Reviews (50)

"Poverty" Misunderstood.
Let me start off by mentioning all the positive elements of this work (of which there are not many). In the beginning, the author shares accurate Census figures about poverty along with insight that it is a relative condition which applies to all races and creeds. She also recommends that educators should teach and strengthen rather than praise and condemn. From here, however, the work slips into the abyss. A Great Start
I work in a large middle school which hit the 50% level of students in poverty a few years ago. The majority of our poverty students are white, while the number of African-American students is less than 5%.The percent of Hispanic students in poverty in our school/community is growing.Ruby Payne's description of students and families in poverty fits our school to a large degree.Our entire corporation has been exposed to her materials, we've had Ruby as a guest presenter and our entire middle school staff has studied her book. We continue to incorporate much of what her materials recommend.We are having good success with this endeavor, and like anything in education, it is a work in progress.
A Must Read for any...
This is a must read for all teachers, pastors, doctors, lawyers,who deal with various social levels and just about anyone else who feels they can't understand why poor people are poor and stay that way generation after generation.
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Subjects:  1. Classroom Management    2. Education    3. Education / Educational Psychology    4. Multicultural Education    5. Social Science / Sociology / General    6. Teaching Methods & Materials - General    7. Children's Studies    8. Current Events    9. Educational Psychology    10. Poor    11. Poverty    12. Social Science    13. Sociology - General    14. United States   

Reviews (3)

Good Perspective
We used this book in our doctoral level Urban Education class this semester. Very informative.

Really difficult to read, but it was a requirement!
Such a difficult book to read.It felt as if the authors had 2 chapters of concrete evidence and then took these 2 chapters and tried to expand them to fill an entire book.I felt as if I was having deja-vu throughout my entire reading of it.Some topics that I thought had been clarified again kept popping up and restasted the same idea in a couple pages worth. Excellent tool for a touchy topic
I've used this book teaching 10 classes in Multicultural Education for California State University at Hayward.It covers some "hot spots" like gender, special education, race, and social class.I'venever had a student who expressed dislike for the book.It provokesdissent, emotions, and great discussions but maintains a well researchedand professional style.I would recommend it to any professor ofmulticultural education and I eagerly await the 4th edition, coming thisJuly! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aims & Objectives    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. General    5. Multicultural Education    6. Education / Aims & Objectives    7. Education / General    8. Educational equalization    9. Philosophy of education   

Reviews (6)

Sociopolitical?
I found this book to primarily address the issues of eastern seaboard minority studentsrather than the issues faced in the southwestern US. Here in AZ there is a very strong prejudice against Immigrant students of Spanish speaking origin. Did you realize that in most workplaces in AZ we are not allowed to speak in a language other than English to a co-worker? Some paranoid person, usually a transplanted Anglo from out of state thinks we are talking about them. Ms Nieto needs to make her text more of a national treasure by not just focusing on those in the Midwest and Eastern seaboard nothern states. This book is due for an update!

Ineffective Approach and Little Practical Advice
I found this book of little use. The major problems created by using race as the main focus of the book include:
SociopoliticalMarxism
Well now, I know where some of the true Marxist are hiding.In this book, Nieto is trying to create equity policies in schools using taxpayer dollars.If she had her way, she would get rid of capitalism, social classes, and distribution of wealth.Of course, we have already seen how that works in the former Soviet Union (it doesn't work at all).Yes, in a democratic-republic (Nieto always forgets the republic part) there is a dominant culture.Kind of why we call this a nation state, we have national culture.Unfortunately, Nieto is too busy saying the dominant culture is based on White European ideals.In fact, the ideals are based on Judaism, which is not European at all.Read more

Subjects:  1. Aims & Objectives    2. Case studies    3. Education    4. Education / Teaching    5. Multicultural Education    6. United States    7. Education / Multicultural Education   

Reviews (31)

A House Divided
"The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America" will challenge any illusion the reader holds that America has left her divided and racist history far behind. Truly a heart rending account of apartheid schooling that bridges the larger social implications of racial and economic disparity with the daily life and dreams of our children.

