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Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice

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Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice

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Geneva Gay

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Geneva Gay is renowned for her contributions to multicultural education, particularly as it relates to curriculum design, professional learning, and classroom instruction. Gay has made many important revisions to keep her foundational, award-winning text relevant for today's diverse student population, including: new research on culturally responsive teaching, a focus on a broader range of racial and ethnic groups, and consideration of additional issues related to early childhood education. Combining insights from multicultural education theory with real-life classroom stories, this book demonstrates that all students will perform better on multiple measures of achievement when teaching is filtered through students' own cultural experiences. This perennial bestseller continues to be the go-to resource for teacher professional learning and preservice courses.

While retaining its basic organization and structure, the Third Edition features:

New research that validates the positive effects of culturally responsive teaching.

Examples that broaden the racial and ethnic groups that can benefit from culturally responsive teaching.

More information on the needs and benefits of culturally responsive teaching with young children.

More attention to the quality of life for students of color in colleges and universities.

The addition of Practice Possibilities at the end of chapters that describe how culturally responsive teaching can be implemented.

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Geneva Gay is renowned for her contributions to multicultural education, particularly as it relates to curriculum design, professional learning, and classroom instruction. Gay has made many important revisions to keep her foundational, award-winning text relevant for today's diverse student population, including: new research on culturally responsive teaching, a focus on a broader range of racial and ethnic groups, and consideration of additional issues related to early childhood education.

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Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Asking a Different Question

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Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Asking a Different Question

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Gloria Ladson-Billings

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For the first time, this volume provides a definitive collection of Gloria Ladson-Billings's groundbreaking concept of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP). After repeatedly confronting deficit perspectives that asked, "What's wrong with those kids?," Ladson-Billings decided to ask a different question, one that fundamentally shifted the way we think about teaching and learning. Noting that "those kids" usually meant Black students, she posed a new question: "What is right with Black students and what happens in classrooms where teachers, parents, and students get it right?" This compilation of Ladson-Billings's published work on Culturally Relevant Pedagogy examines the theory, how it works in specific subject areas, and its role in teacher education. The final section looks toward the future, including what it means to re-mix CRP with elements of youth culture such as hip hop. This one-of-a-kind collection can be used as an introduction to CRP and as a retrospective of the idea as it evolved over time, helping a new generation to see the possibilities that exist in teaching and learning for all students.
Featured Essays:
1. Toward a Theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

2. But That's Just Good Teaching! The Case for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

3. Liberatory Consequences of Literacy: A Case of Culturally Relevant Instruction for African American Students

4. It Doesn't Add Up: African American Students' Mathematics Achievement

5. Crafting a Culturally Relevant Social Studies Approach

6. Fighting for Our Lives: Preparing Teachers to Teach African American Students

7. Is the Team All Right? Diversity and Teacher Education

8. It's Not the Culture of Poverty, It's the Poverty of Culture: The Problem With Teacher Education

9. Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the Remix

10. Beyond Beats, Rhymes, & Beyoncé: Hip Hop, Hip Hop Education, and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

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Unsettling Settler-Colonial Education: The Transformational Indigenous Praxis Model

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Unsettling Settler-Colonial Education: The Transformational Indigenous Praxis Model

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Cornel Pewewardy, Anna Lees, Robin Zape-tah-hol-ah Minthorn

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Educating for Equity and Excellence: Enacting Culturally Responsive Teaching

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Educating for Equity and Excellence: Enacting Culturally Responsive Teaching

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Geneva Gay

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In this collection of articles, Geneva Gay invites readers to make educational equity and excellence for all students a reality, not just an ethic or an ideal. Through teaching narratives and pragmatic examples, Gay illustrates that a combination of ideology, ethics, personal commitment, and praxis on the part of educators is essential to achieving equity for underachieving racial and ethnic minority students. The text is organized into three themes: Identity(how the identities and behaviors of educators are influenced by their membership in ethnic and cultural groups); Ideology(how the beliefs, attitudes, and expectations of educators shape their behaviors and instruction); and Action (suggestions for equitable teaching, classroom management, curriculum development, and teacher preparation). Each individual essay can be read separately, but they are especially powerful when read in conjunction with each other. Educating for Equity and Excellence is applicable to a broad spectrum of teaching contexts, including early childhood, elementary, secondary, and college.
Book Features:

A good blend of ideas and actions for teaching diverse students, including Black, Asian American, Native American, and Latinx students.

Narratives from the personal experiences of the author as well as those of other education scholars, researchers, and practitioners.

Suggested teaching actions applicable to educating students at different grade levels and abilities.

Easy-to-understand chapters, with pragmatic explanations, that describe complex conceptual ideas.

Recommended actions for promoting and sustaining equity across contexts.

Geneva Gay received the 2023 AERA Division B (Curriculum Studies) Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Ongoing DEI training and professional learning; Ongoing examinations of implicit biases and assumptions as educators; Support in aligning curriculum and instruction to the histories, languages, and experiences of traditionally marginalized voices

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"Selecting Indigenous Images for your Classroom"

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"Selecting Indigenous Images for your Classroom"

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2023 NK 360֯ Summer Series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKXizLCw8D s

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Native Knowledge 360° | Professional Development | Recorded

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View recent webinars hosted by Native Knowledge 360°, a Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian’s national education initiative. #NK360

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Culturally and Socially Responsible Assessment: Theory, Research, and Practice

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Culturally and Socially Responsible Assessment: Theory, Research, and Practice

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Catherine S. Taylor

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“Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the Remix”

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“Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the Remix”

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Ladson-Billings, G. (2014).

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Literature mirrors students’ cultures, lived experiences, etc.; Value of indigenous epistemologies; Students as “co-designers” of curriculum; Resources written and developed by racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse perspectives; Instructional styles and practices that adapt to learning styles; Assessments cater to students’ cultural identities (i.e. rubrics) (NCTE, 2020); Use of native languages in classroom; Connect present learning to histories of the past

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Student-Centered Pedagogy; Critical examination of systemic racism and societal power structures; Assignments and activities that tap into critical-thinking; Asset-Based Thinking; Cultures of Care and Warm Demanding; Student Leadership; Student Agency; Interdisciplinary and Authentic Learning

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School-community partnerships with Tribal Nations; Collective responsibility to learn about student cultures, lived experiences, and trauma; Teacher-Student Relationship Building; Partnerships with student families and guardians; Schools and classroom environments built on respect and dignity; Cultural invitations into classroom

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hooks, b.

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Native Presence and Sovereignty in College: Sustaining Indigenous Weapons to Defeat Systemic Monsters

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Native Presence and Sovereignty in College: Sustaining Indigenous Weapons to Defeat Systemic Monsters

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Amanda R. Tachine

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Moll et al,

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Connecting Equity, Literacy, and Language: Pathways Toward Advocacy-Focused Teaching

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Connecting Equity, Literacy, and Language: Pathways Toward Advocacy-Focused Teaching

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Althier M. Lazar, Kaitlin K. Moran, Shoshanna Edwards-Alexander

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Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices.   

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Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices.   

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Escoto German, L. (2021).

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Storying Son Jarocho Fandango: A Culturally Decolonizing Pedagogy in Ethnic Studies

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Storying Son Jarocho Fandango: A Culturally Decolonizing Pedagogy in Ethnic Studies

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Cueponcaxochitl D. Moreno Sandoval, Lirio Patton, Julissa Ruiz Ramirez, Gregorio G. Rocha-Tabera, Jennifer Campos Lopez

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What happens when Chicanx students' educational experiences are shaped by the activation of ancestral worlds? Born of songs like La Bamba , oral traditions, call and response practices, body as an instrument, and embodying ecologies, the authors posit son jarocho fandango (SJF) methodologies as a tool of convivencia /conviviality, communal healing, positive identity formation, and agency. Against the backdrop of white settler colonialism, members of the intergenerational Son Xinachtli Collective formed across two U.S.-Mexican border states and two ethnic studies university courses. The Collective follows the tradition of the SJF decolonial movement, positioning SJF as an ancestral elder of the African diasporic, Mexican Indigenous, Spanish, and Arabic traditions―whose threat of extinction sparked a cultural revitalization. The survival of SJF and its ancestral worlds supersedes the ruptures of colonialism. From ethnic studies classroom practices to organizing SJF in the community, this work highlights the possibilities of nurturing co-liberation.

Book Features:

Offers an historical and contemporary example of culturally sustaining practices embraced by Chicanx and Indigenous communities.

Focuses on son jarocho fandango as a pedagogy and methodology in schools, not just an art form.

Shows how culturally sustaining pedagogy works in a postsecondary setting to center ethnic and cultural practices within the curriculum.

Interweaves student learning, ethnic studies pedagogies, teacher education, curriculum development, and civic engagement.

Includes visuals that provide the aesthetic of experiencing the son jarocho fandango movement.

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Storying Son Jarocho Fandango: A Culturally Decolonizing Pedagogy in Ethnic Studies (Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies Series)

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Storying Son Jarocho Fandango: A Culturally Decolonizing Pedagogy in Ethnic Studies (Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies Series) [Moreno Sandoval, Cueponcaxochitl D., Patton, Lirio, Ruiz Ramirez, Julissa, Rocha-Tabera, Gregorio G., Campos Lopez, Jennifer, Gonzalez, Martha] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.

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Love, B.

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Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World. 

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Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World. 

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H. Samy Alim and Django Paris, eds. (2017).

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Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World (Language and Literacy Series)

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Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World (Language and Literacy Series) [Paris, Django, Alim, H. Samy, Genishi, Celia, Alvermann, Donna E.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for…

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by Free Minds Writers

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Youth Justice Set by Free Minds Writers — Shout Mouse Press

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Get the full set of books by Free Minds incarcerated writers. These books feature poetry, essays, and personal stories written by incarcerated young people. This set includes: The Untold Story of The Real Me is a collection of poems written by young people who were charged and incarcerated as

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Culturally Sustaining Policymaking in Indigenous Communities: Partnering to Promote Lasting Change

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Culturally Sustaining Policymaking in Indigenous Communities: Partnering to Promote Lasting Change

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Aprille J. Phillips

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Culturally Sustaining Policymaking in Indigenous Communities: Partnering to Promote Lasting Change (Multicultural Education)

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Discover how top-down, policy-into-practice educational mandates have adversely affected indigenous communities in the United States’ midwestern core. The author scrutinizes how leaders and intermediaries in Nebraska, involved at various tiers of policy development and reform, conceptualized and imp…

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We Can't Teach What We Don't Know: White Teachers, Multiracial Schools

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We Can't Teach What We Don't Know: White Teachers, Multiracial Schools

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Gary R. Howard

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"This third edition of We Can't Teach What We Don't Know: White Teachers, Multiracial Schools, does an excellent job of providing a road map for white teachers to explore, discover, and critique the historical legacies of their identities."

-Teachers College Record

"The book provides ample opportunities for White teachers to reflect on their own racial identities and consider the role of race in the classroom."
―Multicultural Education Review
"This Third Edition of We Can't Teach What We Don't Know deepens the critically conscious framework it provides to support the development of especially White, middle-class teachers becoming highly effective, culturally relevant, and responsive educators to all students, especially those in the most poorly resourced schools. It also conveys, with the appropriate utter urgency, the need for teacher education to recruit and retain highly race-conscious teachers of color."
- Christine Clark, professor and senior scholar in multicultural education; founding vice president for diversity and inclusion, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)

"While we continue the work that must be done, more teachers need to read this book, more schools need to make sure it is in their libraries, and more colleges of education need to include it as mandatory reading. One book cannot change the world, but as this book has demonstrated since it was first published, it can begin the process."
-From the Foreword by Sonia Nieto, professor emerita, Language, Literacy, and Culture, College of Education, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

"Gary Howard's greatest gifts to me as a White educator are how he challenges me to see the subtle inequities I otherwise might struggle to see, and his commitment to doing so with humility and integrity: always the bridge, never the judge. What excites me about this new edition of We Can't Teach What We Don't Know is how, as Howard expands his own sphere of influence beyond schools and into school reform policy, he invites me, as a reader, along for the ride, helping me expand my own sphere of influence-always the bridge."
- Paul Gorski, founder of EdChange; associate professor of Integrative Studies at George Mason University

Critical Acclaim for We Can't Teach What We Don't Know!
"Offers a healing vision for the future of education in pluralistic nations."
- Rethinking Schools

"An indispensable resource for anyone struggling to understand the role that Whites play in multicultural education."
- Teaching Tolerance

"This work clearly deserves the enthusiastic praise it receives from major multicultural thinkers such as James Banks, Sonia Nieto, and Christine Sleeter."
- Journal of Moral Education

"A wake-up call for those suffering from apathy and a confirmation for those who want to continue to serve as change agents in American society."
- Journal of Negro Education

"An excellent guide for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of how to lead and live in an increasingly multicultural, multiracial world."
- The Diversity Factor

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Indigenous Children's Survivance in Public Schools.   

