Thomas Nelson
To bring a sense of adventure and passion to the world of teaching and learning; to support and nurture questioning and critical analysis of the ways in which schools, teachers, and students interact; and to provide opportunities for personal and community exploration of educational issues, ideas, and possibilities.
I believe that, as a result of political and media influence, schools have become ever-increasingly narrow in their attempt to define education and what it means to be a successful student.
Emphasis on curriculum standardization and the recent high stakes testing mandates are having a detrimental impact on teachers’ ability to engage students in meaningful learning experiences.
Hence, schools are moving further and further away from being educational organizations, and the role of teacher is becoming less professional, as decisions about the content and pedagogy in classrooms are being made at great distance from the classroom.
Therefore, I believe it is critical that teachers become more politically savvy and active in their role as change agents.
It is our responsibility as educators to fight for democratic ideals, social justice, moral and ethical considerations, and equity for all students.
Our future lies with how well we prepare students to become problem-solvers and advocates for civility and democracy.
Remember, it is not so much what we do as teachers that matters most, it is what we are able to get students to do!
"Teaching has to do with releasing people to learn how to learn. It has to do with possibilities and personal discoveries, making connections, opening doors."
Recent Publications
Nelson, T. (2011). Critiquing scholarship as formal review: The role and responsibilities of readers of academic journals. Issues in Teacher Education. 2 (1).
Cassell, J., & Nelson, T. (2012). Control, choice and the fulfillment of fundamental human needs: William Glasser’s humanistic vision of individual, classroom and school-wide positive behavioral support. In Brown, L. A., & B. Irby(Eds.) Handbook of Educational Theories. Charlotte, N.C.: Information Age Publishing.
Nelson, T., & Coleman, C. (2012). Human-environmental relationships as curriculum context: An interdisciplinary inquiry. In Oxford,R., & Lin, J. (Eds.) Transforming eco-education in the 21st Century: Charlotte, N.C.: Information Age Publishing.
Cassell, J., & Nelson, T. (2010). Visions lost and dreams forgotten: Environmental education, systems thinking, and possible futures in American public schools.
Teacher Education Quarterly, 37 (4).
Nelson, T. (2010). Curriculum, place and pedagogy. In Nelson, T., & Brodie, C. (Eds.) Chronicles from a watershed: Considerations of place and pedagogy.
San Diego: Cognella.
Education
|
1993 |
Ph. D., The University of Arizona |
|
1989 |
M. A., California State University, Sacramento |
|
1975 |
B. A., California State University, Northridge |
Research Interests
- The Influence of Teachers’ Beliefs on Curriculum Decision-Making
- Human-Environmental Relationships as Curriculum Context
- Curriculum Theory and Analysis
- Teacher Education