UW–Madison alumna Martha James, who earned her BS from the School of Education’s Physical Education Teacher Education program in 1993, has shared a TEDx Talk that is titled, “For Brilliance’s Sake, Let the Children Move!”
In the talk, delivered at TEDxUStreetWomen, James illuminates movement as a powerful solution for addressing many of the challenges facing public schools. By sharing her journey, James emphasizes the transformative impact of movement on students’ agency, efficacy, and well-being. She uncovers the societal implications of undervaluing physical education, exploring how embracing movement can foster a more equitable and just educational system.
James is an associate professor in the School of Education and Urban Studies at Morgan State University. Her research agenda focuses on cultural fluency, interdisciplinary teaching, and best practices in professional development.
Her most recent publications, “HQPE: Exploring the Role of Physical Education in Facing America’s Educational Debt” (2021) and “It is a Movement, not a Moment: Utilizing Hope Theory to Situate Kinesiology in the Path for Social Justice” (2021) explore how access to high-quality physical education and recreation are essential in addressing historical exclusion and contemporary marginalization and are, in and of themselves, acts of antiracism.
To learn more, check out the full Tedx Talk.