Key Works in English Education (Shaping a Discipline)

Key Works in English Education, envisioned by Ernest Morrell, provides a definitive map of how the discipline—which focuses on student agency and creativity—was shaped over the last several decades. The companion to Critical English Education: Enduring Voices, New Perspectives, this collection of over 60 essays showcases the scholars and texts that have redefined what it means to read and write in a changing world.

With NCTE articles, book excerpts, and other work at the center of the narrative, Key Works in English Education also demonstrates how a professional organization can influence an entire discipline—and how that discipline, in turn, can shape the minds and voices of the next generation of English educators. This compilation is an essential resource for anyone committed to the power of language as a tool for equity, identity, and social change.

The editors have generously agreed to donate royalties from the sale of the book, as well as Critical English Education, to NCTE. Morrell was the first member of the editorial team to make this commitment, reflective of his original vision for this publication and how deeply he believed English educators influence the world.

Key Works in English Education features Morrell's seminal essay, “Critical English Education," as well as works by Paulo Freire; Geneva Smitherman; Louise Rosenblatt; Miles Myers; James Britton; James Moffett; James Squire; Yetta Goodman; Ken Goodman; Arthur Applebee; Janet Emig; Rudine Sims Bishop; Maxine Greene; Anne Haas Dyson; Allan Luke; Carol Lee; Luis Moll; Kris D. Gutiérrez; Keith Gilyard; Glynda Hull; Ernest Morrell; Ofelia García; Peter Smagorinsky; Michele Knobel; Colin Lankshear; Valerie Kinloch; Yolanda Sealey-Ruíz; Gholnecsar Muhammad; Maisha T. Winn; Anne Ruggles Gere; Kathy Short; P. David Pearson; David Bartholomae; and the editors.