Stephen Preskill Knihy

This biography highlights the impactful life of Myles Horton, a teacher and activist whose work significantly influenced the Civil Rights Movement. Born in early twentieth-century Tennessee, Horton was deeply troubled by the discrimination faced by marginalized communities in Appalachia. He aimed to create a space where individuals could engage in meaningful dialogue about class and race issues. In 1932, he co-founded the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, a pivotal institution for social justice and democratic education. This book, the first biography of Horton in 25 years, delves into the educational theories and strategies he developed at Highlander to empower the poor and oppressed. Horton's vision inspired notable figures such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, and Congressman John Lewis. The author, Stephen Preskill, explores how Horton became a prominent advocate for organized labor, civil rights, and Appalachian self-empowerment, while also establishing an international network for popular education and promoting direct democracy. The legacy of his work continues to resonate, positioning education as a vital tool for social change today.

Thoroughly revised and updated, the second edition of the landmark book Discussion as a Way of Teaching shows how to plan, conduct, and assess classroom discussions. Stephen D. Brookfield and Stephen Preskill suggest exercises for starting discussions, strategies for maintaining their momentum, and ways to elicit diverse views and voices. The book also includes new exercises and material on the intersections between discussion and the encouragement of democracy in the classroom. This revised edition expands on the original and contains information on adapting discussion methods in online teaching, on using discussion to enhance democratic participation, and on the theoretical foundations for the discussion exercises described in the book. Throughout the book, Brookfield and Preskill clearly show how discussion can enliven classrooms, and they outline practical methods for ensuring that students will come to class prepared to discuss a topic. They also explain how to balance the voices of students and teachers, while still preserving the moral, political, and pedagogic integrity of discussion.