Washington State American Indian Educator's Conference March 2012. Project to share culturally relevant youth resources for Northwest Coastal and Inland Plateau tribes as well as Pan-Indian and Urban experiences.
[TASL] Annual Conference for 2010
http://www.discoveret.org/tasl/
When: November 4 – 6, 2010
Where: Murfreesboro, TN
Murfreesboro Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center
Embassy Suites Murfreesboro Hotel & Conference Center
1200 Conference Center Blvd Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Group/convention code [SLM]
What: This year’s theme is “Get Connected”
CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY LEADERS
CONNECTING WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION
CONNECTING WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES
CONNECTING WITH AUTHORS AND ADVOCATES
CONNECTING WITH VENDORS
CONNECTING WITH TASL LEADERS
Presentation of the 2014 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. Books were published in 2013. Presented by Karen Hildebrand, member of the selection committee sponsored by the Children's Book Council and the National Council for Social Studies.
Washington State American Indian Educator's Conference March 2012. Project to share culturally relevant youth resources for Northwest Coastal and Inland Plateau tribes as well as Pan-Indian and Urban experiences.
[TASL] Annual Conference for 2010
http://www.discoveret.org/tasl/
When: November 4 – 6, 2010
Where: Murfreesboro, TN
Murfreesboro Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center
Embassy Suites Murfreesboro Hotel & Conference Center
1200 Conference Center Blvd Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Group/convention code [SLM]
What: This year’s theme is “Get Connected”
CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY LEADERS
CONNECTING WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION
CONNECTING WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES
CONNECTING WITH AUTHORS AND ADVOCATES
CONNECTING WITH VENDORS
CONNECTING WITH TASL LEADERS
Presentation of the 2014 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. Books were published in 2013. Presented by Karen Hildebrand, member of the selection committee sponsored by the Children's Book Council and the National Council for Social Studies.
A Safe Space on Campus: Winning Strategies Academic Libraries Can Use to Serv...Kristen Yarmey
A presentation given by Matthew Ciszek, Tara Fay, and Kristen Yarmey at the October 2011 Pennsylvania Library Association annual conference in State College, PA.
Description:
Much work has been done in public and school libraries to serve the information needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning patrons. In this session, attendees will learn to transform these ideas into winning strategies for making an academic library a “safe space.” Presenters will provide an introduction to GLBTQ awareness, offer suggestions for providing collections and services for GLBTQ patrons, and share their experiences in building relationships with GLBTQ groups on campus and in the community.
Library, Museum, Archival & Historical Societies: Resources for Emerging Bili...Manhattan College
This presentation discusses ways in which English as a second language teachers can use resources from library, museum, archival & historical societies. Frequently, librarians, museum educators/librarians, archivists, and historical society coordinators & researchers provide outreach to schools and education programs. Explore these ideas! Perhaps, one will be suitable to use in your classroom!
Presentation for 8th Annual Adolescent Summer Literacy Institute, William Paterson University, July 7, 2014 entitled "Deconstructing the Debate about the Lack of Diversity in Young Adult Literature."
What are OUR Responsibilities as Educators in a Culturally Responsive Classroom? - To Create a POSITIVE Environment in the Classroom where ALL Students have the opportunity to be Successful
To Cultivate a climate of Respect and Dignity for ALL in the classroom To Be an Agent of Change
Visual Resources Association Annual Conference
March 24-27, 2020, Baltimore*
Session: Incorporating Diversity in our Workplace: All are Welcome, but How Do We Get There?
Moderator: Andrew Wang
Presenters: Heidi Raatz, Cindy Frank, and Meghan Rubenstein
*Baltimore conference canceled. Presented as a webinar June 2, 2020
Pushback: Information literacy does not mean what you think it meanssi641
A discussion of information literacy in various forms as shared by members of SI 641: Information Literacy for Teaching and Learning at the University of Michigan School of Information. Contact us at pushbackbook@umich.edu.
A Safe Space on Campus: Winning Strategies Academic Libraries Can Use to Serv...Kristen Yarmey
A presentation given by Matthew Ciszek, Tara Fay, and Kristen Yarmey at the October 2011 Pennsylvania Library Association annual conference in State College, PA.
Description:
Much work has been done in public and school libraries to serve the information needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning patrons. In this session, attendees will learn to transform these ideas into winning strategies for making an academic library a “safe space.” Presenters will provide an introduction to GLBTQ awareness, offer suggestions for providing collections and services for GLBTQ patrons, and share their experiences in building relationships with GLBTQ groups on campus and in the community.
