbery. Despite not committing a crime, he is yet another victim in an immense controversy of racism and police brutality that mirrors the very issues our American society faces today. Quinn secretly witnesses the brutal encounter and has to choose to stand aside or to take action. The novel recounts the events of the following week from both boys' perspectives. Rashad comes to terms with the racial profiling he experienced. Quinn struggles between the loyalty he feels for the officer, who is a family friend, and his desire to speak out against the violence committed against Rashad.
Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 2021
Through a thematic and critical discourse analysis framed by critical literacy and mediated conta... more Through a thematic and critical discourse analysis framed by critical literacy and mediated contact communication theories, the authors examined the discursive moves preservice teachers made when engaging in discussions on racial injustice through Flipgrid. Analysis showed that preservice teachers used language in productive and critical ways: moving from neutral stances to critical stances, challenging peers by questioning to understand, and reflecting on cultural assumptions. Preservice teachers thought Flipgrid provided the right balance of proximity and distance in order to see the issues in new ways and collaborating across locations and universities provided needed alternative perspectives for all and solidarity for some.
The goal of critical global teaching is to prepare learners to live in, communicate with and advo... more The goal of critical global teaching is to prepare learners to live in, communicate with and advocate for an inclusive and just world. In this study, teacher-researchers explored how integrating global thinking routines (GTRs) affected an undergraduate education course focused on communication diversity. A qualitative case study design was used to analyze how this pedagogical tool afforded 29 teacher candidates the opportunity to develop critical global consciousness. Data from written reflections and focus groups revealed students' varied beliefs about those who communicated differently from themselves. Students explored topics of ableism and linguistic privilege in local and global contexts. Findings lead to practical implications for infusing global thinking routines into teacher education courses as a means to develop critical global consciousness of perspective taking, empathy and advocacy. https://wp.nyu.edu/contingenciesjournal/fall2021/
mobile students in history, living in a world that is globally interdependent, a world in which g... more mobile students in history, living in a world that is globally interdependent, a world in which global competence is necessary to succeed in work and life (Ferguson-Patrick et al., 2018; Tichnor-Wagner & Manise, 2019). Extant research shows that teachers in the United States understand why global competence is important for their students, but that they do not necessarily know how to implement global teaching in their classrooms (Kerkhoff & Cloud, 2020; Kerkhoff et al., 2019). One way to address this problem of practice is through integrating methods of globally competent teaching with formal teacher education in universities. According to the Longview Foundation (2008) and Knight et al. (2015), education programs in the United States are among the least internationalized on college and university campuses. The aim of this chapter is to describe the yearlong Internationalizing Teaching and Learning program at our university. The program offered professional development for faculty, adjunct instructors, and graduate teaching assistants seeking to enhance personal global competence and develop the capacity to infuse global learning in their courses through instructional practices. We designed the faculty development program to provide an opportunity for community-building and professional learning with faculty colleagues. Research has shown that inquiry communities, where knowledge is co-constructed through dialogue, collaboration, and reflection, rather than transmitted through lecture, are an effective form of teacher professional learning.
Critical perspectives on global literacies: Bridging research and practice, 2023
This chapter describes and critically analyzes three tools for assessment of teaching global lite... more This chapter describes and critically analyzes three tools for assessment of teaching global literacies: NAFSA’s Global Preparation Lens for the InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards, Globally Competent Learning Continuum, and the Teaching for Global Readiness Scale. While the tools do not use the term global literacies, they align with the construct of global literacies the editors define in the introduction of this book. NAFSA’s lens on InTASC offers additional phrasing of the InTASC standards for teacher candidates to develop global competence as part of developing their teaching practice, rather than as an add-on. Tichnor-Wagner and colleagues’ Globally Competent Learning Continuum includes 12 dimensions of global competence for practicing teachers organized by knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The author’s Teaching for Global Readiness Scale, was empirically validated with both in-service and teacher candidates. The Teaching for Global Readiness scale and model consists of four factors: situated relevant practice, integrated global learning, critical literacy instruction, and intercultural collaborations. The chapter includes examples of how the tools have been utilized in professional development, teacher preparation, and research and suggests future directions for measuring the teaching of global literacies.
