Collaborating with Educators: Q&A with Monika Johnston and Nevia Selmon
Drawing on enthusiastic feedback on RPL’s core series of 25 case studies and requests from educator listening sessions, the RPL education team developed a model for authoring new cases that involves collaboration between a secondary school educator, RPL staff, HDS graduate students, and content experts. This year, RPL partnered with master educator Monika Johnston to author a new set of case study content. Johnston was supported in this work by HDS student and RPL Online Training and Education Graduate Assistant Nevia Selmon. Topics developed include Oil and Christianity in the U.S., legislation outlawing witchcraft accusation in Ghana, and the complex role of religion in South Korean support for North Korean defectors.
In conversation with Shir Lovett-Graff, MTS '24, Johnston and Selmon shared some of their thoughts on religious literacy, public education, and the case study method.
Shir Lovett-Graff: How have you seen the existing case studies help students to understand and engage with the importance of religious literacy?
Monika Johnston: Students love the case studies because they are accessible and allow them to apply religious literacy frameworks to contemporary global contexts that they find relevant and compelling. Along with developing student-led discussion norms, the case studies enable students to take ownership of the concepts and vocabulary to analyze the situations and challenge themselves and one another to listen, question, and communicate with respect for one another.”
SLG: What have you found interesting or surprising about the process of working on new case studies? Has it given you any new insights about teaching and learning about religious literacy?
MJ: Working on writing new case studies has been a joyful and challenging learning opportunity. As the culminating project in my religion elective, I ask my students to use the Religious Literacy in the Professions case studies as a model for their independent research projects, so this effort connects me more authentically to my work in service to my students. Additionally, researching and writing case studies has had me wrestle with how to effectively communicate and make complicated historical and cultural situations accessible to a wide range of readers who will have little context. The opportunity to pilot drafts with teachers and their students to get feedback was priceless!”
SLG: What about you, Nevia? How have you seen the existing case studies help students to understand and engage with the importance of religious literacy?
Nevia Selmon: Through my experience with existing case studies, I've witnessed firsthand how students engage deeply with the concepts of religious literacy. These case studies provide a platform for students to apply their understanding to real-world scenarios, fostering critical thinking and respectful discourse. By empowering students to lead discussions and analyze complex situations, the case studies promote ownership of the material and encourage dialogue that is both challenging and respectful.
SLG: What have you found interesting or surprising about the process of working on new case studies? Has it given you any new insights about teaching and learning about religious literacy?
NS: Working on new case studies has been an enlightening experience, offering insights into the nuances of teaching and learning about religious literacy. In reviewing these case studies, I'm reminded of the importance of accessibility and clarity in conveying complex historical and cultural contexts. Moreover, the process of piloting drafts with teachers and students has been invaluable, providing me with feedback that enhances the effectiveness and relevance of the case studies in diverse educational settings. I am grateful to have spent this year working as a graduate assistant at RPL both during and after taking the RPL Religious Literacy in the Professions Course–providing me with the academic background and framework to better understand the inner workings of these case studies (which I used at the boarding school I taught at last year).
Monika Johnston is the Head of the History Department at Packer Collegiate Institute, a private pre-K-12 school in Brooklyn, New York. Johnston served as the co-leader of Packer's in-house professional development program for over a decade and facilitated adult learners in examining their teaching practices. She teaches ninth-grade World History, tenth-grade U.S. History, a religious literacy elective, and a women's human rights elective, all of which are heavily informed by methods and materials she acquired through her work with the Religious Literacy Project beginning in 2017.
Nevia Selmon is a Master of Theological Studies candidate focusing on religion, ethics, and politics. She joined RPL to work on the religious literacy case studies for secondary school education. She is interested in conversations surrounding the intersection of religious literacy and LGBTQ Rights in education, government, and law. She graduated from Smith College in 2022 with a degree in Psychology and Religious Studies.
by Shir Lovett-Graff, MTS '24