21st Century Scholar

The process of sharing information and experiences online ultimately makes them the common possession of all who are in our networks.  Whether we produce the information or consume it, our viewpoints are modified for better or worse, though perhaps not so categorically.  Messages, photos, Likes, links and tags amend meaning; they do what shared experiences [...]

For John Dewey, the ultimate challenge of American democracy was to achieve the “Great Community” (1927/1946).  Dewey recognized in the early decades of the 20th century that technology would alter the development of democratic community, but only if realized effectively. If technologies could expand communication and extend the range of associations and relationships among women [...]

I regularly look to pragmatic philosopher John Dewey to explain most things American. As a political philosopher, Dewey recognized the possibilities of American life; his was a social hope for post-colonial equity that resonates with my immigrant sensibilities. Thus, long before journalist and author Malcolm Gladwell (2008) made the observation that even among the most [...]

I taught in a district that was a punching bag for critics of underperforming schools. Scandals appeared in local newspapers and on nightly news reports. In my school, teachers then debated the issues, including cheating, sexual assaults, theft, embezzlement, bribery, racism, dropout factories, fired or defecting leaders, and on and on and on. At a [...]

Around graduation some USC seniors had some parties off-campus. The parties got out of hand for one of the groups. Apparently two parties were held across the street off-campus from one another. Mostly white kids were at one of the parties and mostly black kids were at the other. The parties got loud and a [...]

  Gil Scott Heron once said: “The revolution that takes place in your head…nobody will ever see that.” As I approach the 4th year in my doctoral program, I find more conflict with this statement than resolution. The revolution taking place in my own mind is now evidenced in my writing, research, advocacy, and practice. But [...]

In February a bunch of numbskulls created a Facebook page entitled “USC Hookups” which promptly received more than 2,000 likes. The Undergraduate Student Government was outraged and told the administration to do something because it reflected badly on USC. The creators were anonymous and individuals were encouraged to post their “craziest story, raunchiest hookup, or [...]

Recent days have been laden with all kinds of news items that challenge our notion of what college is. Take the news from the California legislature’s introduction of a bill that would require state-sponsored colleges and universities to accept credits from MOOCs and other alternative low-priced avenues of education. Burke Smith, the founder of Straighterline.com [...]

Summer is here and it’s time to change things up. While it doesn’t have quite the same ring as, Thursday is TechDay, from here on out, Thursday will be WriteDay. The new theme focuses attention on Pullias’ annual SummerTIME Writing Program, an academic writing intervention to support the high school to college literacy transitions of [...]

I was in Santa Fe when the Santa Fe New Mexican announced that the University of New Mexico’s (UNM) basketball coach, Steve Alford, had inked a 10 year deal paying him $2 million annually. Coach Alford had brought UNM to the NCAA finals, so paying him close to two million dollars seemed fair. Coach Alford [...]