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Indigenous Children's Survivance in Public Schools.   

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Sabzalian, L. (2019)

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Holler If You Hear Me: The Education of a Teacher and His Students

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Holler If You Hear Me: The Education of a Teacher and His Students

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Gregory Michie

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Philip J. Deloria

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by Philip J. Deloria

272 Pages, 5.50 x 8.50 in, 27 b-w illus.

Paperback

9780300264845

Published: Tuesday, 17 May 2022

$18.00

Paperback

9780300080674

Published: Friday, 10 Sep 1999

$23.00

Out of Stock

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"[A] brilliant book. . . . This book reminds us that at least one question about America has been settled. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that prevail...

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The Pedagogy of Confidence: Inspiring High Intellectual Performance in Urban Schools

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The Pedagogy of Confidence: Inspiring High Intellectual Performance in Urban Schools

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Yvette Jackson

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The Hip-Hop Mindset: Success Strategies for Educators and Other Professionals

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The Hip-Hop Mindset: Success Strategies for Educators and Other Professionals

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Toby S. Jenkins

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The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop culture which, as a global industry and phenomenon, has accomplished a lot. But as a culture, what has hip-hop taught us? How has it inspired us? In what ways has it freed us? This book presents The Hip-Hop Mindset Framework―a perspective that gives us the permission to show up in life as our full authentic selves and to shine in our own culturally unique ways. Centered primarily in the field of education, this book introduces the hip-hop mindset as a professional practice that holds relevance for students, educators, and ambitious leaders in any profession. It is for those who seek to innovate, trailblaze, and create a rich source of professional magic. The author offers a fresh contribution to the literature by focusing on what hip-hop culture has to offer in terms of success strategies―what it can teach us about leadership, work ethic, commitment, and resilience. Expanding the important conversations about the power of hip-hop in the lives of youth, Jenkins explores hip-hop culture in the lives of adult professionals, including P-20 educators, community leaders, and organizational administrators.

Book Features:

Moves beyond pedagogy and teaching strategies to explore how hip-hop mindsets can contribute to professional success.

Examines hip-hop as a cultural mindset that has nothing to do with the ability to rhyme, breakdance, or spin records.

Argues that everyone can benefit from a hip-hop mindset, regardless of the field you are in, by welcoming new ways of knowing, being, and doing.

Pushes us to consider culture as a professional practice and to embrace the nuggets of wisdom and insight from hip-hop culture to inform how we lead and work professionally.

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The Hip-Hop Mindset: Success Strategies for Educators and Other Professionals (Multicultural Education Series)

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The Hip-Hop Mindset: Success Strategies for Educators and Other Professionals (Multicultural Education Series) [Jenkins, Toby S., Banks, James A., Kimbrough, Walter] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Hip-Hop Mindset: Success Strategies for Educators and Other Professionals (Multicultural Education Series)

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Teachers Speak Up!: Stories of Courage, Resilience, and Hope in Difficult Times

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Teachers Speak Up!: Stories of Courage, Resilience, and Hope in Difficult Times

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Sonia Nieto, Alicia López

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In the past several years, we have witnessed unprecedented political, racial, economic, and health-related ruptures in society. The resulting turmoil has had an inevitable and negative impact on students, teachers, the profession of education, and especially marginalized and vulnerable populations. Academics and policymakers have had their say on how to address today's volatile issues, but teachers and other practitioners closest to students have not had the same visibility or access. This volume is an attempt to remedy that absence resulting in a compelling picture of education today. Chapters highlight essays written by a diverse group of K-12 classroom teachers who share their vision for education and describe their empowering classroom practices. At times hopeful and full of joy, at other times angry and full of frustration, these essays speak to what classrooms and schools based on social justice might mean for our nation. Teachers Speak Up! presents a bold vision of what education could be if teachers were to have a more direct influence on the purpose and aims of learning and teaching.
Book Features:

Offers grounded accounts about creating classrooms filled with hope and promise amid the many challenges to everyday practice.

Addresses the harm done by universal school closures due to the pandemic, growing political divisions, the ugly specter of racism, book bans, and more.

Gives voice to classroom teachers who describe their vision for education, as well as their successful practice teaching diverse students.

Includes chapter authors who are diverse in their identities, the subject matter they teach, and their time in the profession.

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For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood.  

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For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood.  

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Emdin, C.

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Where Is the Justice? Engaged Pedagogies in Schools and Communities

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Where Is the Justice? Engaged Pedagogies in Schools and Communities

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Valerie Kinloch, Emily A. Nemeth, Tamara T. Butler, Grace D. Player

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Reclaiming the Multicultural Roots of U.S. Curriculum: Communities of Color and Official Knowledge in Education

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Reclaiming the Multicultural Roots of U.S. Curriculum: Communities of Color and Official Knowledge in Education

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Wayne Au, Anthony L. Brown, Dolores Calderón

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Radical Care: Leading for Justice in Urban Schools

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Radical Care: Leading for Justice in Urban Schools

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Rosa L. Rivera-McCutchen

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Culturally Responsive Instructional Supervision: Leadership for Equitable and Emancipatory Outcomes

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Culturally Responsive Instructional Supervision: Leadership for Equitable and Emancipatory Outcomes

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Ian M. Mette, Dwayne Ray Cormier, Yanira Oliveras

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This book responds to the urgent need for instructional practices that recognize student diversity and cultural backgrounds as valuable assets. As the United States continues to grapple with policies that promote culturally dominant ideologies, the opportunity gaps continue to widen for minoritized, marginalized, and otherized PK-12 students. This timely book provides a comprehensive developmental framework for implementing Culturally Responsive Instructional Supervision that fosters an educational environment that disrupts the culture of white supremacy, promotes a sense of belonging, and achieves culturally appropriate instructional outcomes for all learners. The authors show educators how to establish diverse and representative supervision teams that provide formative feedback and promote self-reflection. Schools can use this book to effectively observe, assess, and support teachers on their journey toward becoming culturally responsive practitioners.
Book Features:

Encourages instructional leaders to embrace their role as equity leaders and actively work to dismantle harmful educational practices.

Offers strategies focused on the strengths and assets children bring to school every day, instead of the deficit-oriented perspectives reinforced by the accountability movement.

Centers sociocultural identities as the key factor to providing feedback to teachers about culturally responsive practices, while maintaining rigorous expectations for student learning and academic outcomes.

Includes foundations, practical approaches, and examples of praxis for the implementation of Culturally Responsive Instructional Supervision.

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The Student-Affirming Education Needed for Our Children and Our Nation's Future

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The Student-Affirming Education Needed for Our Children and Our Nation's Future

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Dier, Chris; Munoz, Gerardo; Nagayoshi, Takeru; Nance, Tracey; Washington, Monica

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED625641.pdf

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“Recommended and Non-Recommended Native American Children's Literature” (Blog)

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“Recommended and Non-Recommended Native American Children's Literature” (Blog)

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Debbie Reese https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/p/not-recommended-books.html

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"9 Things Every Educator Needs to Know When Teaching Black Students"

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"9 Things Every Educator Needs to Know When Teaching Black Students"

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SHARIF EL-MEKKI

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"Upholding heightened expectations of Indigenous children? Parents do, teachers do not"

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"Upholding heightened expectations of Indigenous children? Parents do, teachers do not"

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Huw Peacock,

Jacob Prehn,

Michael A. Guerzoni,

Wendy Aitken and

Clair Andersen

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Upholding heightened expectations of Indigenous children? Parents do, teachers do not | The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education | Cambridge Core

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Upholding heightened expectations of Indigenous children? Parents do, teachers do not - Volume 50 Issue 2

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Songs of the Caged Birds: Literacy and Learning with Incarcerated Youth

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Songs of the Caged Birds: Literacy and Learning with Incarcerated Youth

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Peter Williamson, Megan Mercurio and Constance Walker

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ERIC - EJ1017411 - Songs of the Caged Birds: Literacy and Learning with Incarcerated Youth, English Journal, 2013-Mar

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This article reports on the challenges teachers face when working with juveniles who are incarcerated. For example, they must devise an English curriculum that can help students develop reading and writing skills while also becoming literate about the prison industrial complex and the ways that it g…

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Teaching in the Dark: The Promise and Pedagogy of Creative Writing in Prison

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Teaching in the Dark: The Promise and Pedagogy of Creative Writing in Prison

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Deborah Appleman

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Teaching in the Dark: The Promise and Pedagogy of Creative Writing in Prison on JSTOR

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Deborah Appleman, Teaching in the Dark: The Promise and Pedagogy of Creative Writing in Prison, The English Journal, Vol. 102, No. 4 (March 2013), pp. 24-30

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Indigeneity, Settler Colonialism, and Indigenous Liberation - The Red Nation - Manifold by Vaught and Brayboy

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Indigeneity, Settler Colonialism, and Indigenous Liberation - The Red Nation - Manifold by Vaught and Brayboy

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This one is really interesting!  It makes connections between residential boarding schools and the juvenile prison models of today.  I love this idea of Black-Indigenous solidarity.

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Indigeneity, Settler Colonialism, and Indigenous Liberation - The Red Nation

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This reading list includes foundational texts on Indigenous struggle, what it means to be Indigenous, and the nature of settler colonialism. The Red Nation is an Indigenous-led organization open to … Continue reading Indigeneity, Settler Colonialism, and Indigenous Liberation

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Restorative Justice in Schools: SEL in Action

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Restorative Justice in Schools: SEL in Action

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David Yusem

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I was bullied in high school. The bullying took the form of humiliation, physical assault, and mental torment. At the time, it was simply thought of as "kids being kids." Not a single administrator or teacher did anything to check in, help me, or stop the bullying. Many of my teachers laughed it off when they witnessed it.

This had an impact on my self esteem and my beliefs about people's intent - at work and in other aspects of my life. At the same time, I have always had the ability to see the many sides of conflict. Since elementary school, I have been the go-to mediator with peers, co-workers, and beyond. I have been building my empathy muscle my whole life.

My professional path brought me to community mediation at a nonprofit and it was in this role that I first learned about restorative justice. Since then, I've dedicated my work to building restorative justice programs at the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center and in school districts such as Berkeley Unified and Oakland Unified School Districts.

What is Restorative Justice?

Restorative justice views "harm" as a fracturing of relationships, rather than something that demands punishment. A restorative justice process is a way to uncover true needs and heal relationships via meaningful accountability.

How might restorative justice apply to a conflict? Restorative justice allows the impacted parties to talk about what happened, how they are feeling about it now, the impact it had on everyone, and ultimately what can be done to make it as right as possible. Restorative approach can help school communities avoid the need for exclusionary discipline and reduce repeated offenses. People who have been harmed often have questions that only the person that harmed them can answer. Often time these questions are simple like "why me?" or "what led you to do this to me?" The process allows for these and other questions to be answered and to begin the healing process.

Restorative justice originates from an indigenous paradigm - it is community based, relational, and inclusive. The process creates equity by giving everyone a space to talk and be heard and by addressing the root cause of harm. We often say harmed people harm people, so it is important to uncover and address the original harm too. The restorative talking circle process is often implemented to start this conversation.

Restorative Talking Circles and SEL

One restorative practice that is supporting SEL in classrooms is the use of restorative talking circles. Circles are an effective way of building a community where people feel connected and develop communal ownership of the classroom. This kind of connectedness creates an environment where authentic engagement and deep learning can happen. Students may bring their cultural values into the space, creating a shared ownership of the classroom.

Circles typically start with an opening practice, for example a few minutes of mindfulness, to create an intentional space. The opening is followed by a "check-in" with each of the members of the circle. When first establishing the circle, the group may co-create shared guidelines and discuss personal and shared values. This lays the foundation for a rich and meaningful dialogue followed by a check out and closing.

If the circle is a response to harm or conflict, we may discuss what happened and the impact. We eventually discuss how to make things as right as possible and come up with a plan to repair the relationships and re-weave the fabric of the community. The ability to make something right - or as right as possible - is a gift that all people impacted by harm deserve.

Simply by sitting in a restorative circle in the classroom, students learn valuable social and emotional skills such as patience, empathy, active listening, and impulse control. These skills fall into the five SEL competencies that the Collaborative for Academic and Social Emotional Learning (CASEL) supports schools in teaching and practicing: self awareness, self management, social awareness, responsible decision making, and relationship skills.