Library, Museum, Archival & Historical Societies: Resources for Emerging Bili...Manhattan College
This presentation discusses ways in which English as a second language teachers can use resources from library, museum, archival & historical societies. Frequently, librarians, museum educators/librarians, archivists, and historical society coordinators & researchers provide outreach to schools and education programs. Explore these ideas! Perhaps, one will be suitable to use in your classroom!
Presentation for 8th Annual Adolescent Summer Literacy Institute, William Paterson University, July 7, 2014 entitled "Deconstructing the Debate about the Lack of Diversity in Young Adult Literature."
What are OUR Responsibilities as Educators in a Culturally Responsive Classroom? - To Create a POSITIVE Environment in the Classroom where ALL Students have the opportunity to be Successful
To Cultivate a climate of Respect and Dignity for ALL in the classroom To Be an Agent of Change
Visual Resources Association Annual Conference
March 24-27, 2020, Baltimore*
Session: Incorporating Diversity in our Workplace: All are Welcome, but How Do We Get There?
Moderator: Andrew Wang
Presenters: Heidi Raatz, Cindy Frank, and Meghan Rubenstein
*Baltimore conference canceled. Presented as a webinar June 2, 2020
Pushback: Information literacy does not mean what you think it meanssi641
A discussion of information literacy in various forms as shared by members of SI 641: Information Literacy for Teaching and Learning at the University of Michigan School of Information. Contact us at pushbackbook@umich.edu.
Disney Consumer Products: Marketing Nutrition to children by Shivdeep Singh (...Shivdeep Singh
This is a presentation based on the Harvard Case Study by the same name. This was compiled as a part of an assignment during a summer internship under Prof. Sameer Mathur, IIM Lucknow, by Shivdeep Singh (IIT BHU)
Vé máy bay vietnam airlines nội bài đi madrid giá rẻthuy03baydep
Bạn đang băn khoăn không biết nên mua vé máy bay Vietnam Airlines giá rẻ ở đại lý nào uy tín.
Baydep.vn tự hào là đại lý bán vé ủy quyền của hãng hàng không Vietnam Airlines tại Việt Nam.
Case study - Santa Clara Power Plant AutomationNorbert Penner
Santa Clara hydro power plant was operated locally by human operators. After the upgrade designed by Itech, using state-of-the-art Netcontrol PLCs, the power plant is now controlled remotely.
Seeking the Meaning of the School Library Dr. Ross Todd, chef för Center for international Scholarship in School Libraries vid Rutgers University, New Jersey
34 E D U C A T I O N A L L E A D E R S H I P M A R C H .docxstandfordabbot
34 E D U C A T I O N A L L E A D E R S H I P / M A R C H 2 0 1 5
Paul C. Gorski
and Katy Swalwell
I feel like a visitor in my own
school—that hasn’t changed,”
Samantha said, confusion and
despair in her voice. We were
at the tail end of a focus group
discussion with African American
students at Green Hills High, a pre-
dominantly white, economically
diverse school. We had been invited to
conduct an equity assessment, exam-
ining the extent to which Green Hills
was an equitable learning environment
for all. We had asked Samantha and
a small group of her classmates how
they would characterize their school’s
two-year-old Multicultural Curriculum
Initiative, touted by school adminis-
trators as a comprehensive effort to
infuse a multicultural perspective into
all aspects of school life.
“I’m invisible,” Sean added, “but
also hypervisible. Maybe twice a year
there’s a program about somebody’s
food or music, but that’s about it. I
don’t see the purpose.”
Then Cynthia, who had remained
quiet through most of the hourlong
discussion, slammed her fist on the
table, exclaiming, “That multicultural
initiative means nothing. There’s
racism at this school, and nobody’s
doing anything about it!”
We found ourselves only a few
moments later in our next scheduled
focus group, surrounded by the
school’s power brokers: the prin-
cipal, assistant principals, deans, and
department chairs. Still taken—maybe
even a little shaken—by what we had
heard from the young women and
men who felt fairly powerless at Green
Hills, we asked the administrators
about the purpose of the Multicultural
Curriculum Initiative.
After a brief silence, Jonathan, the
principal, leaned back in his chair.
We had observed him over the past
few days interacting with students,
and it was clear he cared deeply about
them. The Multicultural Curriculum
Initiative was his brainchild, his baby.
