What drives me as an educator? A simple yet profound idea that education can change the world. Such an idea may seem lofty; however, I recognize that with perseverance, teaching is the ultimate way to alter the trajectory of a young person’s life. I believe that we have a duty as educators to open as many doors (and windows) as possible to help our students, colleagues, and communities flourish and partner to develop lifelong learners. We need our classrooms to provide the absolute best conditions for growth and embrace ways to bridge theory and practice. If we focus on education in its purest form, it can serve as a great equalizer; one thing that is guaranteed to every single child, one thing that can take any student to any place they want to go.
Social Studies Education
Teaching with Primary Sources
Equity in the Classroom
Civic Education
Civic Engagement/Action
Instructional Coaching
Teacher Education
New Teacher Development
Ph.D. - Education (Social Science Focus), University of Central Florida
M.A.T. - Social Science Education, University of Central Florida
B.A. - History and Journalism & Media Studies, Rutgers University
A.A. - General Studies and Communications, Atlantic Cape Community College
Professional Teaching Certificate Florida Department of Education (Social Science, Grades 6-12 & Gifted Teaching Endorsement)
Certified Instructional Coach (University of Florida, Lastinger Center)
Before joining the faculty of the University of Redlands, Brian served as the coordinator of the Civic Engagement and Innovation Laboratory at Lyman High School in Seminole County, Florida. In prior years Brian served as an instructional coach and taught middle grades social studies at a Title I school in Central Florida. An accomplished educator and proud “Knight for Life” - Brian earned his B.A. in History and Journalism & Media Studies from Rutgers University, and his M.A.T. in Social Science Education and Ph.D. in Education from the University of Central Florida.
Brian’s research is focused on civic education, youth civic engagement, new teacher development, and fostering authentic inquiry in the social studies classroom. He has authored or co-authored a variety of works over the past several years. He collaborates with scholars and professionals across the country to advocate for an increased focus on civic skills in the classroom, working to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Evans-Amalu, L. & Furgione, B. (2020). That’s the way the cookie crumbles: Voting rights throughout history. Journal of Social Studies and History Education (JSSHE).
Furgione, B., & Waring, S. (2019). What’s in the envelope? Using authentic inquiry and primary sources to explore immigration and citizenship. In Context – FCHE. 3(1), 9-20.
Evans, K., Russell, W., Furgione, B., & Sheridan, A. (2018). Won’t you be my neighbor? A study of familial perceptions of character education in PBS media programming in the United States. Journal of Culture and Values in Education. 1(2), 1-23.
Furgione, B., Evans, K., Walker, I., & Russell, W. (2018). The elephant in the classroom: A comparative study of civics end-of-course assessments. Social Studies Research and Practice, 13(2).
Furgione, B., Evans, K., Russell, W., & Jahani, S. (2018). Divided we test: Proficiency rate disparity based on race, gender, and socioeconomic status of students on the Florida US history end-of-course assessment. Journal of Social Studies Research, 9(3), 62-96.
Furgione, B., Evans, K., Ghimire, N., Thripp, R., & Russell, W. (2018). What’s on your plate? Correlating subsidized lunch and proficiency on the civics end-of-course assessment. Educational Practice and Theory, 40(1), 51-66.
Furgione, B., Razgha, A., & Sanchez, J. (2013). Lewis & Clark: A QR code expedition. Florida Council for the Social Studies: Trends & Issues, Summer (2013), 58-59.
iCivics Educator Network (https://www.icivics.org/our-network)
The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
College and University Faculty Assembly (CUFA)
The International Society for the Social Studies (ISSS)
Social Science Education Consortium (SSEC)
The Florida Council for the Social Studies (FCSS)
2019 Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching - University of Central Florida (Top GTA)
2016 Teacher of the Year - Florida Department of Education Statewide Finalist (Top 5)
2016 Teacher of the Year - Seminole County Public Schools
2016 Walt Disney World Mousecar Recipient (A Disney Oscar)
2015 Teacher of the Year - Milwee Middle School
2012-2013 Paul J. Hagerty Teacher Technology Award
Twitter: @DrFurgione