Not only does a restorative circle allow people to practice these skills, it can also be used to explicitly teach them. For example, one could do a circle on what it means to be an ally, what respect looks, sounds and feels like in our classroom, or to make a consensual decision about something that affects the community?

Restorative justice is a values based practice. In a circle, shared guidelines and values are always created as a group before the main discussion. We generally use the same core guidelines across the school district and then invite additional ideas for the discussion. We adapted a version of guidelines set forth by Kay Pranis and Carolyn Boyes-Watson in their book "Circle Forward, Building a Restorative School Community", Living Justice Press 2014. They are:

Respect the talking piece - A meaningful object is passed around the circle. The person holding it is the only one that speaks. Everyone else actively listens.

Speak and listen from the heart - Speak your truth and listen with an open mind.

Speak and listen with respect - Pay attention to your triggers and how you express yourself.

Remain in circle - Be present.

Honor privacy - Keep the conversation private. Participants may discuss the level of confidentiality they feel they need.

It is important to build a foundation in shared values so that all participants, especially students, can bring what is important to them (family, culture) into the space. This allows for a classroom to be a shared space rather than the teacher's room. Teachers do not need to be experts in their students lives, and they cannot control what a young person may experience outside of the classroom, at the same time they can provide opportunities to create a learning environment that resonates with a student based on what the student has indicated in circle is important to them.

Student Leadership: The Circle Keepers

A major tenet of restorative justice is working with people rather than doing to them. To support this, every year in Oakland hundreds of youth are trained as circle keepers to support circles in the school community. This supports students as leaders and encourages them to engage in their own education. In their training, youth are not being manipulated to do things adults should do; rather students are empowered to participate in and lead restorative justice because it resonates with them. We must ask ourselves who are we doing this for, students or adults? Do adults want students to learn self management so they can be quiet, orderly and compliant, or do we want them to practice that competency so they may create and maintain positive relationships during and after their education?

By sharing the circle keeper role, adults working in restorative schools are practicing and learning SEL skills alongside students. As teachers learn alongside students, they become more aware of their own biases and triggers. Often adults become more aware of how their behavior can impact children in a positive way - especially youth of color, and students who express their gender in non-heteronormative ways, who feel adult bias the most.

How to Get Started

There is no plug and play model for implementing restorative justice practices at a school. Restorative justice implementation is profoundly related to the eco-system of each school or district. Schools must first assess the environment for readiness. Administrators, teachers, students and parents can identify what factors conducive to restorative justice are already in place and what they can do better. All staff should be trained and receive coaching and feedback throughout the year.

The OUSD Restorative Justice Implementation Guide is a navigational tool we developed in Oakland in partnership with Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY) to help members of the school community identify indicators such as: What's working in our school? What could we do better? What positive things are happening that RJ can support? What do we need to rethink?

It is difficult to implement restorative justice on a piecemeal basis. Restorative justice is a school wide phenomenon and more effective to implement if most, if not all, of the teachers are trained in circles and receive coaching support as they learn the art of circle-keeping. Student leadership can expand to include restorative practices for community building and responding to harm and conflict.

Restorative Justice and Creating Safe Spaces

Today's students want to engage with school curriculum, but in a culturally relevant way. They want to soak up what the teachers are trying to give them, but many of them need a space that creates safety first. Students may need to break free from the cycle of harm and aggression that experiencing trauma can set in motion. According to a 2017 report from the National Survey on Children's Health, 46% of all children in the US have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE). Bringing restorative justice practices into schools and districts can help to provide an environment where they can heal and break the cycle.

Each day when I go to work at Oakland Unified School District I ask myself how I will transform this system rather than become it. It takes a relentless intentionality and a deep commitment to self reflection. Restorative justice practices help me and others in our school community practice and build our social and emotional skill set so that we can be in right relationship with each other and create a place and space where robust and engaging learning can happen. We need to radically shift the way we have been educating our students for the last 150 years to something that works for all of our young people now.
David Yusem coordinates the Restorative Justice program at Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). This year, the district was able to maintain full time Restorative Justice staff at over 26 school sites to support the implementation of Restorative Justice programming district-wide. The RJ program at OUSD is considered a National model for the implementation of restorative practices in schools. Prior to working at OUSD, David managed the community mediation program at SEEDS Community Resolution Center, and founded their restorative justice program. David has also initiated Restorative Justice pilot programs at the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center and Berkeley Unified School District.

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Restorative Justice in Schools: SEL in Action

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https://youtu.be/oc23H6RxWRo I was bullied in high school. The bullying took the form of humiliation, physical assault, and mental torment. At the time, it was simply thought of as "kids being kids." Not a single administrator or teacher did anything to check in, help me, or stop the bullying.

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Culturally Responsive Instructional Resources for Teaching American Indians | NC DPI

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Culturally responsive instruction is a student-centered approach to teaching. It is instruction that embraces and uses what each student brings culturally

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Meg Benner, Catherine Brown, Ashley Jeffrey

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Powell et al. (2017)

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Teaching Diverse Youth: Culturally Responsive Teaching

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Culturally Responsive Instruction Observation Protocol

To observe culturally responsive teaching we used the Culturally Responsive Instruction Observation Protocol, developed by Rebecca Powell and Susan Cantrell. For more information see:

Powell, R., and Cantrell, S. C. (Eds.). (In press). Framing culturally responsive instruction: Implementing the CRIOP model in K-8 classrooms. Gorham, ME: Myers Education Press.

CRIOP consists of six holistic dimensions

Classroom Relationships

This pillar of culturally responsive instruction encompasses dimensions of teacher care and the classroom environment. Teacher care includes respect for students and their backgrounds, empathy and understanding, a commitment to helping, and dedication to teach all children while maintaining high expectations (Rightmyer, 2011 in Powell & Rightmeyer, 2011). Cultura1ly responsive classroom environments emphasize student collaboration, shared community goals, and affirmation of students' social and cultural identities (Powell, 2011).

Family Collaboration

Collaborating with families is an integral component of culturally responsive instruction. Promoting open communication between families and the teacher, developing partnerships with parents and caregivers, and valuing families' " funds of knowledge" are culturally responsive practices that build family collaboration (Seitz, 2011 in Powell & Rightmeyer (eds), 2011).

Assessment Practices

Cultivating a "culture of learning" is the goal of assessment in culturally responsive classrooms (Powell, 2011). Discovering students' strengths and literacy competencies and observing students' potential for learning are attributes of culturally responsive assessment practices. Through formative assessment strategies that allow students to demonstrate their learning in various forms, culturally responsive teachers gain information about students' literacy practices and modify their instruction to meet students' needs.

Instructional Practices

A framework for culturally responsive instruction incorporates students' cultural knowledge and affirms students' racial and cultural identities (Cox, 2011). Culturally responsive learning experiences integrate families' "funds of knowledge". Teachers practicing CRI will use students' prior learning to plan and guide instruction, will emphasize vocabulary development, and will incorporate opportunities for student collaborative learning and inquiry-based experiences ( Cantrell & Wheeler, 2011 in Powell & Rightmeyer, 2011)).

Discourse

Teachers practicing culturally responsive instruction provide abundant opportunities for student conversation and explicitly teach the "language of power"(Powers, 2011 in Powell & Rightmeyer, 2011). Elements of discourse practices in culturally responsive classrooms include valuing students' home languages, incorporating strategies to prompt academic conversations and developing language objectives that lead to linguistic competence.

Sociopolitical Consciousness

Culturally responsive instruction encompasses exploring issues important to students and their families, encouraging students to engage in problem-solving of real-world issues, and analyzing biases in texts and aspects of popular culture (Carter, 2011, in Powell & Rightmeyer, 2011) In culturally responsive classrooms, teachers strive to teach students to evaluate texts critically and to examine the ideologies and perspectives presented in various textual forms.
For this project, the CRIOP dimensions were translated into Spanish and Chinese.

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Culturally Responsive Instruction Observation Protocol To observe culturally responsive teaching we used the Culturally Responsive Instruction Observation Protocol, developed by Rebecca Powell and Susan Cantrell. For more information see: Powell, R., and Cantrell, S. C. (Eds.). (In press). Framing culturally responsive instruction: Implementing the CRIOP model in K-8 classrooms. Gorham, ME: Myers Education Press.

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Dr. Nancy Sulla

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We all learn best when we are motivated to learn, and the intrinsic motivation of interest, pride, and "felt need" works much better than the extrinsic motivation of rewards, peer pressure, and fear! When students alternate between learning in school and learning remotely at home, how can educators ensure an "Atmosphere of Continual Motivation" to fuel learning?

Anchor the learning to some bigger problem or challenge that motivates students to want to learn! Throughout instruction and learning activities, keep going back to that anchor, with students edging closer and closer to solving the problem or tackling the challenge, which is intrinsically motivating.

For example . . . Do you think you could convince your favorite living author to write a book about our city or town? This can be as simple as sharing that anchor with the students at the start of a reading unit focusing on character, plot, and setting. It could be as robust as having students actually try it and send their letters and videos off to the authors. Whichever route you choose, the key is to keep returning to it as the learning continues. In this example, after you delve into setting, you can ask students, "Given the settings your favorite author often uses, and knowing the physical setting of our town, what points will you make to convince your author that our setting is just right for a next book?"

The anchor keeps students focused on a larger outcome to their learning, and one that is connected to the real world, which increases motivation whether students are at home or in school. I've heard from teachers whose students asked on an upcoming snow day if they would be online, since the students were planning to continue working on their problem from home. I've had teachers share that students come in to school having researched considerably the night before, excited to share their findings. Problems and challenges motivate! Consider IDE's "6 Ps of PBL" - six different types of PBL anchors to share with students at the launch of a unit of study:

Problem-Based Learning - An open-ended, real-world problem to solve. Examples: Ending racism, having an impact on the global water shortage, saving a species from extinction, or developing a product to help the disabled.

Project-Based Learning - An open-ended, real-world challenge to tackle. Examples: Creating a plan for a sustainable, vertical garden; creating a better way to design the " March Madness " brackets; creating an original piece of art for a specific purpose; or making a gift for that special "mom" in your life.

Place-Based Learning - An open-ended, real-world problem or challenge that is specific to a location, which could be the classroom, home, local community, town or city, state, country, continent, world, or outer space! Examples: Redesigning the classroom to make the best use of space, designing a self-supporting ecosystem in a biodome that could enable life on Mars, developing a plan for welcoming new students to the school, or developing a dream vacation to a specific location.

Profession-Based Learning - An open-ended, real-world problem or challenge that is specific to an existing or future career option. Examples: Developing a portfolio to become a Disney Imagineer, designing a new clothing line, developing nutritious and tasty recipes for 3-D food printers, or developing the plans to renovate a house.

Phenomena-Based Learning - An open-ended problem or challenge based on scientific phenomena. Example: The Uyuni salt flat is a phenomenon left by the drying of prehistoric lakes; it is home to most of the world's lithium. While critical to the economy of Bolivia because of its resources and tourism attraction, it is a fragile ecosystem. How can we anticipate the threats to this ecosystem and address them in advance?

Pursuit-Based Learning - A problem or challenge that is identified by the student based on a personal interest they wish to pursue. The options may be narrowed to the curriculum or, if broader, the teacher would help the student see how the curriculum could fit into the problem or challenge.

You don't have to delve into it as extensively as is done in the above links, with a task statement and rubric. You can simply launch a unit of study by presenting a problem or challenge for students to ponder throughout the unit.

As students are engaged in lessons and instructional activities, have them continually return to the PBL anchor and answer the question, "How will this help me solve the problem/tackle the challenge?"

Anchoring learning is an important aspect of creating an atmosphere (overall feeling) of continual motivation, one of the seven attributes of a hybrid learning environment.

Join a Virtual Learning Community on PBL or Designing Hybrid Learning Environments: www.edquiddity.com/VLC

No matter what the "P" in PBL stands for, it comes down to several key characteristics - blog post: In Search of the Perfect Problem

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We all learn best when we are motivated to learn, and the intrinsic motivation of interest, pride, and felt need works much better than the extrinsic motivation of rewards, peer pressure, and fear! When students alternate between learning in school and learning remotely at home, how can educators...

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Emily Trout

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What teachers can learn from incarcerated youth with Hilderbrand Pelzer III

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What teachers can learn from incarcerated youth with Hilderbrand Pelzer III

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“Fight the Power”:  How Hip Hop Changed the World Documentary  

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“Fight the Power”:  How Hip Hop Changed the World Documentary  

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More About the Show

Authored by Public Enemy's Chuck D, who famously labeled Hip Hop as "the Black CNN" for bringing the stories of the street to the mainstream, this story will include personal testimonies of the MCs, DJs, graffiti artists, filmmakers, politicians and opinion formers who created and shaped its direction as it grew from an underground movement in the Bronx to the most popular music genre in the U.S. and the fastest growing genre in the world today.

