February Newsletter: Education Program
Gottesman Libraries
The Gottesman Libraries Education Program informs students, faculty and staff about the latest thinking in education, in ways that engage members of the community with one another and with a broad range of educational experts. The program also provides understanding of work being done throughout the College. Read more about offerings in February.
Workshops
Regularly scheduled instructional offerings include workshops, tours, orientations, and course-specific instruction in coordination with staff and faculty of the College.
Your Research Journey is a five-part library workshop series to help guide you in your research throughout the semester, by providing you with manageable tools and resources to use along your journey. Whether this is your first time conducting research, or you are a well-seasoned researcher and looking for a refresher, each workshop introduces fundamental information to lay a foundation of knowledge on which you can build your scholarly work. While the workshops in this series are designed to build upon each other, you are welcome to attend any workshop individually. All are held on Wednesdays, 3-4pm.
Elevate Your Research builds upon the foundational series, Your Research Journey, by presenting valuable new topics, resources, and methodologies to make you an even stronger and highly proficient researcher. Held on Thursdays, 3-4pm, this series also invites deeper, collaborative work to strengthen academic research initiatives.
Managing Your Citations with Zotero, Wednesday, 2/5, 3-4pm
This workshop provides a quick start introduction including: downloading; tour of the interface; nuts and bolts of how to ingest references through a web connector; and different ways of citing. This workshop will be followed by others in the Elevate Your Research series, offering more advanced features of Zotero and an introductory session for Endnote -- all within ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) Frames.
Presenter: Ava Kaplan, Research and Instruction Librarian
Where: 101 Russell / Online
The Literature Review, Wednesday, 2/12, 3-4pm
The Literature Review is an essential element of scholarly inquiry, allowing researchers to understand the context and conclusions around a specific topic. A literature review can be conducted as a section in a main project such as a thesis or dissertation, or it can be a standalone project for a course or publication. For whatever reason you are embarking on your literature review process, this workshop will introduce you to the concepts and guidelines behind the three primary types of literature reviews; the narrative review, scoping review, and systematic review. We will also cover strategies for locating the sources you need for your literature review.
Presenter: Ava Kaplan, Research and Instruction Librarian
Where: 101 Russell / Online
Finding Funding, Thursday, 2/23, 3-4pm
The world of grant funding can seem expansive and incomprehensible, but there are key tools that can guide you through finding and securing sponsored opportunities for your research project or initiative. This workshop provides tutorials for using the top grant-seeking databases, including PIVOT, a tool for locating sponsored funding opportunities and collaborators; Foundation Directory; Grants to Individuals; and Grants.gov. In addition to these resources, we will discuss best practices in searching, grant terminology that you may encounter, and where to get additional help in searching, as well as with the writing process.
Presenter: Ava Kaplan, Research and Instruction Librarian
Where: 101 Russell / Online
Article Screening for Literature Reviews, Wednesday, 2/19, 3-4pm
Writing a literature review? Getting a lot of results for articles related to your topic, but now need to make sure they meet your eligibility criteria? Screening is the process of identifying studies from the literature search for inclusion in the review. In this workshop, we will share useful tips and tools for the article screening process of the literature review, including how to apply inclusion and exclusion criteria to search results and how to use digital tools like Covidence to make article screening more manageable and less time consuming.
Presenter: Ava Kaplan, Research and Instruction Librarian
Where: 101 Russell /Online
Charting Your Path, Wednesday, 2/26, 3-4pm
Graduate school research may feel daunting, but this foundational workshop will address the key concepts, strategies, and tools to help develop your research skills. Charting Your Path will start with a broad overview of what library research can look like, including the terms you may come across in your journey. We will also cover how to use Gottesman Libraries and the Columbia University Libraries to access physical and digital resources; discuss reference management tools; show how to create strong keyword searches; and end with a review of strategies for better search results. Attendees will leave this workshop with the information needed to be successful in Library research across all research disciplines.
