Voices of Native American Educators

Integrating History, Culture, and Language to Improve Learning Outcomes for Native American Students

Edited by Sheila T. Gregory

Not available to order

Publication date:

01 December 2011

Length of book:

266 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9780739171936

Voices of Native American Indian Educators: Integrating History, Culture, and Language to Improve Learning Outcomes for Native American Indian Students, edited by Sheila T. Gregory, is a comprehensive resource that provides a vivid portrait of best practices for Native American students, as experienced by Native American educators. This book is based primarily on research studies, both quantitative and qualitative, that offer new, practical strategies for teachers to improve the academic performance of Native American students. All of the contributors in this book are Native American Indian educators who have experienced success in their teaching practices by using a variety of multidisciplinary approaches in their practice of teaching. In this collection, “culture” is considered to be constantly evolving and is described as something that can both be learned and unlearned. Furthermore, people who share the same culture do not always behave in the same ways. The complexity of culture, then, is a tremendous challenge for many researchers who strive to quantitatively define the characteristics of a population, rather than contextualize through culturally relevant pedagogy. Voices of Native American Indian Educators seeks to fill this enormous gap in the literature by providing both a variety of scholarly research on best practices and a generous list of references and other resources available to teachers on Native American Indian students.

Acknowledgments

Preface

Part I: The History and Status of Native American Education

American Indian Education: A History of Resilience and Self-Determination, by Vincent Whipple

The Dynamics of Native American Women and their Experiences: Identifying Ideologies and Theories that Help Explain Oppression, by Sandy L. (Kewanhaptwa) Dixon

Navajo College Students' Perceptions of the Impact of Western Education on the Retention, by Freda B. Garnanez

Adolescent Drug Use and its Impact on Schools in Indian Country, by Susan Harness, M.A., Kimberly Miller and Fred Beauvais

Part II: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

An neen dush: Harnessing Collective Wisdom to Create Culturally Relevant Science Experiences in Pre-K Classrooms, by Ann Mogush Mason, Mia Dubosarsky, Gillian Roehrig, Mary Farley, Stephan Carlson, and Barbara Murphy

Collapsing the Fear of Mathematics: A Study of The Effects of Navajo Culture on Navajo Student Performance In Mathematics, by Henry Fowler

Generosity, Fortitude, Respect, Wisdom: Using Popular Culture To Teach Traditional Culture, by Carol R. Rempp

Part III: Teaching Models of Cultural Competence and Context

When Numbers Dance for Mathematics Students: Culturally Responsive Mathematics Instruction for Native Youth, by James Jon Barta, Marilyn M. Cuch, and Virginia Norris Exton

Olu'olu i ka pä ke Kaiäulu: Community and Place as a Textbook for Learning, by Kay L. Fukuda and ku'ualoha ho'omanawanui

Part IV: Educational Strategies From Native American Educators

Preparing American Indian Youth for the Transition from High School to College, by Jean E. Ness and Dennis W. Olson

Closing the Mathematics Achievement Gap of Native American Students Identified as Learning Disabled, by Judith Hankes, Stacey Skoning, Gerald Fast, Loretta Mason-Williams, John Beam, William Mickelson, and Colleen Merrill

Subject Index

About the Editor

About the Contributors

“This is an incredible resource that allows the reader to become immersed in the history, pedagogy, models, and strategies of Native education. Critical attention is given to our resilience against the forces that conspire to undermine educational aspirations among Native students and the wisdom of our ancestors.” —CHiXapkaid (Michael) Pavel, University of Oregon