A conversation with Heather Cheney about the social justice implications behind how literacy is defined and taught.
As extremist school boards ban thousands of books, Republican governors restrict what subjects can be taught, and red-state legislatures seek to make English the only language allowed in public classrooms, questions of how literacy is defined and taught have only become more contested over the last two years. That’s why today we’re re-releasing this conversation with literacy scholar Heather Cheney. Everyone who cares about the education of future generations should know about the unequal ways that different kinds of literacy are accorded power in our society—and what we can do to change that.
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Please note that Heather’s last name has changed, and she is referred to in the episode as Heather Hebard.
Visit Antioch’s website to learn more about the Seattle Education programs that Heather teaches in.
This episode was recorded April 18,2022 via Riverside.fm and originally released April 27, 2022. This “Best Of” episode was released January 10, 2024.
The Seed Field Podcast is produced by Antioch University.
The Seed Field Podcast’s host is Jasper Nighthawk, and its editor is Lauren Instenes. Special thanks for this episode goes to Karen Hamilton and Melinda Garland for their contributions.
To access a full transcript and find more information about this and other episodes, visit theseedfield.org. To get updates and be notified about future episodes, follow Antioch University on Facebook.