Equity-Oriented Critical Curricula

Book excerpt: Because literacy is never politically neutral, it is our hope that readers of this text will understand the significance of creating learning environments that emphasize the relationship between power and literacy. This book focuses attention on what can happen when teachers and students are empowered as they collaborate towards a common goal. Designed to balance theory and praxis, this book provides opportunities for teachers to begin conceiving of and building integrated literacy curricula that prioritizes the lived experiences and insights of their students, rather than emphasizes decontextualized lists of facts to be memorized or skills to be obtained. This book speaks to the needs of teacher candidates and practicing teachers who wish to engage more openly and fully with the current landscape of diverse learners, biased educational practices, and inequitable learning opportunities. The objective is to provide a means by which hopeful educators can begin to face the challenges of diverse classrooms in order to promote social justice and equity literacy by reimagining and reshaping both policy and practice.