Featuring interviews from A-list talent like Killer Mike, Will.i.am, Monie Love, Ice-T, Roxanne Shante, MC Lyte and many more, the series will paint a portrait of the unique relationship between Hip Hop and the political history of the U.S.
Episode 1 | The Foundation
Discover the factors that led to the birth of Hip Hop and its first socially conscious hit "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 1982.
Episode 2 | Under Siege
Explore the 1980s and the birth of Hip Hop as social commentary in the Reagan Era with the emergence of artists like Public Enemy, KRS-One, Ice-T, and NWA.
Episode 3 | Culture Wars
Experience the 1990s during the Clinton years and the unstoppable rise in popularity of Hip Hop, which becomes a force that is attacked by all sides of the political establishment.
Episode 4 | Still Fighting
Follow the evolution of Hip Hop as its artists turn into multimillionaires and successful entrepreneurs. As a cultural phenomenon, Hip Hop continues to change history and is adopted as the voice of protest around the world.

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Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World | PBS

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Chuck D from Public Enemy explores Hip Hop's political awakening over the last 50 years.

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“The Prison in Twelve Landscapes” Documentary  

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“The Prison in Twelve Landscapes” Documentary  

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We owe all students high expectations | Shemeka Millner-Williams

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Co-Creating Original Opera with Incarcerated Youth

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Co-Creating Original Opera with Incarcerated Youth

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According to the ICAF website, "ICAF is a multi-trajectory, international program. We are at once a digital platform, a global network, and, every three years, an international festival that emerges in Rotterdam, showcasing community arts organisations, professionals, and practices from across the world. ICAF's main goal is to offer space for reflection and development of the community arts movement, locally, nationally, and internationally.

Everything ICAF produces is built around the idea that community art is a worldwide, cutting edge and urgent arts movement - the only one of its kind. Furthermore, for ICAF, understanding the context behind each community arts practice is central to all that we do, to ensure we actively build bridges to communicate between differences in knowledge and experiences across social, economic, geographic, and political boundaries."

Sophie Hope and Owen Kelly attended this year's festival - ICAF 9 - with a view to meeting people and producing a series of podcasts to help capture the energy of the festival and help spread some of the ideas. In this first special ICAF edition of our podcast, Sophie and Owen meet in a room at one of the festival sites, on the last full day of the festival, to look back over what they have experienced.

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Co-creating Original Opera with Incarcerated Youth by MIAAW.net

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Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso talk with David Ramy and Bruno Homem of SAMP in Portugal about co-creating original opera with incarcerated youth. This episode focuses on one of three projects that are part of Traction, "opera co-creation for social transformation."

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Words Matter: Language-Affirming Classrooms for Code-Switching Students

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Words Matter: Language-Affirming Classrooms for Code-Switching Students

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Sponsored by CoderZ and Edulastic

Any Lauryn Hill fans out there would instantly recognize the opening chords to her classic hip-hop song, "Doo Wop (That Thing)," but how many of us could explain the line, "Don't forget about the deen/ the Siratul Mustaqim" without googling it? If you're not familiar with the term, I can save you the search: Siratul Mustaqim is Arabic for "the straight path." But why didn't she just say that? It's not by accident-she's code-switching.

What is Code-Switching?

Code-switching. Some of us have heard of it, most of us have witnessed it, many of us do it on a regular basis. But what is it, exactly? Why do people code-switch? And what does it have to do with teaching?

Code-switching is the act of alternating between languages during conversation. (For the purposes of this post, language is used as an umbrella term encompassing forms of speech including formally recognized languages, dialects, and nonverbal communication.) Code-switchers seamlessly switch back and forth without pause, often starting a sentence in one language and ending it in another. Sometimes they insert words from another language in the middle of a sentence, a behavior referred to as code-mixing. And it's not just words that change-when code-switching, people might speak faster or slower, louder or softer, mix up the pitch of their voice, change their laugh, and even vary their facial expressions and body language.

Why do people code-switch? Well, it depends. Code-switching is a very personal and complex behavior that occurs for a number of reasons. It's used to clarify or emphasize a point, and at times, to elude eavesdroppers. Strong emotions can prompt a switch, as does a sudden change in topic. Sometimes a word simply comes to mind faster in one language. Other times it's just simpler to say one word in another language ( deen) than produce an English approximation on the spot ("living according to one's religious principles").

Code-switching helps us express ourselves in a way that makes sense for us at that moment. Some people code-switch in every conversation, while others use it more strategically, depending on the situation. For example, your children might speak one way with you but sound totally different when they're off with their friends. People who code-switch are experts at navigating social situations and determining how to use language to our advantage. It helps us stand out; show who we are, unequivocally and unapologetically. It's how we establish community-a greeting of ¡Hola! or Assalamu Alaikum instantly signals cultural or religious solidarity. Conversely, people code-switch to assimilate, downplaying or modifying their natural speech to fit in where they're made to feel they don't belong.

Code-switching is both art and tool, subtext and premise, bridge and platform on which we build a conversation. Code switchers use language to deliver ideas with efficiency and style. When Ms. Hill called in her Muslim fans in that lyric, she chose the language of Islam to speak directly to them. That choice served her both lyrically and linguistically, expressing a complex idea to a specific audience in a single word. And with it, she reminds us that because we matter, so do our words.

Why Language Matters

Language is identity. It shapes and informs our thinking, our values, and our relationships. It binds us to our roots and informs how we interact with the world. This should be reflected in our teaching. Gloria Ladson-Billings says, "The goal of cultural competence is to ensure that students remain firmly grounded in their culture of origin (and learn it well) while acquiring knowledge and skill in at least one additional culture" ( Ladson-Billings, 2014). Code-switching is a feature of that multiculturalism, a skill set to be nurtured and developed. Language-affirming practices help us better understand what our students need to learn and grow.

The trouble is that not all students feel they can bring their whole selves into the classroom. Even the most well-meaning teachers can unwittingly do more harm than good. Many bicultural and bilingual children report experiencing a sense of loss when they acquire their second language ( Casesa, 2013) and it's not by coincidence that their educational setting plays a part in this. Over and over again, students are interrupted, corrected, and told to speak proper English by their teachers. This seemingly benevolent practice has long-lasting negative effects on many of them long beyond their school years.

Black English and the Culture of Power

Often when we think of multilingual learners (MLLs) we think of immigrants or children of immigrants who speak languages other than English, but many code-switchers actually speak a dialect of English as their heritage or home language. Despite there being no official national language in the U.S., one particular version of English has become so synonymous with academic language that not only is it the preferred dialect for reading, writing, and speaking, but other dialects are viewed as inferior. This has mostly to do with how dynamics of race and culture affect our perception of language.

In her 2020 book, Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, and Pedagogy, Dr. April Baker-Bell explains how racism and linguistic injustice are linked. She says the white mainstream dialect known as Standardized English is held up as a model language while Black English or AAVE (African-American Vernacular English)-though widely spoken-remains underutilized and underappreciated in academic settings. Even though Black English and other racialized dialects do not exist in opposition to academic language, the students who speak them are discouraged from speaking their heritage languages in school, and their bilingualism is rarely viewed as an asset.

Why are certain languages treated differently? For one, it's still widely believed that Black English is simply slang or informal speech, when the fact is it has its own grammar, syntax, and vocabulary like all other languages ( Kamm, 2015). Another common line of thinking is that Black students need to code-switch to better navigate the academic or corporate world later on ( Baker-Bell, 2017). This is a response to what Lisa Delpit describes as "a culture of power," in which marginalized people learn to code-switch for survival instead of as a means of self-expression, feeling they have to speak a certain way if they want to get ahead ( Delpit, 1988).

Though code-switching can be an effective way to gain access to traditionally white-dominated spaces, the downside of this type of survival code-switching is Black children are being taught to leave parts of themselves behind when entering academic or professional spaces, and by continuing to uncritically affirm the dominance of Standardized English ( Lippi-Green, 1994), we reinforce it as the norm.

Here's where examining our own implicit biases is crucial. Do we think of language in terms of "right" and "wrong?" Constantly fight the urge to correct people's grammar or dismiss someone outright because they sound "uneducated"? Equate English speaking (especially non-accented English) with being American? A bulk of this harmful thinking is the result of our own schooling which we now as adults have to work to unlearn.

We should want better for our students. The fact is, code-switching is not a sign of linguistic incompetence, but a normal occurrence for a multilingual brain. ( Yuhas, 2021). Rather than attempt to micromanage how they use their language, we can guide students to the realization that they can decide for themselves when and how they code-switch.

Setting the Record Straight: Common Questions About Language in Schools

Let's be honest. Sometimes it feels like as soon as we've begun to master this teaching thing, another element gets thrown into the mix that has us feeling like a rookie all over again. Adding strategies that specifically address equity of language into our repertoire may seem like a daunting task, but if we know it can help our students, it's worth a try. Hopefully in time it will become clear that even small changes can have a big impact.

My students need to learn English, and fast. Won't code-switching slow down their progress?

Short answer: it won't.

If you want to create a language-inclusive classroom for your multilingual learners, don't expect or enforce "Standardized English only" policies in your classroom ( Ethical Englishes, 2019). It's fine to encourage them to take risks, but actively limiting or making rules about how they're allowed to talk will shut down communication and damage your relationship with them.

It's a myth that allowing students to speak their home language in school slows down their acquisition of English ( Kamenetz, 2019). Regular practice of both languages will help maintain their bilingualism. In the beginning stages, use scaffolds to make the material more accessible. They'll eventually transfer their conceptual understanding to their new language once they have the vocabulary.

If I don't correct my students when they make an error, how will they learn?

Short answer: It's fine. Just let them talk.

Some believe we should take every opportunity to address errors. We even have a term- teachable moment -for stopping to correct a student in the moment. But cutting someone off in the middle of a thought is not only an ineffective instructional tactic, it's disruptive to the flow of conversation. It's unnecessary to interrupt their train of thought just because they said "goed" instead of "went." They probably won't remember the correction anyway, and their classmates who were listening attentively also have to refocus. If it truly is an error (and not a language difference) you can always make a mental note to do a lesson on it at another time.

What about the standards?

Short answer: Yes, you still have to teach the standards.

While it's true we have English language standards in our curriculum, we don't need to prioritize Standardized English at the expense of all other forms of language. Making space for linguistic diversity doesn't mean eliminating what already exists; it's about creating a balance. Teachers can teach the standards without asking students to compromise their identities, and ultimately, language-inclusive instruction will only advance rather than jeopardize their academic growth.

I only speak English-won't that limit my ability to do all of this?

Short answer: Start with a curious mind.

You don't need to be able to speak every language in order to support students who code-switch in our classrooms. Showing genuine interest in your students' language skills can go a long way. Also, demonstrate an appreciation for languages in general. Whether you teach history, music, or algebra, there are plenty of interesting and fun connections you can make to your subject area.

Instructional Practices that Support Multilingual Learners

Multilingual learners (MLLs) are often assumed to be at a disadvantage in a school setting, but this cannot be further from the truth ( Bialystok, 2011). Nor are they a monolith: Every one of them comes to us with unique strengths, needs, and gifts. That's why there's no single strategy that works for everyone: Some of the following suggestions will feel more appropriate for learners of English as a new language while others make sense for more fluent speakers. As always, do what makes sense for your particular class.

Get Them Talking

MLLs need lots of opportunities to engage in meaningful conversations in class. This can be challenging if they tend to sit quietly during discussions and let others do the talking. Sometimes they're just listening, but other times fear of critique or correction truly stops them from participating. If we want everyone talking, we need to build inclusive talk structures into our lessons.

To do this, vary the different types of discussion. Students who never raise their hand in whole class discussions will open up once they're in a small group, while others prefer to share their thoughts with a trusted partner. Offering variety in talk structures increases student-to-student interactions and generates opportunities for us to informally assess understanding, but most of all, it lets students talk in ways that are comfortable for them.

Processing ideas can take longer for students used to speaking two or more languages, so we need to make effective use of "think time." That's when you ask a question and pause. Don't rephrase the question. Don't call on anyone. Let students absorb the question and formulate an answer. This is especially helpful for MLLs because they often have to mentally rehearse their response before saying it out loud. If they appear hesitant, see if they need more time and then circle back after the next speaker. Once they do start speaking, resist the urge to interrupt or speak on their behalf. If there is any confusion, you can always ask them to repeat or rephrase, but more often than not, those few extra seconds can be a game-changer.

