John L. Samuels Jr.
Credentials: Ed-GRS Fellow
John L. Samuels Jr. is a PhD student in the Curriculum & Instruction Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in Design, Informal, and Creative Education (D.I.C.E.). Before joining UW Madison, he earned an M.A. in Philosophy & Education from Columbia University Teachers College and a second M.A. in Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology from Harvard Graduate School of Education where he was a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fellow and distinguished as an emerging social impact education entrepreneur.
John has worked in ECE-12 education for 20+ years. That has included working in public, private, charter, community, and out-of-school time education spaces, as well as in teaching, program & curriculum design, teacher training, organizational analysis, and leadership roles.
John’s research, scholarship, and practitioner interests converge at the intersection of education design, implementation, and accessibility, with the aim of expanding and normalizing progressive and innovative pedagogical practices in all ECE-12 classrooms. His work critically examines classrooms that serve students with intersecting identities historically marginalized by formal education systems and practices. Currently, his research focuses on innovative pedagogical practices that enhance classroom motivation and engagement.
Education
MA in Philosophy and Education, Columbia University Teachers College
MA in Learning Design, Innovation, & Technology, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Fellowships
Equity Fellow, Harvard Graduate School of Education
EDGRS Fellow, UW Madison Graduate School of Education
Research
Language & Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Columbia University Teachers College
Arts Collab, UW Madison Graduate School of Education
Higher Ed Teaching
Arts Integration in Teaching and Learning (School of Education)
Elementary Education Practicum I (School of Education)
Special Education Dual Certification Education Practicum I (School of Education)
Belong Explore Become (College of Letters & Sciences)
Publications & Presentations
International Conference of Learning Sciences 2025, Helsinki, Finland; Poster presentation.