Presenter: Ava Kaplan, Research and Instruction Librarian
Where: 101 Russell / Online
Using PubMed for Research, Thursday, 2/27, 3-4pm
PubMed, created and maintained by the United States National Library of Medicine, is the premiere database of citations and abstracts on biomedical and life sciences literature. This workshop will highlight the important features of PubMed and provide an overview of keyword searching; using filters; using the MeSH database; saving and exporting results along with other useful tips for getting the most out of PubMed. This workshop is suited for first-time users and experienced searchers looking for a refresher.
Presenter: Ava Kaplan, Research and Instruction Librarian
Where: 101 Russell / Online
Highlighted Databases
Every month we draw attention to select databases that strengthen learning, teaching, and research in academic areas and their relevance to current offerings and programs.
In February we highlight research resources in Politics and Education relevant to current affairs, analysis of schooling at multiple levels, policy and decision making, and also current Library offerings. Read more here.
Talks
We host a variety of talks, from book to guest to art, to encourage thinking , conversation, and action on a broad range of interesting and relevant topics and needs.
Guest Talk: Why Don't We Notice the White Kids Sitting Together in the School Cafeteria? with Nolan L. Cabrera, Wednesday, 2/5, 4:30-6:45pm
Please join us for a talk with Dr. Nolan L. Cabrera, a nationally-recognized expert in the areas of racism/anti-racism, Whiteness, and Ethnic Studies. He is currently a Professor in the Center for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Arizona, and was the only academic featured in the MTV documentary White People. He is the author of the award-winning book White Guys on Campus, and he was an expert witness in the Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican American Studies case (Gonzalez v. Douglas) – the highest-profile ethnic studies case in the country’s history. He has given hundreds of lectures, keynote addresses, and trainings, throughout the country. Dr. Cabrera recently published two books: Whiteness in the Ivory Tower (2024, Teachers College Press) and Banned: The Fight for Mexican American Studies in the Streets and in the Courts (co-authored with Robert S. Chang; 2025, Cambridge University Press).
This event is organized by the Teachers College Edmund W. Gordon Institute for Advanced Study and co-sponsored by the Gottesman Libraries.
Where: 306 Russell / Online
Panel Talk: Responsible AI, Art & Algorithms: Sustainable Peace; Its Power & Price, with Dilshad Diyani, Carolina Cambronero, and Guests, Tuesday, 2/18, 4-6pm
oin Us to Shape Peace with Purpose – Empower Your Vision.
Explore how artificial intelligence and human creativity can unite to address global conflicts, empower marginalized voices, and inspire change. Through engaging discussions, immersive demos, and visionary insights, discover innovative pathways to build a more just and peaceful world.
How can artificial intelligence and the limitless potential of human creativity collaborate to create a more just and peaceful world? We invite you to explore this important question at an event designed to ignite your imagination, challenge your perceptions, and inspire meaningful action.
As conflicts grow more complex and globalized, the tools we use to address them must also evolve. Artificial intelligence has already transformed numerous industries—what could occur if we harness this technology to enhance art’s unique power to connect, heal, and inspire change? In this visionary event, explore how innovative technology and artistic expression can create new pathways for peacebuilding, empower marginalized voices, and drive social justice movements.
Panel:
Dr. Dilshad Dayani (Ed.D) is an Adjunct Associate Professor, Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (MD-ICCCR) at Teachers College, Columbia University. She s a Fulbright awardee with ongoing research and teaching experience at European and South Asian educational institutions. Dr. Dayani received the Obama Award for Professional Excellence in Human Rights Advocacy and other recognitions in broadcast journalism for her work in social impact and women's empowerment. She is also Lead Faculty at the School of NY Times and Research Mentor & Consultant at Cambridge International.
Carolina Cambronero-Varela (M.A., Arts Administration) is Co-Founder of Artivism: The Power of Art for Social Transformation, a movement co-sponsored by Adelphi University, Sing for Hope, and the Gottesman Libraries with committed social artivists that grew out of Illuminations of Social Imagination: Learning From Maxine Greene, (Dio Press, 2020), co-edited by Teachers College alumni Courtney Weida and Carolina Cambronero-Varela, and Dolapo Adeniji-Neill, of Adelphi University.
