Culture, Autobiography, and the Education of Literacy Teachers

摘要

In this report, Florio-Ruane and Raphael et al. address two challenges in American teacher education: (a) the differences in background between a largely Euro-American teaching force and the diverse pupils it serves, and (b) the difficulty of teaching about literacy and culture in responsive ways. Working with a group of teachers, Florio-Ruane and Raphael used ethnic autobiographies, written by authors to illustrate cultures other than late 20th century white America, combined with a context for discussion around these books new to many teacher's Literary Circles. This study led to changes in teachers beliefs about literacy, schooling, and cultural identity. The authors conclude that the combined activities of reading, writing, and discussion have the potential to simultaneously foster personal and professional development.