This paper shares findings of a qualitative study on professional learning with in-service teache... more This paper shares findings of a qualitative study on professional learning with in-service teachers during COVID-19. From 2020–2023, the authors facilitated comprehensive literacy professional learning with in-service teachers from 40 schools in the Midwest U.S. Our work aimed to center teachers as experts and be responsive to teachers’ social, emotional, and professional needs. Drawing on framework for adaptability, we analyzed formative assessments, interview transcripts, and written reflections to understand teachers’ perspectives on professional learning and their praxis during COVID-19. Data revealed that participants perceived an increased need for professional learning on differentiation and focus on growth and joy. Against the backdrop of a neoliberal fixation on teacher accountability that increases stress among teachers on top of a traumatic global pandemic, we attempted to center teachers as experts and attend to teachers’ socioemotional needs by offering flexible pathway...
Though some science of reading rhetoric suggests otherwise, there is
not one way nor a simple app... more Though some science of reading rhetoric suggests otherwise, there is not one way nor a simple approach for how to define and teach literacy. Literacy is complex, and teaching literacy is even more complex (Duke & Cartwright, 2021). Additionally, because students’ needs change from generation to generation, research on literacy and instruction must evolve, making evidence-based practices that meet the literacy needs of students a moving target. In 2020, the Show Me Literacies Collaborative, a partnership among the Missouri Writing Projects Network, Missouri Language and Literacies Center, and University of Missouri System, partnered with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to work on a federal grant. The grant seeks to improve literacy instruction and literacy student outcomes in 80 Missouri schools. The authors, who are all members of the Missouri Writing Projects Network, are co-principal investigators or graduate students working on the grant. We began our work by supporting teachers to design literacy action plans for their school. The creation of teacher-generated literacy action plans presents rich opportunities for schools to address and respond to the complexities of literacy instruction. Before describing what literacy action plans are and our guiding principles for creating teacher-generated literacy action plans, we start with an expanded definition of literacy that recognizes the multifaceted nature of language and literacy.
A retrospective of teaching, technology, and teacher education during the covid-19 pandemic, 2022
The spring of 2020 ushered in what has been referred to as dual pandemics (e.g. Laing, 2020; Jone... more The spring of 2020 ushered in what has been referred to as dual pandemics (e.g. Laing, 2020; Jones, 2021). First, there was the global pandemic of COVID-19, which disproportionately impacted people of color. The health disparities of COVID-19 in combination with the murder of George Floyd shown a bright light on a pandemic that has been festering for centuries - that of systemic racism. COVID-19 brought about global shutdowns of schools, businesses and services, while the murder of George Floyd sparked the largest protests for racial justice since the Civil Rights Movement in the United States and around the world (Silverstein, 2021).
The response to these global crises was felt acutely in schools and necessitated an abrupt change in teaching and learning practices. Although the end of the 2019-2020 school year can be characterized as “emergency teaching,” as summer rolled around, educators began planning in earnest for virtual teaching to start the 2020-21 school year. In the St. Louis, Missouri area districts moved to adopt various online learning management systems and trained teachers on their use. Some districts developed and distributed curricular modules that teachers were required to use. However, even in the most prepared school districts, online platforms and pre-loaded learning modules could not alleviate two primary concerns of teachers returning to a changed classroom: 1) How will I build relationships and community with my students in a virtual setting; and 2) How can I demonstrate my commitment to anti-racist pedagogy and open up brave spaces (Aroa & Clemens, 2013) for critical conversations in a virtual setting? These concerns were exacerbated in communities marginalized by the digital and racial divides in St. Louis.
In an effort to center the needs of historically marginalized people and prioritize educational equity, colleagues at the University of Missouri - St. Louis designed and implemented a free virtual professional learning series rooted in anti-racism for teachers in our region whose schools could not afford to provide professional development or whose professional development experiences were not from a framework of social justice. This project brought together STEM, literacy, and special education researchers to utilize both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate building community in K-12 online learning.
The move to virtual teaching left many teachers underprepared and unmoored. Indeed, the ongoing staff shortages and increasing teacher burnout have over 55% of teachers considering leaving the field earlier than planned (Walker, 2022) and few who are looking to join the field (Maxouris & Zdanowicz, 2022). Although the reasons for the growing teacher shortage are complex, there are implications of this study for supporting educators who work at all levels of education.