Make Text Accessible

The literacy block is typically one of the most demanding times of the day for multilingual learners. Many encounters with texts end in frustration and confusion because students weren't properly supported throughout the lesson. Not only do they need multiple chances to absorb new information, three additional points to consider when making a text accessible are background knowledge, representation, and means of delivery.

Background Knowledge: If students are having trouble accessing informational texts, consider pre-reading activities that activate and build background knowledge. It may be useful to show a short video or have students click through a slideshow of images related to the topic. Have them preview key vocabulary words they'll find in the reading (ideas for building vocabulary are linked here). Take time during lessons to identify cognates or root words related to the topic. A multilingual word wall is also a great way to help MLLs share their word knowledge with their peers. New words can be collected in a personal dictionary as a side project.

Representation: Part of making texts accessible is choosing stories our students can relate to both in terms of language and message. We should be regularly selecting culturally diverse texts, especially those that use languages or dialects other than Standardized English. In addition to learning about other cultures, students should see themselves reflected in the literature they read. We also need to vet our instructional materials for potential issues with the representation or portrayal of cultural and racial groups. There are a lot of questionable resources out there-be vigilant!

Means of Delivery: Multi-modal instruction makes content engaging and accessible to all our learners. Station teaching is a perfect way to differentiate for MLLs using varying levels of text complexity. One way this could work is while one group reads a grade-level text, another group can have a simplified version of the same text. (Newsela offers texts in multiple languages and on differing Lexile levels for this exact purpose). Combine that with a video station and a vocabulary station and you have a robust multi-modal work session that can be repeated at any time with a new text or topic.

Additional Scaffolds: If students are not yet proficient enough in English to follow along, they can still participate in other ways: Providing translations of text or subtitles in a video can help students keep up with the material, and offering credit for work in languages other than English is always an option, too. They may benefit from a paired text or video or some other way to reconnect with the material. Later, have students review what they've learned using retrieval techniques (listed here) to solidify concepts and help make new words stick.

Be Flexible with Assessments

When so many assessments require a level of English proficiency that may not even be relevant to the assignment, how do we ensure we're getting an accurate snapshot? By using a variety of assessment formats such as open-ended prompts, performance tasks, or projects and adjusting our own assessments to ensure they're culturally relevant.

You can also employ flexibility in reviewing and grading students' written work. Focus the majority of assignments on content, not conventions, and remember variations in language shouldn't result in a lower grade. Obviously, every language has grammar, syntax, and spelling conventions that can be taught, practiced, and mastered, so this is not to say conventions don't matter. It's just that not all assignments need to be graded against the conventions of Standardized English. If a student shows consistent need for explicit instruction with grammar or spelling, you can always offer targeted instruction during small group lessons.

Finally, progress-based assessment criteria such as checklists and rubrics clarify your expectations for each task and make feedback actionable. It's especially helpful to co-create those with your class. Not only will they have a better idea of what you're looking for but they'll be encouraged by seeing what they already can do.

Translanguaging

If you're looking for a bolder way to incorporate students' existing language abilities into your lessons, translanguaging is a great way to develop literacy skills in multiple languages (España & Yadira Herrera, 2020). That's the practice of designing activities to allow students agency over their languaging practices. For example, students might read a text in Spanish and respond to a discussion prompt in English. This gives them access to the material while supporting their conversation skills. Or, they might watch a video in subtitles, discuss what they learned, and write a response, all using both languages. The idea is that alternating between forms of input, processing, and output supports fluency in multiple languages at once. The advantage of translanguaging (Otheguy, García & Reid, 2015) over code-switching is that it eliminates any artificial or teacher-controlled separation of languages.

Other Inclusive Practices

In addition to the instructional strategies outlined above, there are a handful of other practices that might happen more casually alongside the pedagogy. Creating language-inclusive classrooms is more than a technique; it's a mindset.

That mindset means we never mock or criticize anyone's accent or grammar. It means we support our students' languaging practices. It means moving away from the idea that there's a right and wrong way of speaking, that Black English and other dialects are "slang" or "informal" versions of the true and proper English. It means affirming, not just tolerating, language diversity.

An inclusivity mindset also means expanding the walls of the classroom. Field trips, service projects, and community events are a great way to tie learning to the real world. It means inviting families to publishing parties and heritage celebrations. It means conversations without judgment and relationships that matter.

Inclusivity means we make space for diversity: diversity of thought, experience, culture, language, and more. It means we make sure our students know they belong.

"Respect is Just the Minimum"

As we commit to becoming more culturally responsive educators, we need to not only respect, but nurture and protect our students' cultural, racial, and linguistic identities. How we talk about language and what we allow (and don't allow) to go unchallenged in our classrooms is hugely influential and the choices we make as teachers carry weight. We may not always know the right thing to do in every situation, but as long as we make ongoing, conscious efforts to include all voices in the conversation, well, we're on the right path.

References

Baker-Bell, A. (2017). I can switch my language, but I can't switch my skin": What teachers must understand about linguistic racism. The guide for White women who teach Black boys, 97-107.

Baker-Bell, A. (2020) Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, and Pedagogy. (1st edition). Routledge.

Bialystok, E. (2011). Reshaping the mind: the benefits of bilingualism. Canadian journal of experimental psychology = Revue canadienne de psychologie experimentale, 65(4), 229-235. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025406

Casesa, R. (2013). "I Spoke It When I Was a Kid": Practicing Critical Bicultural Pedagogy in a Fourth-Grade Classroom. Schools: Studies in Education, 10(2), 171-191. https://doi.org/10.1086/673329

Delpit, L. (1988). The silenced dialogue: Power and pedagogy in educating other people's children. Harvard Educational Review, 58(3), 280-298.

España, C. & Yadira Herrera, L. (2020). Heinemann Blog. What is Translanguaging? https://blog.heinemann.com/what-is-translanguaging

Ethical Englishes (2019, August). The Dangers of "English-Only" Policies (for ESL students) in School. https://www.ethicalesol.org/blog/hhryxasqrobl9b8gzcza24aj6x5w5q

Kamenetz, A. (2019). 6 Potential Brain Benefits Of Bilingual Education. Npr.org. https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/11/29/497943749/6-potential-brain-benefits-of-bilingual-education

Kamm, O. (2015, March). There Is No 'Proper English' Wall Street Journal.

Ladson-Billings, G.J. (2014). Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the Remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84, 74-84.

Lippi-Green, R. (1994, January). Accent, Standard Language Ideology, and Discriminatory Pretext in the Courts. Language in Society, 23(2), 163-198. https://rosinalippi.com/weblog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Lippi-Green1994Accent-standard-language-ideology-and-discriminatory-pretext-in-the-courts.pdf

Otheguy, R., García, O., & Reid, W. (2015, October). Clarifying Translanguaging and Deconstructing Named Languages: A Perspective from Linguistics. Applied Linguistics Review, 6(3): 281-307 https://ofeliagarciadotorg.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/otheguyreidgarcia.pdf

Yuhas, Daisy. (2021, November). How Brains Seamlessly Switch between Languages. Scientific American.

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Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined-come on in.

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Words Matter: Language-Affirming Classrooms for Code-Switching Students

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Rather than micromanaging how they use their language, we can guide students to decide for themselves when and how they code-switch.

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Our Constellation of Care by Education Suspended

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In our episode today we sit down with Habeebah Grimes. We consider what would need to change so the system around our teachers promotes routines for us to be well at work. Habeebah shares with us what can happen when the needs outweigh what our system can support and the vulnerabilities that exist f…

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The Land of Transformation

In today's episode we connect with Zaretta Hammond. She shares her story of true lived learning partnerships and why they are so important in the educational setting. Zaretta stands shoulder to shoulder with teachers and students to build their capacity to engage in the productive struggle. She highlights why the focus needs increasing our students' ability to be learners who gain knowledge, not just information. Zaretta also reminds us that to shift what is really happening in education is going to take more than just one PD, and she is leading the way in ensuring our teachers are cared for so they can continue to grow.
Zaretta Hammond, M.A., is the author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. She is a national consultant and currently runs the Culturally Responsive Education by Design Online PLC. She is a former high school and community college expository writing instructor and for the past 20 years, she has supported schools in deepening their understanding and application of culturally responsive practices. Intro song: Poets Row, Young Bones

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Windows and Mirrors by Education Suspended

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In today's episode we sit down and connect with Malika Ali, the Chief Innovation Officer at the Highlander Institute. Malika's transgenerational story is rooted in the pursuit of education, and she shares with us how the passion of past generations drives her own desire to empower students.

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For years teachers have been looking for ways to improve the academic performance of all students, especially students of color and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. While some of these efforts have been successful, many more have had lackluster results.

In the past, we've explored different approaches teachers can take to do a better job of reaching all students: interviews with Dena Simmons, Zaretta Hammond, Pedro Noguera, and Hedreich Nichols, to name a few. In these conversations, we looked at more effective ways of relating to students, strategies for working toward equity outside the classroom, and instructional methods that are more culturally responsive.

This post continues that work with a fresh response to the question of how to better serve diverse students. It's a framework that deals directly with the curriculum side of things, the standards, the actual content we teach in our classrooms. The framework is called Historically Responsive Literacy, and it was developed by Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, a professor, a former middle school educator, and the author of the book Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy, where she makes the case for this framework.

In short, Muhammad believes we're not reaching many of our students, especially Black students, because our curricula and standards are lacking. The emphasis in our current standards is mainly on skills-skills that can be measured easily on standardized tests-and not a whole lot else. Some teachers go beyond the tested material, pushing students to think critically, exploring social emotional competencies, and designing opportunities for inquiry-based learning; unfortunately, the standards themselves don't require those things.

But there was a time in history when a more complete, more human form of "curriculum" did exist, and it energized and inspired its students-all of them Black men and women-to read, write, speak, and publish with the kind of passion and dedication we would want all of our students to have about learning. This curriculum evolved within the Black literary societies of the 19th century. These groups met regularly to read, write about, and discuss a wide range of texts and ideas. Their goals were far loftier than basic skill development or scores on a test, and engagement-to borrow a term we use in modern education-was at an all-time high.

These societies were the inspiration for Muhammad's Historically Responsive Literacy framework, a four-layered pedagogical model that places skills on an equal plane with three other learning pursuits: identity, intellect, and criticality.

The framework was designed with Black students in mind, but it will benefit all students. Muhammad explains it this way: "If we start with Blackness (which we have not traditionally done in schooling) or the group of people who have uniquely survived the harshest oppressions in this country, then we begin to understand ways to get literacy education right for all" (p. 22).

In our interview, she unpacks all four layers of her framework and helps us understand what it looks like to implement them in the classroom. What follows is a summary of our conversation.

First, Two Clarifications

Is Historically Responsive Literacy Just for "Literacy" Teachers?

No. In the book, Muhammad explains that in the past, "literacy was synonymous with education, so although I name 'literacy,' these four pursuits can be used and layered with math, science, ELA, social studies, or physical education/health" (p. 57).

In other words, this is not just a framework for ELA teachers, and in the book, Muhammad explores how to implement HRL in many different subject areas.

Is HRL different from Culturally Responsive Teaching?

Think of HRL as living under the broader umbrella of Culturally Responsive Teaching, which includes relationship-building, instructional strategies, and curriculum. "My work is taking a more historic look back and putting a practical model to the theory," Muhammad says.

The Four Layers of Historically Responsive Literacy

Historically Responsive Literacy is built on four layers, four "learning pursuits" that Muhammad believes should receive equal priority

1. Identity

For students to be fully engaged in school they must first find it relevant, and that starts with identity.

"Identity is who you say you are, who others say you are... (and) who you desire to be," Muhammad says. "I feel like children are trying to make sense of all three areas, and the curriculum and the pedagogy should be an opportunity for students to know themselves."

Muhammad believes this is especially important for children of color because "when we look at representation in children's literature, in society oftentimes, and historically, they are invisible or represented in negative ways. So the classroom needs to be a space for students to affirm and celebrate and validate who they are, so that they know they are enough, so they know they are brilliant and excellent and beautiful. Because society doesn't tell us that all the time."

Along with self-knowledge, the learning pursuit of identity should also include knowledge of others who are different from ourselves. "When students learn about the lives of other people," Muhammad says, "they are less prone to hate, to treat them in harmful or hurtful ways."

What it looks like in the classroom: Start by asking yourself, "How does my teaching and learning help students to learn about themselves and about others?"

From there, plan instruction and write learning goals to satisfy that question. Muhammad gives an example from science. "Some teachers have written it (in language like) Students will understand their environmental identity and their roles and responsibilities regarding the planet. Then in the lesson or unit there are opportunities for students to deeply reflect about how they recycle or (whether) they take care of the earth and the planet and the environment."

