William L Smith
- Associate Professor, Teaching/Learning and Sociocultural Studies
- Member of the Graduate Faculty
Contact
- (520) 621-1481
- Education, Rm. 709
- Tucson, AZ 85721
- wlsmith@arizona.edu
Biography
William L. Smith is Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies at the University of Arizona. He holds a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s of education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Prior to earning his Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin, he taught sixth grade in under-resourced urban areas of Washington, D.C. and Oakland, C.A. Drawing on critical theoretical frameworks, William focuses his research on racial literacy and curriculum and on developing spaces for discussions of race in elementary, secondary, and university settings.
Interests
No activities entered.
Courses
2025-26 Courses
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Schooling in America
TLS 350 (Fall 2025)
2024-25 Courses
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Schooling & Diversity
TLS 150C1 (Spring 2025) -
Schooling in America
TLS 350 (Fall 2024)
2023-24 Courses
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Honors Thesis
TLS 498H (Spring 2024) -
Schooling & Diversity
TLS 150C1 (Spring 2024) -
Honors Thesis
TLS 498H (Fall 2023) -
Schooling in America
TLS 350 (Fall 2023) -
Tch Soc Stds Multi Cult
TLS 527 (Fall 2023)
2022-23 Courses
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Dissertation
TLS 920 (Spring 2023) -
Schooling & Diversity
TLS 150C1 (Spring 2023) -
Special Tops in Social Science
HNRS 195H (Spring 2023) -
Dissertation
TLS 920 (Fall 2022) -
Qualitative Meth Educ
TLS 605 (Fall 2022) -
Schooling in America
TLS 350 (Fall 2022)
2021-22 Courses
-
Dissertation
TLS 920 (Spring 2022) -
Honors Thesis
TLS 498H (Spring 2022) -
Intro to Global Education
TLS 387 (Spring 2022) -
Schooling & Diversity
TLS 150C1 (Spring 2022) -
Honors Thesis
TLS 498H (Fall 2021)
2020-21 Courses
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Dissertation
TLS 920 (Spring 2021) -
Independent Study
TLS 699 (Spring 2021) -
Intro to Global Education
TLS 387 (Spring 2021) -
Schooling & Diversity
TLS 150C1 (Spring 2021) -
Dissertation
TLS 920 (Fall 2020) -
Schooling in America
TLS 350 (Fall 2020) -
Tch Soc Stds Multi Cult
TLS 527 (Fall 2020)
2019-20 Courses
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Internship
TLS 793 (Spring 2020) -
Intro to Global Education
TLS 387 (Spring 2020) -
Schooling & Diversity
TLS 150C1 (Spring 2020) -
Schooling in America
TLS 350 (Fall 2019)
2018-19 Courses
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Independent Study
TLS 499 (Spring 2019) -
Schooling & Diversity
TLS 150C1 (Spring 2019) -
Schooling in America
TLS 350 (Spring 2019) -
Schooling in America
TLS 350 (Fall 2018) -
Tch Soc Stds Multi Cult
TLS 527 (Fall 2018)
2017-18 Courses
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Preceptor-University Teaching
LRC 791A (Spring 2018) -
Schooling & Diversity
TLS 150C1 (Spring 2018) -
Schooling in America
TLS 350 (Spring 2018)
2016-17 Courses
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Preceptor-University Teaching
LRC 791A (Spring 2017) -
Schooling & Diversity
TLS 150C1 (Spring 2017) -
Schooling in America
TLS 350 (Spring 2017) -
Multicult Ed+Soc Justice
LRC 640 (Fall 2016) -
Tch Soc Stds Multi Cult
TTE 527 (Fall 2016)
2015-16 Courses
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Preceptor-University Teaching
LRC 791A (Spring 2016) -
Schooling & Diversity
TLS 150C1 (Spring 2016)
Scholarly Contributions
Journals/Publications
- Arenas, A., Gunckel, K. L., & Smith, W. L. (2016). 7 reasons for accommodating transgender students at school. Kappa Delta Pi, 98(1), 20-24.
- Smith, W. L. (2016). Knowing Obama: High school students of color and learning about the 44th president. The High School Journal, 100(1), 26-44.
- Crowley, R. M., & Smith, W. (2015). Whiteness and social studies teacher education: tensions in the pedagogical task. Teaching Education, 26, 160--178.
- Smith, W. L., & Crowley, R. M. (2015). Pushback and possibility: Using a threshold concept of race in social studies teacher education. The Journal of Social Studies Research, 39, 17--28.
- Smith, W. L. (2014). Not Stopping at First: Racial Literacy and the Teaching of Barack Obama. Multicultural Perspectives, 16.
- Smith, W. L. (2014). The Race Teacher: A review of Blum’s (2012) High Schools, Race, and America’s Future: What Students Can Teach About Morality, Diversity, and Community, Lawrence Blum, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA (2012). 272 pp., $29.95. ISBN-10: 1612504655. Journal of Social Studies Research, 38, 107--109.
- Smith, W. L., & Brown, A. L. (2014). Beyond post-racial narratives: Barack Obama and the (re) shaping of racial memory in US schools and society. Race Ethnicity and Education, 17, 153--175.