While most schools returned to in-person, face-to-face instruction at some point in 2021, we know that some of the pivots made during virtual teaching are here to stay. For example, educators report being able to communicate more easily with parents via Zoom, and there is opportunity to prevent disruptions to learning using digital platforms for virtual tutoring and instruction during emergency days (e.g. snow days). To better support teachers before they ever enter the field, teacher preparation programs need to work with preservice teachers to consider beneficial uses of technology for creating supportive classroom communities in equitable ways. In addition, preservice teachers need practice with virtual teaching methods during their coursework and field experiences.
Understanding global perspectives and international cultures is
important because of increasing ... more Understanding global perspectives and international cultures is
important because of increasing global mobility, digital connections,
and national chauvinism. As students engage with diverse others in
schools and online, they need global, critical, and ethical understandings
of language, literacy, and culture. From a critical cosmopolitan
lens, language and literacy educators guide students to
develop a cosmopolitan worldview; dismantle hierarchies through
reading, writing, and thinking; and take action for justice worldwide.
The purpose of this article is to converge cosmopolitanism, critical
pedagogy, and teacher perceptions to construct a framework for
teaching critical cosmopolitan literacies. The findings suggest five
dimensions of critical cosmopolitan literacies: proximal stance,
reflexive stance, reciprocal stance, responsive stance, and praxis.
Overall, participants held positive views of infusing cosmopolitan
dispositions and global perspectives in their classrooms and
reported success with integrating global literature, structuring discussions
to promote empathy, and implementing inquiry to connect
local and global issues.
The goal of critical global teaching is to prepare learners to live in, communicate with and advo... more The goal of critical global teaching is to prepare learners to live in, communicate with and advocate for an inclusive and just world. In this study, teacher-researchers explored how integrating global thinking routines (GTRs) affected an undergraduate education course focused on communication diversity. A qualitative case study design was used to analyze how this pedagogical tool afforded 29 teacher candidates the opportunity to develop critical global consciousness. Data from written reflections and focus groups revealed students' varied beliefs about those who communicated differently from themselves. Students explored topics of ableism and linguistic privilege in local and global contexts. Findings lead to practical implications for infusing global thinking routines into teacher education courses as a means to develop critical global consciousness of perspective taking, empathy and advocacy.
Digital literacy involves any number of digital reading and writing techniques across multiple me... more Digital literacy involves any number of digital reading and writing techniques across multiple media forms. These media include words, texts, visual displays, motion graphics, audio, video, and multimodal forms. There are myriad cognitive processes at play, along a continuum from consumption to production when a reader is immersed with digital content as well as with print text. The purpose of this chapter is to (1) define digital literacy from multiple theoretical viewpoints, (2) illustrate how the definition continues to evolve in light of emerging technologies, and (3) discuss the cognitive, social, and affective dimensions of digital literacy as it is a key requirement in contemporary K-12 education.
Dr. Hiller A. Spires is an Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor of Literacy and Technology in ... more Dr. Hiller A. Spires is an Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor of Literacy and Technology in the College of Education at North Carolina State University. She is also a Sr. Research Fellow at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, where she co-directs the New Literacies Collaborative (newlit.org). She is a member of an interdisciplinary research team that publishes in the area of game-based learning and literacy targeting elementary and middle school students. She can be contacted at haspires@ncsu.edu ABSTRACT: Based on the emphasis from the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards, K-2 teachers are expected to provide students with close reading experiences with increasingly complex text. Because close reading as an instructional routine is in its infancy for early grades, we conducted a collective case study to uncover how teachers perceived implementing close reading in K-2. The overarching research question was: How do K-2 teachers perceive making instructi...
The present study examined middle school teachers’ perceptions of literacy demands in their disci... more The present study examined middle school teachers’ perceptions of literacy demands in their disciplines and specific literacy strategies they used to teach their disciplines. The eight participants in this multiple case study included 2 middle school teachers from each of 4 disciplines (i.e., English/language arts, science, social studies, and mathematics) who had completed 6 weeks of online professional development on disciplinary literacy. Data sources comprised 2 classroom observations and 2 semistructured interviews following observations for each of the 8 teachers, as well as classroom and school artifacts. Qualitative analyses included within-case and cross-case themes. Findings indicated participants used a range of content area literacy and discipline-specific literacy instruction. Based on cross-case analysis, 4 themes emerged from the 4 disciplinebased cases: (a) interdisciplinary literacy, (b) power in disciplinary language, (c) pedagogical tensions related to end of grad...
