Books without Bias

Description

Books without Bias
3 Inservice Credits/ 45 hours Instructor: Elizabeth McLachlan, July 1-30, August 1-30

So, your classroom library is diverse, but is it inclusive? As there is a push for having classroom libraries and read-alouds that are diverse in characters, settings, events, as well as exposure to all cultures, it is becoming increasingly important for educators to analyze the discourse classroom books are creating about race, culture, ethnicity, religion,  and gender.  Students need to see ‘mirrors and windows’ within texts and relate to figures that are similar to them, and students that are racially, culturally and ethnically diverse have a significantly harder time finding characters and narratives that they can positively connect to.  Nevertheless, you can use some of these culturally deficient texts as an entry point for challenging and critical conversations that strengthen their sense of self and social-emotional development.  Finding a text/resource that can be used as an avenue to have a classroom discussion that facilitates inclusion, acceptance, and cultural responsiveness is encouraged and appropriate for any grade K-12.