Continuous learning and growth are critical to educators with deep commitments to fostering critical consciousness through their teaching. Join the conversation.
Transforming the College Classroom is a podcast for anyone interested in taking up teaching and learning in higher education from a justice-informed perspective in ways that are centered on a deep commitment to teaching all students. Co-hosted by Drs. Nana Osei-Kofi, Bradley Boovy, and Kali Furman, this podcast grows out of their recently published book Transformative Approaches to Social Justice Education: Equity and Access in the College Classroom. Every episode features interviews with contributors to the volume who explore teaching and learning for justice from multiple disciplinary, institutional, and social positions.
Drawing on experiences from faculty and administrators in their time working with students, trial and error, and things we have all learned along the way, these conversations share key ideas and approaches to using a social justice lens in the higher education classroom. Like most people, our co-hosts and guests are all at different places in their journeys when it comes to the work of justice-informed teaching and learning, so we hope that no matter where you are in this process you will find information and ideas that are useful to you. Join us as we explore topics including online learning, accessibility and Universal Design for Instruction, developing collaborative partnerships with campus and community organizations, and discipline-specific curriculum transformation.
Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts
Episode Information and Transcripts
Episode 1: Introducing Transforming the College Classroom
Welcome to Transforming the College Classroom! In our first episode, we talk about how we came to make this podcast and give you a preview of what you can expect this season.
Episode 2: Students Speak Up! The History of the Difference, Power, and Discrimination Program
In this episode Nana and Bradley interview Kali about her research on the early history of the Difference, Power, and Discrimination Program at Oregon State University. We discuss the relationship between student activism and institutional change, the joy of working in archives, and the importance of knowing our institutional histories.
Episode 3: Social Justice Education in the Online Environment
In this episode, Dr. Jenny Myers joins Nana and Kali to talk about online social justice teaching. She shares insights from her experiences building community and addressing challenges in online classrooms and offers practical suggestions for all educators to take up in their teaching.
Episode 4: History is Always the Present
Bradley and Kali are joined by Dr. Natchee Barnd in a conversation about creating the Social Justice Tour of Corvallis and the value of experiential learning in the social justice classroom. We discuss working with students in the archives and the ways in which history is about the present and transforming the future.
Episode 5: Developing a Critical Lens: Teaching About Religion in the Social Justice Classroom
Dr. Amy Koehlinger and Kryn Freehling-Burton join Nana and Bradley to discuss teaching about religious bias, Christian privilege, and anti-Muslimism. They share insights on navigating disciplinary positions, as well as the opportunities and possibilities offered by interdisciplinary co-teaching partnerships.
Episode 6: Thinking/Feeling: Sentipensante Pedagogy and Educating for Wholeness
In this episode, Nana and Kali are joined by Charlene Martinez and Dr. Erich Pitcher to discuss their use of sentipensante pedagogy in working towards educating for wholeness. They share about their journeys in higher education, bringing your whole self into the classroom, and storytelling pedagogical practices.
Episode 7: Tensions of Identity and Relationality: Teaching About Race, Class, and Gender
Dr. Marta Maldonado joins Nana and Bradley to talk about teaching race, class, and gender in the Latinx Studies classroom, and the importance of relationality in creating critical pedagogies.
Episode 8: Building Peace Literacy Skillsets
Nana and Bradley are joined by Dr. Sharyn Clough to discuss how she uses peace literacy skills to help teach the connections between cognitive biases and structural injustice.
Episode 9: Flexibility and Open Mindedness: Using Universal Design for Instruction in the College Classroom
Martha Smith and Dr. Stephanie Jenkins join Nana and Kali to talk about their work with Universal Design for Instruction and how to create accessible, creative learning environments for all students.
Episode 10: History is the Story We Tell Ourselves About Who We Are
Nana and Kali are joined by Drs. Marisa Chappell and Linda Richards to discuss teaching history as part of social justice education. Marisa and Linda share techniques from their classrooms, the possibilities that emerge from having students work with primary sources, and insights about the importance of history in our broader cultural narratives.