Book Discussion: “Teaching to Transgress: education as the practice of freedom” by bell hooks Online
Every other month, CTLI will be facilitating a book discussion for educators. For our first discussion, we’ll be reading ““Teaching to Transgress: education as the practice of freedom” by bell hooks (published by Routledge in 1994). This title is available in print at the MSU Main Library (Call Number: LC196 .H66 1994) or as an eBook (via Taylor & Francis eBooks). This book was a selection of the CTLI Graduate Fellows for the 2023-24 academic year and has been a regular source of pedagogical discussion for our cohort.
This month’s discussion will be co-facilitated by two of the 2023-24 CTLI Graduate Fellows:
- Nicole (Nic) Macon-McKendree is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Social Work and a licensed clinical social worker. Nicole completed an MSW at Arizona State University (2013) and finds joy in using mindfulness, compassion, and acceptance-based techniques in her work with children and their families; in all the shapes and forms a family can take. Reflecting her clinical practice, Nicole’s academic scholarship is compassion centered; her research seeks to understand how the social work profession can leverage compassion and courage to improve mental health equity. Specifically, she is interested in how brave spaces and compassionate-based approaches to teaching and learning can help students and educators navigate cognitive and affective responses so that education about anti-oppression and antiracism meaningfully translates to clinical practice.
- Katherine (Katie) Knowles is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of English at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on early modern drama, the production of space, cultural heritage, and the digital humanities. Her dissertation is titled “’King of Infinite Space’: Shakespeare’s Spatial Practices of Orientation, Embodiment, and Subjective Experience.” She is also pursuing the Certification in College Teaching and the Graduate Certificate in Digital Humanities. She received her BA from Hanover College and her MA from the University of Birmingham’s Shakespeare Institute. She has been a Cultural Heritage Informatics Fellow for both the 22-23 and 23-24 academic years, where she has developed digital projects related to cultural heritage in Stratford-upon-Avon. Knowles has acted as both a GA and the instructor of record for a variety of IAH courses during her time at MSU.
Engaging in book discussions fosters a culture of curiosity and intellectual growth, reinforcing the idea that learning is a lifelong journey enriched by the exchange of ideas and insights with others. Through thoughtful dialogue and shared reflections on relevant literature, educators not only enhance their own practices but also contribute to a dynamic community that benefits both their students and MSU broadly.
If you’d like to nominate a title for a future CTLI book discussion and/or volunteer to co-facilitate a discussion, please reach out to Makena Neal at mneal@msu.edu
- Date:
- Tuesday, April 16, 2024
- Time:
- 11:00am - 12:30pm
- Time Zone:
- Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
- Online:
- This is an online event. Event URL will be sent via registration email.
- Audience:
- Educator Network Future Faculty In-Class Educators
- Categories:
- Community of Practice DEIB & Student Success Educator Networking Guest Speakers Lifelong Learning Online Session Special Topics Synchronous Session
By the end of this book discussion, participants will:
- analyze and identify specific inclusive pedagogical strategies outlined in the book that promote equitable and effective teaching.
- Participants will gain the ability to apply principles and practices of inclusive teaching discussed in the book to their own teaching contexts.
- Through discussions and reflections on the book's content, participants will develop a deeper awareness of implicit biases that can impact teaching and learning, and explore strategies to mitigate bias in their instructional practices.