Assistant Professor of Education
Office Location: Institute for Collaboration, Room 224
Telephone: 630-844-5782
Email Address: jvivirit@aurora.edu
Jessica comes to AU having taught in higher education since 2001. Prior to her experiences in higher education, Jessica taught art and outdoor education at the community level, and was a middle school science teacher in the public schools. However, her main interests reside in providing students with a strong theoretical base from which to build practical knowledge upon. Her hope is that her students interrogate questions regarding what role education and schools play in the formation of individuals and American national identity. Jessica aims to provide her students with multiple means to begin the long journey toward critical consciousness as teachers and as citizens.
Education
B.A. Art, DePaul University
M.S.Ed. Elementary Education, Northern Illinois University
M.S.Ed. Foundations of Education, Northern Illinois University
Type 03 Illinois Teacher Certification, Middle School Endorsement
Areas of Specialization
Curriculum Theory
Social Justice & Democratic Education
Philosophy of Education & Aesthetics
Courses Taught
Foundations of Education
Assessment and Approaches to Elementary Education
Science Methods
Highlights of Publications, Honors and Professional Contributions
The Death of Beauty? Toward a New Civic Aesthetic. Ohio Valley Philosophy of Education Society. Bergamo, Ohio, September 2009
Revisiting the Social Justice and NCATE Debate. Southeast Philosophy of Education Society. Auburn University, Alabama, February 2009.
Who Shot Social Justice? Exposing the Myth of NCATE's Political Neutrality. Ohio Valley Philosophy of Education Society. Bergamo, Ohio, September 2008.
Dare the Teacher Learn to Dare? An Inquiry into the Civic Consequences of Teacher Neutrality. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, February 2008.
Publications
"Revisiting the 1930's Social Frontier Debates: Teacher Neutrality, Indoctrination, and the Making of Citizens." Thresholds in Education, Fall 2009.
"Rescuing Social Justice in Education: A Critique of the NCATE Controversy." Philosophical Studies in Education, Vol. 40, 2009.
"The Myth of Oneness: The Problem We All Live With." Thresholds in Education, Winter 2009.
