Keith C. Barton
@kcbarton.bsky.social
730 followers 600 following 85 posts

Professor at Indiana University. History education, social studies, civic education. Warning: feed may include photos of my fabulous granddaughters. Justiceandharmony.com

Education 35%
Sociology 18%
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

kcbarton.bsky.social
Like lamb and Bordeaux, Barton & Ho pair well with Pace.

vietthanhnguyen.bsky.social
It’s going to be real tough to discuss Japanese American internment without saying something negative.

All national parks now have this sign. Sanitizing crimes and erasing memory is one more step towards a white supremacist version of history.

kcbarton.bsky.social
Free open access book! Link in comments. #socialstudies #peaceeducation #socialeducation #globaleducation

kcbarton.bsky.social
"Rebuilding a Democracy in Ruins," including chapters by LaGarrett King and Richard Williams, Li-Ching Ho Tricia Seow and Xian Hui Tan, Jennifer Hauver, Kristen Duncan, Jillian Carter Ford, Kathryn Ellerhoff Engebretson, and Alexandria Hollett
visionsofed.bsky.social
🎙️NEW POD🎙️ Episode 213: The Future of Civic Education with @kcbarton.bsky.social & Alex Cuenca: visionsofed.com/2025/04/21/e...

In this episode, Dan and Michael chat with Drs. Barton and Cuenca about the new book, “The Future of Civic Education: Rebuilding a Democracy in Ruins.”
Decorative image with episode title and professional pictures of Keith and Alex.

Reposted by Keith C. Barton

visionsofed.bsky.social
🎙️NEW POD🎙️ Episode 213: The Future of Civic Education with @kcbarton.bsky.social & Alex Cuenca: visionsofed.com/2025/04/21/e...

In this episode, Dan and Michael chat with Drs. Barton and Cuenca about the new book, “The Future of Civic Education: Rebuilding a Democracy in Ruins.”
Decorative image with episode title and professional pictures of Keith and Alex.

kcbarton.bsky.social
National History Day has been eliminated.

kcbarton.bsky.social
Li-Ching Ho and I just published this article on #hope and #historyteaching in the journal of the New South Wales History Teachers Association. DM for a higher-res version. #SSChat #iteachsocialstudies

kcbarton.bsky.social
Old stuff in Ireland

kcbarton.bsky.social
But as teachers, we have a special obligation to stand up for what is right, because more than any other profession, we influence the future. We must take responsibility for the face of the world.

kcbarton.bsky.social
But we might get in trouble! Yes, we might. Many people have gotten in trouble for standing up for what is right. It’s likely to happen again, because we are living through a horrible and dangerous moment in our nation’s history.

kcbarton.bsky.social
“As teachers, we make sure that students learn about all people; we make sure that they see all people as deserving of dignity, respect, and rights; we don’t discriminate in our classrooms—that’s not what we do.” We need to say it, practice it, own it.

kcbarton.bsky.social
What we can do is act as the professionals we are and state our principles clearly and confidently:

kcbarton.bsky.social
But what if someone complains!? Yes, what if? If someone complains about these things—and they might—they are not coming from a place of generosity or humanity or democracy. We probably won’t be able to change their minds, but that’s not our job.

kcbarton.bsky.social
Every action we take or fail to take sends a message, so we must make sure we are sending messages that promote the humanity of all people.

kcbarton.bsky.social
If students never see LGBTQ+ people, or immigrants, or Asian Americans in our books and posters, they will rightfully conclude that we think these people are not important enough to care about.

kcbarton.bsky.social
It’s not enough that we avoid demeaning or stereotypical images, as important as that it, because the messages we send by what we leave out are as important as those we include.

kcbarton.bsky.social
So too for our walls: Our posters must show workers striking and minorities marching and same-sex couples kissing and present-day Native people governing and people in less economically developed countries teaching and laughing and inventing.

kcbarton.bsky.social
(And of course, these books must portray them in respectful and dignified ways, as knowledgeable, insightful, and concerned people who take responsibility for their own lives and who work for the common good.)

kcbarton.bsky.social
These must be stories that both reflect the backgrounds of our students and that expand their understanding and concern to people who may be very different than they are.

kcbarton.bsky.social
When we choose books for reading aloud, we must make a conscious decision to use those that include rich and accurate portrayals of the full range of humanity—racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities, people in and from other countries, compassionate men and powerful women, people working for justice.

kcbarton.bsky.social
the decorations we put on our walls, and the examples we use in teaching (for example, the read-aloud books we use in elementary classrooms). And these may be two of the most powerful ways of taking responsibility for the face of the world.

kcbarton.bsky.social
Teachers can and must counter this. This is not as difficult as it seems, even in today’s highly controlled school settings. As teachers, there are two things we have almost complete control over:

kcbarton.bsky.social
All of these have been precursors to removing people’s rights and their dignity, and destroying the lives of people near and far.

kcbarton.bsky.social
Immigrants are portrayed as criminals; minorities as incompetent; women as objects; LGBTQ+ individuals as deviant; Native peoples as remnants; protestors as traitors; people in other countries as irrelevant to national interests.

kcbarton.bsky.social
In the United States, politicians and internet trolls have dehumanized people for many years. With the current takeover of government, this has accelerated to dangerous levels.