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Nancy M. Cardwell

Supervised Fieldwork Advisor, Course Instructor

Academic Interests

Child development Classroom relationships between black women teachers and black girls Classroom teaching (pre K-2) Curriculum development K-12 Effect of trauma on learning Interaction of learning and identity Learning environments Role of teachers and teaching in schools and society The intersection of social development and social justice in urban public schools

Some of the Values that Shape My Work

Every child needs an advocate.  Teaching and learning at their best take place within the context of trusting, resilient relationships.  I believe the commitment to a socially just, equitable school community needs to be reflected in relationships among adults that serve as models for children to emulate.  Children need a secure, caring, and intellectually stimulating atmosphere in which to mature cognitively, emotionally, artistically, physically, and socially with a choice and voice in what and how they learn.  Classroom curricula needs to be rigorous and challenging but not impossible, leaving room for children’s experiences, interests, questions and curiosities to customize what they learn in a democratic community.  Framing what children learn within a broader cultural context of experience anchors new knowledge in concrete, purposeful, unforgettable ways.  Central to this approach are teachers’ and leaders’ ability to understand the world through children’s eyes.

Work with Families, Children, Schools, and Communities

Classroom Teacher; Program Evaluator; Professional Developer – Elementary, Secondary and Higher Education; Researcher (Discipline Based Studies in Education for Social Justice and Social Development Fellow, Spencer Foundation (2001-2003)

Recent Professional Contributions

Research Presentations:
  • Novice teachers’ beliefs about child development theory (N.Y. State Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators)
  • Constructivism and social justice in urban public schools (Jean Piaget Society)
  • Black women teaching black girls (AERA)
Workshops (schools, universities and cultural institutions):
  • Aesthetic Education and Literacy Development
  • Child Development/Social Relationships
  • Curriculum Development

Educational Background

  • CAS & Ed.M., Harvard University, Graduate School of Education
  • M.S.Ed., Bank Street College of Education
  • B.A., St. John's University

Selected Publications and Presentations

  • Cardwell, N. M. (2008). Pre-Schools: Half-day vs. full-day for 3-year-olds. NYMetro Parents, Retreived from http://www.nymetroparents,com/article/Pre-SchoolsHalf-day-vsFull-day-for-3-year-olds

  • King, S.H. & Cardwell, N.M. (2008). Creating a new model of education for African American children: Mobilizing stakeholder partners in service to sustained academic success. In L.C. Tillman (Ed.), The SAGE handbook of African American education (pp. 451-464). Los Angeles: SAGE.

  • Cardwell, N. M. (2002). Teaching through relationships and stories. In N. Lyons & V. Kubler LaBoskey (Eds.), Narrative inquiry in practice: Advancing the knowledge of teaching (pp. 76-86). New York: Teachers College Press.

Contact me:

(212) 875-4688 ncardwell@bankstreet.edu
610 W 112Th St # 650
New York, NY 10025-1898