Mode of Program Participation
Community Organizing and Educational Programming
Participation Type
Committee Sponsored Session
Session Title
Appalachian Studies Pedagogies in the Twenty-First Century: Conversations from the Field
Session Abstract or Summary
In this ASA Education Committee sponsored roundtable, presenters will discuss topics that range from teacher preparation for rural Appalachian schools to student engagement in the Appalachian Studies 101 college classroom.
Presentation #1 Title
The Power of Community-based Research in the Appalachian Studies Classroom
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The presenter will discuss the benefits and challenges of introducing community-based research methods and methodologies in the upper-level undergraduate classroom and how such research can be mutually beneficial to students and communities alike. Primarily, she will draw from her experiences with the Appalachian Teaching Project, which is sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Theresa L. Burriss is the Chair of Appalachian Studies and Director of the Appalachian Regional & Rural Studies Center at Radford University. She serves as Chair of the ASA Education Committee.
Presentation #2 Title
Preparing Nontraditional Education Majors for the Classroom in Eastern Kentucky
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
I’ve been working with students in Eastern Kentucky who are education majors. These students on my campus are primarily women, a bit older than traditional students, who face growing socio-economic and political difficulties in completing their education degrees. These students are essential to the future of local public schools. I will discuss how to address these challenges and encourage degree completion.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Nancy Coldiron Preston earned a Doctorate of Education in Policy Studies and Evaluation from the University of Kentucky. She is the Director of Morehead State University – Ashland Campus and has a part-time appointment as graduate faculty in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky. Her research focuses on educational issues in Appalachia. Her current research involves a qualitative study of undergraduate students pursuing degrees in elementary education with the intent to teaching in Appalachia. Preston has presented her research focusing on the retention of community college graduates in Appalachia to the baccalaureate at national and international conferences.
Presentation #3 Title
Appalachian Literature as Critical Pedagogy: A Story of Best Practices
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
As a contribution to the pedagogy roundtable discussion, I intend to share the lessons learned and best practices identified during my recently completed dissertation study, “The Impact of an Appalachian Literature Course on Student Perceptions of Appalachian Culture.” The case study was conducted in an undergraduate-level, place-based Appalachian literature course in the Smoky Mountain region of Appalachia. The course instructor reported that her pedagogical approach to the course was informed by bioregional theory. Data was collected in the form of observations, interviews, and artifacts from the instructor and six students over the course of one semester. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that the instructor’s pedagogical approaches to teaching Appalachian literature aligned with various forms of critical pedagogy, particularly culturally-relevant pedagogy and critical pedagogy of place. This alignment included four main characteristics of critical pedagogy: appreciation of diversity, subversion of marginalization, student-centered learning, and place as a context for learning. The study contributes to the larger bodies of knowledge of critical pedagogy and Appalachian Studies. Further, the study encourages reflection on the goals and purposes of Appalachian Studies as an academic field and opens the door for investigating what pedagogical approaches best serve those goals and purposes.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Dr. Ashley Hopkins currently serves as the Program Coordinator for TRIO Student Support Services at the University of Louisville where she supports the retention of low-income and first generation college students. She recently graduated from Ohio University with her Doctorate in Educational Administration focused on Comparative and International Educational Leadership. Her research interests include educational leadership, critical pedagogy, marginalization, Appalachian Studies, and qualitative research methods.
Presentation #4 Title
High-Impact Practices in the Undergraduate Appalachian Studies Classroom
Presentation #4 Abstract or Summary
Ruth has long believed that students in her class need to get out of the classroom to experience Appalachia firsthand, so she always requires that students participate in outside activities or events such as folk festivals, music jams, and outdoor recreation. In the fall of 2015, she had the opportunity to participate with four other professors in an integrated semester with The New River as its thematic core. The high point of the semester was a week spent canoeing and camping on the river, working together, learning about life and each other, and discussing the value and importance of The New to the Appalachian Region.
As a proponent of high impact practices, the presenter arranges trips outside the classroom to attend music performances, visit museums, and take advantage of recreational opportunities in the New River Valley. She has found these out-of-class excursions offer her students fresh insight to the rich culture and history of the region as well as providing extended times of interaction and deeper discussions about the issues that concern the region. Students who take advantage of these occasions to learn tend to be much more engaged in the classroom, an added benefit.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Ruth Derrick is an instructor at Radford University who teaches Introduction to Appalachian Studies, as well as coordinates a mentoring program between Radford University students and area high school students. When not teaching, Ruth enjoys creative writing, running, walking her yellow lab, and kayaking, an interest that was born out of her week spent on the river with her class.
Presentation #5 Title
Buildling a Critical Pedagogy of Place
Presentation #5 Abstract or Summary
In efforts at WVU to prepare new teachers for West Virginia, it is clear that teacher candidates' beliefs about rurality, class, race, identity, and the role of social justice in the classroom, serve as powerful lenses through which pedagogy and possibility are understood. In my discussions in the round table, I'll share current research in understanding these teacher candidates' lenses and how the teacher education programs, particularly in secondary English education at WVU L, are working with teacher candidates to build a critical pedagogy of place.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #5
Audra Slocum is an assistant professor of English Education at West Virginia University. Her research focuses on critical place-based pedagogies and the preparation of English teachers for marginalized communities. She is a former high school English teacher in southeastern Kentucky.
Presentation #6 Title
Experiential Learning Opportunities in North Georgia
Presentation #6 Abstract or Summary
I regularly take students into the Ocoee River region where we learn about regional history and enjoy local recreation. I have also and will again take students to the Ducktown Basin Musuem, and many places in North Georgia where we learn regional history onsite as well as local environmental and sustainability issues.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #6
William Simson, Ph.D. (Georgia State 2010)
Dr. Simson has been teaching world and American history since 2000 at Georgia Perimeter College, now Perimeter College of Georgia State. His interest in Appalachia concerns his dissertation on the East Tennessee Copper Basin (aka the Ducktown Basin). He has published two articles based upon his research, one in the Fall 2001 in the ASA Journal and in 2011 for the East Tennessee Historical Society. His research looked at the working culture of Copper Basin miners, chemists, and engineers and the management system adopted by the Tennessee Copper Company from the 1920s through the 1950s. He has been taking students into the North Georgia, East Tennessee, and Western North Carolina hills for the last ten years on adventure and recreation trips which focus on regional history, environmental, and sustainability issues.
The Power of Community-based Research in the Appalachian Studies Classroom
The presenter will discuss the benefits and challenges of introducing community-based research methods and methodologies in the upper-level undergraduate classroom and how such research can be mutually beneficial to students and communities alike. Primarily, she will draw from her experiences with the Appalachian Teaching Project, which is sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission.
