In Character
Conversations about How Culture Shapes Character
“During my incarceration, I also became an educational entrepreneur.”
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At CultureFeed, we believe, as James Davison Hunter stated in his book, The Content of Their Character, “…character is invariably formed in (these) moral ecologies and is reflective of them.” Hunter is referring to the various ecosystems in which students live, including school. Each of the ecosystems is defined by its own culture. Therefore, culture cannot help but to shape character.
We have spent the greater part of the past year in exploring this complex interrelationship—culture and character—through a series of topical conversations with expert educators. We've had group conversations and 1:1 interviews. Each one shares ideas about the impact of culture on character. and are facilitated by our own expert educator, our vice president for education, Gerard Robinson. In the circles below, you will find, by topic: Group discussions, 1:1 interviews, and blog articles. Please enjoy exploring and learning with these expert educators.
The Role of Administrators in Building School Culture
Whether at the building or the district level administrators have tremendous influence on the culture of student learning and community. What strategies do they employ to build a collaborative culture of learning within and beyond the walls of a school? Join Vice President of Education for the Advanced Studies in Culture Foundation Gerard Robinson as he leads a discussion among six expert educators serving as administrators as they explore these questions.
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10 Questions That Lead to Growth in School Culture
by Jeff Charbonneau
The Role of a School Leader is to Set the School’s Culture
by Sharif El-Mekki
How To Improve School Culture
By Amanda Miliner
Preparing Educators for a Culture of Teaching and Learning
How does teacher educator help future teachers to prepare to build a community of learners? A culture of shared experience? What are the challenges that teacher educators face as they do this work? Gerard Robinson Vice President of Education for the Advanced Studies in Culture Foundation explores these questions with six State Teachers of the Year now working a teacher educators.
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Pandemics and Partnerships: Teacher Prep in the Time of COVID-19
by Jeanne DelColle Phd
A Life-Changing Conversation
By Richard Warren
Teaching Resilience as Part of Classroom Culture
How do educators teach students to become resilient in learning and in life? How do educators themselves learn to become resilient? Six State Teachers of the Year from across the country investigate these questions with Gerard Robinson Vice President of Education for the Advanced Studies in Culture Foundation.
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Exploring the Self
by Chris Holmes
Normalizing Struggle, Building Resilience
By Sarah Brown Wessling
The Role of Culture in the Formation of Students
What role does education play in the formation of students? How do educators impact the culture and character of schools and learners? Watch as six State Teachers of the Year explore these questions with In Character host and Vice President of Education Gerard Robinson.
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The Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on School Culture
We are living in unprecedented times. What does teaching in a pandemic look like? How has the pandemic impacted school culture and student learning? Six expert educators discuss these issues with Gerard Robinson Vice President of Education for the Advanced Studies in Culture Foundation.
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The Impact of COVID-19 on School Culture
by Shawn Sheehan
Silver Linings
by Michael Dunlea
Establishing a Culture of Equity in Classrooms
How do we define equity in society? In school? What is the difference between equity and equality? How do teachers work to ensure that every child receives an equitable education? Join host Gerard Robinson and six expert educators as they grapple with these questions and others.
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From Dream to Reality
by Kelisa Wing
by Kelisa Wing
On Anger and Equity
by Leigh Ann Erickson
by Leigh Ann Erickson
Building a Culture of Learning With Our Youngest Learners
How do educators build a sense of culture and community amongst our youngest learners? What is different about teaching the very young student? How do early childhood educators set the tone for a student’s future years of education? Gerard Robinson Vice President of Education for the Advanced Studies in Culture Foundation asks a group of six expert early childhood educators these questions and more.
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Live, Work, and Play with our Littlest to Build Community
by Katie Ferguson
Creating a Sense of Belonging Amongst Our Earliest Learners
by Tabatha Rosproy
Creating a Culture of Community with Families
How do educators work to learn not only their students but their students’ families? How do they engage families as partners in the education of students? What strategies do they employ to make families feel like an integral part of the learning process? Join six expert educators as they discuss these questions with Gerard Robinson Vice President of Education for the Advanced Studies in Culture Foundation.
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4 Ways to Create a Community with Families
by Gary Abud
How to Build Community With Families
by Katy Smith
Creating Culture Through State Education Agencies
How do educators who choose to move from the classroom to work inside a State Education Agency (SEA) continue to impact the culture of learning in classrooms, schools, districts, and statewide? Why did they choose to move from their own classrooms to a role where they would impact many more students and their families? Join seven expert educators as they discuss these questions with Gerard Robinson Vice President of Education for the Advanced Studies in Culture Foundation.
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Power in Partnership: How SEAs Impact School Culture
by Kimberly Dickstein-Hughes
The Evolving Role of the State Education Agency
by Melody Schopp
What moves educators to run for office? And, why do they make good representatives once elected? Join six expert educators who have run for public office – some successfully, and some not – as they share their insights with Gerard Robinson, Vice President of Education at the Advanced Studies in Culture Foundation.
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From Classroom Teacher to Elected Leader—It Is Possible
by Sharon Gallagher-Fitzhugh
Educators Running for Office—Take the Plunge
by Jeffrey Allen Hinton
Gerard Robinson is the vice president of education at the Advanced Studies in Culture Foundation, and host of the In Character webcast.
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An Experiment in Prison Education
In Character: A Platform for Educators to Share Ideas on Culture, Character, and Society
“Does ‘Character’ Have a Role to Play in Prison Education Programs? Yes.”
