In today’s environment, how should teachers help students understand immigration? How can they create a classroom culture in which students can discuss these kinds of highly sensitive and personal controversial issues? And why is it important that we give students the chance to talk about these issues?

To examine these issues, Brett speaks to Zorielle Rodriguez-Alcazar, a veteran high school teacher at Peekskill High School in Peekskill, New York. Zorielle, who is also a doctoral student in the University at Albany’s School of Education, is a creative and thoughtful veteran social studies educator who gets to know her students well and adjusts the curriculum to engage their interests. In this episode, Zorielle shares her experiences and suggestions for how to develop a positive democratic classroom culture that enables teachers to generate powerful discussions of challenging public issues.

Episode Resources

Immigration Stories Project from U. of Minnesota

Resources for Teaching about Immigration from Learning for Justice

ESD Resources

Brett Levy's Open Access Research Articles

Education for Sustainable Democracy Site

ESD Facebook Page (Please like!)

ESD YouTube Channel (Please subscribe!)


Related ESD Episodes

Current Events Instruction in Early 2025, with Kyle Dalton (Lansingburgh High School, Lansingburgh, NY)

Integrating History & Current Events and Creating an Open Classroom Climate, with Amber Joseph (East Side Community School, New York City)

Engagement & Equity in Civic Education, with Professor Jane Lo (Michigan State University)

Guiding Productive Political Discussions, with Diana Hess (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

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How can technology enhance students' engagement in classroom learning? When are technologies helpful, and when are they harmful?

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Dan Krutka, associate professor of social studies education at the University of North Texas. Dan's research sits at the intersection of technology, education, and democracy.

We discuss how teachers can decide which technologies would strengthen their teaching or whether technologies would even be helpful at all. We also discuss many specific online tools and how they can be useful for enhancing student engagement and learning.

In our conversation, Dan touches on a variety of other issues, as well, such as how to teach effectively in online learning environments.

This episode was originally released in 2021.


Links Related to this Episode:

Dan Krutka's Homepage

PICRAT Model for Tech Integration in Teacher Ed (CITE Journal)

Glenn Wiebe's Blog - Technology in Social Studies Ed


Teacher Resources:

Padlet Site (digital creation tool)

DocsTeach Site (primary sources & activities)

Chronicling America (historical newspapers)

Smithsonian Learning Labs (documents, recordings, images, & more)

The Redistricting Game (simulation about gerrymandering)


ESD Podcast Resources:

Education for Sustainable Democracy Site

Brett's Open Access Research Articles

Education for Sustainable Democracy Facebook Page (Please Like!)

Support the show

In classrooms around the country and beyond, teachers and students are navigating how to discuss the quick and often surprising actions of our current federal administration. How can and how should teachers help students understand and think critically about these issues? In this episode, Brett speaks with Kyle Dalton, a veteran teacher at Lansingburgh High School in Troy, New York. Kyle is a high-energy social studies educator who prioritizes his relationships with his students and generating their long-term interest in civic and social learning. He teaches various subjects, including sociology, psychology, civics, and economics. Listen as Kyle shares his experiences and suggestions for not only how to get students engaged in civic issues but also how to foster their informed critical thinking and how to create a strong, trusting classroom community.

Episode Resources

Kyle Dalton's Instructional Resources (coming soon)

Lansingburgh High School site

ESD Resources

Brett Levy's Open Access Research Articles

Education for Sustainable Democracy Site

ESD Facebook Page (Please like!)

ESD YouTube Channel (Please subscribe!)


Related ESD Episodes

Integrating History & Current Events and Creating an Open Classroom Climate, with Amber Joseph (East Side Community School, New York City)

Engagement & Equity in Civic Education, with Professor Jane Lo (Michigan State University)

Guiding Productive Political Discussions, with Diana Hess (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Support the show