Michael J. Jabbour is the AI Innovation Officer, Office of the CTO at Microsoft. He is the former CIO/CTO for various NYC agencies, including the NYC Department of Education. He is is an expert in organizational transformation, with over two decades of experience in artificial intelligence, human-centered agile development, and healthcare. In his current role at Microsoft, MJ combines his expertise and passion for making a positive societal impact through advancements in education, medicine, and pioneering research that pushes the boundaries of human-AI collaboration.
This panel is moderated by Courtney Chicvak, Esq., Curriculum Development Specialist, the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (MD-ICCCR). Outside of her role at the Center, she is the Director of Alternative Dispute Resolution at Long Island Dispute Resolution Centers and a Lecturer in the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution program at Columbia University. She is an attorney in New York, an International Mediation Institute (IMI) Mediator, and serves on several New York State Court System mediation rosters.
Responsible AI, Art & Algorithms: Sustainable Peace; Its Power & Price is organized by the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution and co-sponsored by the Gottesman Libraries.
Where: 400 Russell / Smith Learning Theater
Artivism: Lorine Padilla, South Bronx Legend & Community Activist, with Lorine Padilla and Rebecca Ringle Kamarei, Monday, 2/24, 4:30-5:30pm
Lorine Padilla is a 69 year old Puerto Rican woman raised in the South Bronx. She is a mother of 7 children, 13 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Lorine grew up in gangs since she was about 11 years old and married the founder of the largest street gang in NYC during the 70s. A dropout in 7th grade, she later went on to earn a G.E.D. and an Associate and Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. While studying, she realized she needed to join boards:” School Boards,” Community Boards,” Clinic Boards,” and others so she could be the voice of her community. “I’m a survivor of child molestation, rape, and severe domestic violence.” As an activist, she used her voice and survival skills to force changes in her communities. Lorine’s latest fight is on gun laws because one of her grandsons was a victim of a stray bullet while walking past a park. Due to health reasons, she can no longer be out in the trenches fighting, but she still fights via her telephone or with people who go to her home seeking help or information on various issues. “Today, I belong to a program called Credible Messengers, where I train or speak about peace on the streets and how to try to achieve it.”
American mezzo-soprano Rebecca Ringle Kamarei, known for her “outstanding” (The Washington Post) voice of “otherworldly luminousness” (The New York Times) has earned acclaim for international opera and concert performances of stunning lyricism, musicality, and conviction. The 2024-2025 season sees her perform four separate programs on Bard Music Festival’s survey of Berlioz’s music as well as curate and perform Aspect Chamber Music Series’ Tale of Three Cities recital, exploring art song in Vienna, Paris, and New York. Ringle Kamarei has working relationships with classical music presenters around the world including the Metropolitan Opera, Macau International Music Festival, The Cleveland Orchestra, and Marlboro, Ravinia, and Bard Music Festivals. The Rose and the Knife with Loft Opera was one of The New York Times’ top classical performances of the year. TEDxYale presented her talk “Live Performance as a Birthright”. In 2016, she studied and performed as Artist in Residence with Marble House Project, leading to her inclusion in artist Kira Nam Greene’s visionary portrait series Women in Possession of Good Fortune. In a fruitful, long running collaboration, Ringle Kamarei has curated repertoire and sung in works by artist and designer Tara Subkoff as part of New York Fashion Week, and the Art Basel and PERFORMA art festivals in Miami and New York.
Where: Online
Artivism: The Power of Art for Social Transformation is jointly sponsored by Adelphi University, Sing for Hope, and the Gottesman Libraries. A movement with committed social artivists, Artivism: The Power of Art Social Transformation, grew out of Illuminations of Social Imagination: Learning From Maxine Greene, (Dio Press, 2019), edited by Teachers College alumni Courtney Weida and Carolina Cambronero-Varela, and Dolapo Adeniji-Neill, of Adelphi University.