A voice for those who do not have a say right now.
Promises made are not always promises kept.We all say that we want education to be a priority for all.Do we all really support that?The Shame of the Nation exposes the compliancy that many Americans have when it comes to actually promoting equal opportunities for all.We want our professional athletes and Olympic contestants to be able to compete and train in the best facilities and with the best practices.This enables them to reach their fullest potential and beyond.We should all be willing to support this endeavor for the education of all of our students.This book helps us to walk in another's shoes and truly empathize with the inequaties that so many children must deal with.Reading this book should open ones eyes to how many future adult American are set up for failure.Brown vs. Board of Education may have imposed laws for equality but it must go further into the mindset of funding agencies.If we are truly to become equal, we must alleviate the barriers that cause the fragmentation of opporutnity and success.
Opened my eyes to problems in our public education system
This book explains how racial segregation in the public schools has been getting worse and why that is a problem.If children interact with other races at a young age, they're less likely to have racist ideas as adults.When people extol the legal and political victories that allowed integrated schools, Kozol finds it ironic because even though apartheid is not the law, current public policy discourages integration.Well-meaning parents in affluent school districts lobby against any zoning change that would include children from poorer areas.The result is that school districts are unintentionally set up to segregate the poor from the middle class and dark-skinned from the ligher-skinned.This makes our society seem horribly unfair to the children going through the segregated, inferior schools.
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Subjects:  1. Administration - General    2. De facto school segregation    3. Discrimination & Racism    4. Education    5. Education / Teaching    6. Educational Policy & Reform    7. General    8. Multicultural Education    9. Philosophy & Social Aspects    10. Sociology Of Education    11. United States    12. Education / General   

Reviews (3)

CLAD Text
A well written text essential for acquiring CLAD credentialing. Myths are perpetuated which greatly reduces the credibility - there is only one "race", humans or Homo sapiens. Very few of us were born or came from the Caucasus Mountains of eastern Europe, yet 17th century artificial constructs of "race" and "Caucasian" are used. There is no discussion of how skin pigmentation is an ecotype adaptation, not a "race." Science, Scientific American, Discovery and other peer-reviewed journals have corrected "race" misconceptions repeatedly - yet the authors, with education backgrounds, appear to have not completed a review of current literature. Golden resource
I almost felt like I was cheating on the CLAD test. This handbook was a wonderful resource and the only one I used to pass the test .... the FIRST time!!

Preparing to take the CLAD test.
Chapters 1 & 2 seemed very dry but I'm not big on theory. The remaining chapters were much more interesting. I highly recommend reading it before taking the CLAD test. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Elementary    4. English As A Second Language    5. English language    6. Foreign speakers    7. Handbooks, manuals, etc    8. Language    9. Language Experience Approach    10. Language and education    11. Multicultural Education    12. Study and teaching (Higher)    13. United States    14. Communication Studies    15. Education / Bilingual Education    16. English   

Reviews (33)

A Dream to Keep Alive
Though Ladon-Billings leans towards idealism constructing a perfect model of societal bliss, this book does show the underlying lack of knowledge many people have regarding educational issues. Those who say that the African-Americans' educational problems are their own fault show incredible short-sightedness to the truth of history. Have we forgotten that the Africa diaspora of colonialism was a forced migration to this country that treated blacks as inferior, and thus that it was a waste of time to educate them? In order for racism to stop, people have to recognize that there is no one race better than any other. All races have value and thus all races should be celebrated. God created them all. An understanding of this will lead to advances in the educational system which often has curricula that have no connection to many of its students. Ladson-Billings book, though primarily focused on African-Americans, is still an important blueprint toward removing some of the blinders people wear when it comes to historical truth. This book is for those who have ears to hear.

