As an educator and researcher, I work to better understand the sophisticated work that readers, young children through adults, do with a range of texts, from children’s picture books to complicated web sites.

This entails a view of literacy, teaching, and learning as situated and ethically bound practices, and this comes with a commitment to envision and enact democratic ways of being in and outside of schools.

My areas of interest include: critical literacy, inquiry-based teaching and learning, reader response theories and practices, interdisciplinary curricula, poetry, and working with new texts and technologies.

Some of my recent work focuses on the Critical Web Reader, a project designed to support and work with teachers and students across age levels in becoming more strategic and savvy readers, analysts, and evaluators of information on web sites.

Ph.D. Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy. (2003). Michigan State University.

M.A. Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Language & Literacy. (1993). Rutgers University, Graduate School of Education.

B.A. Management, Minor: Music. (1991). Franklin & Marshall College.

• Nam, D. Damico, J.S. (2012). A corpus-based discourse analysis of ESL reader response to a political news article.The Journal of Language Science. 19(3). 165-187.
• Damico, J.S. (2012). Reading with and against a risky text: How a young reader helps enrich our understanding of critical literacy. Critical Literacy Theories and Practices. 6(1).http://criticalliteracy.freehostia.com/index.php"journal=criticalliteracypage=articleop=viewArticlepath%5B%5D=62
• Baildon, M. Damico, J.S. (2012). Using Technology to Support Relational Cosmopolitanism for Social Education. In New Directions in Social Education Research: The Influence of Globalization on the Lives of Students. Ed. Maguth. A Volume in Research in Social Education. Information Age Publishing, Greenwich, CT.
• Damico, J.S. Baildon, M. (2011). Content literacy for the 21st century: Excavation and elevation and relational cosmopolitanism in the classroom. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. 55(3). 232-243.
• Damico, J.S. (2011). Teaching in linguistically diverse classrooms. In C. Bennett, Comprehensive Multicultural Education: Theory and Practice. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn Bacon.
• Baildon, M. Damico, J.S. (2011). Judging the credibility of Internet sources: Developing critical and reflexive readers of complex digital texts. Social Education, 75(5), pp. 269-273.
• Baildon, M. Damico, J.S. (2011). Social Studies as New Literacies in a Global Society: Relational cosmopolitanism in the classroom. New York: Routledge/Taylor Francis. http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415873673/
• Damico, J.S. Rust, J. (2010). Dwelling in the spaces between what is and what could be: The view from a university-based content literacy course at semesters end: Journal of Language and Literacy Education.
• Damico, J.S., Baildon, M., Greenstone, D. (2010). Cultivating childrens agency as readers by examining how historical agency works in childrens literature. Social Studies Research and Practice. 5(1), 1-12. Retrieved from http://www.socstrp.org/issues/PDF/5.1.1.pdf
• Damico, J.S., Baildon, M., Exter, M. Guo, S. (2009/2010). Where we read from matters: Disciplinary literacy in a 9th grade social studies classroom. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 53(4), 325-335.
• Damico, J.S. Lewison, M. (2009). DVD of Fleeing the War: Windows into the World of Africa through Childrens Literature. Developed for Collaborative project between the Literacy, Culture Language Education Department and the African Studies Department, Indiana Univ.
• Baildon, M. Damico, J.S. (2009). How do we know": Students examine issues of credibility with a complicated multimodal web-based text. Curriculum Inquiry. 39(2). 265-285.
• Exter, M. Wang, Y., Exter, M., Damico, J. (2009). Designing a tool to support critical web reading. Tech Trends. 53(1), 23-28.
• Damico, J.S. Rosaen, C. (2009). Creating Epistemological Pathways to a Critical Citizenry: An Examination of a Fifth-Grade Discussion of Freedom. Teachers College Record. 111(5), 1163-1194.
• Damico, J.S. Lewison, M. (2009). DVD of Fatumas New Cloth: Windows into the World of Africa through Childrens Literature. Developed for Collaborative project between the Literacy, Culture Language Education Department and the African Studies Department, Indiana Univ.
• Damico, J.S., Baildon, M. Lowenstein, K. (2008). Did the Bombs Just Fall from the Sky": Examining Agency in a Text Set of World War II Childrens Literature. Social Studies Research and Practice, 3(3).
• Damico, J.S. Apol, L. (2008). Using Testimonial Response to Frame the Challenges and Possibilities of Socially Complex Texts. Childrens Literature in Education. 39(2), 141-158.
• Carter, S., Damico, J.S., Kumasi-Johnson, K. (2008). The time is now!: Talking to Black youth about college. Voices in the Middle. 16(2), 47-53.
• Damico, J.S., Carter, S., Yazzie-Mintz, T., Campano, G. (2008). Cultivating academic literacy in critical and culturally responsive ways. Language Arts. 85(6). 464-468.
• Baildon, M. Damico, J.S. (2008). Negotiating Epistemological Tensions in Thinking and Practice: A Case Study of a Literacy and Inquiry Tool as a Mediator of Professional Conversation. Teaching and Teacher Education. 24(6), 1645-1657.
• Damico, J.S. Baildon, M. (2007). Reading Web sites in an Inquiry-based Literacy and Social Studies Classroom. In D. Rowe and R.T. Jimenez (Eds.) National Reading Conference Yearbook. Oak Creek, WI: National Reading Conference. pp. 204-217.
• Campano, G., Damico, J.S., Harste, J. (2007). Reading disability in childrens literature and popular culture. Talking Points, 18(2).
• Hines, M., Conner, J., Campano, G., Damico, J.S., Enoch, M. Nam, D. (2007). National mandates and statewide enactments: Inquiry in/to large-scale reform. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 6(3).
• Damico, J.S. Baildon, M.C. (2007). Examining the Ways Readers Engage with Web sites during Think Aloud Sessions. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 51(3), 254-263
• Damico, J.S., Campano, G., Harste, J. (2007). From Contexts to Contextualizing and Re-contextualizing: The Work of Teaching. In L. Rush, A.J. Eakle, A. Berger (Eds.), Secondary School Literacy: What Research Reveals for Classroom Practice. National Council of Teachers of English. pp. 203-216.
• Campano, G., Damico, J.S. (2007). Doing the work of social theorists: Children enacting epistemic privilege as literacy learners and teachers. In C. Clark and M. Blackburn (Eds.) New Directions in Literacy Research for Political Action and Social Change. New York: Peter Lang. pp. 219-233.
• Hall, D.T. Damico, J.S. (2007). Black youth employ African American vernacular English in creating digital texts. Journal of Negro Education, 76(1), 80-88.
• Damico, J.S. with Riddle, R. (2006). Exploring Freedom and Leaving a Legacy: Enacting New Literacies with Digital Texts in the Elementary Classroom. Language Arts, 84(1), 34-44.
• Ashburn, E., Baildon, M., Damico, J.S., McNair, S. (2006). Mapping the terrain of teaching for meaningful learning using technology in social studies. In E. Ashburn R. Floden (Eds.), Meaningful learning using technology: What educators need to know and do. (pp. 117-140). New York: Teachers College Press.
• Damico, J.S., Campano, G., Harste, J. (2006). Suggestions for further reading on literacy and inquiry. Language Arts, 83(3), 265.
• Damico, J.S., Campano, G., Harste, J. (2006). Benefits to identifying and not identifying with books. Talking Points, 17(2), 26-28.
• Damico, J.S. Lowenstein, K. (2006). Reconsidering difference(s) with the picture book, Smoky Night. Dragon Lode, 24(2), 12-15.
• Cervetti, G., Damico, J.S. Pearson, P.D. (2006). Multiple literacies, new literacies, and teacher education. Theory into Practice, 45(4), 378-386.
• Damico, J.S. (2005). Multiple dimensions of literacy and conceptions of readers: Toward a more expansive view of accountability. The Reading Teacher, 58(7), 644-652.
• Damico, J.S. (2005). Evoking hearts and heads: Exploring issues of social justice through poetry. Language Arts, 83(2), 138-148.
• Damico, J.S., Campano, G. Harste, J. (2005). What Voices in the Park Do We Hear and What Voices Do We Not Hear": A Critical Look at Multiple Perspective Books. Talking Points, 16(2), 30-33.
• Campano, G., Damico, J.S., Harste, J. (2005). Considering genre: From House on Mango Street to more recent books. Talking Points, 17(1), 34-35.
• Damico, J.S., Baildon, M., Campano, G. (2005). Integrating Literacy, Technology and Disciplined Inquiry in Social Studies: The Development and Application of a Conceptual Model. Technology, Humanities, Education and Narrative. 2(1).
• Damico, J.S. Riddle, R. (2004). From answers to questions: A beginning teacher learns to teach for social justice. Language Arts, 82(1), 36-46.

