Increased engagement for all students. As identified above, research showed that inclusion of culturally reflective narratives in curriculum engages those students whose narratives have generally been absent (Halvorsen et al., 2016; Levy, 2016; Traille, 2007). Studies also indicated that this inclusion of diversified historical narratives impacted the student population as a whole. In the article, “Curriculum as Window and Mirror,” Style (1988) identified that learning about others helps us learn about ourselves. “When we hear another out, glancing through the window of their humanity, we can see our own image reflected in the glass of their window. The window becomes a mirror!” (Style, 1988, p. 1). Here we see that engaging with those whose
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In their study, students and parents were interviewed about the use and application of personal cultural narratives in the classroom. It was apparent that these individuals believed their stories not only were important to the curriculum because they reflected their own story, but they were valuable for learning universal lessons and teaching a broader history (Levy, 2016). In essence, they affirmed the greater wholeness or dialogue that came from a more complex and diverse telling of history. This idea is not only left to the opinion of these few academic stakeholders in Levy’s (2016) study, but is expanded to other studies as …show more content…
As I have exhibited by the aforementioned studies and research, absent narratives, cultural stories sometimes left out of the telling of larger dominant histories (Minnesota Humanities Center, 2017), have a role to play in modern curriculum and instruction. Culturally reflective historical narratives have the potential of influencing the identities of today’s students (Harris & Reynolds, 2014, Traille, 2007), teaching skills of critical thinking through the lens of a complex telling of histories (Li, 2015) and engaging students of all backgrounds (Halvorsen et al., 2016; Levy, 2016; Traille, 2007). These elements influence the continuation of this research and the focus on instructional development that furthers the integration of absent
In their study, students and parents were interviewed about the use and application of personal cultural narratives in the classroom. It was apparent that these individuals believed their stories not only were important to the curriculum because they reflected their own story, but they were valuable for learning universal lessons and teaching a broader history (Levy, 2016). In essence, they affirmed the greater wholeness or dialogue that came from a more complex and diverse telling of history. This idea is not only left to the opinion of these few academic stakeholders in Levy’s (2016) study, but is expanded to other studies as …show more content…
As I have exhibited by the aforementioned studies and research, absent narratives, cultural stories sometimes left out of the telling of larger dominant histories (Minnesota Humanities Center, 2017), have a role to play in modern curriculum and instruction. Culturally reflective historical narratives have the potential of influencing the identities of today’s students (Harris & Reynolds, 2014, Traille, 2007), teaching skills of critical thinking through the lens of a complex telling of histories (Li, 2015) and engaging students of all backgrounds (Halvorsen et al., 2016; Levy, 2016; Traille, 2007). These elements influence the continuation of this research and the focus on instructional development that furthers the integration of absent