Finally, be sure to assess for it. "Kids know that if my teacher values it that she or he or they are going to test it," Muhammad says. "You can assess it in discussion, in a quiz, or a summative kind of test at the end: What are five things you can do to take care of the planet? Or Name five roles that humans play on climate change. So it could be a qualitative or a quantitative assessment, but if you value it enough, you can assess it."

2. Skills

So much of our current curricula and standards already focus on skills, so this part of the framework is nothing new; what's important is to not throw it out when the other three layers are added.

Muhammad explains that this abandonment of skills is a common problem when new approaches to schooling are introduced. "That's a way of thinking that we have to dismantle," she says. "Sometimes we think that when we add identity or when we add voice and freedom of expression, that somehow we don't focus on skills at all. But that's just simply not true. You can have it all. You can have voice and fun and engagement and skills."

What it looks like in the classroom: Teaching skills is more or less what you'd expect typical school content to be, what our current standards are already prescribing. "In math it can be learning equations. In ELA it can be citing textual evidence. In social studies, it can be questioning the source. In physical education it can be learning to play basketball."

So the skills themselves may be taught in whatever way works best for your students. The difference now is that in terms of class time and assessment, their weight will be equal to that of the other three layers.

3. Intellect

Along with identifying the skills students need to acquire, Muhammad urges us to ask What do we want our students to become smarter about?

Because our recent standards have been so skills-driven, knowledge has fallen by the wayside in a lot of schools, and that can strip away the joy that comes from simply learning new things about the world. But the Black Literary Societies of the 19th century valued knowledge as a vital part of a person's development. "So I'm pushing this idea of intellectualism," Muhammad says, "of treating young people as if they are scholars and intellectuals and thinkers."

She sees the loss of intellectualism even in how we prepare and treat teachers. "It's like we're sucking the power out of them by telling them to read a script in a curriculum. We need to go back to teacher as intellectual, teacher as scholar, reserving the field for the brightest among us who are knowledge-seekers."

And Muhammad's definition of intellectualism goes beyond simply gathering facts. "Intellectualism is when you do something with that knowledge, where you apply it somehow, in your discussion, in your activism, in your actions."

What it looks like in the classroom: When developing lessons and units, ask yourself, "How does my teaching and learning help to teach students new knowledge and concepts? New histories, new people, places, and things?"

Muhammad cautions teachers not to confuse skills for knowledge. "You shouldn't say they became smarter about equations or citing textual evidence," she says. "That's not intellect. Those are skills."

4. Criticality

"Criticality is helping students to read, write and think in active ways," Muhammad explains, "as opposed to passive-when you ask a question and there's one correct answer, and you just take it in. We don't want them to be passive consumers of knowledge. We want them to question what they hear on the news."

"We see the word critical and sometimes our minds can go to critical thinking," she continues. "But it's more than just deep and analytical thinking. Criticality is deep and analytical thinking to understand power, equity, anti-racism and other anti-oppressions. This is where we help students to be woke."

This fourth layer is essential "because oppression exists in the world. Period. We want students to leave our schools not contributing to more oppression or wrongdoing and hurt in their relationships and with strangers. We also don't want them to be silent. If they see oppression, we want them to actively respond to it."

What it looks like in the classroom: "With criticality," Muhammad says, "the teacher is asking, How does my teaching and learning help students to understand power, equity, anti-racism and anti-oppression? So (students are) reading, writing, thinking in active ways to understand power, inequality, equity, oppression. They're investigating different standpoints, especially the marginalized point of view, and reading between the lines. In other words, reading for what's not being said and for what's not there.

The brilliance of the framework is revealed when Muhammad explains that the four layers are not separate, but progressive, each one building on the layers that came before it, starting with identity: "They see themselves, they validate themselves, they're learning about other people, which creates a safe space to learn the skills. If you learn the skills, you can learn the intellect. You cannot learn the intellectualism without first having those skills to do so. If you have the intellectualism and that knowledge, you can critique the knowledge. Because of all the layers that came before it, you now have the capacity to disrupt and to dismantle. If you're just woke without the identity and the skills and the intellect, you're not going to be able to make change in ways that you could with those things."

Tough, but Possible

Making this kind of shift-especially if our standards still don't reflect these four layers-will not be an easy task to take on. This concern has been expressed when Muhammad presents her framework to teachers. But despite its challenges, she feels this type of curriculum is exactly what any parent would want for their child.

"It's not a matter or a question of if it's tough," she says. "The question is, is it possible? Everything is tough. And if you had your own child, if you're a parent, parents are going to equally value the beautiful ways that their child loves themselves: identity, the skills they have, the intellect they have, and the social consciousness they have. I don't see parents saying No, let's just talk about my child's reading skills. They talk about their emotional intelligence, they talk about the whole child."

"And that's what we're trying to get to," she says. "This is humanizing work."

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Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined-come on in.

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Historically Responsive Literacy: A More Complete Education for All Students

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Based on the work of 19th century Black literary societies, this fresh approach to curriculum focuses on identity, skills, intellect, and criticality.

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The "First Thanksgiving" is often portrayed as a friendly harvest celebration where Pilgrims and generic, nameless Indians came together to eat and give thanks. This story is a myth that was sparked in the mid-1800s when English accounts of the 1621 harvest event resurfaced and fueled the American imagination. Romanticized paintings and stereotypical images of "Pilgrims" and "Indians" celebrating the "First Thanksgiving" became part of the national nostalgia and Manifest Destiny sentiment as the United States pushed west. Sarah Josepha Hale, an influential editor of a magazine called Godey's Lady's Book, led a campaign for a national Thanksgiving holiday, and the "First Thanksgiving" myth played into her agenda. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared a national Thanksgiving in November to celebrate gratitude and unity amidst the turmoil of the Civil War. In the decades that followed, the "First Thanksgiving" myth and the national holiday evolved into a foundational, national story reinforced by memorials, holiday marketing, literature, and school curriculums.

The "First Thanksgiving" as a national story is incomplete and inaccurate. The whole history is more complex and includes the Wampanoag voice and perspective that have been largely absent from this narrative. The Wampanoag and neighboring Native nations were interacting with European explorers, traders, and enslavers for nearly one hundred years before English settlers arrived at the Wampanoag village of Patuxet in 1620. After careful observation, negotiations, and exchanges, the Wampanoag decided to assist the English settlers. However, their interactions had much more to do with political alliances and diplomacy than a budding friendship. Cooperation and peace were short-lived. To learn more about the true history that goes beyond a shared meal in 1621, see the Harvest Ceremony: Beyond the Thanksgiving Myth study guide.

Harvest ceremonies and festivals have been an integral part of Wampanoag lifeways for thousands of years. The Wampanoag practiced daily and seasonal traditions of giving thanks long before the encounter with English settlers and the formation of Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Learn the significance of Cranberry Day for Wampanoag communities as they continue cultural traditions and relationships with their homeland today. Native traditions are distinct, complex, and specific to each individual nation. To gain a deeper understanding of traditional foodways and relationships to homelands for other Native nations, consider the American Indian Perspectives on Thanksgiving teaching poster for grades 4-8.

For many students, Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude and to be with family. Giving thanks is a longstanding, central tradition among Indigenous peoples that is still practiced today. Read and discuss the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address with your students. This expression of gratitude is recited by the Haudenosaunee at community gatherings throughout the year. Recommended children's literature centered around traditions of gratitude and/or seasonal harvests from different Native cultures include:

As educators, we should select books and other materials that feature accurate and tribally specific portrayals of Native people, both past and present. NK360 collaborated with Dr. Debbie Reese (Nambé Pueblo) of American Indians in Children's Literature to develop a rubric that outlines five criteria groups to consider when selecting additional Native American Literature in Your Classroom.

Projects and crafts that attempt to adapt or copy Native traditions tend to perpetuate stereotypes of Native cultures. We discourage adopting "Native" costumes or crafts into your classroom. For more information, please see our Native American Cultures and Clothing: Native American Is Not a Costume guide. Instead, we encourage you to celebrate the vibrancy of Native cultures with some of these resources while you celebrate Thanksgiving.

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Native Knowledge 360°-Rethinking Thanksgiving Celebrations: Native Perspectives on Thanksgiving

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NK360° Helpful Handouts: Guidance on Common Questions provide a brief introduction to teachers about important topics regarding Native American life, cultures, and communities. Native Life and Food: Food Is More Than Just What We Eat explores Indigenous relationships with food. #NK360

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This resource has a collection of interactive maps depicting the number of residential boarding schools in the U.S. or land demarcation lines of Native American tribal nations before they were colonized.

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BEYOND THE GENDER BINARY: A Look at Two-Spirit Identified People

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BEYOND THE GENDER BINARY: A Look at Two-Spirit Identified People

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“If I Was a Middle-Aged White Guy” vs. “If I Was a Poor Black Kid”

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“If I Was a Middle-Aged White Guy” vs. “If I Was a Poor Black Kid”

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Reaction: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/12/if-i-were-a-poor-black-kid/249996/

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This article is from the archive of our partner .

If I were a middle-aged white guy, I would lease a nice car. Having a nice car makes a nice impression on others. And I would keep the car pristine. Whenever I parked outside Walgreen's or Wal-Mart, I would straddle the painted white line and take up two spaces. That way, you don't get dings. I hate dings. Dings bring down the value of the vehicle.

If I happened to be making a quick stop at the 7-11, I would ease into the handicapped spot, because eighty percent of those people are faking it. This one guy I heard about had asthma. That's how he got the handicapped plate. I would leave the engine running, partly so it wouldn't get cold, and partly so that, if some actual, no-kidding-around handicapped person were to pull up in their specially made handicap-mobile, they would figure I was coming back shortly.

If I were a middle-aged white guy, I would work hard at my job. No one likes a lazy person. And I would smile at my coworkers, because no one likes a sourpuss. I would also be sure to ask my colleagues how their day was going, and I would talk about TV shows and football games with them, and I would perhaps mention that I hadn't seen them in church lately, which is a funny thing to say nowadays, when there are so many people who haven't accepted the Lord Jesus as our savior.

If I were to see a coworker slacking off, I might remark, in jest, "Some of us have work to do." And if they told me to fuck off, I would call human resources and report them, because middle-aged white guys should not have to be subjected to such abusive talk. I would also discuss the incident with my immediate boss, and if he were to tell me, "You just need to worry about your own work and let me take care of the rest of the floor," I would probably say, "It's funny how you asshole liberals are always talking about 'it takes a village,' but the minute someone steps up to point out that one of the 'villagers' is slacking off, you get nothing but shit for it." And if he were to reply, "Are we done here?", I would probably just say something like, "Yeah, I guess we are. I guess nothing's ever going to change around here," and then I would walk back to my desk, muttering to myself. For a little office humor I would make sure a coworker or two heard me use the word "shotgun."

If I were a middle-aged white guy, and my children were doing poorly in school, I would smash things in their rooms, the lamps and vacation souvenirs and such, and I would inform them that the stuff I had just broken to bits had been gained in exchange for a certain thing known as money, and you get money in this world because you have skills, like computer programming, and you acquire those skills only after you earn halfway decent grades in school, and then you offer those skills to an employer who will pay you for your services, even if they never take it seriously when you make the slightest remark about how you're the main guy pulling his weight.

If my kids were to start crying when I did my demonstration of the value of a good education, I would tell them to knock it off, unless they really wanted something to cry about, and then, if my wife comes into the room and asks me what the hell I'm doing here, when the court said I was to remain at least 500 feet from the place that I once called home, I would remind her that the man is king of the castle and, last I checked, I was the one whose salary had paid for this piss-poor, split-level excuse of a palace, even if I did happen to be behind on the payments, partly because Hooters gals expect gifts in addition to the tips, or else your basket of wings is going to have spit in it, although I probably wouldn't mention the Hooters thing to my wife, but would make my point all the same.

And then, if she turns to me and says, "I don't know what happened to you," I will say back to her, "This whole country is a bunch of freeloaders," and I will leave the house, allowing my wife and kids to put everything I had said into their pipes and smoke it.

Jim Windolf is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. He's @jimwindolf on Twitter, where he co-writes @wise_kaplan and @CrankyKaplan.

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.

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If I were a middle-aged white guy, I would lease a nice car. Having a nice car makes a nice impression on others.

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Native Knowledge 360° | Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

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Educational resources, lesson plans, teacher training, and strategies to support positive change! Native Knowledge 360° is a national initiative to inspire and promote improved teaching and learning about Native America. #NK360

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Prison Journalism Project (Writing Prompts and Resources)

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Prison Journalism Project (Writing Prompts and Resources)

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Today most stories about prison are written with an outside perspective. Prison Journalism Project publishes stories by incarcerated writers and others who know the system from the inside and want to take the power of journalism into their own hands, learn the craft of journalistic storytelling and share their stories of life behind bars.

