Dr. Tommy Ender

  • Associate Professor

Dr. Ender currently serves as the History Secondary Education program coordinator. Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, he grew up in the shadows of New York City. Those experiences influence how he teaches and conducts research. His research interests cover a variety of contexts, including the examination of counter-narratives as theory and pedagogy in social studies education, the role of music in learning about the past, and Latino/a/x studies. 

Ender earned his Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before entering higher education, he spent ten years teaching secondary education social studies. He also has coached soccer, football, and baseball at different age and competitive levels. But an immense joy is reserved for his wife and two teens.

Education

Ph.D. (Cultural Studies & Literacies) – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
M.Ed. (Secondary Education) – University of New Hampshire
B.A. (History & Political Science) – Drew University

Selected Publications

Refereed Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Ender, T. (2024). Academic’s Disease. In B. Varga & E. Adams (Eds.), Always-Already on the Lookout: Searching for, Enacting, and Storying Theory in Social Studies Education. Teachers College Press.

Tirado, J., Rodriguez, G., Monreal, T., & Ender, T. (2023). Civics and Latinidad: Letters to the past with hopes for the future. In K. Duncan (Ed.), Civic Engagement in Communities of Color (pp. 31-40). Teachers College Press.

Varga, B. & Ender, T. (2023). Wu-Tang for the Children: Swarming Elsewhere for Aesthetic (Re)Imaginings of Community, Theory, & Praxis. Equity & Excellence in Education.

Ender, T. & Varga, B. (2022). The use of music to connect the past, present, & future. The Social Studies.

Ender, T. (2022). Developing racial literacy with white social studies teachers. In L. King (Ed.), Racial Literacy and Social Studies: Curriculum, Instruction, and Learning (pp. 149-162). Teachers College Press.

Ender, T. (2021). Using counter-narratives to expand from the margins. Curriculum Inquiry.

Courses

EDP 610 – Contemporary Issues in Educational Inquiry
Examination of issues and problems related to philosophical and historical aspects of educational thought and the role of society. Empirical analysis of classroom settings is emphasized. (Seminar) Pre: current enrollment in the PhD in Education program. (3 crs.)

FNED 461/561 – Latinos in the United States
Students examine recent scholarship on Latinos in the United States and undertake graduate-level research projects, with focus on Latino educational issues. 4/3 credits.

FNED 502 – Social Issues in Education
The social and cultural foundations of education are explored. Topics include historical, political, global, and legal perspectives on contemporary schooling.

HIST 107 – Multiple Voices – The U.S. in the World
Students examine the historian's craft by studying pivotal events highlighting the historical relationship between the United States and the World.

HIST 243 – Latino Peoples & U.S. History
This course will serve students in two distinct yet interrelated ways: Examine Latin American migration and settlement in the United States, Latino civil rights movements, and the contemporary transitional natures of the Latino/a/x/e experience. Provide an in-depth understanding into the contributions Latino peoples have done within US History.

SED 314 – Responsive Teaching/Learning Social Studies I
Teacher candidates examine secondary social studies teaching and learning in public schools and create and deliver age-appropriate culturally responsive social studies lessons. Three weeks or equivalent practicum field experience.

SED 414 – Responsive Teaching/Learning Social Studies II
Emphasis in SED 414 is on inquiry and project-based learning, assessment, critical thinking skills, and culturally responsive curricula and pedagogy in secondary classrooms.

Research Interests

Autoethnography
Counter-Narratives
Curriculum Studies
Latino Studies
Qualitative Research Methodology
Social Studies Education
Teaching with Music
Urban Education

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