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Article 1: Crocco, M. S., & Costigan, A. T. (2007). The narrowing of curriculum and pedagogy in the age of accountability urban educators speak out. Urban Education, 42(6), 512-535. DOI: 10.1177/0042085907304964

Learning Objective: LO 7- 1 Developing the School’s Curriculum

Summary: The author’s discuss the impacts of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) on educators in New York City such as a loss of creativity in their practice, and their potential early departure from the teaching career.

Questions to Consider:

1. What threat does NCLB pose to the education of all students, but to diverse students in particular?
2. In this climate of standardized testing, what can teachers do to respond to the climate, but remain culturally responsive?

Article 2: Souto-Manning, M. (2009). Negotiating culturally responsive pedagogy through multicultural children's literature: Towards critical democratic literacy practices in a first grade classroom. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 9(1), 50-74. DOI: 10.1177/1468798408101105

Learning Objective: LO 7-2 Developing a Multicultural Curriculum

Summary: The author shares examples of her use of multicultural children’s literature in her own classroom as part of action research.

Questions to Consider:

1. Schools serve as sorting mechanisms that oppress people and affect education and the fabric of society. In your own setting, how is the sorting function of schools affecting the lives of your students? How can you pedagogically challenge this sorting system that pushes out so many students of multicultural backgrounds?
2. Multicultural literature can serve as a tool to open up possibilities and/or to reinforce stereotypes. What pedagogical moves do you/can you employ when using multicultural literature as tools for equitable education?