Thursday, March 3, 2022 | 10:30am - 11:45am | Geddes Hall Coffee House

Please join us for a conversation with Professors Mike Macaluso and Kati Macaluso, both assistant teaching professors in the Institute for Educational Initiatives. They will share their research on issues surrounding social justice in middle and high school curricula across the state of Indiana. They ask questions such as what are the most frequently assigned and taught texts in Indiana middle and high school English classrooms? How do these texts compare to what's being taught on a national level? Do these texts reflect broader, national conversations around social issues like racism, climate change, mental health, and immigration?

In this Forum, Professors Mike and Kati Macaluso will share results from a recent study that surveyed 800 Indiana middle and high school English teachers about their curricular practices.  These results inspired their “Social Justice Teacher Book Club,” a project supported through the Center for Social Concern’s Community Impact Grant.  With nearly 20 teachers participating in the book club, the goal is to introduce new books into the classroom curriculum that could inspire social change, foster empathy, and build solidarity across differences while supporting teachers’ goals for students’ literacy achievement.

ABOUT THE ENGAGED LEARNING FORUM SERIES: The Engaged Learning Forum series aims to advance the Center for Social Concerns' approach to practicing Catholic social teaching through community-engaged research, teaching, and learning. See the whole series at https://socialconcerns.nd.edu/elf 

LEARN ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS: Community Impact Grants support community-engaged teaching, research, and learning through innovative courses, projects, and events that are mutually beneficial to community and University partners. Learn more online. https://socialconcerns.nd.edu/content/community-based-research