Geoffrey Scheurman

Geoffrey Scheurman

Professor Emeritus 2025
member of graduate faculty

Start Year: 1993

Email: geoffrey.scheurman@uwrf.edu

Education:

Ph.D. University of Iowa (Educational Psychology)
M.A. University of Wyoming (Curriculum and Instruction / American Studies)
B.A. University of Wyoming (Political Science/Economics; secondary teaching certification in Broad Area Social Studies)

Courses Taught:

TED100 – Introduction to Teaching and Technology
TED250 – Educational Psychology
TED289 – U.S. Peoples, Cultures, and Education Systems
TED420 – School and Society
TED421 – Student Teaching Seminar and Supervision of Student Teachers
TED433 – Techniques of Teaching Middle and Secondary Social Studies
TED713 – Elementary Social Studies Methods and Children’s Literature
TED740 – Historical, Philosophical, and Multicultural Foundations of Education
TED745 – Psychology of Teaching and Directed Field Experience
TED750 – Advanced Educational Psychology and Thesis Supervision

 

Research Interests:

Constructivist teaching strategies
Inquiry learning and critical thinking
New Social Studies era in curriculum history
Future of Learning Theory: Jazz Improvisation and Quantum Classrooms

Professional Activities:

International Experience:
2024 and 2016 – Group Leader, International Traveling Classroom (UK and Europe)International
2019 – Visiting Scholar, Zhejiang International Studies University (Hangzhou) 
2012-17 – Coordinator, Consortium of Overseas Student Teaching (UWRF chapter)
2011 – Fulbright Roving Scholar in American Studies (Norway) 
2004 – Resident faculty, Experience Scotland (Dalkeith – Edinburgh)

Publications:

2023
A local two-way partnership for teacher development. Kappan Magazine (with M. Yell, second author).

In their hands, hearts, and minds: Strategies for helping students touch, inquire, and think deeply using primary sources.  In Waring, S. (Ed.), The educator’s handbook for teaching with primary sources, Teachers College Press (with M. Yell, first author).

2022
A parallax view of disruptive learning narratives: Teacher educators and future teachers helping one another.  In Sharma, et al. (Eds.). Disruptive learning narratives in international settings: Critical challenges in teacher education practicums abroad. Sense Publishing (with S. Parliament, first author).

2021
Authentic assessment of social issues instruction: The Supreme Court as exemplar for pedagogy and performance.  In R. Evans (Ed.), Handbook on teaching social issues, Information Age Publishing.

Inquiry-based practice in Social Studies education: A review of Grant, Swan & Lee (2019) with blueprint of the inquiry design model.  Theory and Research in Social Education.

How the study of Camus helps us teachers rise above ourselves.  St. Paul Pioneer Press (with students D. Lewis and M. Raleigh).

2019
Improvisation and the quantum classroom: Musical and scientific metaphors to guide teaching and learning in the 21st century. Humanities and Arts in a Global World Conference paper series No: HUM2020-2688. Athens Institute for Education and Research.

Motivation, identity, and learning transfer among Chinese teacher candidates in American study abroad program.  Culminating report, literature review, and research proposal for Zhejiang International Studies University.

2018
Constructivism and the New Social Studies: A collection of guided inquiry lessons. New York: Information Age Publisher, with R. Evans (Co-Editor). Project Director, volume editor, and contributing author, including:

• Evanescence and permanence: The future of Social Studies in the rear view mirror (Chapter One)
• Hiroshima: A model and template for creating document-based inquiry (Chapter Ten)
• From behaviorist to constructivist teaching and Revisiting Lexington Green (Chapter Five). Reprinted and updated articles from 1998 Social Education special issue

2012 
Cold vs. hot war: A model for building conceptual knowledge in history. Social Education.

2008
Poetry and postholes: Making history instruction deeper and more personal.  Social Education.

2010
The history problem in curricular reform: A warning to constructivists from the social studies movement.  In B. Slater-Stern (Ed.), The New Social Studies:  People, projects, politics and perspectives. Information Age Publishing (with K. Reynolds, second author).

2006  
American Identity. Magazine of History. Organization of American Historians, Guest Editor and contributing author, including:

• Still searching for America: Conversations on national identity (Foreword)
  A canon for American identity.
• Choosing five Americans who got it right, or history for young minds, (interview with J. Hakim).
• America as metaphor: Using argument to teach about American identity.

2004  
A Link to the past: Engaging students in the study of history. Washington, D.C.: NCSS Publications, with M. Yell (first author) and K. Reynolds.  Special focus on “Big Ideas,” including:

• Conceptual Continuum and Philosophical Chairs.
• What really happened on Lexington Green?
• Fundamentalism and Modernism in the Scopes Monkey Trial.

1998
Using principles of constructivism to promote reflective judgment. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching.

Constructing knowledge in Social Studies. Social Education. National Council for the Social Studies. Special Edition Guest Editor (with M. Yell) and contributing author:

• From behaviorist to constructivist teaching (also translated and published in Japan).
• Revisiting Lexington Green (published in Japan).
• Authentic intellectual work in Social Studies: Putting performance before pedagogy (with F. M. Newmann).
• Actual and virtual Reality: Making the most of field trips (with J. Bellan).

