James R Moore

Biography

" Dr. James Moore taught high school social studies courses (world history, geography, law studies, and American government) for 22 years in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Dr. Moore earned his doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction: Social Studies Education from F.I.U. in 2002. The doctorate in Social Studies is an interdisciplinary program with graduate courses in political science, geography, and sociology, as well as graduate education courses. Dr. Moore's doctoral dissertation, entitled ""School Segregation and Educational Performance In A Multicultural Society: The Case of Miami-Dade County,Florida"" was directed by Dr. Ralph S. Clem, Dr. Steven Fain, and Dr. M. Farouk. Dr. Moore was inspired to obtain a doctorate degree by his mentor Dr. Ralph Clem, a professor emeritus of geography and Russian studies at F.I.U. Ralph Clem had a profound impact on Dr. Moore's interests in international relations and geography. Specifically, Dr. Clem's expertise on Russia's political geography and ethnicity had a profound impact on Dr. Moore's teaching history and social studies courses. Steve Fain played a major role in influencing Dr. Moore's interests in education, specifically curriculum and instruction. Finally, the late Dr. Jan L. Tucker, a nationally renowned leader in global education, played a key role in Dr. Moore's commitment to improving global and international education in K-12 social studies courses. Professor Moore's educational philosophy is based on essentialism--a solid knowledge base in history, geography, political science, global issues,and economics is the foundation of excellent teaching in social studies--and a strong commitment to developing civic virtues in students. Character education, prudent decision-making skills, and civic participation are at the heart of democratic social studies, and a viable democracy requires a virtuous citizenry to function effectively. Dr. Moore was an adjunct lecturer in International Relations for 10 years (1992-2002) at Florida International University (F.I.U). His courses examined current global issues, such as world hunger, population trends, and ethnicity,nationality, and religious conflicts. In addition, Dr. Moore was an assistant high school football coach for 15 years (Head Coach: Jim Kroll)and successful football programs have implications for education: direct instruction, active participation, assessment based on performance,very high discipline standards, an emphasis on competition and cooperation, and the development of virtues needed for a successful life and career. Dr. Moore joined the CSU faculty (College of Education and Human Services) in the fall of 2004 and teaches social studies methods courses, diversity in educational settings, and introduction to geography at CSU. Dr. Moore is very interested in civic education, the First Amendment,political geography,international politics, global education, national identity, incorporating art and music into social studies courses,and teaching about religion, specifically Islam, in high school social studies courses. Professor Moore travels to western Europe,Russia, Turkey, North Africa, Thailand,Brazil, Peru, Argentina,and China for personal and professional enrichment. He frequently visits Cleveland's excellent museums,world class restaurants, Playhouse Square, and is a fan of all of Cleveland's pro sports teams. Dr. Moore will be on sabbatical during the Fall, 2017 semester redesigning EUT 316 (Social Studies Methods)to include expanded content on global issues. As of the fall of 2017, Dr. Moore has published 28 peer-reviewed articles and has presented 31 papers at peer-reviewed national conferences in social studies and multicultural education."

Research Interest

Professor Moore's current research focuses on restoring civility in public discourse; teaching about Islam and other religions in public schools; the role of ethnicity in global education; current global education issues (population and world hunger); and incorporating music and art into social studies. In addition, Dr. Moore is researching how to improve civic knowledge and participation in democracy. Currently, Dr. Moore is researching social studies education and its relationship to the First Amendment and academic freedom. This research is centered on teaching about religion and other controversial disciplines and issues. Currently, "hate speech" codes pose a threat to freedom of expression on American college campuses and K-12 schools and some people are advocating for blasphemy laws in the United States that would punish individuals for criticizing religions. Unfortunately--and in direct violation of the First Amendment--many K-12 schools and universities want to censor offensive, controversial, and radical ideas in order to protect historically "oppressed" groups and others from any ideas that may offend them or cause them to experience emotional distress. Freedom of expression is central to the core mission of education in a democracy. As of 2017, the American people are bitterly divided by political ideologies; social studied education can play a role in restoring a modicum of civility, respect, and tolerance for diverse political beliefs. Currently, the United States is sharply divided by a host of issues--inequality, racial tensions (exacerbated by the racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday, August 12, 2017), terrorism, and rampant incivility--that could threaten American unity. Dr. Moore has presented 31 peer-reviewed papers at major conferences, such as the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), the National Middle School Association, the American Association for Teaching and Curriculum (AATC), Humanities Educational Research Association (HERA), and the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME).