EDUCATION  |  PUBLICATIONS  |  COURSES  |  PROJECTS  |  GRANTS  |  SERVICE  |  HONORS  |  VOLUNTEER  |  AFFILIATIONS

EDUCATION

1996- 2002 THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, Ann Arbor, MI.
Completed a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Studies with an emphasis in Literacy Education.

1995-1996 THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, Ann Arbor, MI.
Earned a Masters of Arts in Social Studies Curriculum Development.
Coursework included Curriculum, Linguistics, and African American Studies.

1993-1995 CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY-HAYWARD, Hayward, CA.
Completed a Social Studies Teaching Credential in Social Studies Education.

1989-1993 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY, Berkeley, CA.
Earned Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy of Industrial Societies with an emphasis in Education.
Coursework included History, Political Science, and Sociology.

PUBLICATIONS

PUBLICATIONS- In Review or Forthcoming
Cooks, J. (in review). Makin’ someethin from everything: Building expository writing skills in a 9th grade social studies classroom. Research for Teachers of English.
Cooks, J. (in review). Writin’ for Something: The nexus among raps, essays, and expository organizational patterns of African American Adolescents.
Journal for Adolescent and Adult Literacy.
Nasir, N, Coffey, Cooks, J. (in review). Track Literacy: Learning to run and becoming a runner. American Educational Research Journal.

PUBLICATIONS - Articles Accepted
Quintero, K. and Cooks, J. (2003) Hip Hop as authentic poetry. Voices from the Middle, 10, 2, 56-57.
Quintero, K. and Cooks, J. (2003) High Stakes Testing. Voices from the Middle, 11, 2, 56-57.
Cooks, J. & Epstein, T. (2000). Dissin' democracy? African American adolescents' concepts of citizenship. Journal of Social Studies Research, 24, 10-20.
Cooks, J. (1998). Let’s get it started: Teaching teachers how to implement a culturally relevant pedagogy. Trotter Review, Fall, 43-45
Ball, A., Williams, J., & Cooks, J. (1997). An Ebonics-based curriculum: The educational value. Thought and Action, 8(2), 39-50.

ACADEMIC COURSES
 

• Secondary Education 720        

The main goal of this class is two fold: 1) to prepare students with a wide definition of literacy that exposes students to people with experience in specific content areas; and 2) to equip pre-credential teachers with the necessary skills to instruct/ teach middle and high school students.

Class handouts are required for each class. Please feel free to look at old projects. Tha major assignments for the class are the thematic units and the curriculum guides.

 

•  Secondary Education 785

With a variety of issues concerning students in California public schools, more teachers must be properly trained to work with students of culturally and linguistically diverse populations. While having literacy as a central theme, this course will combine sound theoretical frameworks and real life school based examples to provide important insights into the teaching and learning of all students.
 
 

RESEARCH PROJECTS

Hip Hop Circuit- A Site for Teachers and Students

The Hip Hop Circuit illustrates the connectedness among education, popular culture, and hip hop.

The Expository Writing Program
The EWP is an effort to enhance communication between high school students, participants in a community-based job training program, and University of Michigan students aspiring to become high school teachers or specialists in the field of literacy.

Urban Voices- An Online Journal

Urban Voices-An Online Journal supports the educational and literacy experiences of pre-credential teachers and secondary students. The objective of the journal is to provide an opportunity for students to publish articles, editorials, academic prose, and creative writing pieces on a variety of educational topics.

Urban Literacy Institute
The Urban Literacy Institute (ULI) is a research-based organization that explores the development of literacy skills of adolescents and adults from urban communities.

GRANTS 

1995-2001         Student Academic Multicultural Initiatives                              			$2,000.00 
1995-2001         Rackhak Travel Funds                                                         			$1,300.00 
1995-2001         Educational Studies Travel Grants                                       	    	$1,000.00 
1995-2001         Dean's Office Travel Grants- School of Education 							$1,000.00 
1999                 National Council of Teachers of English Grant in Aid Award     		$7,500.00      
1999                 Spencer Mini-Grant Award                                                         		$1,700.00 
1999                 Research in the Curriculum Mini-Grant                                      		$1,000.00 
1999                 CAPSTONE Diversity Grant                                                      		$1,000.00 

ACADEMIC SERVICE ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL

     National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE)
     	7/03- present Leader of Color Group
     	7/03- present Middle Level Steering Committee
     	7/03- present CEE Nominating Committee
    	 	7/02- present Race and Bias Committee
     	11/02-11/03 National Conference Local Planning Committee
     	1/00-7/03 Rainbow Strand Committee Member
     	9/99- 2/01 Planning committee member for National Council of Teachers of English- Spring Conference

     Journals
     	1/03- present Reviewer for the English Journal
     	9/02-9/03 Co-author of the Shades of Literacy Column in Voices From the Middle
     	9/96- 9/02 Reviewer for the Journal of Research in the Teaching of English      
    	 	4/97- 9/97 Reviewer for the American Educational Research Association-Special Interest Group G

ACADEMIC SERVICE TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

     	1/03- present California State University System Single Subject Task Force	     
     	8/02- present California State University System Faculty Advisory Committee
     	8/01- 8/02 Center for the Advancement of Reading Board member for the California State University System
   

HONORS

1998                  Dean Betty Jean Jones Memorial Prize/Best Paper- Ann Arbor, MI.
1997                  Dean Betty Jean Jones Memorial Prize/Best Paper- Ann Arbor, MI.
1996                  Outstanding Student Leader /NABSE- Ann Arbor, MI
1995                  Rackham Merit Fellow- Ann Arbor, MI
1994                  Mason McDuffie Outstanding Teacher- Oakland, CA

VOLUNTEER WORK

2001-present      University of California at Berkeley Black Alumni Club- Advisory Board
2001-present      Youth Together Student Center- Advisory Board
1991-present      Creative Education- Advisory Board

AFFILIATIONS

2001-present     California Alumni Association- University of California at Berkeley- Life Member
1995-present     American Educational Research Association
1995-present     National Council of Teachers of English
1995-present     National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (past chapter president)- Life Member
1995-present     National Alliance of Black School Educators - (past chapter president)
1991-present     Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.- Life Member