African Traditional and Oral Literature as Pedagogical Tools in Content Area Classrooms, K-12

Lewis Asimeng-Boahene, Michael Baffoe, Lewis Asimeng-Boahene, Michael Baffoe

• Publisher: Information Age Publishing
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN:
  9781623965389
  9781623965396
• eBook ISBN:
  9781623965402
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Education Theory & Practice
• Index: Literature

For a long time, many American educators and educational stakeholders have drawn their ideas for educational reforms from ideas generated in Europe and Asia for the changing demographics of America's diverse classrooms. This book is therefore motivated by a bold attempt at advocating for the revision of existing pedagogic fora and the creation and addition of new fora that would provide for the inclusion of thoughts, perspectives and practices of African traditional oral literature in the pedagogical tools of content area classrooms especially in North America. The articles that are presented in this book provide theoretical frameworks for using African traditional oral literature and its various tenets as teaching tools. They bring together new voices of how African literature could be used as helpful tool in classrooms. Rationale for agitating for its use as ideal for pedagogic tool is the recurrent theme throughout the various articles presented.

The book explores how educators, literacy educators, learners, activists, policy makers, and curriculum developers can utilize the powerful, yet untapped gem of African oral literature as pedagogical tools in content area classrooms to help expand educators repertoire of understanding beyond the 'conventional wisdom' of their pedagogic creed. It is a comprehensive work of experienced and diverse scholars, academicians, and educators who have expertise in multicultural education, traditional oral literature, urban education, children's literature and culturally responsive pedagogy that have become the focus of U.S. discourses in public education and teacher preparation.

This anthology serves as part of the quest for multiple views about our 'global village', emphasizing the importance of linking the idea of diverse knowledge with realities of global trends and development. Consequently, the goal and the basic thrust of this anthology is to negotiate for space for non-mainstream epistemology to share the pedagogical floor with the mainstream template, to foster alternative vision of reality for other knowledge production in the academic domain. The uniqueness of this collection is the idea of bringing the content and the pedagogy of most of the genres of African oral arts under one umbrella and thereby offering a practical acquaintance and appreciation with different African cultures. It therefore introduces the world of African mind and thoughts to the readers. In summary, this anthology presents an academic area which is now gaining its long overdue recognition in the academia.

Table of contents

• Cover
• African Traditional and Oral Literatureas Pedagogical Toolsan Content Area ClassroomsK-12
• African Traditional and Oral Literatureas Pedagogical Toolsan Content Area ClassroomsK-12
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Concluding Thoughts
• References
• 1: Considering the Functions and Forms of African Traditional and Oral Literat ure
• 2: What ’s in a Singing Game?: Exploring Children’s Oral Literature
• 3: CELEBRATING AFRICAN ORAL LITERATURE THROUGH POETRY
• APPENDIX A
• APPENDIX B
• 4: Recognizing African Music as a Powerful Pedagogical Tool in Classroom Settings
• 5: Bringing Literacy to Life: Constructing Lessons Through Artifacts, Books, and Drama
• 6: Understanding the influences of African cultural naming patterns on the identity and personality development of immigrant children of African descent in North America
• 7: Mirror of a People: The Pedagogical Value of African Proverbs as Cultural ResourceTools in Content Area in Social Studies Classrooms
• 8: RIDDLES AS COMMUNICATIVE AND PEDAGOGICAL TOOL TO DEVELOP A MULTICULTURAL CURRICULUM IN SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOM
• 9: THE METAPHOR OF GHANAIAN CLOTH: Decoding the Symbols in Ghanaian Wax Prints
• 10: Addressing Cult ureand Context for Urban Students in the Content Classroom: Recognizing Oral Tradition and Drama as Cultural Tools
• 11:LIBATION: Human Ingenuity as a Pedagogical Tool of Dialogic Performance and Competence
• 12: STORYTELLING AMONG THE VEEKUHANE OF CHOBE (BOTSWANA): Social Justice, Pedagogy, and Vision 2016
• 13: Griots and Market Square Pedagogy : Performative Storytelling in the Classroom
• 14: African Drumming: A Pedagogical Tool for Social Justice and Cultural Diversity in Urban Classrooms inthe United States
• About the Editors/Authors
• About the Contributors