Book Club: Stay True, by Hua Hsu, Tuesday, 2/25, 12-1pm
There are many currencies to friendship. We may be drawn to someone who makes us feel bright and hopeful, someone who can always make us laugh. Perhaps there are friendships that are instrumental, where the lure is concrete and the appeal is what they can do for us. There are friends that we talk to only about serious things, others who onle make sense in the blitzed merriment of deep night. Some friends complete us, while others complicate us. Maybe you feel as if there is nothing better in this world than driving in a car, listening to music with friends, looking for an all-night donut shop. Nobody says a thing, and it is perfect. (Hua Hsu, Stay True)
Join a group of enthusiastic readers to discuss great memoirs of significance to the broad field education! Our first Book Club for Spring Semester is on Stay True, by Hua Hsu (New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2022). This Pulitizer Prize Winner and New York Times bestseller explores the Tawian-American author's unusual friendship with his college friend, Japanese-American Ken, who is polar opposite in interests, hobbies, and outlook. But Ken and Hua bond through their struggles with American culture -- until Ken's life is tragically shortened in a carjacking. This memorable work is described as "a gripping memoir on friendship, grief, the search for self, and the solace that can be found through art" (publisher's description).
Hua Hsu is a New Yorker staff writer and Professor of Literature at Bard College. He is also the author of A Flloating Chinaman: Fantasy and Failure Across the Pacific (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2016).
Book Club is co-sponsored by the Graduate Writing Center. It meets once a month throughout the semester, with a program for three memoirs, and is open to all students and staff. The first eight people to rsvp will receive a free copy.
Where: 305 Russell
Live Music
The Everett Cafe Music Program sponsors performances by TC student and affiliated musicians. Come enjoy a variety of genres and styles! Please contact us if you are interested in playing!
We welcome solos, duets, and trios.
Nicholas DiMaria Duet, Tuesday, 2/4, 4-5pm
Nicholas DiMaria is a trumpeter, teacher, and composer based in New York City. He draws inspiration from multiple genres and art forms in his compositions and is continuously inspired by expressing visual art in a musical medium. His music is described by audiences as introspective, passionate, and eclectic; influenced by jazz, hip-hop, and classical music.
Nicholas has lead groups at Carnegie Hall, The Northeast Wine and Jazz Festival, The Syracuse Jazz Festival, The Central New York Pride Festival, and restaurants and clubs across New York State. He has also performed at The Great New York State Fair, The CNY January Jazz Festival, the Disneyland All-American College Band, and opened for Grammy-Winner Lalah Hathaway. Nicholas is well-adapted to playing with jazz ensembles, wedding bands, and funk groups. He currently holds a weekly performance residency at Oliva Tapas, NYC (Thursdays and Fridays from 6-8pm). Nicholas is also a faculty member at Larchmont Music Academy, where he teaches trumpet and a jazz ensemble. In 2020, he received his Bachelor's in Jazz Arts from Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Scott Wendholt, Ingrid Jensen, Jim McNeely, and Jon Faddis.
Claremont Strings, Wednesday, 2/12, 4-5:30pm
Claremont Strings features music for classical strings, from the symphonies of Mozart and Haydn, to well known arias from the operas of Puccini and Bizet. You may hear a selection of continental Viennese waltzes and French cabaret. Musicians of The Claremont Strings Ensemble have performed collectively at Weill Hall, Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall and throughout the Northeast, playing a diverse range of symphonic and chamber music, eclectic jazz, and gypsy swing. Wadsworth Strings, emanating from the Washington Heights area, is a division of Claremont Strings, founded by Vivian Penham, a graduate of the Juilliard School and Columbia University.
This duet performance features violin and keyboard.
Book Displays
Book displays are curated and designed by library staff to share the joy of books and reading, while encouraging greater awareness of available resources and their significance to the Library and College.
Everett Cafe: Melting Ice, Rising Water
As a result of the Industrial Revolution, carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gas emissions produced by industry, transport, deforestation, and burning fossil fuels, the Earth's temperatures are rising. With overheating of the planet's surface, ice is melting; glaciers, shrinking; and sea levels, rising. As ocean currents slow down, extreme weather events, including flooding, speed up. While global efforts are underway to reduce CO2 emissions, climate change is becoming more and more concerning, particularly when short-term political and economic interests override longer term care and preservation of the planet.
Melting Ice, Rising Water takes a look at rising sea levels, as well as flooding -- particularly in urban areas where population is dense and lives are at greater risk. It asks us to consider the wider topic of climate justice in which water, land, and human life are affected by the climate crisis. While spreading educational awareness of the importance of finding solutions and taking measures to better protect our planet, it explores environmental politics and policies; concepts for smart and sustainable design; and adaptive ways of living.