Jonathan decorated his office door
with quotes about diversity and his
office walls with artwork depicting
diverse groups of youth. “We see
diversity as our greatest asset. That’s
what this initiative is all about. What
we aim to do here,” he explained with
measured intensity, “is to celebrate
the joys of diversity.” When we shared
with Jonathan the concerns raised
by the African American students,
he appeared confused and genuinely
concerned. “They said that?” he asked,
before interrupting a member of his
leadership team who had begun to
defend the initiative. “Maybe it’s time
to rethink this.”
Beyond Artwork
and Celebrations
If we’ve learned anything working
with schools across the United States,
it’s this: When it comes to education
equity, the trouble is not a lack of
Equity Lıteracy
FOR ALL
Schools can commit
to a more robust
multiculturalism by
putting equity, rather
than culture, at the
center of the diversity
conversation.
Gorski.indd 34 1/29/15 7:48 PM
A S C D / W W W . A S C D . O R G 35
multi.
This is the final presentation for IRLS558: Social Justice and Information Services and discusses issues of diversity in librarianship and current and proposed solutions.
Amb respecte: desenvolupant una cultura d’alfabetització entre comunitat immi...BPIMMIGRACIO
PROTAGONISTES: ELS JOVES. III JORNADA DE BIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA I IMMIGRACIÓ. BIBLIOTECA JAUME FUSTER. BARCELONA, 22 DE FEBRER DE 2010
Amb respecte: desenvolupant una cultura d’alfabetització entre comunitat immigrades a través de pràctiques de lectura culturalment i lingüísticament pertinents. A càrrec d'Oralia Garza de Cortés, consultora en temes de Literatura Infantil i Juvenil. EUA.
Building a Culturally Diverse Library CollectionAllison Mackley
School librarians have a responsibility to develop and maintain a culturally diverse collection that supports the development of a culturally and globally literate school community.
A Strategic Approach: GenAI in EducationPeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
Biological screening of herbal drugs: Introduction and Need for
Phyto-Pharmacological Screening, New Strategies for evaluating
Natural Products, In vitro evaluation techniques for Antioxidants, Antimicrobial and Anticancer drugs. In vivo evaluation techniques
for Anti-inflammatory, Antiulcer, Anticancer, Wound healing, Antidiabetic, Hepatoprotective, Cardio protective, Diuretics and
Antifertility, Toxicity studies as per OECD guidelines
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
Francesca Gottschalk - How can education support child empowerment.pptxEduSkills OECD
Francesca Gottschalk from the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation presents at the Ask an Expert Webinar: How can education support child empowerment?
1. It Does Matter!
Creating Libraries that
Meet the Needs of Youth of Color
#DiverseLibraries
Teresa Bunner, Academic Support Specialist, Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate
Program, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
Sandra Hughes-Hassell, Professor, School of Information & Library Science,
UNC-CH
2. Goals for Today
To understand the characteristics of a culturally
relevant library in three areas:
1. Collections
2. Space & Atmosphere
3. Instruction
5. Culturally Relevant Collections Support
Racial Identity Development
Racial Identity
“Refers to a sense of group or
collective identity based on
one’s perception that he or
she shares a common
heritage with a particular racial
group...”
[Helms, 1990]
5-Stage Theory
● Pre-encounter
● Encounter
● Immersion/emersion
● Internalization
● Internalization/Commitment
[Cross,1991]
7. Resources for Diversifying the Collection
Creating Global Library
Collections
● Awards
● Blogs
● Electronic Resources
● Lists
● Print Resources
● Publishers
Building a Bridge to Literacy
● African American Storytellers
● Author / Illustrator Websites
● Blogs
● Book Awards
#WeNeedDiverseBooks
Independent Bookstores (brick and mortar & online)
● Book Lists
● Publishers
8. Library Space & Atmosphere
To consider:
1. What does a student of color see when they
enter the library?
2. What do they hear?
3. What “vibes” does it give off - how does it make
them feel?
9. What do youth of color say?
“The librarian….she’s not opened- minded.” “It’s like the library is like her house.”
“I would say I’m not a library user…the library is dull to me. You know,
white walls and red carpet. It makes you sleepy, so I won’t work there.
I try to avoid places that make me sleepy.”
“I wasn’t a bad student, but I would always get disciplined in the library. The
librarians…I guess they didn’t like me because I just talk too much.”
“I got disciplined for talking. Also, moving around a lot. I couldn’t sit still, always
going somewhere and looking at something or touching something.”
