Marisa T
- Research Program Mentor
EdM at St. Catherine University
Expertise
action research on social justice education reform, critical reflection self-studies, environmental impact studies, projects that integrate various aspects of racialized opportunity gaps such as environmental justice, education, and education policies, the complex interplay between politics, religion, and power, music education
Bio
I spent my formative years receiving classical training in tap, jazz, ballet, piano and cello. I also regularly attended summer camps in the fine arts of ceramics and drawing. I attended Franklin & Marshall College for my BA in Religious Studies and Studio Art. I spent the next several years working for local non-profits that combined my interests in racial equity, sustainable agriculture, and literacy before I became a Montessori teacher. I continued to receive an M.A.Ed in Montessori Education at St. Catherine University, where I completed research on critical race theory in education. My interests include history, social justice education, critical studies in art and museum education, religion and politics, sustainable agriculture, and music studies. I love discussing contemporary issues in education and working with others to create frameworks to address systemic inequities.Project ideas
Critical Reflective Practice Self-Study
In this project, you will create your own plan of action to better understand your positionality in the world. How would you like to engage with media, recent scholarly literature, and relevant reading materials to critically reflect on the ways your perceptions have been shaped by your various identities? This is a crucial first step to understand and overcome bias in its many forms. You can use this new understanding to see the ways in which you can help your family and community, and contribute to a more equitable society.
Environmental Impact Study
How would you like to create an environmental impact report for your school that considers not just consumption of energy, but also the attitudes and behavior of the staff and students on campus? In this project, you would contact the appropriate operations staff at your school to learn how to read energy use charts while also learning how to conduct a large-scale psychological survey. You would become familiar with ethical standards for research on human subjects and get a better understanding of the real-world impact of energy usage. Your results could open the way for research-based conversations with school administration to improve sustainability at your school.