Journal of Comparative Studies and International Education , 2019
Striving to educate globally competent, multiliterate citizens has been at the forefront of many ... more Striving to educate globally competent, multiliterate citizens has been at the forefront of many initiatives in the U.S. In Indiana, the Department of Education and higher education institutions have taken steps to internationalize teacher education. However, previous research in Indiana has shown that even teachers who believe that global education is important may not be teaching it. The purpose of this study was to describe current K-12 Indiana public school teachers’ description of their practices that promote students’ global readiness using the Teaching for Global Readiness Scale. The conceptual framework Teaching for Global Readiness is an empirically validated model of four dimensions: situated practice in the local context, integrated global learning with the standard course of study, instruction from a critical frame, and transactional experiences where students engage in active learning through intercultural collaboration. Overall, teachers scored highest on the subscal...
Thoreau said, "Simplify, simplify."I have a different mantra: "Complexify, complexify."Often, we'... more Thoreau said, "Simplify, simplify."I have a different mantra: "Complexify, complexify."Often, we're given two choices (e.g., soup or salad; which one's clearer, 1 or 2), but education isn't that simple. As teacher educators, we know that concepts traditionally thought of as binaries (e.g., male or female) are now thought of as a continuum. Other concepts operate more as a both/and rather than an either/or. For example, we do not teach grammar or writing, we teach both at the same time.Three years ago when I was in graduate school at North Carolina State University, I sought the advice of my mentor Hiller Spires, as was often the case. I was debating about whether to focus the course I was teaching on traditional literacy or new literacies. She said, "Embrace the and."This was a lightbulb moment for me. Years earlier, when I was in preservice teacher education, the buzzword was context. We were shown how to teach grammar in the context of...
All American Boys, a young adult novel written by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, features a du... more All American Boys, a young adult novel written by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, features a dual perspective from two narrators. Rashad Butler and Quinn Collins attend the same high school in a town called Springfield. Their lives do not intersect significantly until one night, when Rashad, a young black teenager, is arrested and beaten by a police officer on suspicion for robbery. Despite not committing a crime, he is yet another victim in an immense controversy of racism and police brutality that mirrors the very issues our American society faces today. Quinn secretly witnesses the brutal encounter and has to choose to stand aside or to take action. The novel recounts the events of the following week from both boys' perspectives. Rashad comes to terms with the racial profiling he experienced. Quinn struggles between the loyalty he feels for the officer, who is a family friend, and his desire to speak out against the violence committed against Rashad.
Since August of 2020, the Show Me Literacies Collaborative has worked with 80 schools across the ... more Since August of 2020, the Show Me Literacies Collaborative has worked with 80 schools across the state of Missouri as part of the US DOE Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant. Although the 80 schools have the same state in common, the list of similarities ends there. We were called to help each of these schools transform their literacy curriculum and instruction in a way that would produce the desired outcomes, would lead to sustainable change, and most importantly, would be responsive to the needs of the school’s students, teachers, and community.
There was no one-size-fits all plan that would address each of these 80 unique schools. Instead, we took one page from the National Writing Project who advocates for responsive professional development and recognizes teachers as experts, and another page from the field of project management to initiate local literacy action plans with teams of teacher leaders at each school (Witte et al., 2004; Irvine et al., 2007). The principles that guided our work are TEACHER-centered, namely Teacher-led, Equity and Asset-based, Culturally and Historically responsive,
Evolving over time, and Research-driven. To learn more about the principles that guided our work, see Kerkhoff et al. (2023) article in English Leadership Quarterly.
A World of Difference: Teaching Global Citizenship through Inquiry in a Rural Junior High School , 2019
Glocal is a word formed by combining both local and global. Building on the idea in critical educ... more Glocal is a word formed by combining both local and global. Building on the idea in critical educational cosmopolitanism that identities are local and global, glocal teaching is locally situated and globally connected. The Glocal Teaching Model is made up of four dimensions: situated practice, integrated global learning, critical literacy instruction, and transactional experiences (Kerkhoff, 2017a; 2017b). Situated practice is the first dimension of the Glocal Teaching Model. Situated practice means that teachers make learning relevant to the local place and current time of instruction, and more importantly, to the students in the classroom and the surrounding community. Integrated global learning describes teaching for global readiness as integral to the curriculum. Rather than an add-on or one-off, teachers connect global learning with the standard course of study by using texts from all over the world. Third is the critical literacy instruction dimension. Freire and Macedo (1987) considers critical literacy reading the word and the world. Morrell (2005) describes critical literacy instruction as being “explicit about the role of language and literacy in conveying meaning and in promoting or disrupting existing power relations” (p. 313). The last dimension is transactional experience where students participate in intercultural dialogue steeped in equality. In transactional learning experiences, students interact with others, sharing ideas and perspectives in a way that requires an equal give and take from both parties. Glocal teaching promotes equality in partnerships and engagement in collaborations that will be mutually beneficial.