The education problem is never a one race or one minority problem
Author Ladson-Billings (1994) book "The Dreamkeepers", gave me valuable inside on examples of various challenging and rigorous classrooms, and the emphasis the author put in presenting the cultural and social aspects of schooling when framing education as a whole, was evident. However the author makes the problems of African American children the main issue at stake in her book. Therefore I was presented with a fact and a different point of view based on statistics while conducting my research: One cannot lobby to change the system for one type of minority, to be successful at change. One has to see the "spreading tumor' per se, as a culturally diverse illness, affecting all of us. We, as a diverse society cannot try to make only one minority the beneficiary of our input, improvement, and educational reform. According the U.S. Department of Education (2004) NCLB (No child left behind) report, it showed that among the reading and math proficiency levels of performance for 4th graders in 2003, African American children were slightly lower, by one to five percent, under performing the Hispanics, meaning Hispanics proficiencies in reading and math are slightly better, just slightly, but this does not justify viewing the problem of minority children as being only an African American one. To be successful at change, one has to be more objective and start change for all minorities, why is it so vital to start with only one? I know poverty and lack of social skills are a major factor, but imagine how difficult it is to learn with a new language too.
a useful book
The Dreamkeepers isn't a necessarily groundbreaking book, but i think white teachers (or any teachers for that matter) who haven't had much experience working with african american children will find the book helpful.If you've read any other stuff that falls under anti-racist or critical pedagogy, there won't be much that is new in terms of concepts.But what i found most useful are her sketches of the eight or so teachers who are very successful with african american children.She talks about their their upbringing, how that has influenced their teaching practices, and why they are successful in the classroom. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult & Continuing Education    2. African Americans    3. Education    4. Education / Teaching    5. Educational anthropology    6. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    7. Multicultural Education    8. Teaching    9. United States    10. Black studies    11. Education / Multicultural Education    12. Educational administration    13. Educational systems    14. Philosophy of education    15. Teaching of ethnic minorities    16. USA    17. Urban communities   

Reviews (4)

An excellent resource for English as a Second Language classrooms or self-study for students learning English
A Year In The Life Of An ESL Student: Idioms And Vocabulary You Can't Live Without is an excellent resource for English as a Second Language classrooms or self-study for students learning English. Following Andre, a student from Switzerland spending a year completing his English studies at a private language school, the lessons cover a wide variety of language situations directly relevant to adult ESL students, from disembarking at the airport to getting around the city to hanging out with classmates. A Year In The Life Of An ESL Student is particularly valuable for its definitions of common idioms - English phrases with a specific meaning that is not immediately identifiable to those unfamiliar with the language's nuances, such as "blow someone away" (astonish someone), "into something" (enjoy something), "give someone a ring" (phone someone), and much more. Simple exercises for idiom recognition and daily use and a host of online resources round out this consumable textbook.
Francis Nails It!
Never before in my 20 years of E.S.L. teaching have I seen a better idioms textbook. A Year in the Life is simple to use, is extremely comprehensive, and helps meet a need for relevant, structured, higher level material dealing with spoken English. There are a variety of exercises and activities that can be utilized/skipped according to needs and tastes, and the extensive definitions and examples make it possible for students to learn correct usage at home. All in all, a great find for students and teachers alike. Bravo Mr. Francis!

An Invaluable Work Book
One of the most challenging difficulties teachers of a second language face is creating an atmosphere where the learning process becomes meaningful and at the same time practical, painless and enjoyable.
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Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Multicultural Education    4. Study Skills    5. Teaching Methods & Materials - General    6. ELT: specific skills    7. Education / Multicultural Education    8. trafford,1-4120-2003-4,1412020034,03-2482,032482,edward j francis a day in the life of an esl student,idioms,slang,expressions,sayings,vocabulary,fluency,english,ESL,EFL,textbook   

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Multicultural Education    4. Curriculum planning & development    5. Education / Multicultural Education    6. Multicultural studies   

Reviews (9)

Also Useful for Teachers of Color
This book was a nice surprise as a pre-service teacher in education classes where the realities of white supremacy is not discussed, the first hand experiences of teachers of color are silenced, black/Latino or "at-risk multicultural" students are demonized, poor white kids are invisible and the issues of other groups are addressed superficially through "practical strategies"mandated by here today/ gone tomorrow popular scholars. This book gave me as an African American educator a space to see how whiteness functions in everyone's lives in the public school system. Each page helped me understand better why white people sometimes act in certain ways.
great service
I recieved my book within 3 days by ordering on just the regular service.

A little long-winded but contains nuggets of usefulness
We read this book for a graduate class on teaching other cultures. While I was disappointed at the lack of practical applications of the book, it did help to open my eyes to the idea of White Dominance. There are factors of a white-dominated culture that are invisible to us whites, and Howard does a good job of bringing those to light.
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Subjects:  1. Discrimination in education    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. Multicultural Education    5. Race identity    6. Reference    7. United States    8. Whites    9. Multicultural studies    10. Philosophy of education    11. Social issues   

Subjects:  1. Discrimination & Racism    2. Education    3. Minority Studies - Race Relations    4. Multicultural Education    5. Philosophy & Social Aspects    6. Race discrimination    7. Race identity    8. Sociology    9. United States    10. Whites    11. Education / Multicultural Education    12. Ethnography   

Reviews (4)

Bilingual and ESL Classrooms: Teaching in Multicultural Contexts
The authors emphasize relevent material and content towards the importance of "teaching in multicultural contexts".The excepts from teachers and students provide a personal connection.This book addresses issues of cultural diversity, Bilingual/ESL strategies, and provides a reference on laws and policies that have evolved to focus on today's changing educational settings.

