Racial and ethnic identity in school practices

Sample

Nathan Glazer

The melting pot no longer defines us. Where not very long ago we sought assimilation, we now pursue multiculturalism. Nowhere has this transformation been more evident than in the public schools, where a traditional Eurocentric curriculum has yielded to diversity - and, often, to confrontation and confusion. In a book that brings clarity and reason to this highly charged issue, Nathan Glazer explores these sweeping changes. He offers an incisive account of why we all - advocates and skeptics alike - have become multiculturalists, and what this means for national unity, civil society, and the education of our youth. Focusing particularly on the impact in public schools, Glazer dissects the four issues uppermost in the minds of people on both sides of the multicultural fence: Whose "truth" do we recognize in the curriculum? Will an emphasis on ethnic roots undermine or strengthen our national unity in the face of international disorder? Will attention to social injustice, past and present, increase or decrease civil disharmony and strife? Does a multicultural curriculum enhance learning, by engaging students' interest and by raising students' self-esteem, or does it teach irrelevance at best and fantasy at worst? Glazer argues cogently that multiculturalism arose from the failure of mainstream society to assimilate African Americans; anger and frustration at their continuing separation gave black Americans the impetus for rejecting traditions that excluded them. But, willingly or not, we are all multiculturalists now, Glazer asserts, and his book gives us the clearest picture yet of what there is to know, to fear, and to ask of ourselves about this new identity.

Sample

David W. Barnett and Karen T. Carey

"In response to recent federal legislation requiring earlier testing and assessment of children, preschool intervention programs are expanding rapidly. As the demand for such programs increases, so do the possibilities for controversy surrounding the practices now in place. In this book, David W. Barnett and Karen T. Carey present specific research-based home and school interventions that provide early childhood education specialists with the practical strategies they need in order to stop behavior and learning problems before it's too late." "Drawing on principles from developmental psychology, the authors stress a naturalistic approach to intervention design that takes into account the actual roles, routines, skills, and interests of both children and caregivers. They show how to identify and prioritize those problem behaviors best suited for intervention. And they explain how to train parents, teachers, and preschool personnel to enhance childrens' developmental skills, as well as how to cope successfully with children's long-term problems." "Each chapter provides a framework for assessment and intervention, including an overview of the empirical basis, a discussion of the key developmental constructs, and an analysis of potential risks. The emphasis is on individual programming and single-case design, which take into account the diverse needs of children at risk, handicapped children, and children who are simply difficult to parent, teach, or befriend. Barnett and Carey present methods for learning new behavior or modifying existing behavior, including techniques of ignoring, modeling, and reprimanding, and they discuss the legal, professional, and ethical concerns that arise from ineffective interventions."--BOOK JACKET.

Sample

Scott Rush

In Habits of a Successful Band Director Scott Rush provides: A how-to book for young teachers; A supplement for college methods classes; A commonsense approach to everyday problems band directors face; Sequential models for instruction that are narrow in scope; Solutions, in the form of information and probing questions, that allow assessment of a classroom situation; Valuable information in a new format and references to other helpful publications; A contemporary text for all band directors. Some of the topics covered in the ten chapters include: classroom organization and management, working with parents and colleagues, the importance of the warm-up, rehearsal strategies, selecting high-quality literature, and student leadership. The appendices provide valuable outlines and reproducible forms such as medical releases and pitch tendency charts. - Back cover.

Sample

Simon Laflamme, Ali Reguigui

Ce livre aborde la question de la compétence linguistique dans une société de communication de masse. Il propose une multitude d’analyses pour vérifier bon nombre d’hypothèses en sociologie de l’éducation et en théorie des communications. S’appuyant sur des données empiriques, il conclut à la désuétude des paradigmes où tout s’explique en fonction de l’origine sociale.