Our mission is to help you tell stories about your communities using the tools of journalism: gathering and testing facts and writing with nuance, texture and insight to reach a thoughtful audience.

We welcome submissions by anyone who is touched by the criminal legal system, whether you are first-time or experienced writers. We accept reported news and features as well as essays, memoirs and op-eds across all topics, including community, family and prison life and hard-hitting topics like COVID-19 and police brutality. We are especially eager for stories with accompanying art or stand alone art depicting an aspect of prison life. We will also publish narrative poetry that tell true stories.

Once you publish with us, we consider you to be a part of our community.

Every writer on our site has a portfolio page, where all of their stories for PJP are displayed. Stories are organized by category and/or topic, and curated pages highlight exceptional or timely pieces of work. The Our Writers page lists all writers published on our site. We have ended our Contributing Writers and Artist program, and are in the midst of developing a new PJP career progression for our writers and artists. (Click for more information.)

How to Get Started

(Download our Submission Guidelines as a PDF.)
1) First, start with our Submission Guidelines and our FAQs.
This includes important information, such as our content policy and the requirements for word length.
2) Next, read our Writing Prompts.
You are free to write about anything, but we've listed some topics - the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter, personal relationships, to name a few - and provided questions for you to consider writing about.
3) As you start writing, refer to our "Writing Well From Inside Prison" article, our Style Guide and our Journalism Guide.

Writing Well From Inside Prison is an article with tips from our advisor John J. Lennon, who is an award-winning Prison Journalist at Sullivan Correctional Facility in New York.

The Style Guide addresses common journalism writing style issues, such as abbreviation, capitalization, spelling and numerals.

The Journalism Guide covers the basic rules of journalism and principles for how to pull together an article.

4) Make sure you have signed and returned the "Permission to Publish and Acknowledgement."
The "Permission to Publish and Acknowledgement" is on the third page of the Submissions Guidelines (PDF).
5) Submit your story to the Prison Journalism Project!
Thank you! You will hear back from us in approximately 12 weeks (we ask for your patience as we are inundated with submissions).

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Want to write for Prison Journalism Project? We welcome submissions by anyone who is touched by the criminal legal system.

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Storytelling Through Art with Bisa Butler & Dr. Gholdy Muhammad

Textile artist Bisa Butler and Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, author of Cultivating Genius discuss the power of storytelling through art with Scholastic Kid Reporter C...

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Storytelling Through Art with Bisa Butler & Dr. Gholdy Muhammad - Are.na

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Textile artist Bisa Butler and Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, author of Cultivating Genius discuss the power of storytelling through art with Scholastic Kid Reporter C...

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NAME Workshop: PD on Indigenizing Your Curriculum as a Non-Indigenous Teacher

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NAME Workshop: PD on Indigenizing Your Curriculum as a Non-Indigenous Teacher

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Chelsea Rivera

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Assessing and Enhancing Cultural Responsiveness in Reentry Programs Through Research and Evaluation

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Assessing and Enhancing Cultural Responsiveness in Reentry Programs Through Research and Evaluation

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Culturally Responsive Curriculum Ideas:  University of Hawaii

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Culturally Responsive Curriculum Ideas:  University of Hawaii

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Activities

Greetings in many languages and ways

Display greeting signs in the languages spoken in your classroom to raise language awareness, make students and families feel welcome, and allow for a flow of knowledge, ideas, and positive feelings between home and school and across languages.

Displaying greeting signs in the languages spoken in your classroom raises language awareness, makes students and families feel welcome, and allows for a flow facilitate the flow of knowledge, ideas and feeling between home and school and across languages.

World Map

Assist students to mark with a pin where they come from, to create a visual representation of the class composition. Have a discussion about it.
Teacher and students build classroom community by visualizing the origins of their families and ancestors.
1. The teacher engages the students and establishes the context of the lesson by reading aloud a text which is focused on family, origins, ancestry, or identity from the suggested list of multicultural books. See lesson named "Read Aloud Culturally Informative and Sensitizing Children's Books" for more information on these books.

2. Through the story read aloud and discussions, students will reflect on their individual and family identities. Afterwards, they will have the at-home task of talking with their families about their family lineage and where their parents, grandparents, (and possible great grandparents) came from. Did they come from another part of Oahu? From another Hawaiian island? From the mainland? From another country?

3. Lastly, each student and the teacher will present about their family history including specifically where they come from. A pin or some sort of mark should be placed on the map to identify the name of the person and origins. This visual representation allows the students to know more about each other, to deepen their classroom community, and to know about their family heritage. In addition to the above lesson, the teacher may do additionally activities to build upon this mapping activity and connect to subject content in social studies, reading, math, etc.

Show and Tell using cultural and linguistic artifacts

Students or family members bring a special item from home that they share with the class to learn about each other's backgrounds.

1. Students or a family member bring in a special item from home that they share with class to learn about one's and each other's backgrounds. Empower students' sense of identity, background, and uniqueness by sharing a piece of their family's cultural heritage.

2. Some questions to start off the lesson:

What makes you special?

What makes you different from your classmates?

3. While discussing, these questions can lead to more questions such as

What makes our families special?

How is our family different from everyone else's?

4. This dialogue sets the context for students to get to know each other better and building community. They will then be given a task to talk with their family members about what makes their family special. Through their discussions, they will need to decide on an artifact that says something about their family. The artifact could represent their family, tell a story, an event in the family history, etc.

5. The teacher and students negotiate the criteria of the cultural artifact and the corresponding presentation. Students present. You may consider inviting family members to participate in the audience.

Biography of an important person in the child's community

students research and write a biography about a special person in their community, such as an immediate family member, a relative, neighbor, or community leader, and share with the class. This allows for positive learning about each other's communities and community members.

1. Students research and write a biography about a special person in their community, such as an immediate family member, a relative, neighbor, or community leader, and share with the class.

2. Ideally, students will engage in interviewing, talking to others who know that person, and doing Internet and/or library searches.

3. Students can collaborate with their families to expand their work and they can be invited to present the information on a three-dimensional object such as a decorated shoebox, a paper-bag vest, a hanging mobile, or a poster collage.

4. These items can be used to create a gallery to which the students can return throughout the year to look at it, learn more about it, and be reminded of each other's communities and their contributions.

RL.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding

RL.2: Recount stories

RI.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding

RI.2: Identify the main topic

RI.3: Describe connections between historical events

RI.10: Read and comprehend informational texts

RF.4: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension

W.1: Write an opinion piece

W.2: Write an informative or explanatory text

W.5: Focus on a topic and strengthen writing by revising and editing

W.6: Use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing

W.8: Recall information from experiences or gather information from sources

SL.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners

SL.2: Recount or describe key ideas aloud

SL.3: Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says

SL.4: Tell a story or recount an experience

SL.5: Add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences

SL.6: Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task

L1: Demonstrate command of standard English grammar and usage

L2: Demonstrate command of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in writing

L3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when r/w/l/s

Buddy Program

Assign children to a buddy to help them gain the tools and socio-emotional connection to be able to succeed in school.

1. Use a buddy to help students and families gain the tools and socio-emotional connection to be able to succeed in school.

2. Buddy programs can be used with new students, ELLs, or any other student who would benefit from being welcomed to the school and guided through the process of adjusting to a new environment.

3. The goal is to help students give the tools and socio-emotional connection to be able to succeed in school.

4. You could do the same program with families, having a welcoming gathering with families and assigning one "veteran" family to a new family.

RL.1-3: Reading literature (key ideas and details)

RL.4-6: Reading literature (craft and structure)

RL.7 & 9: Reading literature (integration of knowledge and ideas)

RI.10: Reading literature (range of reading and level of text complexity)

RI.1-3: Reading informational (key ideas and details)

RI.4-6: Reading informational (craft and structure)

RI.7-9: Reading informational (integration of knowledge and ideas)

RI.10: Reading informational (range of reading and level of text complexity)

RF.3: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis to decoding words

RF.4: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension

W.1-3: Writing (text types and purposes)

W.5-6: Writing (production and distribution of writing)

W. 7-8: Writing (research to build and present knowledge)

SL.1-3: Speaking and Listening (comprehension and collaboration)

SL.4-6: Speaking and Listening (presentation of knowledge and ideas)

L.1-2: Language (conventions of standard English)

L.3: Language (knowledge of language)

L.4-6: Language (vocabulary acquisition and use)

Building Background

Learners develop understandings through connections they make between what they already know and the new information they are learning. Teachers have to use strategies to explicitly activate students' prior knowledge and build background when prior knowledge of a particular content topic is lacking.

1. Let's look at two important aspect of building background:

Key vocabulary emphasized

Concepts explicitly linked to students' background experiences

2. Click on Building Background PDF file. Indicate which strategies you have already used for each of these aspects of building background. Leave blank those strategies you have not yet tried. Now select one strategy from each aspect you think it would be a good fit with your instructional practices and your students' need. Try out each of the strategies. Reflect about how your students reacted, especially your ELL students. What will you do the same? What would you change? How often would you like to use the strategies you implemented?

Building Background (PDF)
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(c) The teacher designs instruction to build on learners' prior knowledge and experiences, allowing learners to accelerate as they demonstrate their understandings.
Standard #4: Content Knowledge
4(d) The teacher stimulates learner reflection on prior content knowledge, links new concepts to familiar concepts, and makes connections to learners' experiences.

4(m) The teacher knows how to integrate culturally relevant content to build on learners' background knowledge.
Standard #7: Planning for Instruction
7(d) The teacher plans for instruction based on formative and summative assessment data, prior learner knowledge, and learner interest.

Comprehensible Input

Teachers need to provide information and interact with students so that students can understand what is being said and do what is expected of them. This includes teachers being mindful of the words they use, the rate at which they speak, and explaining things clearly to their students.

1. Comprehensible Input includes the following instructional aspects:

Speech appropriate for students' proficiency level (e.g., slower rate, enunciation, and simple sentence structure for beginners). It is important that you use "thoughtful speech" - that you know your English language level and adapt your speech appropriately, remembering to focus on the zone of proximal development or always talking at a level the students can follow but at the same time building their ability to progressively understand more.

Clear explanation of academic tasks. Make sure you write out clear directions that are easily seen by all students and that are also given orally, in a step by step manner, with visuals when appropriate and necessary. For very young learners, adding drawing to your written instructions also helps.

A variety of techniques used to make content concepts clear (e.g., modeling, visuals, hands-on activities, demonstrations, gestures, body language).

2. Next, complete a self-assessment of your comprehensible input instructional practice. First, identify how frequently you integrate each of the following comprehensible input techniques. Second, list the techniques you use less often. Third, choose 1-2 techniques to work on in the next couple of weeks. Finally, document how the implementation of these techniques goes and reflect on how you will continue to use those techniques in effective ways. Comprehensible Input Self (PDF)

Practice and Application

Students have to practice and apply new concepts and language skills in the classroom. Some effective ways to do so with diverse students is to make learning hands-on and implement activities that scaffold students' learning while allowing them to practice the academic language skills they are acquiring.

1. Hands-on materials and/or manipulatives provided for students to practice using new content knowledge. When ELL students practice what they have learned in relevant, meaningful, and (especially for younger students) concrete ways, they have more opportunities to learn the material. Your task: work individually or with your peers to come up with the longest list of hands-on activities you could use for your students to practice what they learn in the class. Similarly, create a table for each content area and find out which manipulatives are already available in your school, which ones you could obtain through donations or a grant, and which ones you might need to purchase.

2. Activities provided for students to apply content and language knowledge in the classroom. The application of content and language knowledge is important because when students discuss and use what they have learned it makes the learning concrete and attainable for all learners. In addition to thinking of ways in which you can ask your students to apply content knowledge (for example, engaging in problem solving activities, engaging in cooperative work, or participating in a debate), it is also important to think about the linguistic demands of the tasks students are asked to do. Please see click here to learn more about Cummin's Model of Academic Language.

3. Activities integrate all language skills (i.e., reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Reading, writing listening, and speaking are complex, cognitive language processes that are interrelated and integrated. They also mutually support each other. One area that teachers of ELL students need to emphasize more is the development of oral language.

