African American Literacies Unleashed

This pioneering study of African American students in the composition classroom lays the groundwork for reversing the cycle of underachievement that plagues linguistically diverse students. African American Literacies Unleashed: Vernacular English and the Composition Classroom approaches the issue of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) in terms of teacher knowledge and prevailing attitudes, and it attempts to change current pedagogical approaches with a highly readable combination of traditional academic discourse and personal narratives. Realizing that composition is a particular form of social practice that validates some students and excludes others, Arnetha Ball and Ted Lardner acknowledge that many African American students come to writing and composition classrooms with talents that are not appreciated. To empower and inform practitioners, administrators, teacher educators, and researchers, Ball and Lardner provide knowledge and strategies that will help unleash the potential of African American students and help them imagine new possibilities for their successes as writers. African American Literacies Unleashed asserts that necessary changes in theory and practice can be addressed by refocusing attention from teachers’ knowledge deficits to the processes through which teachers engage information relevant to culturally informed pedagogy. Providing strategies for unlearning racism in the classroom and changing the status quo, this volume stresses the development and maintenance of a real sense of teaching efficacy—teachers’ beliefs in their abilities to connect with and work effectively with all students—and reflective optimism—teachers’ informed expectations that all students have the potential to succeed.

Literacy as Moral Obligation among African Americans in the Rural Southeast providesdetailed descriptions of contemporary African American experiences with literacy and education in the rural South. In doing so, this book extends current understandings of sociocultural perspectives on literacy by illustrating how literacy practice is morally valenced, embodied, and narrative in quality. Johnson Lachuk argues that meaningful and ethical literacy instruction engages with perspectives that are embedded within a social and cultural community—that is, since literacy is linked to greater social mobility through institutional access for many persons, it is educators’ ethical responsibility to ensure that learners have the literacy knowledge required to do so. Recommended for scholars of literacy, education, and sociology.

The Encyclopedia of African American Education covers educational institutions at every level, from preschool through graduate and professional training, with special attention to historically black and predominantly black colleges and universities. Other entries cover individuals, organizations, associations, and publications that have had a significant impact on African American education. The Encyclopedia also presents information on public policy affecting the education of African Americans, including both court decisions and legislation. It includes a discussion of curriculum, concepts, theories, and alternative models of education, and addresses the topics of gender and sexual orientation, religion, and the media. The Encyclopedia also includes a Reader's Guide, provided to help readers find entries on related topics. It classifies entries in sixteen categories: " Alternative Educational Models " Associations and Organizations " Biographies " Collegiate Education " Curriculum " Economics " Gender " Graduate and Professional Education " Historically Black Colleges and Universities " Legal Cases " Pre-Collegiate Education " Psychology and Human Development " Public Policy " Publications " Religious Institutions " Segregation/Desegregation. Some entries appear in more than one category. This two-volume reference work will be an invaluable resource not only for educators and students but for all readers who seek an understanding of African American education both historically and in the 21st century.

While many books decry the crisis in the schooling of African American children, they are often disconnected from the lived experiences and work of classroom teachers and principals. In this book, the authors look back to move forward, providing specific practices that K–12 literacy educators can use to transform their schools. The text addresses four major debates: the fight for access to literacy; supports and roadblocks to success; best practices, theories, and perspectives on teaching African American students; and the role of African American families in the literacy lives of their children. Throughout, the authors highlight the valuable lessons learned from the past and include real stories from their own diverse family histories and experiences as teachers, parents, and community members.

Now in its third edition, the Handbook of Research on Teaching the English Language Arts—sponsored by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English—offers an integrated perspective on the teaching of the English language arts and a comprehensive overview of research in the field. Prominent scholars, researchers, and professional leaders provide historical and theoretical perspectives about teaching the language arts focus on bodies of research that influence decision making within the teaching of the language arts explore the environments for language arts teaching reflect on methods and materials for instruction Reflecting important recent developments in the field, the Third Edition is restructured, updated, and includes many new contributors. More emphasis is given in this edition to the learner, multiple texts, learning, and sharing one’s knowledge. A Companion Website, new for this edition, provides PowerPoint® slides highlighting the main points of each chapter.

Drawing upon international research, Review of Research in Education, Volume 35 examines the interplay between youth cultures and educational practices. Although the articles describe youth practices across a range of settings, a central theme is how gender, class, race, and national identity mediate both adult perceptions of youth and youths' experiences of schooling.

This volume brings together respected scholars to examine the intersections of race, justice, and activism in direct relation to the teaching and learning of critical literacy. The authors focus on literacy praxis that reflect how students--with the loving, critical support of teachers and teacher educators--engage in resistance work and collaborate for social change. Each chapter theorizes how students and adults initiate and/or participate in important justice work, how their engagements are situated within a critical literacy lens, and what their engagements look like in schools and communities. The authors also explore the importance of this work in the context of current sociopolitical developments, including police shootings, deportations, and persistent educational inequities. Book Features: The most recent work of both emerging and well-known literacy and social justice scholars. Examples of student activism across multiple geographic contexts in the United States. Accessible questions to help guide discussions related to the overall topics, theories, and methods. Artifacts, such as images and artwork, from students and educators to allow readers multiple ways of entering the text.

Bringing together leading experts, this book presents the principles of effective literacy leadership and describes proven methods for improving instruction, assessment, and schoolwide professional development. The book shows how all school staff--including reading specialists and coaches, administrators, teachers, and special educators--can play an active role in nurturing a culture of collaboration and promoting student achievement. Best practices are identified for creating strong elementary and secondary literacy programs, differentiating instruction, supporting English language learners, utilizing technology, building home-school partnerships, and much more. User-friendly features include case examples, guiding questions, and engagement activities in each chapter.