Appreciating Teachers by Listening to Them
The Content of Their Character: King’s Theme Across the Years
Character Education in Action: A Dialogue with Three Practitioners
Charter Schools at 30: A Conversation with Members of the Founding Generation
Back to School 2021: A Conversation with Administrators and Teachers
Building a Culture of Transformative Education for Incarcerated Adults
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Education Behind the Walls
by Gerard Robinson
The Transformative Power of Education
by Brad Brewer
A Story to Tell: The Importance of Education during Incarceration as Told by 22 Men and Women Who Know Firsthand
Edited by Gerard Robinson
What attracts expert educators to teach in urban settings? What joys and challenges do they experience as a result? Find out through a group discussion and blog posts with outstanding urban educators.
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Watch the group interview
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Creating a Foundation for Success in Urban Schools
by Sheena Graham
What My Urban Students Taught Me About TeachingIn Character: A Platform for Educators to Share Ideas on Culture, Character, and Society
by Tom Rademacher
Expert educators weigh in on the challenges and joys of being in a rural education setting.
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A Culture of Community Inclusion in Rural South Jersey
by Angel Santiago
A Sense of Community and Respect: Teaching in Rural Schools
by Leah Lechleiter-Luke
Building a Culture of Learning in Rural Schools
by Anna East
How do educators build a culture of learning and community with English Language Learners and their families? Watch as Vice President for Education, Gerard Robinson, leads a discussion with outstanding ELL educators and read blog posts by two of these educators.
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Building a Culture of Belonging with ELL Students and Families
by Leila Kubesch
Building a Culture of Learning with ELL Students and Families
by Alisa Cooper de Uribe
How do educators who work with students with special needs build a culture of learning? How do they differentiate learning for each student in their care? Watch and read as Gerard Robinson, Vice President for Education, talks with expert special educators.
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Creating a Culture of Professional Learning for Teachers of Special Needs Students?
by Brett Bigham
Building a Culture of Learning with Gifted/Talented Students and Families
by Maryann Woods-Murphy
Some educators teach in circumstances that are ‘different.’ Perhaps they teach in a unique location; maybe an usual subject; sometimes with a physical difference. These expert educators share how teaching differently has shaped their teaching practice. Watch and read.
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Yutu-Strong
by Dora Miura
Teaching Differently: Your Story Matters
by Kathy Nimmer
We asked a group of expert educators to look back at teaching during COVID now that we have experienced a partial school year and a full school year teaching during the pandemic. This deeply thoughtful group of educators – Superintendents, Principals, Teacher Leaders, Teachers – shares their experiences and take-aways through a group discussion facilitated by Vice President for Education, Gerard Robinson, and through two blog pieces.
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Changing the Culture of Education During COVID and Beyond
by Nanette Merrill
Lessons Learned about Teaching and Learning During the Pandemic
by Cicely Woodard
How do teachers inspire and engage in entrepreneurship within and beyond their classrooms? This inspiring group of educators who have taken that entrepreneurial step a bit further engage in a group discussion facilitated by Vice President for Education, Gerard Robinson, and share further thoughts through two blog pieces.
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Less Tech, More Chalk: How an Entrepreneurial Spirit Shapes Learning Culture
by Julia Taylor King Pool
Thinking Extreme
by Karen Toavs, Ph.D.
What is it like to be born into one culture and teach in one that is different? Watch, as these expert educators share their stories with Vice President for Education, Gerard Robinson.
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Enriching Educational Experiences through Cultural Diversity
by Sarahi Monterrey
Peachy & Imperfect: An Ode to My Students
by Argine Safari
How do Instructional Coaches build an environment of trust with those they coach? What does an Instructional Coach do that benefits teaching, learning, and scholars? Watch this video with eight expert coaches in a discussion hosted by Gerard Robinson, Vice President for Education.
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Building Bridges through Instructional Coaching
by Dr. Megan Olivia Hall
Crafting Spaces of Trust: The Power of Instructional Coaching
by Monica Washington
A Foundation of Trust
by Josh Parker
How can teaching Literacy be used to help students build an appreciation for culture? Watch this video with four expert Literacy educators in a discussion hosted by Gerard Robinson, Vice President for Education.
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The Changing Face of Literacy
by Laura Drake
Literacy as a Tool for Humanity
by Dr. Doretha Allen, NBCT
Teaching the Arts – be it Fine Arts or Performing Arts – can build student appreciation for culture in many ways. Ten expert Arts educators share how in a discussion hosted by Gerard Robinson, Vice President for Education.
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Wednesdays and Refrigerator Walls: The Impact of Arts Education in a Culture of High-Stakes Assessment
by Erin Sponaugle
Designing Our Teaching for Wonder
by Christopher Gleason
“Discover Your Soul Language”: The Impact of Exposure, Experience, and Engagement through Music and the Arts
by Dr. Toney McNair, Jr.
STEM education – be it teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics – can be a powerful tool for building student character. Eleven expert STEM educators share how in a discussion hosted by Katherine Bassett on behalf of Gerard Robinson, Vice President for Education.
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I Am Preparing Students for Jobs That Do Not Yet Exist!
by Heather DeLuca Nestor
Preparing Our Next Generation of Citizens Through STEM Education
by Tehmina Khan
Discussions are a key form of communication through which we exchange ideas, learn and teach, and enjoy discourse – whether we are agreeing or disagreeing with one another. In this section, you will find a series of discussions, led by Vice President for Education, Gerard Robinson, focusing on latest trends in education, leadership, and the role that culture plays in both.
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Why is it important to recognize the work that educators do and to celebrate that work, not only during Teacher Appreciation Week, but all year? We are seeing educators exiting the profession in unprecedented numbers. How can we reverse this trend? Listen a Gerard Robinson interviews educators, education non-profit leaders, and education researchers to gain their insights.
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Valuing Our Educators
by Sheena Graham