This book display builds upon others in Everett Cafe on the topic of climate and the environment, among them: Eco Fashion: Sustainability, Ethics, and Education (June 2023); Carbon and Climate (January 2022); Digging the Earth, Tending the Soil (September 2021); What Trees Tell Us (July, 2021); Oceans of Plastic (May 2020); Climate S.O.S (February 2020); and Teaching About Species (March 2019).
At Everett Cafe, you'll find a new book collection every few weeks that relates to current events, education, or learning environments.
Staff Picks: Changes in Power: Our Role in Today's America
"January 20th, 2025 marks the start of a new political epoch in the history of America, one that cannot be overlooked. The materials in this collection exist at the intersection of what change means, both in political transition and in general, and what we do in the midst of that change. They address the undeniable truths of this new period and its expected defining characteristics. They also strive to reignite a sense of hope and action into both children and adults. We as global citizens have the ability to effect change no matter who stands before us. So while many may have stood back and watched as powers were sworn in on January 20th, it is crucial that, now more than ever, we seek to understand and fulfill our role in all of this."
Changes in Power: Our Role in Today's America is curated by Carolina Bolivar, Library Associates/ Reference and Reader Services, and designed by Ashley Wang, Library Associate / Art and Design.
Where: Second Floor
Staff Picks is curated and designed each month by the Gottesman Libraries' staff to highlight resources on educational topics and themes of special interest.
Rocket Display: Black History Month
Observed annually in February, Black History Month recognizes and celebrates the achievements of African Americans throughout history and during a period of recognized birthdays for those who fought against slavery: President Abraham Lincoln and civil rights leader Frederick Douglass. Books from the juvenile collection of award winning and notable titles, as well the contemporary curriculum collection, provide examples of African American influential leaders, activists, writers, musicians, athletes, judges, and more.
This display is curated by Library Associates Ashley Cho and Julia Levin.
Where: Second Floor
Curiosity Cabinets: Portraying Faculty: Eclectic Views
Fitting for the Curiosity Cabinets this Spring is a selection of publications by and about leading members of the Teachers College faculty who are featured in the Offit Gallery black and white photographic exhibition, Faculty Portraits: An Historic View. Due to the breadth of their individual and institutional impact, we can only offer a limited example of their scholarship. In so doing, we hope to shed light on our institutional history and spark curiosity into areas that demonstrate innovative research and thinking in their represented fields: history, philosophy, and religion; educational administration; international and comparative education; anthropology; economics and sociology; adult education; and psychology.
Portraying Faculty: Eclectic Views takes us as far back as Nicholas Murray Butler, President of Teachers College, 1889-1891, then President of Columbia University, 1902-1944, and as far ahead as the noted historian Lawrence Cremin, who earned his doctorate from Columbia University; began teaching at Teachers College shortly thereafter; served as President from 1974-1984; and taught until his death in 1990. Twenty-three faculty members, including the eminent philosopher of education John Dewey, are showcased, with insight and inspiration for continuing research and maintaining the record of scholarly achievement to help safeguard freedom of inquiry, in teaching, and of thought.
Interestingly, tenure, or the right to indefinitely hold a position of office, was introduced into American universities in the early 1900s – partly to limit the dismissal of faculty members who held unpopular views. Tenure is historically linked to defending the principle of academic freedom which benefits education and society over time, provided academics are free to hold and express a variety of views. Tenure typically mandates faculty to publish, and becoming published requires fresh ways of thinking through learning at high levels.
Portraying Faculty: Eclectic Views is made possible through the generous support of the Myers Foundations and the creative contributions of Soeun Bae, Library Associate for Art and Design in collaboration with Jennifer Govan, Library Director and Senior Librarian, Conrad Lochner, Special and Digital Collections Librarian, and Victoria Santamorena, Processing Archivist. It builds upon the Offit Gallery Exhibit, Faculty Portraits: An Historic View.
Where: Third Floor Reading Room
The Curiosity Cabinets showcase interesting and insightful material from the historical collections to inform and enhance concomitant art exhibitions and book displays.