1996
The emperor’s new computer: A critical look at our appetite for computer technology.  Journal for Teacher Education (with D. Pepi, first author).
Professor’s assumptions about students’ critical thinking dispositions and epistemological beliefs.  Journal on Excellence in College Teaching.
 

Presentations (select):

2023
Encourage empathy and strengthen emotional intelligence using primary sources.  Pre-conference clinic, National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) annual conference.  Nashville, TN.

2022
Arguments about independence! Using deliberations in the movie 1776 to make the Declaration of Independence relevant today.  NCSS, Philadelphia, PA.

The inquiry constant: Enduring strategies for engaging students in inquiry.  Pre-conference clinic, NCSS, Philadelphia (with M. Yell).

A parallax view of democracy and disruptive learning narratives:  Helping future teachers negotiate the paroxysms of patriotism at home and abroad.  Annual conference of Comparative and International Education Society.  Minneapolis, MN.

2021
How to conduct any classroom like a courtroom conversation. Special Workshop, NCSS, Minneapolis, MN (changed to virtual).

2020 
Improvisation and the quantum classroom:  Musical and scientific metaphors to guide teaching and learning in the 21st century.  Conference on Humanities and Arts in a Global World.  Athens Institute for Education and Research. Athens, Greece.

2018  
How Democratic is student teaching: Lessons for everyone from those who face such questions overseas? National Field Experience Conference, University of Northern Colorado.

2017
Ambassadors or apologists for American democracy: A new twist for student teachers overseas.  Consortium of Overseas Student Teaching. Melbourne, Australia.
Scheurman, G. (2013-16).  From sublime to simple: Perpetual discovery and the art of college teaching.  Sample (2015) title of annual college pedagogy workshop facilitated for new university faculty, UWRF.

2016
Strategies for exceeding the Common Core and C3. Full day pre-conference clinic, NCSS, Washington, D.C, with M. Yell.

2013
Sports as a stage for social change and national identity. NCSS, St Louis (also a Fulbright Roving Scholar workshop).

2011
Singing from his soul: The triumph and tragedy of Mr. Tanner. Society for the Arts Annual Conference. Berlin-Brandenburg (Germany) Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

The egalitarian dilemma: Paradoxes among rights and responsibilities in Norwegian schools.  Annual Fulbright Seminar (Oslo).

2010  
Obama as hero: A new “King” or another “Oprah”? American Studies Association of Norway Annual Conference. Kaunas, Lithuania.

2008  
Quantum matchmakers: Social Studies and Science for the 21st Century. Symposium Chair and Presenter, NCSS, Houston, with J. Hakim and J. Donna.
Fundamentalism, modernism, and opportunism: Behind the scenes of the monkey trial.  Pre-performance talk for Inherit the Wind, Phipps Center for the Performing Arts, Hudson, WI.
2007
Finding Tom Sawyer: Plight of boys in school and society.  PDK Lecture (UWRF).
Teacher as director: The diary of childhood in the Diary of Anne Frank.  UWRF Theater (dramaturge and “Talk-Back” facilitator.

2004  
Disperse, rebels, damn you! Confronting future teachers on Lexington Green. Conference for the Development of Teaching and Learning History. Oxford University, England.
2003
Ebbing and flowing: Wisdom for life’s transitions.  Professor for a Day.  Senior Outreach, UWRF.

2001
Adult learners caught in the web: “On-line” vs. “in-class” interaction.  Annual Conference of American Educational Research Association (AERA), Seattle, WA.
Numerous other AERA presentations, including (select from 1990s):  
Making educational psychology meaningful with authentic pedagogy (Montreal); Looking twice means seeing more: How knowledge affects case analysis (New York); Confronting college students with ill-structured problems: The role of personal epistemology and contextual support (New Orleans); Multiple roles of epistemological beliefs in cognition inside and outside the classroom (San Francisco); The impact of epistemic training on critical thinking (Atlanta).
 

Grants and Awards:

2024
Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Education, Business and Allied Health (selected by students, faculty, and administration).

2020
Preparing for public emergencies: Innovative institutional responses from the public schools – experience, assessment, and recommendations for the continuing pandemic.  Survey of best practices: administrators, teachers, parents.  Thompson Center for Public Leadership. Senior Project Sponsor (S. Parliament, project director).

2019
Teachers and the First Amendment Public Forum. Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation.

2017
Teaching Online Institute, UW-System Learning Technology Council.

2014-16
National Science Foundation Capacity Building Grant to design and implement Graduate STEM Teacher Preparation Program with Optional Masters. Co-Project Director (w/ E. Blodgett, et al.).

2014-15
Best Teaching Practices for “Common Core” Literacy Across Disciplines: A Model of Expert Demonstration, Peer Coaching, and Mutual Feedback. UW System Faculty Training and Renewal Grant.

2010-11
Fulbright Roving Scholar in American Studies, Norway, 2010-11.

2008
Outstanding Faculty Member Award for Teaching, Scholarly Activity, and Service, UWRF College of Education and Professional Studies (selected by faculty).

2004-08
Still Searching for America: Conversations on National Identity;
National Endowment for the Humanities Curriculum and Demonstration Grant. Project Director.

2001
Distinguished Teacher, University of Wisconsin – River Falls (selected by students, highest honor bestowed by university).