10. Afro-Cultural Ethos
1. Spirituality: approaching life as essentially vitalistic and conducting one’s
life as though supreme forces govern it
2. Affect: placing a premium on emotions/feelings
3. Harmony: viewing one’s fate as being interrelated with other elements of life
4. Oral Tradition: emphasizing oral and aural modes of communication and
cultivating oral virtuosity
5. Social perspective of time: an orientation of time as passing through a
social space; time is seen as recurring, personal, and phenomenological
11. Afro-Cultural Ethos
6. Expressive individualism: the cultivation of a distinct personality and a
proclivity for spontaneous, genuine personal expression
7. Verve: preferring intense stimulation, variability, and action that is energetic,
alive, and colorful
8. Communalism: a commitment to social connectedness; being sensitive to
the interdependence of people and committing to social connectedness over
individual privileges
9. Movement: interweaving of the ideas of rhythm and percussiveness often
associated with music and dance into daily life
12. “African American children participate in a culture that is
highly dynamic.
They thrive in settings that use multimedia and
multimodal teaching strategies.
And they favor instruction that is variable, energetic,
vigorous, and captivating” [Hale, 2001, 117].
13. Think/Pair/Share
Consider...
1. the design & layout of the
library space - the furniture you
choose, how it is arranged, etc.
2. displays, signage, &
“decorations”
3. the “rules” - implicit and explicit
4. how librarians interact with
African American youth
REMEMBER
“African American children participate
in a culture that is highly dynamic.
They thrive in settings that use
multimedia and multimodal
teaching strategies.
And they favor instruction that is
variable, energetic, vigorous, and
captivating” [Hale, 2001, 117].
14. Creating Culturally Relevant Instruction
Culturally relevant teaching -“a pedagogy that empowers students
intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural referents to
impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes…” [Gloria Ladson-Billings]
Use familiar metaphors and experiences from the children's own world to
connect what students already know to school-taught knowledge. [Lisa
Delpit]
Funds of knowledge- “...historically accumulated and culturally developed
bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual
functioning and well-being…” [Luis Moll,et al…]
15. Key Principles of CRP
● An authentic belief that students from culturally diverse backgrounds are capable learners
and can become intellectual leaders.
● Legitimization of students’ real-life experiences as part of the curriculum.
● A commitment to enabling students to explore and make connections between their multiple
identities.
● The creation of a community of learners.
● Engagement of students and teachers in a collective struggle against the status quo.
● The recognition of the political nature of teaching [Ladson-Billings, 2009, p. 126-128].
16. Bringing CRP to Life
What We Do Now
❖ Read alouds
❖ Booktalks, displays, &
booklists
❖ Book Clubs
❖ Author Visits
❖ Research topics
❖ Fact-based research
New Way of Thinking
★ Read alouds
★ Titles by and about people of color
★ Book Clubs: focused; discussions
around social issues such as race,
power, privilege in the U.S.
★ Titles by and about people of color
★ Authors of color
★ Research from multiple perspectives
★ Big ideas/questions
17.
18. Let’s Think….Westward Expansion
● What perspectives could we examine this from?
● How do we help teachers redesign research?
● How do “big ideas/questions” lead us in a different
direction?
19. It DOES Matter
“It’s necessary to talk about race because most of the time race takes the
backseat to everything.” Jotham- HS Senior
“It’s the effort (to talk about race) that’s important.” Erika- College student
“Racial groups are not homogenous…” Alexa- HS Senior
“It’s okay to feel uncomfortable.” Student Six facilitators, CHCCS HS
students
21. Selected Resources
Building a Bridge to Literacy for African-American Male Youth: A Call to
Action for the Library Community (bridgetolit.web.unc.edu)
In addition to providing free downloadable copies of our report and additional information about the
summit, our website includes many other resources including a bibliography of related research and
lists of outside resources such as websites, blogs, book lists, and selection tools to help you.
Libraries, Literacy, and African American Male Youth
http://librariesliteracyandaamaleyouth.weebly.com/
This free professional development resource is for school and public librarians to help them develop
programs and services that will best meet the needs of African American male youth. This resource,
developed by Amanda Hitson, is divided into ten modules that focus on research-based strategies for
working with African American male youth in school and public libraries.
22. Selected Resources
Culturally Responsive Library Walk
http://bridgetolit.web.unc.edu/?page_id=842
The Culturally Responsive Library Walk is designed to be a collaborative tool for school administrators, librarians, and
teachers to assess the library’s responsiveness to the needs of the culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students
who attend the school. It is an observation and planning document that is informed by research on culturally
responsive pedagogy and is based on the philosophy of creating a student-centered library program.