Critical Perspectives on Global Literacies: Bridging Research and Practice, 2023
This book offers critical perspectives on global literacies, connecting research, theory, and pra... more This book offers critical perspectives on global literacies, connecting research, theory, and practice. An emerging concept in the literacy field, many scholars agree on the need for students to develop global literacies, yet few agree on a widely accepted definition. Based on a synthesis of the literature, the editors formulate a definition of global literacies with four dimensions, including: literacy as a human right in all nations around the world; critical reading and creation of multimodal texts about global issues; intercultural communication and reciprocal collaboration with globally diverse others; and transformative action for social and environmental justice that traverses borders. Taking this shared, proposed definition as a starting point, the chapters then offer contextualized examples of global literacies from K-12 and teacher education classrooms to make explicit links between research and practice. The contributors interact with and interrogate the book's definition of global literacies using a common framework of critical theory. As such, this book provides both emerging and established scholars with critical frameworks for positioning global literacies in ways that are relevant, dynamic, and forward-thinking.
Critical Perspectives on Global Literacies: Bridging Research and Practice, 2023
This book offers critical perspectives on global literacies, connecting research, theory, and pra... more This book offers critical perspectives on global literacies, connecting research, theory, and practice. An emerging concept in the literacy field, many scholars agree on the need for students to develop global literacies, yet few agree on a widely accepted definition. Based on a synthesis of the literature, the editors formulate a definition of global literacies with four dimensions, including: literacy as a human right in all nations around the world; critical reading and creation of multimodal texts about global issues; intercultural communication and reciprocal collaboration with globally diverse others; and transformative action for social and environmental justice that traverses borders. Taking this shared, proposed definition as a starting point, the chapters then offer contextualized examples of global literacies from K-12 and teacher education classrooms to make explicit links between research and practice. The contributors interact with and interrogate the book's definition of global literacies using a common framework of critical theory. As such, this book provides both emerging and established scholars with critical frameworks for positioning global literacies in ways that are relevant, dynamic, and forward-thinking.
Uploads
Papers by Shea Kerkhoff
https://wp.nyu.edu/contingenciesjournal/fall2021/
classrooms (Kerkhoff & Cloud, 2020; Kerkhoff et al., 2019). One way to address this problem of practice is through integrating methods of globally competent teaching with formal teacher education in universities. According to the Longview Foundation (2008) and Knight et al. (2015), education programs in the United States are among the least internationalized on college and university campuses.
The aim of this chapter is to describe the yearlong Internationalizing Teaching and Learning program at our university. The program offered professional development for faculty, adjunct instructors, and graduate teaching assistants seeking to enhance personal global competence and develop the capacity to infuse global learning in their courses through instructional practices. We designed the faculty development program
to provide an opportunity for community-building and professional learning with faculty colleagues. Research has shown that inquiry communities, where knowledge is co-constructed through dialogue, collaboration, and reflection, rather than transmitted through lecture, are an effective form of teacher professional learning.
not one way nor a simple approach for how to define and teach
literacy. Literacy is complex, and teaching literacy is even more
complex (Duke & Cartwright, 2021). Additionally, because students’
needs change from generation to generation, research on literacy
and instruction must evolve, making evidence-based practices
that meet the literacy needs of students a
moving target. In 2020, the Show Me Literacies
Collaborative, a partnership among the Missouri
Writing Projects Network, Missouri Language
and Literacies Center, and University of Missouri
System, partnered with the Missouri Department
of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
to work on a federal grant. The grant seeks to
improve literacy instruction and literacy student
outcomes in 80 Missouri schools. The authors,
who are all members of the Missouri Writing Projects Network, are
co-principal investigators or graduate students working on the
grant.
We began our work by supporting teachers to design literacy
action plans for their school. The creation of teacher-generated
literacy action plans presents rich opportunities for schools to
address and respond to the complexities of literacy instruction.
