"The Dreamkeepers"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how "The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children" is a unique book with a timely topic, one that is very relevant and meaningful for our academic community today. It looks at how, in the book, Gloria Ladson Billings looks at the problem of education for African-American children, the reasons these children do not achieve as much academically as they should, and what can be done about it. It shows how, by working on the premise that African-American children must be taught in a way that is "culturally relevant" to them, Billings uses interviews with teachers who are considered successful with African-American students, parents, and her own experiences to show how culturally relevant teaching is necessary to the academic success of African-American children.

From the Paper:

"Of course, since the definition of who is a successful teacher and who is not is often subjective, Billings interviews other teachers and parents about these teachers in order to determine who is considered successful by the most people whose opinion matters. Again, this is anecdotal evidence that may not be considered reliable in formal academic research, but for the type of book this is--one that focuses on real world situations--the evidence is reliable. Billings also uses memories of her own academic experiences to supplement her research and conclusions. By looking back on how culturally relevant teaching and the sometimes lack of it influenced her, she is able to put weight behind her research findings."

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