• Invited to present paper for a panel at the Collegue University Faculty Assembly (research group meeting that precedes the National Council of Social Studies annual conference). Paper was called: Using Technology to Support Relational Cosmopolitanism in the Classroom.
• Baildon, M. Damico, J.S. (April 2012). To Believe is Not Enough: Reading Conspiracy Theory Texts with Implications for School Curriculum. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association annual conference. Vancouver.
• Damico, J.S. Baildon, M. (2012). From the teacher workshop to actual classrooms with students: What happens when secondary social studies teachers in Singapore redesign curriculum, teaching, and learning through inquiry and new literacies. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association annual conference. Vancouver.
• Baildon, M.S., Damico, J.S., Afandi, S, Rajah, C., Paculdar, A. (2011). Scaffolding Inquiry and Literacy in Social Studies Classrooms. Theory to Practice session at National Council of Social Studies annual conference. Washington, DC.
• Damico, J.S. Baildon, M. (2011).What do these web sites about climate change have to do with social education": An interactive viewing, analysis, and group discussion. Presented at College University Faculty Assembly: National Council of Social Studies annual conference. Washington, DC
• Baildon, M. Damico, J.S. (2011). What Happens When Secondary Social Studies Teachers in Singapore Use a Web-Based Tool to Re-Imagine Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning": Inquiry and New Literacies Chart New Terrain. Presented at College University Faculty Assembly: National Council of Social Studies annual conference. Washington, DC.
• Damico, J.S. (2011). Mapping Literacy Practices with Online Documentary Video: 3 Cs of Credibility, Claims, Contexts. Discourse Analysis in Educational Research Conference. Bloomington, IN.

• Civic Multilingualism: A Pathway to Peace
• Developing Inquiry-based Assessment Tools in Response to Core Teaching and Learning Challenges
• Using Web-Based Tools to Support Source Work and Inquiry in Singapore Social Studies Classrooms
• Young Learners Examine the Relationship between Climate Change and Global Peace and Security