Before describing what literacy action plans are and our guiding
principles for creating teacher-generated literacy action plans, we
start with an expanded definition of literacy that recognizes the
multifaceted nature of language and literacy.
The response to these global crises was felt acutely in schools and necessitated an abrupt change in teaching and learning practices. Although the end of the 2019-2020 school year can be characterized as “emergency teaching,” as summer rolled around, educators began planning in earnest for virtual teaching to start the 2020-21 school year. In the St. Louis, Missouri area districts moved to adopt various online learning management systems and trained teachers on their use. Some districts developed and distributed curricular modules that teachers were required to use. However, even in the most prepared school districts, online platforms and pre-loaded learning modules could not alleviate two primary concerns of teachers returning to a changed classroom: 1) How will I build relationships and community with my students in a virtual setting; and 2) How can I demonstrate my commitment to anti-racist pedagogy and open up brave spaces (Aroa & Clemens, 2013) for critical conversations in a virtual setting? These concerns were exacerbated in communities marginalized by the digital and racial divides in St. Louis.
In an effort to center the needs of historically marginalized people and prioritize educational equity, colleagues at the University of Missouri - St. Louis designed and implemented a free virtual professional learning series rooted in anti-racism for teachers in our region whose schools could not afford to provide professional development or whose professional development experiences were not from a framework of social justice. This project brought together STEM, literacy, and special education researchers to utilize both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate building community in K-12 online learning.
The move to virtual teaching left many teachers underprepared and unmoored. Indeed, the ongoing staff shortages and increasing teacher burnout have over 55% of teachers considering leaving the field earlier than planned (Walker, 2022) and few who are looking to join the field (Maxouris & Zdanowicz, 2022). Although the reasons for the growing teacher shortage are complex, there are implications of this study for supporting educators who work at all levels of education.
While most schools returned to in-person, face-to-face instruction at some point in 2021, we know that some of the pivots made during virtual teaching are here to stay. For example, educators report being able to communicate more easily with parents via Zoom, and there is opportunity to prevent disruptions to learning using digital platforms for virtual tutoring and instruction during emergency days (e.g. snow days). To better support teachers before they ever enter the field, teacher preparation programs need to work with preservice teachers to consider beneficial uses of technology for creating supportive classroom communities in equitable ways. In addition, preservice teachers need practice with virtual teaching methods during their coursework and field experiences.
important because of increasing global mobility, digital connections,
and national chauvinism. As students engage with diverse others in
schools and online, they need global, critical, and ethical understandings
of language, literacy, and culture. From a critical cosmopolitan
lens, language and literacy educators guide students to
develop a cosmopolitan worldview; dismantle hierarchies through
reading, writing, and thinking; and take action for justice worldwide.
The purpose of this article is to converge cosmopolitanism, critical
pedagogy, and teacher perceptions to construct a framework for
teaching critical cosmopolitan literacies. The findings suggest five
dimensions of critical cosmopolitan literacies: proximal stance,
reflexive stance, reciprocal stance, responsive stance, and praxis.
Overall, participants held positive views of infusing cosmopolitan
dispositions and global perspectives in their classrooms and
reported success with integrating global literature, structuring discussions
to promote empathy, and implementing inquiry to connect
local and global issues.
https://wp.nyu.edu/contingenciesjournal/fall2021/
classrooms (Kerkhoff & Cloud, 2020; Kerkhoff et al., 2019). One way to address this problem of practice is through integrating methods of globally competent teaching with formal teacher education in universities. According to the Longview Foundation (2008) and Knight et al. (2015), education programs in the United States are among the least internationalized on college and university campuses.
The aim of this chapter is to describe the yearlong Internationalizing Teaching and Learning program at our university. The program offered professional development for faculty, adjunct instructors, and graduate teaching assistants seeking to enhance personal global competence and develop the capacity to infuse global learning in their courses through instructional practices. We designed the faculty development program
to provide an opportunity for community-building and professional learning with faculty colleagues. Research has shown that inquiry communities, where knowledge is co-constructed through dialogue, collaboration, and reflection, rather than transmitted through lecture, are an effective form of teacher professional learning.
not one way nor a simple approach for how to define and teach
literacy. Literacy is complex, and teaching literacy is even more
complex (Duke & Cartwright, 2021). Additionally, because students’
needs change from generation to generation, research on literacy
and instruction must evolve, making evidence-based practices
that meet the literacy needs of students a
moving target. In 2020, the Show Me Literacies
Collaborative, a partnership among the Missouri
Writing Projects Network, Missouri Language
and Literacies Center, and University of Missouri
System, partnered with the Missouri Department
of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
to work on a federal grant. The grant seeks to
improve literacy instruction and literacy student
outcomes in 80 Missouri schools. The authors,
who are all members of the Missouri Writing Projects Network, are
co-principal investigators or graduate students working on the
grant.
