Josh Keidan has spent the last three decades immersing himself in the writings of great and unknown authors alike, gleaning insight into everything from fictional worlds and their societal frameworks to very real, very intricate theories regarding the mind and how it reacts to various educational environments. He writes in a variety of genres, with a primary focus on nonfiction (both essays and creative nonfiction) and poetry. Located in Ohio, Josh holds a PhD in Education from The University of Toledo, where he has served as a writer, editor, accreditation manager and curriculum designer.

Throughout his career, Josh Keidan has maintained a deep fascination with the human brain, specifically as it relates to how it processes and comprehends information. Possessing the worldview that learning is a form of identity expansion, Josh strives to continually identify methods of making education a more pleasurable experience for all participants, regardless of any barriers they may face — whether perceived or otherwise. 

By and large, one of the greatest obstacles Josh is faced with is a hesitation to learn, as expanding one’s horizons can feel like a direct challenge to their core identity rather than their behaviors, or that it is impossible for them to improve. As a result, Josh Keidan has taken to confronting these issues by making learning a creative, open-ended and fun process, by helping other educators with the tools to unpack each student’s individual needs, and by accommodating his own students’ needs, interests and ability by taking calculated risks with his approach to teaching. 

For instance, Josh is intrigued by how different educational environments can garner different results from students. When students are challenged to step outside of their comfort zones and truly listen to opposing arguments without directly disagreeing — say, as improvisational actors are required to do — they can gain exposure to conflicting worldviews, approaches to resolving problems, and the like. Similarly, when students are brought fully into the moment of learning through tackling complex, meaningful (and at times absurd) challenges, learning can take place painlessly as part of the process of problem solving. For example, for many years he led students in planning and hosting area-wide conferences; creating and running these events involved the mastery of many skills (academic and social) in seamless ways

Outside of his work, Josh Keidan enjoys researching the intricacies of our world’s social structures. As a former Peace Corp volunteer, Josh has seen first-hand the implications of clinging too tightly to outdated and harmful worldviews simply because they are considered the standard. Recently, Josh presented at a Peace Studies conference, where he dove into the topics of direct, structural, and cultural violence, and how figures in popular culture — specifically characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — combat those forces and uphold the status quo. 

Should you be interested in learning more about the causes Josh Keidan cares deeply about, his passion for writing and literature, or his perspective on education and learning, be sure to visit his blog page regularly.