A Celebration of Identity Bibliography http://bridgetolit.web.unc.edu/files/2012/06/celebration-of-identity-ppt.pdf
This list of 256 titles that feature black males was prepared by Jane M. Gangi, PhD (janegangi@snet.net) for the
Summit.
Building a Bridge to Literacy for Adolescent African American Males https://sites.google.com/site/bridgetoliteracy/
This website provides background information about Dr. Alfred Tatum’s research, and details the work we have done to
bring his research to the attention of the library community. Our aim is to encourage the library community to join the
national efforts of organizations such as the Council on the Great City Schools to support the literacy needs of African-
American male adolescents.
23. References
Bell, Y.R., & Clark, T.R. 1998. Culturally relevant reading material as related to comprehension and recall in African American
children. Journal of Black Psychology, 24(4), 455-475.
Boykin, A.W. (1983). The academic performance of Afro-American children. IN J. Spence (ed.), Achievement and achievement
motives (pp. 321-371). San Francisco: Freeman.
Boykin, A.W. (1986). The triple quandary and the schooling of Afro-American children. In U. Neisser (ed.), The school
achievement of minority children (pp. 57-93). Hilsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Boykin, A.W. , & Noguera, P. (2011). Creating the opportunity to learn: Moving from research to practice to close the achievement
gap. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Conrad, N.K., Gong, Y., Sipp, L., & Wright, L. 2004. Using text talk as a gateway to culturally responsive teaching. Early Childhood
Education Journal, 31(3), 187-192.
Cross, W.E., Jr. (1991). Shades of Black: Diversity in African-American Identity. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Delpit, L. (1998). What should teachers do? Ebonics and culturally responsive instruction. In T. Perry & L. Delpit (eds.), The real
Ebonics debate: Power, language, and the education of African-American children (pp. 17-26). Beacon Press.
Delpit,L. (2012). Multiplication is for White People: Raising expectations for other people’s children: The New Press, pp. xv
24. References
Hale, J. (2001). Learning while black: Creating educational excellence for African American children. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins
Press.
Hanley, M.S., & Noblit, G.W. (2009). Culturally responsiveness, racial identity, and academic success: A review of the literature.
Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://www.heinz.org/UserFiles/Library/Culture-Report_FINAL.pdf
Helms, J.E. (Ed.). (1990). Black and White Identity Racial Identity: Theory, Research, and Practice. Westport, CT:Greenwood
Press.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The Dreamkeepers: Successful teaching for African-American students. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,
pp. 17–18.
McCollin, M., & O’Shea, D. 2005. Increasing reading achievement of students from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds. Preventing School Failure, 50(1), 41-44.
McCullough, R.G. 2008. Untapped cultural support: The influence of culturally bound prior knowledge on comprehension
performance. Reading Horizons, 49(1), 1-30.
Moll, L., et al ...(1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory
into Practice, 31(2), 132-41
Morrell, E. (2002). Toward a critical pedagogy of popular culture: Literacy development among urban youth. Journal of
Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 46(1), 72-77.
25. References
Morrell, E. & Duncan-Andrade, J. (2002). Promoting academic literacy with urban youth through hip-hop culture. English Journal,
91(6), 88-92.
Lazar, A., Edwards, P.A., & McMillon, G.T. (2013). The essential guide to social equity teaching. New York: Teachers College
Press.
Paul, D.G. (2000). Rap and orality: Critical media literacy, pedagogy, and cultural synchronization. Journal of Adolescent and
Adult Literacy, 44, 246-251.
Reynolds R.E., Taylor, M.A., Steffensen, M.S., Shirey, L.L., & Anderson, R.C. 1982. Cultural schemata and reading
comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly, 17(3), 353-366.
Tatum, A.W. (2005). Teaching reading to black adolescent males: Closing the achievement gap. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Tatum, A.W. (2011). Brother author: Writings from the African American Male Summer Literacy Institute. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/tsr/too-important-to-fail/brother-author/
Tatum, A.W. (2009). Reading for their life: (Re)building the textual lineages of African American adolescent males. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann.
Tatum, B. D. (2003). Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria: And other conversations about race. (rev. ed.) New
York: Basic Books.