We began our work by supporting teachers to design literacy
action plans for their school. The creation of teacher-generated
literacy action plans presents rich opportunities for schools to
address and respond to the complexities of literacy instruction.
Before describing what literacy action plans are and our guiding
principles for creating teacher-generated literacy action plans, we
start with an expanded definition of literacy that recognizes the
multifaceted nature of language and literacy.
The response to these global crises was felt acutely in schools and necessitated an abrupt change in teaching and learning practices. Although the end of the 2019-2020 school year can be characterized as “emergency teaching,” as summer rolled around, educators began planning in earnest for virtual teaching to start the 2020-21 school year. In the St. Louis, Missouri area districts moved to adopt various online learning management systems and trained teachers on their use. Some districts developed and distributed curricular modules that teachers were required to use. However, even in the most prepared school districts, online platforms and pre-loaded learning modules could not alleviate two primary concerns of teachers returning to a changed classroom: 1) How will I build relationships and community with my students in a virtual setting; and 2) How can I demonstrate my commitment to anti-racist pedagogy and open up brave spaces (Aroa & Clemens, 2013) for critical conversations in a virtual setting? These concerns were exacerbated in communities marginalized by the digital and racial divides in St. Louis.
In an effort to center the needs of historically marginalized people and prioritize educational equity, colleagues at the University of Missouri - St. Louis designed and implemented a free virtual professional learning series rooted in anti-racism for teachers in our region whose schools could not afford to provide professional development or whose professional development experiences were not from a framework of social justice. This project brought together STEM, literacy, and special education researchers to utilize both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate building community in K-12 online learning.
The move to virtual teaching left many teachers underprepared and unmoored. Indeed, the ongoing staff shortages and increasing teacher burnout have over 55% of teachers considering leaving the field earlier than planned (Walker, 2022) and few who are looking to join the field (Maxouris & Zdanowicz, 2022). Although the reasons for the growing teacher shortage are complex, there are implications of this study for supporting educators who work at all levels of education.
While most schools returned to in-person, face-to-face instruction at some point in 2021, we know that some of the pivots made during virtual teaching are here to stay. For example, educators report being able to communicate more easily with parents via Zoom, and there is opportunity to prevent disruptions to learning using digital platforms for virtual tutoring and instruction during emergency days (e.g. snow days). To better support teachers before they ever enter the field, teacher preparation programs need to work with preservice teachers to consider beneficial uses of technology for creating supportive classroom communities in equitable ways. In addition, preservice teachers need practice with virtual teaching methods during their coursework and field experiences.
important because of increasing global mobility, digital connections,
and national chauvinism. As students engage with diverse others in
schools and online, they need global, critical, and ethical understandings
of language, literacy, and culture. From a critical cosmopolitan
lens, language and literacy educators guide students to
develop a cosmopolitan worldview; dismantle hierarchies through
reading, writing, and thinking; and take action for justice worldwide.
The purpose of this article is to converge cosmopolitanism, critical
pedagogy, and teacher perceptions to construct a framework for
teaching critical cosmopolitan literacies. The findings suggest five
dimensions of critical cosmopolitan literacies: proximal stance,
reflexive stance, reciprocal stance, responsive stance, and praxis.
Overall, participants held positive views of infusing cosmopolitan
dispositions and global perspectives in their classrooms and
reported success with integrating global literature, structuring discussions
to promote empathy, and implementing inquiry to connect
local and global issues.
There was no one-size-fits all plan that would address each of these 80 unique schools. Instead, we took one page from the National Writing Project who advocates for responsive professional development and recognizes teachers as experts, and another page from the field of project management to initiate local literacy action plans with teams of teacher leaders at each school (Witte et al., 2004; Irvine et al., 2007). The principles that guided our work are TEACHER-centered, namely Teacher-led, Equity and Asset-based, Culturally and Historically responsive,
Evolving over time, and Research-driven. To learn more about the principles that guided our work, see Kerkhoff et al. (2023) article in English Leadership Quarterly.