Arguing against the tougher standards rhetoric that marks the current education debate, the author of No Contest and Punished by Rewards writes that such tactics squeeze the pleasure out of learning. Reprint.

Noted educator Tom Little and Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Katherine Ellison reveal the home-grown solution to turning American students into life-long learners. The longtime head of Park Day School, Tom Little embarked on a tour of 43 progressive schools across the country. In this book, his life’s work, he interweaves his teaching experience, the knowledge he gleaned from his trip, and the history of Progressive Education. As Little and Katherine Ellison reveal, these educators and schools invigorate learning and promote inquisitiveness by allowing the curriculum to grow organically out of children's questions—whether they lead to studying the senses, working on a farm, or re-creating a desert ecosystem in the classroom. We see curious students draw on information across disciplines to think in imaginative yet practical ways, like in a "Mini-Maker Faire" or designing and building a chair from scratch. Becoming good citizens was another of Little's goals. He believed in the need for students to learn how to become advocates for themselves, from setting rules on the playground to engaging in issues of social justice in the wider community. Using the philosophy of Progressive Education, schools can prepare students to shape a vibrant future in the arts and sciences for themselves and the nation.

An exploration of how design might be led by marginalized communities, dismantle structural inequality, and advance collective liberation and ecological survival. What is the relationship between design, power, and social justice? “Design justice” is an approach to design that is led by marginalized communities and that aims expilcitly to challenge, rather than reproduce, structural inequalities. It has emerged from a growing community of designers in various fields who work closely with social movements and community-based organizations around the world. This book explores the theory and practice of design justice, demonstrates how universalist design principles and practices erase certain groups of people—specifically, those who are intersectionally disadvantaged or multiply burdened under the matrix of domination (white supremacist heteropatriarchy, ableism, capitalism, and settler colonialism)—and invites readers to “build a better world, a world where many worlds fit; linked worlds of collective liberation and ecological sustainability.” Along the way, the book documents a multitude of real-world community-led design practices, each grounded in a particular social movement. Design Justice goes beyond recent calls for design for good, user-centered design, and employment diversity in the technology and design professions; it connects design to larger struggles for collective liberation and ecological survival.

In every era, global progressive thinkers have used creativity as a means for cultural reformation and social justice in response to oppressive regimes. For example, theater, cartoons, social art, film, and other forms of representative arts have always been used as critical instigation to create agency or critical commentary on current affairs. In the education sector, teachers in schools often say one of two things: they are not creative or that they don't have the time to be creative given the curricular demands and administrative mandates that they are required to follow. Each day, educators are working to find exceptionally creative ways to engage their students with limited resources and supplies, and this becomes even more of a challenge during turbulent times. Creativity as Progressive Pedagogy: Examinations Into Culture, Performance, and Challenges primarily focuses on pedagogical creativity and culture as related to various aspects of social justice and identity. This book presents experience-based content and showcases the necessity for pedagogical creativity to give students agency and the connections between cultural sensitivity and creativity. Covering topics such as the social capital gap, digital spaces, and underprivileged students, this book is an indispensable resource for educators in both K-12 and higher education, administrators, researchers, faculty, policymakers, leaders in education, pre-service teachers, and academicians.

Praise for Maryellen Weimer's Inspired College Teaching "The thoughtfulness, personalization, and consideration Maryellen Weimer demonstrates in discussing the experience of faculty members, her ability to identify issues that are shared and solvable, and her suggestions and solutions to commonly experienced stressors and difficulties in college teaching are major strengths of this volume. . . . In a way, it is a 'workshop between book covers'—or perhaps several workshops!" —Laura L. B. Border, director, Graduate Teacher Program and Collaborative Preparing Future Faculty Network, University of Colorado at Boulder "A book by Maryellen Weimer always displays her wonderful grasp of the literature on college teaching and learning, her ability to tell good stories, and her wit and wisdom. This one is no exception." —Nancy Van Note Chism, professor, Indiana University School of Education, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Praise for Enhancing Scholarly Work on Teaching and Learning "In her characteristically research-based, direct, and practical style, Maryellen Weimer provides a much-needed guide, critique, and road map of the scholarship of teaching and learning. Weimer's new book will be of use to teachers, researchers, and administrators alike and nicely complements her Learner-Centered Teaching and Classroom Research, by Cross and Steadman." —Thomas A. Angelo, director, University Teaching Development Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand "Yet again, Maryellen Weimer has made a perfectly timed contribution to the pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning. Enhancing Scholarly Work on Teaching and Learning does indeed shed clarifying light on the exciting new emphasis on scholarly approaches to teaching. In her distinctively conversational and clear style, Dr. Weimer maps out the nature of pedagogical literature—how to read it and how to contribute to it. . . . This book is the perfect next step in the journey to understand the benefits of scholarly teaching." —Gary Poole, director, Centre for Teaching and Academic Growth; founding director, Institute for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, University of British Columbia