The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children by Gloria Ladson-Billings

From the Publisher

Education, like electricity, needs a conduit, a teacher, through which to transmit its power-- i.e., the discovery and continuity of information, knowledge, wisdom, experience, and culture. Through the stories and experiences of eight successful teacher-transmitters, The Dreamkeepers keeps hope alive for educating young African Americans.

--ReverAnd Jesse L. Jackson, president and founder, National Rainbow Coalition

In this beautifully written book Ladson-Billings illustrates the inspiring influence of a select group of teachers who keep the dreams alive for African American students.

?Henry M. Levin, David Jacks professor of Higher Education, Stanford University

Ladson-Billing's portraits, interwoven with personal reflections, challenge readers to envision intellectually rigorous and culturally relevant classrooms that have the power to improve the lives of not just African American students but all children.

Library Journal

Although statistics paint a harsh picture of the education of African American children, Ladson-Billings (curriculum and instruction, Univ. of Wisconsin) integrates scholarly research with stories of eight successful teachers in a predominantly African American school district to illustrate that the "dream" of all teachers and parents-academic success for all children-is alive and can be emulated. The presentation of examples from "intellectually rigorous and challenging classrooms" emphasizes the cultural and social aspects of the issues in education as a whole. The author's own experiences as a student and teacher of teachers support the need to make the problems of African American children a central issue in any debate on the American educational system. The in-depth bibliographical notes and the excellent appendixes discussing the methodology and the context of the study should be useful for education students and the libraries serving them.-A.R. Huggins, Memphis State Univ. Libs.

Booknews

Ladson-Billings (education, U. of Wisconsin, Madison) examines eight exemplary teachers who differ in personal style and methods but share an approach to teaching that affirms cultural identity. Her portraits, interwoven with personal reflections derived from her experience as a scholar, teacher, and parent, present intellectually challenging and culturally relevant classrooms that promise to improve the lives of all students. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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Product Details

• ISBN: 0787903388
  
• ISBN-13: 9780787903381
• Format: Paperback, 187pp
• Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
• Pub. Date: January 1997
• Edition Description: Reprint
• Edition Number: 1
• Sales Rank: 17,846

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents