This book offers a much needed alternative to the more traditional texts used to teach writing instruction. Grounded in history, the book clarifies changing theoretical and practical approaches to teaching writing, critically assessing each approach in relation to the social and political movements of the day, both within and beyond the university. The author takes us inside the real world of writing instruction; not only from the viewpoint of instructor, but as seen through the eyes of students struggling to make sense of the expectations of writing class. Mitchell emphasizes that "writing"...

Addressing ethnic cleansing, culture wars, human sufferings, terrorism, immigration, and intensified xenophobia, "The Globalization of Racism" explains why it is vital that we gain a nuanced understanding of how ideology underlies all social, cultural, and political discourse and racist actions. The book looks at recent developments in France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United States and uses examples from the mass media, popular culture, and politics to address the challenges these and other countries face in their democratic institutions. The eminent...

In Critical Literacy, Eugene F. Provenzo Jr. challenges E. D. Hirsch's assumptions about culture and education. Calling for a broader and more democratic vision than Hirsch, Provenzo critiques Hirsch's legacy up through the current conservative educational agenda for education which, he argues, denies not only the United States' diversity, but its democratic traditions of democratic participation. His book shows why critical faculties and skills of students are essential not only to the success of individual students but to their participation in a healthy democracy.

The inspirational stories of young learners in this book discredit assumptions behind recent educational reforms, including high stakes testing and No Child Left Behind policies. The experiences of the American Indian children and the author, a kindergarten teacher, challenge the widely held assumption that minority children enter school 'at risk'. Deficit theory assumes that minority children are responsible for their failure by cultural deficiency or family ineptitude. Fayden vividly shows how truly equitable treatment of minority children can improve students' inherent abilities to learn...

"Dear Paulo: Letters from Those Who Dare Teach" is a heartfelt response from teachers, academics, and community workers to the work of the internationally renowned educator and author Paulo Freire. From newly minted teachers terrified of facing their first day in the classroom to seasoned academics whose work has largely been inspired by Freire, this collection is both a loving memorial and a call to action to work for social justice, praxis, and democracy, ideals envisioned and brilliantly articulated by Paulo.Read a review of "Dear Paulo" in "Rethinking Schools Online": Review

This book explores the freedom to use the language resources we have at our disposal to learn to our fullest, to engage in inquiry about learning and teaching, and to go beyond the surface in topics of schooling and education. Within a particular school context, the author explores how these freedoms came into being, how they took shape, and what they meant for the individuals involved. She shows that the individual and social freedoms in which the teacher and the learner operate within schools are important measures and outcomes of intellectual development. In connecting language, culture,...

How can Paulo Freire s progressive and vital contributions to curriculum planning can be made more relevant today for educators, policy makers and anybody involved in education? This book provides a necessary framework as it articulates significant questions. The first deals with Freire s positions on curriculum planning, the second is devoted to the historical development and the character of his perspective on curriculum planning, and the third refers to the ways his perspective compares to others, as well as to its contemporary value. Freire s perspective comes into direct conflict with...

Fueled largely by significant increases in the Latino population, the racial, ethnic, and linguistic texture of the United States is changing rapidly. Nowhere is this 'Latinisation' of America more evident than in schools. The dramatic population growth among Latinos in the United States has not been accompanied by gains in academic achievement. Estimates suggest that approximately half of Latino students fail to complete high school, and few enroll in and complete college.

The Latinization of U.S. Schools centres on the voices of Latino youth. It examines how the students...