Writing
Writings
Curiosity, Caution, and a Full Room: Reflections on the First AI & Elections Bootcamp
This practitioner reflection synthesizes insights from election officials at the first AI & Elections Bootcamp, outlining how participatory, ethics-centered learning can support responsible AI adoption, policy clarity, and a growing community of practice in election administration.
Lester, A. J. (2025, November 25). Curiosity, caution, and a full room: Reflections on the first AI & Elections Bootcamp. AI & Elections Clinic: Ideas & Implications.
Conclusion: Looking Ahead—Participatory Futures with AI
This chapter explores participatory, student-centered futures for higher education in the age of generative AI, emphasizing ethical tension, shared governance, and the shifting role of knowledge and authority.
Allen, R. A., & Lester, A. J. (2023). Conclusion: Looking ahead—Participatory futures with AI. In R. A. Allen (Ed.), In Using and Understanding AI in Higher Education Classroom Research with Real-World Strategies. Palgrace MacMillan.
When the World Is Falling Apart, We Still Hold It Together”: A Portrait of Teacher Action Research in Online Education During COVID-19
This article uses portraiture and arts-based action research to illuminate the relational, emotional, and instructional work of teaching and learning during the rapid shift to online education amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lester, A. (2025). “When the world is falling apart, we still hold it together”: A portrait of teacher action research in online education during COVID-19. International Review of Qualitative Research, 0(0), 1–29.
Transforming Futures Through Speculative YPAR: The Garage Story
This article examines how speculative youth participatory action research creates imaginative spaces for young people to envision and design more just social futures through collective storytelling and inquiry.
Lester, A. J., Kadosh, E., Suarez, A., & Rubinstein, A. (2025). Transforming futures through speculative YPAR: The garage story. Bank Street Occasional Paper Series, 53, 82–95.
Relational Mentoring and the Centrality of Self-Care
This chapter examines relational mentoring as a feminist, human-centered practice, highlighting how self-care, emotional labor, and collective belonging support intellectual growth and resilience in doctoral education.
Boehr, C., Carlson, S., Deters, A., Dickman-Burnett, V. L., Lester, A. J., Raider-Roth, M., Arthur Mellon, B., Theurer, P., & Tyler, S. (2020). Relational mentoring and the centrality of self-care. In C. Boehr, S. Carlson, A. Deters, & V. L. Dickman-Burnett (Eds.), Mentoring in higher education (pp. 195–214). Springer.
Beyond Survival: Thriving With Positive Psychology in Jewish Education
This commentary argues for a shift from survival-oriented frameworks toward human flourishing and well-being in Jewish education, drawing on positive psychology to reimagine educational purpose during ongoing social and cultural challenges.
Lester, A. (2024). Beyond survival: Thriving with positive psychology in Jewish education. Journal of Jewish Education, 90(4), 366–375.
Latest Publications
Beyond the Books: Service Learning as a Retention Strategy for First-Gen Students
Beyond Sit-and-Get: Creating Engaging Professional Development
Expanding Your Evaluation Toolkit: Beyond Culturally Responsive Evaluation
Why I Believe AI Needs to Be Co-Created With Students
There is an ongoing debate in education about AI: Should we allow it? Should we ban it? Should we pretend it doesn’t exist? In my classroom, we take a different approach. We co-create with it. When I first introduced AI to students, I did not come with a set of...
Embracing the Unexpected: Using Emergent Strategy in Community-Based Work
Greetings, fellow changemakers! Picture this: You’re knee-deep in a project, and suddenly, everything changes. Panic sets in, right? Well, not if you’re equipped with the magic of emergent strategy. Today, we’re diving into this dynamic approach, perfect for those who thrive on flexibility, creativity, and a dash of spontaneity. Let’s...
Dancing to the Community’s Beat: Culturally Responsive Evaluation Practices
Hello, fellow evaluators and community enthusiasts! Let’s talk about something that’s as essential as a good cup of coffee in the morning (or tea, if that’s your jam): culturally responsive evaluation practices. If you’ve ever found yourself scratching your head, wondering how to adapt evaluation methods to diverse cultural contexts,...
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