Ethnic Studies in San Francisco High Schools: A Model for the U.S.?

Noah Borrero discusses the development of ethnic studies programs in California public schools and recent initiatives to bring courses to San Francisco high schools

Drop Everything and Read and Write by Hand: Reimagining In-Person Instruction in the Wake of COVID-19

As ELA teachers and teacher educators, we present a classroom project—On the Daily Cards—in an attempt to showcase possibilities for reimagining in-person instruction in the wake of the COVID-19 school shutdowns and forced distance learning. We present a theoretical framework to connect contemporary learning theory with current calls for substantive changes in the ways we envision classroom learning. We focus on youths’ lived experiences and stories as classroom texts and attempt to honor the cultural assets that young people bring with them to school

Social, Ecological, and Multicultural Issues Related to Students\u27 Spirituality

Spiritual issues are integrally bound to students’ social, ecological, and multicultural worlds and represent important cultural assets. In this article, we explore the association between spirituality and students’ experiences in various social contexts. Case examples are provided to highlight the complexity and multi-dimensionality of students’ spiritual lives. Implications for counselling in diverse urban schools are discussed

Promoting Social Justice through Service-Learning in Urban Teacher Education: The Role of Student Voice

Although service-learning is becoming more common in teacher education programs (Anderson & Erickson 2003), few detailed case descriptions show how service-learning can help to promote a social justice orientation for prospective teachers. A comparative descriptive analysis of projects within two teacher preparation programs--one focused on training undergraduates and one focused on training graduate students--illustrates how service-learning, when undergirded by student voice work, prepares prospective educators to teach for social justice in urban classrooms. We identify commonalities in our two approaches to integrating service-learning and student voice into the teacher education curriculum, and we show how our distinctive efforts support prospective teachers in developing the relationships, reflections, and practices they need to become effective educators of urban youth

Alone and In Between Cultural and Academic Worlds: Voices of Samoan Students

In a collaborative research study with a Samoan community leader and a high school student, the authors explored the academic and cultural identities of 10 Samoan high school students. In-depth qualitative interviews revealed the students\u27 struggles with negotiating cultural and academic identities in the ecological contexts of home, peer, teacher, school, and community. Using grounded theory, the authors described the reciprocal, contradicting, and alienating nature of Samoan and academic identities in the face of negative stereotypes, competing relational obligations, and low expectations. Findings and implications also focused on cultural strengths and values such as unity, giving back to the community, and respect

Social, Ecological, and Multicultural Issues Related to Students\u27 Spirituality

Spiritual issues are integrally bound to students’ social, ecological, and multicultural worlds and represent important cultural assets. In this article, we explore the association between spirituality and students’ experiences in various social contexts. Case examples are provided to highlight the complexity and multi-dimensionality of students’ spiritual lives. Implications for counselling in diverse urban schools are discussed

Alone and In Between Cultural and Academic Worlds: Voices of Samoan Students

In a collaborative research study with a Samoan community leader and a high school student, the authors explored the academic and cultural identities of 10 Samoan high school students. In-depth qualitative interviews revealed the students\u27 struggles with negotiating cultural and academic identities in the ecological contexts of home, peer, teacher, school, and community. Using grounded theory, the authors described the reciprocal, contradicting, and alienating nature of Samoan and academic identities in the face of negative stereotypes, competing relational obligations, and low expectations. Findings and implications also focused on cultural strengths and values such as unity, giving back to the community, and respect