Could it be better?!
I read and studied from the second edition of this book.It was THE book I took with me into my comprehensive exams for my PhD studies in Bilingual Education (which I passed).I CAN'T WAIT to read the new/updated edition!These authors/researchers are incredible!

Lots of valuable information
This book was required for a class I took about bilingual education.It is chock full of great information and insights regarding the world of bilingualism.There are fantastic real life synopses interspersed throughout chapters that bring many crucial points home.The information is practically up-to-the-minute.A really good resource! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bilingual Education    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. Multicultural Education    5. Education / Bilingual Education    6. Teaching skills & techniques   

Reviews (2)

Very Important and much needed
WOW!I was fortunate to work with Glenn Singleton as he brought "Courageous Conversations" to my school district.His method of getting all of us to reflect on what we bring to the table is invaluable.When we are able to look at what race means to us and learn to 'listen" to other peoples stories we are able to grow.Get this book, it's life changing and life affirming.

Truly a courageous book!
This is truly a courageous book! Richard Hernstein first broke Political Correctness's stranglehold on the discussion of race and educational achievement with his book The Bell Curve, and though that groundbreaking book was meticulously researched, the author suffered a hail of mindless political-inspired assaults. Now, the authors of this book have built on Hernstein's work, calling for meaningful dialogue on what changes need to be made to the American educational establishment to provide meaningful results for non-whites.
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Subjects:  1. Academic achievement    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. Educational equalization    5. Leadership    6. Multicultural Education    7. Philosophy & Social Aspects    8. Teaching Methods & Materials - General    9. United States    10. Education / Leadership    11. Organization & management of education    12. Racism & racial discrimination    13. Schools    14. USA   

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Multicultural Education    4. Curriculum planning & development    5. Education / Multicultural Education    6. Multicultural studies   

Subjects:  1. Curricula    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. Elementary    5. Multicultural Education    6. Preschool & Kindergarten    7. Education / Elementary    8. Pre-school & kindergarten    9. Primary / junior schools   

Reviews (1)

Supportive Text for Teachers
I bought this book for a class in mainstreaming, required for my full credential in California. The book is well organized and easy to read. The information is valuable and I will refer to this book throughout my career as a teacher. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children with disabilities    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. Education Of Exceptional Children    5. Education Of Socially Divergent Students    6. Mainstreaming in education    7. Multicultural Education    8. Special Education - General    9. Special education    10. Teaching Methods & Materials - Classroom Planning    11. United States    12. Education / Special Education / General    13. Teaching of those with special educational needs   

Reviews (8)

Deplorable
Let's start with being the nephew of Sigmund Freud.Mr. Bernays witnessed the coming of the industrial revolution in full and his ideas were thus shaped believing that even men operate only as mindless automatons in the larger machinery of society.The author believes that people are incapable of forming their own opinions due to the complexity of modern life.Heck, these hickams from Topeka just came off the farm. Surely we in the elite must help them make their choices.
Propaganda and the manufacture of consent!
Bernays, the Guru of prapaganda who pioneered the technique of shaping and manipulating public opinion which he named "engineered consent," has written an iteresting book on this topic that might be worth reviewing. His book has superficially tackled the propaganda techniques, and gave the reader a taste of the mass manipulation machine.
Enlightening.
Propaganda is a word synonymous with the likes of Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and the contemporary conspiracy theorists' attitude toward western government. Edward Bernays does try hard to defend propaganda as simply a method by which relevant information is propagated to a mass of potential customers about a product's desirability within context, so that a purchase is more likely. He compares the power of propaganda tothe advertising methods prior to 1928 and gives examples of how the sale of pianos and velvet were made successful by using propaganda.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Mass Media - General    3. Media Studies    4. Multicultural Education    5. Performing Arts/Dance    6. Propaganda    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. First World War, 1914-1918    10. Performing Arts / Mass Media   