News Displays
Need to keep current, look to the past, teach a topic? The Everett Cafe features daily postings of news from around the world, and also promotes awareness of historical events from an educational context. Be sure to check the Cafe News postings on the library blog.
Remembering Johannes Gutenberg, Monday, 2/3
International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Tuesday, 2/11
The National Congress of Parents and Teachers Is Founded, Monday, 2/17
Federal Income Taxes Go Into Effect, Tuesday, 2/25
Exhibits
Educational exhibitions are mounted in partnership with the Teachers College community and others with an interest in displaying unique and innovative educational materials, while also regularly showcasing Teachers College's Historical Art Collections.
The library has several spaces in Russell Hall to exhibit diverse materials, and also features digital and web-based exhibitions when possible.
Paintings by Pre-Adolescents from the Golden Age
Angiola Churchill (b. 1922), an Artist and Art Educator, was Professor Emeritus of New York University and former Chair of the Department of Art and Arts Professions, 1975-2005. She was the Founder/Director of the New York University studio art program in Venice, 1974-2006; and co-director of the International Center for Advanced Studies in Art. She has had numerous one-person exhibitions and participated in more than 54 group shows, biennials, and art fairs. Angiola earned her Ed.D in 1967; her dissertation, under advisement from Justin Schorr and Dwayne Huebner, is entitled, Painting for the Preadolescent : A Guide Book for the Prospective Teacher. She taught in the Program at Teachers College, Columbia University from 1996-2006, and is author of the classic text Art for Pre-Adolescents (New York, McGraw-Hill, [1971]).
These paintings were collected as part of Angiola Churchill’s research into the creative potential and personality of pre-adolescents, baby boomers who set paint to paper to capture their understanding of themselves and world around them – in the country, city, in industry and nature. Striking is their use of shape, line, color, texture, and movement which are telling of the nature of the painting and the nature of the child.
In her dissertation, Angiola remarked that “painting has special potentiality for the pre-adolescent, whose needs and growing skills can be geared to the process with good effects on personality, ego strength, sense of identity, and security. Whether or not he becomes an artist, the painting experience has a correlation with the child’s general education and may affect later adjustment in life.” (p.3, Painting for the Preadolescent : A Guide Book for the Prospective Teacher).
Created in the 1950s and 1960s from different countries, including Japan, Italy, and the United States, the works were donated to the Library of Teachers College in the early 2000s. While we know very little about the artists, it is understood that international relations following World War II would take time to rebuild. Postwar decades would usher in America’s “Golden Age” – a time of prosperity and social change that would lead into a period of social disruption or activism, known as the Civil Rights Movement, a movement that would have repercussions throughout Asia and Europe in urging equality, justice, and self-determination.
This exhibit is made possible through the continuing generosity of the Myers Foundations.
Where: First Floor
When: February 7th through March 28th
Faculty Portraits: An Historic View
Represented in Offit Gallery is an eclectic mix of faculty who served at Teachers College, some also in administrative roles – from the presidency of Nicholas Murray Butler (1889-1891) to the progressive teachings of John Dewey (1904-1930), through to the educational histories written by President Lawrence Cremin (1961-1990). The subjects were photographed from the early to mid-twentieth century, prior to the advent of digital photography, likely by numerous skilled photographers – who, through monochrome, evoke a certain import and nostalgia in covering over 100 years of education. The framed portraits are being shown collectively for the first time in Offit Gallery, and they are supplemental to the Historical Photographs of Teachers College, as well as Historic Portraits of Teachers College Faculty in the Teachers College Digital Collections.
While the portraits do not present a comprehensive picture of the extraordinary and wide-ranging achievements of our faculty across many academic departments and programs, they reflect teaching, scholarship, and commitment in the fields of history, philosophy, and religion; educational administration; international and comparative education; anthropology; economics and sociology; adult education; and psychology. And true to their medium, the portraits speak volumes about their subjects, capturing personality, identity, and essence of character through lighting, composition, and pose.
Paired with the black and white portraits are faculty book publications, necessarily selective due to their large volume of research. The book pairings provide a snapshot of scholarship, with additional historical materials on display in the adjoining Curiosity Cabinets of the Third Floor Reading Room.
Where: Offit Gallery
When: through March 27th
