Faculty Profiles

Dr. Bárbara Cruz

Professor, Social Science Education

Cruz headshot

Email: bcruz@usf.edu
Office: USF Tampa campus, EDU 302-J
Phone: (813) 974-2817

Dr. Cruz’s work in teacher education includes multicultural and global perspectives in education, English language learners, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the infusion of the arts across the curriculum.  Dr. Cruz has published a number of young adult biographies of inspirational Hispanics, including César Chávez: A Voice for Farm Workers and Multiethnic Teens and Cultural Identity for which she received the Carter G. Woodson Book Award from NCSS. 

Education

  • Doctor of Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Florida International University, Miami, Florida.
    Dissertation topic:  Social studies teacher training with a global perspective.
  • Master of Science in Education, Florida International University, Miami, Florida.
    Concentration: Social Studies Education.
  • Bachelor of Science in Education (Magna Cum Laude), University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida.
    Majors: Secondary and Social Studies Education.

Research Projects

  • Social Studies Education
  • Teacher Education
  • InsideART, a visual literacy program that integrates social studies with contemporary art in an examination and discussion of critical societal issues
  • LGBTQ+ issues in the social studies curriculum
  • Latinx and Afro-Latin@ histories and cultures

Program Affiliations

  • Social Science Education — BS, M.Ed, MAT, PhD
  • Educational Program Development — EdD
  • Institute on Black Life
  • Institute for Research in Art
  • Institute for the Study of Latin America and the Caribbean

Courses Taught:

  • IDH 4200: Geographical Perspectives (Latin America and the Caribbean) 
  • SSE 4380: Global and Multicultural Perspectives in Education 
  • SSE 4334/5332:Teaching Secondary Grades Social Science/Methods and Strategies in Social Science Education
  • SSE 4335/5946: Teaching Social Science Themes/Social Studies Education Practicum
  • SSE 6636: Trends in Social Studies Education 
  • SSE 6932: Global and Multicultural Perspectives; Teaching Social Studies to ELLs
  • SSE 7700: Issues in Social Studies Curriculum and Instruction
  • EDG 7921 & 7931: Scholarly Practitioner I & II 
  • SSE 7945: Applied Research in Social Science Education

Recent Publications

Vera Muñoz, M.I., Moreno-Vera, J.R., Cruz, B.C., Seva-Cañizares, F., & Soriano-López, C. (2021). El estigma de género y el síndrome del impostor en las profesoras en formación de Educación Primaria. Revista Estudios, 43. https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/estudios/article/view/49325  

Lambrev, V., & Cruz, B. C. (2021). Becoming scholarly practitioners: Creating community in online professional doctoral education. Distance Education 42(4). DOI: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cdie20 

Moreno-Vera, J.R., Vera-Muñoz, M.I. & Cruz, B. (2021). La imagen de la mujer en la era del #metoo: luchando contra los estereotipos de género en el aula. In J.C. Bel Martínez, J.C. Colomer Rubio  & N. de Alba Fernández (Eds.), Repensar el currículum de Ciencias Sociales: prácticas educativas para una ciudadanía crítica. Tirant Lo Blanch (València, Spain). ISBN: 978-84-19071-08-8 

Cruz, B.C., Francis, K.B., & Viera, C.M. (in press). LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum. In D.J. Flinders (Ed.), Routledge Encyclopedia of Education. Routledge.

Cruz, B.C., & Thornton, S. J. (2021). Teaching Social Issues with English Learners. In R. W. Evans (Ed.), Handbook on Teaching Social Issues, 2nd edition (pp. 329-337). Information Age Publishing.

Cruz, B.C., Ellerbrock, C.R., Denney, S.M., & Viera, C.M. (2020). The Art of Global Education: Using Contemporary Art to Develop Global Perspectives. In J. Myers (Ed.), Research on Teaching Global Issues (pp. 93-113). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. 

Cruz, B., & Vera-Muñoz, M.I. (2020). Haciendo lo invisible, visible: El uso del arte comprometido y feminista en la educación secundaria. Revista Estudios N. 40. ISSN 1659 -3316. 

Cruz, B.C., Ellerbrock, C.R., & Mead, S.M. (2019). Exploring families through contemporary art. Social Education 83(3), 128-133. 

Cruz, B.C., & Bailey, R.W. (2019). Developing literacy through contemporary art: Promising practices for English Language Learners in social studies classrooms. In K. Obenchain & L. de Oliveira (Eds.), Approaches to Teaching the Content Areas to English Language Learners in Secondary Schools (pp. 281-296). New York, NY: Springer Publishing. 

Cruz, B.C. (2018). Pink Teas, Pickets, and President Wilson: Organizing for the Passage of the 19th Amendment. Social Studies and the Young Learner, 31(1), 19-25.

Cruz, B.C. (2018). Global visionary: The life and work of Jan L. Tucker. In Toni Fuss Kirkwood-Tucker (Ed.), The global education movement: Narratives of distinguished global scholars (pp. 37-58). Charlotte, NC:  Information Age Publishing.

Bailey, R.W., & Cruz, B. (2017). An LGBT-inclusive social studies: Curricular and instructional considerations. Social Education 81(5), 296-302.

Mead, S., Ellerbrock, C. R., & Cruz, B.C. (2017). Discussing Global Issues through Contemporary Art. The Social Studies 108(2), 72-77.