Reviews (2)

Walk a Mile in My Shoes
Through Ebony Eyes tackles a difficult subject with grace and truth.The author, a Black woman, has been a student, a classroom teacher, a college professor, and a teacher of teachers.She knows her subject intimately.As an educator, my goal is to teach all students to the best of my ability.Before I read this book, I would have said that I was a color-blind teacher, looking at all students the same.I had to come to grips with my own cultural identity and biases.Ms. Thompson doesn't condemn or belittle but believes that all teachers desire their students to learn and excel.This is a sociological study complete with research data, charts and graphs and case studies but is not intimidating to read.At the end she includes a program for educators to pursue to improve their teaching of children of color, and a list of books to read and reflect on.I want to empasize that this book is not a "preachy" book, but one I found revealing and extremely readable.I would recommend this book highly to anyone in the field of education, anyone thinking of becoming an educator, and to parents.

Great Minds
One of the most candid and heartwarming books on education, this book neither minces words nor fails to use them effectively.The personal narratives give it a highly approachable feeling, making for an easy read on a difficult subject.I recommend this book for educators and non-educators, for anyone who cares about our children and their well-being. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classroom Management    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. Education Of Black Students    5. Multicultural Education    6. Black studies    7. Education / Multicultural Education    8. Teaching of ethnic minorities    9. USA   

Reviews (5)

Light in their eyes
Excellent. Nieto has great insights into issues on diversity,
The Light in Their Eyes: Creating Multicultural Learning Com
I read this book for a graduate level Multicultural Education course.We were given the option to choose between Sonia Nieto's book or another book.I blindly chose Nieto's, based on the reviews I read on Amazon.com.As it turns out, that was a HUGE mistake.It was one of the hardest books I have ever read! If I were writing my dissertation for my Ph.D. in education, perhaps I would have a better knowledge of the jargon Nieto uses. However, it was a struggle to get through how repetitive she tends to be, as well as deciphering much of her vocabulary.In the beginning I was having a lot of self-doubt about my ability to read.As it turns out, nine of the ten classmates who chose this book also suffered the same trouble I had.
a must read for educators!
sonia nieto does an extraordinary job of conveying not only the notion of multiculturalism, but also the understanding of what it takes to teach in a multicultural arena. nieto accurately describes the learning process as a reciprocal process between students and teachers, and students as teachers. nieto discusses the notion of "culture" as a verb, which i think is quite appropriate. the use of personal narratives, as well as her own experience as an educator in poor, urban areas, was very insightful and uplifting. one thing that struck me as prophetic, while seemingly obvious, was her statement "in order to become a multicultural teacher you must first be a multicultural person." well said. and well written. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aims & Objectives    2. Children of minorities    3. Education    4. Education / Teaching    5. Essays    6. Multicultural Education    7. Teaching Methods & Materials - General    8. United States    9. Educational psychology    10. Philosophy of education   

Subjects:  1. Aims & Objectives    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. Multicultural Education    5. Pluralism (Social sciences)    6. Social aspects    7. United States    8. Education / Multicultural Education    9. Multicultural studies   

Reviews (43)

What a great concept
Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, is the setting for this true story of how teacher named Erin Gruwell worked with at-risk students from diverse backgrounds in introducing them to both classic and socially conscious literature that would inspire them to compose their own diaries that describe their fears and aspirations
I Don't Believe It
I believe Erin Gruwell taught the classes. I believe she took the kids on great field trips and got them involved in great topics, with great speakers. I believe they achieved, and learned to express themselves.
Another One Bites The Dust
I enjoyed the book. As a teacher, I understand some of the issues Gruwell brings to light in her book. Here she is on the Island of The Misfit Toys and her job is to teach them. She does, indeed, teach them. In her own words, she tosses out a set curriculum and decides to teach tolerance. She accomplishes this task as well - what a great job! Let's not forget she isn't even credentialed yet.
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Subjects:  1. Diaries    2. Education    3. Inspirational - General    4. Life Stages - Adolescence    5. Minority Studies - Race Relations    6. Multicultural Education    7. Sociology    8. Sociology - General    9. Sociology Of Youth    10. Teenagers    11. Toleration    12. United States    13. Education / Multicultural Education