Editor's Notes
Our goal for today is to understand the characteristics of a culturally relevant library program. We will do this through engaging in meaningful conversation - yes, we expect you to participate and contribute
We will share current research with you and tie it practice
Finally, throughout our 50 minutes together, we (us as a group) will be identifying actions you can take
There are a number of studies that show that reading culturally relevant texts not only increases reading motivation but also leads to increased reading comprehension, recall, fluency, and even phonological awareness (sound structure of language, syllables, accents, etc). Simply using culturally relevant resources won’t close the achievement gap, but it does have an impact on literacy outcomes
Read definition:
Pre-encounter: children of color absorb many of the beliefs and values of the dominant White culture, including the belief that it is better to be White; Stereotypes, omissions, and distortions play a large role in socializing children of color to value role models, lifestyles, and images of beauty of White culture over their own
Encounter: children of color become aware of impact of racism; stage usually occurs during late adolescence but can occur as early as middle school; children of color begin to wrestle with what it means to be member of a group that is targeted by racism. Often awakening precipitated by an event or series of events. Must answer questions: What does it mean to be a Black (Hispanic, Asian, American Indian)? How do I act? What should I do? Process for biracial teens more complicated: What am I?
Research shows that for white students, positive academic success brings positive identity; for youth of color it is the opposite, positive racial identity leads to academic success – is a percursor to academic success.
In terms of the atmosphere, school librarians should be sensitive to the fact that many youth of color feel like outsiders in library spaces and deem the school library as sole “property” of the librarian. Read slides. So...what does the research say? What might explain why they feel this way?
Patricia Montiel Overall contends that “the current culture represented in many libraries is the culture of mainstream communities, even when those libraries are located in areas that are distinctly different from mainstream communities.” The majority of librarians are white, English speaking females and may not be aware of the impact culture has on the lived experiences of youth of color. Instead of considering the cultures of the students in their schools when designing library spaces, setting policies & rules, they operate libraries that fit with the dominant, in the case of the U.S., white, view of the world. To change this, librarians need to understand the culture of the youth they work with. A number of scholars have written about this, including Gloria Ladson Billings, James Banks, and Lisa Delpit. Today I’m going to focus on the work of Dr. A. Wade Boykin. Dr. Boykin is Professor and Director of the Developmental Psychology Graduate Program at Howard University, and he has identified 9 dimensions of African American culture that he believes must be incorporated into our work with African American youth in order for them to be successful. These themes are African in origin, and Boykin argues, have been maintained and transmitted across generations in communities and families of African descent throughout the world. He suggests that each of these dimensions is found in the lives of many African American children in the U.S., particularly those of low income background who are more likely to be more distanced from mainstream values and practices (Boykin, 1994, 5).
These 9 dimensions include spirituality, affect, oral tradition, harmony, a social perspective of time, [change slide]
Now we’ll explore a few of them in a bit more detail:
Affect: In the African American community, Boykin argues there is an emphasis on emotions and feelings together with a special sensitivity to emotional cues and a tendency to be emotionally expressive.
This means we need to understand the lived experiences of African American youth and how they respond to those experiences. It is important to be in touch with what is happening in their homes and communities and to allow students to read, write, and research about these topics/events
We need to provide them with opportunities to read texts that connect to their lives and to write about what is meaningful to them.
Later in the presentation, I am going to share some poems with you that two young black teens wrote. These poems convey strong emotions—feelings that might make us uncomfortable but if we want African American male youth to engage with libraries, then we must allow them to express their real selves, their real lives.
Harmony, the idea that one’s fate is interrelated with other aspects of life, is another important aspect of the African American culture.
This dimension suggests that African American youth will be more engaged and more successful when programs are meaningful and related to their lives We need to make explicit the implications literacy has for their lives, their futures, and their communities.
Oral Tradition: Boykin argues that African American culture is steeped in oral tradition; that there is a preference for oral and auditory modes of communication in which both speaking and listening are treated as performances and in which the ability to use alliterative, metaphorically colorful, and graphic forms of spoken language are emphasized and cultivated.
African American children have a propensity for relatively high levels of stimulation and for action that is energetic and lively. Rhythm, percussiveness, music and dance are seen as central to their psychological health. And there is an emphasis on spontaneous and genuine personal expression.
This means literacy activities must be designed that enable African American youth to move as they learn. Spaces are needed where activity and noise are allowed.
Boykin notes that in the African American community there is a commitment to social connectedness—that social bonds and responsibilities tend to transcend individual privileges.
This means African American students engage better in small groups with a great deal of interaction between adults and youth, and between the youth and their peers. They also prefer to work in cooperative groups, rather than in situations where they are expected to compete with their peers.
Turn to your neighbor. Spend the next X minutes brainstorming how the Afro Cultural ethos informs the library space. Consider: READ BULLETS
Be prepared to share your ideas with the whole group.