Busey, C.L., & Cruz, B. (2017). Who is Afro-Latin@? Examining the Social Construction of race and négritude in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Social Education 80(6), 31-36.

Cruz, B.C. (2017). Simón Bolívar: Fighting for Latin American liberation. New York: Enslow Publishers.

Busey, C.L., & Cruz, B. (2017). A shared heritage: Afro-Latin@s and Black History (reprint). In L.J. Scott & K.J. Carrillo (Eds.), Afro-Latinx and the media: What the media teaches our kids about race, class, and gender identity. NY: Peter Lang Publishing.  

Bardo, N., & Cruz, B. (2017). Experiencing a different field: Cultural capital and the classroom. In S.G. Grant, J. Lee, and K. Swan (Eds). Teaching Social Studies: A Methods Book for Methods Teachers (pp. 215-222). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

 

Recent Presentations and Invited Keynotes

Lambrev, V., & Cruz, B.C. (2021, October). Developing collaborative scholarly practitioners: Lessons learned about building a community of inquiry in online EdD preparation. CEPD21 (Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate).

Cruz, B.C. (October, 2021). Providing Support for Latinx Students: Unique Needs, Challenges, and Opportunities. University of North Carolina – Asheville.  https://www.unca.edu/events-and-news/event/providing-support-for-latinx-students-unique-needs-challenges-and-opportunities/ 

Cruz, B.C. (September, 2021). The Secret Life of the Cuban Sandwich: A History in Layers. USF Library Latinx Heritage.

Cruz, B.C. (June, 2021). Avoiding Professional Burnout. Tampa, FL: USF Office of Multicultural Affairs.

Moreno-Vera, J.R., Vera-Muñoz, M.I., & Cruz, B.C. (2021, April). La Imagen de la Mujer en la era del #METOO: Luchando contra los estereotipos de género en el aula./ Images of women in the #METOO era: Fighting gender stereotypes in the classroom. Asocia-ción Universitaria de Profesorado de Didáctica en la Ciencias Sociales. Valencia, Spain.

Cruz, B.C., & Yelvington, K.A. (April, 2021). Educación y Enoturismo en España: Tales of Two USF Fulbrighters in Spain. USF Fulbright Day. USF.

Cruz, B.C., Ferguson, M., Peck-Bartle, S., & Viera, C.M. (2021, February). Still Here: Black History through Contemporary Art. Annual conference of the Florida Council for the Social Studies.

Cruz, B.C., Peck-Bartle, S., Viera, C.M. (2021, February). Sociāli apzinātas mākslas (SCA) centieni piesaistīt skatītājus ar domu rosinošiem attēliem un vēstījumiem ar galveno mērķi - rosināt sociālo darbību (Socially Conscious Contemporary Art: Critical Thinking and Quality Education for All). Quality of Education and Effective Management of the Education System (79th International Scientific Conference of the University of Latvia). Rīga, Latvia: Latvijas Universitāte.

Cruz, B. (February, 2021). Socially Conscious Contemporary Art: Opportunities for American History. Pinellas County Public Schools, Social Studies PD Day.

InsideART Curricula

Cruz, B., Ellerbrock, C.R., Ferguson, M., Peck-Bartle, S., & Viera, C.M. (2021). Still Here + Marking Monuments, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF. 

Cruz, B., Ellerbrock, C.R., Ferguson, M., Peck-Bartle, S., & Viera, C.M. (2021). Constant Storm: Art from Puerto Rico and the Diaspora, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF.  

Cruz, B., Ellerbrock, C.R., Ferguson, M., Peck-Bartle, S., & Viera, C.M. (2020). The Neighbors: Slides Shows for America, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF.

Cruz, B.C., & Vera Muñoz, M.I. (2020). Haciendo lo invisible, visible, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF. 

Cruz, B., Peck-Bartle, S., & Viera, C.M. (2020). Sponge Exchange & Flood Zone, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF.

Cruz, B., Peck-Bartle, S., & Viera, C.M. (2019). The Return of the Real, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF.

Cruz, B., Ellerbrock, C., Mead, S., & Viera, C.M. (2019). The Visible Turn: Contemporary Artists confront Political Invisibility, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF. 

Cruz, B., Ellerbrock, C., Mead, S., & Viera, C.M. (2018). Miki Kratsman: People I Met, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF. 

Cruz, B., Ellerbrock, C., & Mead, S. (2018). Climate Change: Cuba/USA, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF.

Cruz, B., Ellerbrock, C., & Mead, S. (2017). David Claerbout, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF. 

Cruz, B., Ellerbrock, C., & Mead, S. (2016). Histories/Histórias, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF. 

Cruz, B., Ellerbrock, C., & Mead, S. (2015). A Family Affair, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF. 

Cruz, B., Ellerbrock, C., & Smith, N. (2015). Enhanced!: The Art of Manipulated Photography, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF.

Cruz, B., & Smith, N. (2014). CAM@25: Social Engagement, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF.

Cruz, B., Smith, N., Travis, S., & Gonzalez, V. (2013). SubRosa: The Art of Resistance, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF.

Cruz, B., & Howes, E. (2012). Mark Dion: Troubleshooting, arts-social studies-science curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF. 

Cruz, B., Goodrick, J., & Aybar, R. (2010). Carlos Garaicoa: La Enmienda Que Hay en Mi, arts-social studies curriculum, InsideART, Contemporary Art Museum, USF.