OVERVIEW OF CUMMIN'S ACADEMIC LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT MODEL

Based on Cummins, J. (1981). The role of primary language development in promoting educational success for language minority students. In California State Department of Education (Ed.), Schooling and language minority students: A theoretical framework (pp. 3-49). Los Angeles, CA: Evaluation, Dissemination and Assessment Center, California State University, Los Angeles. Available for free download at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269101664_The_Role_of_Primary_Language_Development_in_Promoting_Educational_Success_for_Language_Minority_Students

APPLICATION OF THE MODEL TO CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Inclusive Print Rich Environment

As a soon-to-be elementary teacher, you may likely have heard of creating a "print-rich environment" for your students. Apply the same concept to create a print-rich environment that demonstrates the diversity of the micro-culture of your classroom and school and the macro-culture of Hawai'i and the United States. Decorate the room with student work that shows inclusiveness, maps, values of respect and differences.

1. As a soon-to-be elementary teacher, I'm sure you've heard of creating a "print-rich environment" for your students. In the same respect, apply the same concept to creating a print-rich environment that demonstrates the diversity of the micro-culture of your classroom and school and the macro-culture of Hawaii and the United States. Decorate the room with student work that shows inclusiveness, maps, values of respect and differences, etc.

2. Here is an example that you can start with-

Give each student a blank heart shape paper.

Each student writes something special about themselves on the heart. For example, the activities they like to do with their families, their favorite family members.

Each student shades around the words with a crayon that matches the student's skin color.

Each student explains to their classmates why they chose the words on their heart. The teacher looks for unique choices and common characteristics.

3. Display in the classroom or hallway as a reminder of the uniquely diverse class.
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(n) The teacher makes learners feel valued and helps them learn to value each other.
Standard #3: Learning Environments
3(a) The teacher collaborates with learners, families, and colleagues to build a safe, positive learning climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry.

3(f) The teacher communicates verbally and nonverbally in ways that demonstrate respect for and responsiveness to the cultural backgrounds and differing perspectives learners bring to the learning environment.
Standard #4: Content Knowledge
4(d) The teacher stimulates learner reflection on prior content knowledge, links new concepts to familiar concepts, and makes connections to learners' experiences.

4(m) The teacher knows how to integrate culturally relevant content to build on learners' background knowledge.

Read Aloud Culturally Informative and Sensitizing Children's Books

Integrate culturally informative and sensitizing books in the read aloud selections. Explore books that contain text that truly engages students in reflecting, questioning, and making personal connections on issues such as diversity, identity, values, and social norms.

1. Integrate culturally informative and sensitizing books in the read aloud selections. Explore books that contain text that truly engages students in reflecting, questioning, and making personal connections on issues such as diversity, identity, values, and social norms.

2. A teacher who is instructing in a demographically diverse population should build up a classroom library which has a rich variety of multicultural texts. These texts can be incorporated into read aloud time, reading instruction, silent reading time, and independent work stations. They should be made available in classroom and school libraries.

3. Throughout the school year, the teacher can have students explore books that are not just at the superficial level of culture but content that truly engages students to reflect, question, and make personal questions on issues such as diversity, identity, values, social norms, etc.

4. Use the following list of books as a resource. Please contact the AFFECT team if you would like to suggest your favorite book(s). Books (PDF)
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(n) The teacher makes learners feel valued and helps them learn to value each other.
Standard #3: Learning Environments
3(f) The teacher communicates verbally and nonverbally in ways that demonstrate respect for and responsiveness to the cultural backgrounds and differing perspectives learners bring to the learning environment.
Standard #4: Content Knowledge
4(d) The teacher stimulates learner reflection on prior content knowledge, links new concepts to familiar concepts, and makes connections to learners' experiences.

4(m) The teacher knows how to integrate culturally relevant content to build on learners' background knowledge.

Student/family made dual language storybooks

Create the context and written support system to have students/families write their own dual language books.

Create the context and written support system to have students/families write their own dual language books.

Students and families will develop a sense of empowerment with their cultural and linguistic identities by reading and writing their own dual-language story books.

Some possible questions to set the context of the lesson:

Who can speak a language other than English?

Who speaks a language other than English at home with your family?

Does anyone speak a language other than English every day with your family?

Discussions can follow on the value of language learning for those monolingual and multilingual students. The classroom teacher will then incorporate a variety of themes from multiculturalism, diversity, caring, respect, and acceptance into the instructional reading block time. Depending on the linguistic make up of the students, the teacher may read aloud dual language storybooks.

After providing sufficient amounts of input and modelings, the teacher will guide the students through the writing process of making their own monolingual or dual language story book. Work will be completed in class and at home in order to engage families and build upon their cultural knowledge. Finally, students will read aloud their books; you may also invite family members as part of the audience.

CLICK HERE FOR AFFECT TEAM'S LIST OF STORYBOOKS WITH SYNOPSES: STUDENT.FAMILY MADE DUAL LANGUAGE BOOK FILE

Incorporate minority families' home cultures into the school curriculum

Engage and integrate the cultures of your students and their families into your curriculum in order to scaffold their learning, respect their heritage, empower their learning, and develop a sincere sense of community and learning for all students.

1. Work with your grade-level planning team before the start of the school year to make a list of the home cultures that are representative of your ESL population. Brainstorm ways in which you can tap into this vast, inherently rich resource. For example:

a. How can you empower students' sense of cultural identity and worth?

b. What do the Common Core Standards for your grade level say about diversity, culture, multiculturalism, identity, and students' background knowledge?

c. What are the mainstream assumptions in the social studies, history, and other content lessons?

d. Do all your students, including the ESL students, have a "voice" in the curriculum?

e. How are they portrayed in the literature?

Consider your answers to these questions when designing your curricular lessons, so that all students' cultures can be acknowledged fairly and respectfully and you can use the students' background knowledge to introduce them to new material.

2. Get to know your students, their families, and their linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Have the families "teach" you about their language, culture, educational expectations, and so on. By taking the role of a "student," you will create a more dynamic and reciprocal relationship between home and school. Incorporate all this knowledge in your lesson planning.

3. Talk to your school community (e.g., colleagues, administrators, students, parents, PTA) about having a "Take Your Parent to School Day" (it could also be a guardian or any adult family member responsible for the student). Schedule the day to include:

a. Activities for students, families, and teachers to get to know each other.

b. Opportunities for parents to share their expertise/knowledge of their culture, language, profession, and interests.
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(c) The teacher designs instruction to build on learners' prior knowledge and experiences, allowing learners to accelerate as they demonstrate their understandings.

2(d) The teacher brings multiple perspectives to the discussion of content, including attention to learners' personal, family, and community experiences and cultural norms, including Native Hawaiian history and culture.

2(j) The teacher understands that learners bring assets for learning based on their individual experiences, abilities, talents, prior learning, and peer and social group interactions, as well as language, culture, family, and community values.

2(k) The teacher knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and communities and how to incorporate learners' experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.

2(m) The teacher respects learners as individuals with differing personal and family backgrounds and various skills, abilities, perspectives, talents, and interests.

2(o) The teacher values diverse languages and dialects and seeks to integrate them into his/her instructional practice to engage students in learning.
Standard #4: Content Knowledge
4(m) The teacher knows how to integrate culturally relevant content to build on learners' background knowledge.
Standard #7: Planning for Instruction
7(i) The teacher understands learning theory, human development, cultural diversity, and individual differences and how these impact ongoing planning.

7(k) The teacher knows a range of evidence-based instructional strategies, resources, and technological tools and how to use them effectively to plan instruction that meets diverse learning needs.

7(n) The teacher respects learners' diverse strengths and needs and is committed to using this information to plan effective instruction.
Standard #8: Instructional Strategies
8(k) The teacher knows how to apply a range of developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate instructional strategies to achieve learning goals.

8(p) The teacher is committed to deepening awareness and understanding the strengths and needs of diverse learners when planning and adjusting instruction.

9(e) The teacher reflects on his/her personal biases and accesses resources to deepen his/her own understanding of cultural, ethnic, gender, and learning differences to build stronger relationships and create more relevant learning experiences.

9(h) The teacher knows how to use learner data to analyze practice and differentiate instruction accordingly.

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Activities Greetings in many languages and ways Display greeting signs in the languages spoken in your classroom to raise language awareness, make students and families feel welcome, and allow for a flow of knowledge, ideas, and positive feelings between home and school and across languages.

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Project-Based Learning (PBL)

The open-ended work in project-based learning can help students explore issues that matter to them.

"Justice for Ahmaud Arbery," by Melanie Nguyen. Like the images below, this was created by one of the author's students.

My objective, as an educator, is always to enable students to discover themselves-and, in doing so, help them gain the knowledge, skills, and courage to understand and improve the human condition. I believe that almost all social problems can be traced to a lack of education and empathy, and that 21st-century educators must work to combat ignorance and injustice.

With this objective in mind, I recently designed a project focusing on racial and social justice called "Light Up the Darkness." During the school year, my students studied history and literature through the lens of injustice. They learned about topics ranging from medieval feudalism as a system of oppression to the work of Charles Dickens as a literary protest against economic injustice. In the spring, we brought these themes together, diving deep into student passions through project-based learning.

Then, along with the lockdown for Covid-19, came the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. If students hadn't previously felt an urgent reason to care about racial and social justice, they did now.

Laying the Groundwork

I decided to give my students options: work independently or with a partner. They could study race, gender identity, Islamophobia, sexism, class struggle, immigration, homelessness, or mass incarceration; they could also propose any other topic related to oppression and inequity. We spent the first week exploring issues and resources and discussing ideas.

Then students chose topics, articles, poems, songs, documentaries, and books. Some students chose fiction: The Hate U Give, , Internment, and Dear Martin were popular. Most chose nonfiction: , , and were the top choices. They read newspaper articles and watched TED Talks and Vice News reports, as well as many powerful documentaries, including True Justice and Girl Rising. They read " The New Colossus" and listened to Tupac.

As they learned, they talked. They talked with friends and classmates, with me and their families, and with community members. Some attended protests. What might have been a trivial "What did you learn in school today?" turned into a powerful discourse on injustice and the human condition.

Learning From Masters

"Light Up the Darkness" has four key products: a two-voice poem, persuasive art, a book project, and an argumentative essay.
Ariel Smethurst-Jones
Two-voice poems: Some students were already familiar with two-voice poems, but as an introduction we watched a Common Grounds slam poem performed by Amina Iro and Hannah Halpern and read " Two Women," a poem by an anonymous woman caught in political chaos in Chile in the 1970s. Students gained a deeper understanding of experiential angles and ideological nuances.

Persuasive art: Next, students worked on propaganda art, which we defined as work meant to be persuasive and influential; it's biased but not necessarily misleading. They analyzed works by Shepard Fairey and other historical and contemporary grassroots artists. Their work took many forms, but the consistent theme was social justice. Some students created persuasive infographics or protest posters, but most created fine art that focuses on action. This ranged from ending mass incarceration to empowering young women. Some students used current movements and events, while others relied on their newfound critical understanding of history.

Open-ended book project: Later, students completed an open-ended book project, with a menu of options available to guide their creativity. Some wrote and performed raps, others baked cakes; some took photos at protests, and others created intricate Lego builds. I wanted students to feel free to authentically express their learning, specifically around their book choice. By this point, students were taking complete ownership of the project.
Adrianna Shinn
Argumentative essay: The final product was a 1,000-plus-word argumentative essay with a thesis, citations, counter-argument, and rebuttal. Rigorous writing assignments can be challenging for young teens, but as I worked with each student on their essays, I witnessed something amazing: Their sense of justice and empathy, along with their new knowledge, skills, and courage, was on full display.

Now, with the tables turned, it was my time to learn, and I did. One essay used research to show that mass incarceration was not the result of a spike in criminality but instead the product of systemic racism. Another showed that even the most well-intended "colorblindness" does nothing to expedite our progress toward racial justice.

This project had a beginning, but it never truly ended. My students and their families told me that they didn't think this type of learning was possible at school. They said the work felt raw and relevant.

What did I learn? I learned that justice is a transgenerational struggle. I learned that silent classrooms are compliant classrooms. I learned about the importance of allowing students to confront racial and social injustice. I learned that young people continue to offer unwavering hope.

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Exploring Social Justice Issues Through PBL

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The open-ended work in project-based learning can help students explore issues that matter to them.

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What does Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy Look Like?

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What does Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy Look Like?

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Reprinted with permission from: Ferlazzo, L. (2016, May 14). Response: “It is Long Past Time to Meet the Needs of Students of Color.” Retrieved June 2, 2017, from http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2016/05/response_it_is_long_past_ti me_to_meet_the_needs_of_students_of_color.html?cmp=SOC-SHR-FB

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AILA - American Indian Library Association

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AILA: Improving library and information services for American Indians

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Teacher Workshop - Protest, Racism, and Social Change Resources

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Teacher Workshop - Protest, Racism, and Social Change Resources