Abstract
This article explores the use of digital technologies by North Carolina teacher activists during the 2020 elections. Online research revealed these activists utilized digital technologies largely for two purposes: 1.) to perform public pedagogy to educate voters, and 2.) to mobilize voters to support pro-public education candidates. This article describes and analyzes several highly visible and/or innovative practices within these two categories. Teacher activists’ use of digital media to adapt to COVID-19 is also discussed.
References
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organizing. Educational Studies, 55(3), 295–314.
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sites in Wake! You can scan the QR code and take[Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/ChrisTuttell/status/1317894958460928001
WLOS Staff (2020). [With less than two weeks to go until Election Day, teachers in Asheville
and Buncombe County have announced which candidates they are endorsing]. WLOS. https://wlos.com/news/local/gallery/mountain-teachers-take-a-stand-for-the-candidates-of-their-choice?photo=6
Berkovich, I., & Avigur-Eshel, A. (2020). Digital protest and activism in public education:
Reactions to neoliberal restructuring in Israel. Emerald Publishing Limited.
Catone, K. (2017). The pedagogy of teacher activism: Portraits of four teachers for justice. Peter
Lang Publishing, Inc.
Craig, M. [@NCPubSchParent] (2020, October 9). In case anyone wants info about contactless
poll greeting: We’ll have a sign to show the NCAE endorsed candidates[Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/NCPubSchParent/status/1314724762032234496
Dennis, C. A. (2015). Blogging as public pedagogy: creating alternative educational futures.
International Journal of Lifelong Education, 34(3), 284-299. https://doi-org.proxy006.nclive.org/10.1080/02601370.2014.1000408
Education. (n.d.). Retrieved August 13, 2021 from https://www.philberger.org/education
Egan, S. (2020a, October 25). Clean the “privatization Petri dish” that North Carolina has
become. Vote pro-public education. https://caffeinatedrage.com/2020/10/25/clean-the-privatization-petri-dish-that-north-carolina-has-become-vote-pro-public-education/
Egan, S. (2020b, November 2). This teacher does not want to ‘build bridges’ or ‘have a seat at
the table’ with Berger & Moore; I want them out of power. https://caffeinatedrage.com/2020/11/02/this-teacher-does-not-want-to-build-bridges-or-have-a-seat-at-the-table-with-berger-moore-i-want-them-out-of-power-2/
Freishtat, R. L., & Sandlin, J. (2009). Facebook as public pedagogy: A critical examination of
learning, community, and consumption. In T. T. Kidd & J. Keengwe (Eds.) Adult Learning in the Digital Age: Perspectives on Online Technologies and Outcomes (pp. 148-162). IGI Global.
Hogan, A. (2018). # tellPearson: the activist ‘public education’ network. Discourse: Studies in
the Cultural Politics of Education, 39(3), 377–392. https://doi-org.proxy006.nclive.org/10.1080/01596306.2016.1269225
Krutka, D. G., Asino, T. I., & Haselwood, S. (2018). Editorial: Eight lessons on networked
teacher activism from #OklaEd and the #OklaEdWalkout. Contemporary Issues in Technology & Teacher Education, 18(2), 379-391.
Lievrouw, L. (2011). Alternative and activist media. Polity Press.
NCAE [@ncae]. (2020a, October 21). Today is the first Red for Ed Wednesday of early voting,
and we're going to celebrate... by voting![Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/ncae/status/1318908772639739905
NCAE. (2020b, October 24). Thanks to everyone who turned out (or Zoomed in from home!) to
phone bank for candidates who support public education. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/wearencae/posts/3524424664285972
NCAEVideo. (2020, October 27). #TuesdayswithTamika [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06JuObSUD1E&t=134s
O’Malley, M. P., Sandlin, J. A., & Burdick, J. (2010). Public pedagogy. In C. Kridel (Ed.),
Encyclopedia of Curriculum Studies (pp. 697-700). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Oyler, C. J. (2017). Constructive resistance: Activist repertoires for teachers. Language Arts,
95(1), 30-39.
Parmenter, J. (2020, October 26).Voters can help move NC out of the education dark ages.
https://notesfromthechalkboard.com/2020/10/26/voters-can-help-move-nc-out-of-the-education-dark-ages/
Reid, A. (2010). Social media, public pedagogy, and the end of private learning. In J.A. Sandlin,
B.D. Schultz, & J. Burdick (Eds.) Handbook of Public Pedagogy (pp. 194-200). Routledge.
Sandlin, J. A., Schultz, B. D., & Burdick, J. (2010). Understanding, mapping, and exploring the
terrain of public pedagogy. In J.A. Sandlin, B.D. Schultz, & J. Burdick (Eds.) Handbook of Public Pedagogy (pp. 1–6). Routledge. https://doi-org.proxy006.nclive.org/10.4324/9780203863688.ch1
Shiller, J. (2015). Speaking back to the neoliberal discourse on teaching: How US teachers use
social media to redefine teaching. Critical Education, 6(9), 1–18.
Thapliyal, N. (2018). #Education/resistance: Activist media in struggles for public education.
Postcolonial Directions in Education, 7(2), 109-121.
Thapliyal, N. (2019). #ThisIsanEducationElection: The changing role of media in education
organizing. Educational Studies, 55(3), 295–314.
Tuttell, C. [@ChrisTuttell]. (2020, October 18). Look for these signs at the 20 early polling
sites in Wake! You can scan the QR code and take[Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/ChrisTuttell/status/1317894958460928001
WLOS Staff (2020). [With less than two weeks to go until Election Day, teachers in Asheville
and Buncombe County have announced which candidates they are endorsing]. WLOS. https://wlos.com/news/local/gallery/mountain-teachers-take-a-stand-for-the-candidates-of-their-choice?photo=6
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2023 Chris Gilbert