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So honored to be a part of the 2023 cohort of NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral fellows and pursue my project alongside such accomplished scholars.
Project: Banned Childhoods: Storying Book Banning practices and LGBTQ+ Educational Activism in the Conservative Midwest.
Congratulations to the 2023 NAEd/Spencer Dissertation & Postdoctoral Fellows & Research Development Awardees! We look forward to working with and supporting you as you conduct incredibly vital research. For the full list: shorturl.at/cBJY9. @Spencer_Fdn
A6: This is an easy answer. The teachers who get up every day and, in the face of book bans, ensure the queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and other kids of Color see themselves in their classroom curricula. These are the champions of intellectual freedom to me. #literacies
A5: Teachers can turn to local organizations to challenge classroom censorship. In Iowa, Annie’s Foundation, Iowa WTF, the ACLU of Iowa, One Iowa, and more are fighting for intellectual freedom. Sign up for newsletters in your local context for community support. #literaces
A4: Teachers are part of an ecosystem, and librarians are trained to combat sudden censorship. I’ve witnessed teachers work with librarians, community organizations, and administrators to change their curricula and pedagogy to challenge classroom censorship #literacies
A3: Last year was one of my hardest as a teacher and researcher. I saw the books I’ve studied and advocated for years ripped off shelves. Witnessing the stories of Iowa teachers’ resilience buoyed me, motivating me to continue fighting for inclusive classrooms. #literacies
A2: Last year, Iowa teachers located agency in overt and covert ways to ensure students saw themselves represented in classrooms. By engaging local resistance and working in community, these educators fought for intellectual freedom and to honor every child’s #literacies.
A1: For the last year, I’ve conducted a study of Senate File (SF) 496, a statewide policy banning books across Iowa. Over the 23-34 school year, 3,385 books were removed from Iowa schools. This impacts students #literacies as well as what and how teachers teach.
Josh Coleman retweeted
Announcing our June #literacies chat, “Censorship from Texts to Teachers: Literacy and the Fight for Intellectual Freedom,” hosted by @JoshEducating and @AutumnAdia! Considering this timely topic, please share this chat’s details far and wide. We can’t wait to see you there!
Josh Coleman retweeted
For the 3rd year in a row, NCTE has partnered with SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL on a project to support teachers & librarians as they advocate for books in their classrooms. This year, members of NCTE and SLJ have written new reviews for 15 banned classics. schoollibraryjournal.com/sto….
In some places, libraries can't purchase books without a professional review. But, what if that book is Pride & Prejudice or Fahrenheit 451? ow.ly/HxSA50R7Xz0 #BannedBooks #censorship #challenged #classics #SummerReading
Happy to share my recent publication at Research in the Teaching of English. "Cultivating Genre Awareness of Speculative Genres" supports English teachers to learn speculative genres features, like world-building in superhero comics, in order to teach them
publicationsncte.org/content…
Josh Coleman retweeted
End your year by joining PEN America and best-selling authors in fighting against book bans and educational censorship. Donate here: pen.org/fall23-fight-back-ag…
Thank you to CLA and NCTE for this award. I am deeply honored and am grateful for the encouragement to continue working for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ youth literature in libraries and schools.
Josh Coleman retweeted
Nonbinary Florida teacher fired -- fired! -- for using Mx in their title instead of Mr, Mrs, or Ms. B/c gender neutral pronouns somehow impede the teaching of physics?... Outrageous.
nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news…
Josh Coleman retweeted
Schools across Iowa pulled at least 450 books – including the Holocaust memoirs Maus by Art Spiegelman and Night by Elie Wiesel, dozens of classics, and books written for young readers – from their shelves at the start of the school year. pen.org/books-banned-in-iowa… #BannedBooks
Josh Coleman retweeted
GLSEN research shows that LGBTQ+ students who attend schools with curriculum that is inclusive of LGBTQ+ people, history, and events experience better mental health and improved academic outcomes.
ALT An illustration of a person sitting on two large books while reading a book. The text "Representation Matters" circles the illustration.
Josh Coleman retweeted
“The point is not whether one can get a book that’s been prohibited in a school; it’s about whether someone’s ready access to ideas has been denied or diminished in a public institution and why.” @jonfreadom usatoday.com/story/opinion/2… #BannedBooksWeek #BannedBooksWeek2023
Josh Coleman retweeted
ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom has released new preliminary data documenting a continued uptick in censorship attempts in libraries across the U.S. during the first 8 months of 2023. Read more: ala.org/news/press-releases/…
#UniteAgainstBookBans #FreePeopleReadFreely
ALT ALA Releases Preliminary data on 2023 book challenges. New data shows record surge of challenges in public libraries. American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom.
Josh Coleman retweeted
Are you hosting a #BannedBooksWeek event or display? Don't forget to add it to our event calendar! #LetFreedomRead October 1-7, 2023! bannedbooksweek.org/events/c…
ALT Illustration that reads Let Freedom Read, Banned Books Week, October 1-7, 2023. BannedBooksWeek.org #BannedBooksWeek #LetFreedomRead
Josh Coleman retweeted
An exciting reminder: I am a guest co-editing a special issue of English Journal: "Affirming Queer and Trans* Identities within Anti-LGBTQIA+ Contexts." Deadline for submissions is 10/1/23.
Feel free to DM me with questions!
Full call: ncte.org/resources/journals/…
Josh Coleman retweeted
Thank you, @JoshEducating, for the gifts of your perspective, your diligence in research and education, and your calls to avail and apply community in the navigation of #IntellectualFreedom, #inclusion, and #access.
📚 #Freadom
🩷🩵🤍🖤🤎❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜 – at Iowa City, IA
Read more on UIowa Asst. Professor Josh Coleman's thoughts on intellectual freedom, diversity in literature and education and current reads on page 4 of the 2023 Fall Window. ow.ly/bWu150PGS5i
ALT Iowa City Public Library Window, Fall 2023. "In a moment of great challenge to intellectual freedom, ... I see hope in the coalitional power of libraries, K12 teachers, professors, administrators and community members," says UIowa Asst. Professor of English education Josh Coleman, Ph.D. in conversation with ICPL Community and Access Services Coordinator Sam Helmick. Read "A Window Into Inclusivity" on page 4 or at icpl.org/blog