‘When I say “modern”, you say “band”’: A critical narrative of modern band and Little Kids Rock as music education curriculum

This article is based on the lived experiences of the authors engaging with modern band and the organization Little Kids Rock (LKR). We approach this research as critical storytelling to highlight the importance of critique of music curriculum and pedagogy. We identify moments of cognitive dissonance we experienced with LKR and modern band and unpack them through theory. Data included review of LKR materials, journals, text messages, reflective writing and discussion around participation in LKR-sponsored events. We share our critical story through text messages and narration, through which we note issues such as neo-liberalism and indoctrination; language (mis)use through educational buzzwords; identity reformation and the manner in which teachers feel a need to cling to methodolatry or act as change agents. We illustrate the central role critique plays in music teaching discourses and practices to guide music teachers to accept vigilance of curricular resources and pedagogical approaches presented to them.

A Passport for a New Era of Learning

Over the last several years, there has been a surge of readily available curricular resources for global health (GH) educators that theoretically has enabled them to overcome the barrier of needing to create new content for their programs. Despite this increase in available resources, integrating GH education into the already busy schedule of residency is a common challenge to the growing number of GH track directors. In this perspectives piece, GH educators from multiple institutions will share a novel model for packaging, administering, and monitoring GH educational curricula. This model transposes traditional GH learning objectives into self-paced, longitudinal maps of opportunities suitable for the time-intensive demands of residency, with flexibility for individual learning preferences and built-in tracking mechanisms.

Watching the Skies: An Overview of Indigenous Astronomy Curricula for Canadian K-12 Teachers

There is a growing body of Indigenous astronomy curricula and resources from Turtle Island for Canadian K-12 science teachers. Canadian teachers, particularly non-Indigenous teachers, may be interested in teaching Indigenous astronomy and Indigenous perspectives, but may not be sure where to start or how to do so authentically. Using a framework that centers Indigenous Knowledges, we carried out a systematic survey of online curricular resources that identified 82 online Indigenous Astronomy Knowledges (IAK) and categorized them according to Indigenous tradition, media type, and language. We put this survey in context by emphasizing Indigenous astronomy and research as living and equivalent knowledge systems that can be taught on their own or alongside traditional Western astronomy. Centering this discussion around Indigenous research values, such as relationships, respect, and reciprocity, we emphasize the importance of embracing Indigenous curricula intentionally and thoughtfully to go beyond superficial “Indigenizing/Decolonizing” of the classroom. Authentic inclusion of Indigenous Knowledges could take a number of forms, including presenting Indigenous astronomical concepts and terms as valid and equal to Western knowledge, and helping students understand the interconnectedness of knowledge and the importance of relationships in science.

Perspectives on Inclusive Education: Need for Muslim Children’s Literature

Muslim students and communities in Western sociopolitical and educational contexts confront substantive challenges of racisms, Islamophobia, and under- and misrepresentations in media as well as in literature. Creating a robust repertoire of curricular resources for teaching and learning, teacher development programs, and schooling in general offers a promise of developing classroom practices, which in turn promotes an inclusive discourse that recognizes the unique position and presence of a Muslim child. The present article examines the prospects of developing such a curriculum called Muslim Children’s Literature for inclusive schooling and teacher development programs in the context of public education in Ontario, Canada. It is situated in the larger umbrella of creating specific theory and methodology for education that lend exposure to Muslim cultures and civilizations. Development of such a literature as curricular resources addresses the questions of Muslim identities through curriculum perceptions so as to initiate critical conversations around various educational challenges that the development and dissemination of Muslim curricular resources faces today. I make a case for developing Muslim Children’s Literature to combat the challenges of having limited repertoire to engage with Muslim students in public schools and teacher candidates in teacher development programs. With the description of the necessity of such a literature, this article outlines characteristics of the proposed genre of Muslim Children’s Literature, as well as the unique position of a Muslim child in the current educational scenarios. A brief peek into select fiction on Muslim themes available in English internationally that can be used as curricular resources at elementary and secondary level serves towards reinforcing the definition of Muslim Children’s Literature. Further, these offer a sample that may be promoted under the proposed genre of Muslim Children’s Literature.

Perceptions and Usages of Online Teaching Resources by South Dakota Science and Agriculture Teachers

Understanding how teachers utilize, adapt, and integrate curriculum is helpful in the development and dissemination of curricular resources to better serve our teachers’ needs. Agricultural and science educators face similar challenges in selecting, adapting, and delivering curricular content in their courses. The data presented here assesses teachers’ perceptions of online curricular resources and their usage by agriculture and science teachers in K-12 classrooms. The specific research objectives were to 1) determine the teacher’s perceptions and usage of online curriculum resources and 2) determine their methods to locate and select web-based curricular resources. Analysis suggests that the curricular needs and utilization may not be discipline-specific, and that needs identified in other disciplines may have applications in agriculture and science classrooms. Teachers utilized Google, Facebook, and other social media platforms to share and locate resources but expressed the need to have better organization and classification of online resources. Resources need to be tagged with state and national standards, have references, and activities that are engaging for students and easily adaptable to teachers’ local needs and styles. Teaching pre-service teachers to better utilize existing curricular resources could lead to improved instruction and student learning while saving time. Further research into the utilization of existing curriculum by both current and pre-service teachers is warranted.

Policy Into Practice: Understanding State Writing Resources

Although research suggests that teachers turn to their state departments of education for curricular resources, little is known about the resources teachers find on state websites and the recommendations these resources make, especially for teaching writing. We analyze state-provided resources focused on writing ( n = 123) for their type, standard(s), and sponsor(s). We also analyze a subset of 40 resources to describe the epistemologies about writing instruction reflected in these resources. We find that just over half of states provide writing resources, that literacy and policy organizations are named about the same number of times as resource sponsors, and that resources tend to foreground structural and ideational epistemologies over social practice. This work helps identify the extent to which states focus on writing instruction, the types of resources states are providing, and the visions of writing instruction communicated through state-provided curricular resources.

Examining College Readiness among Latinx and Native American Students: Education as a Civil Right in the case of Martínez v. State of New Mexico

This article examines college readiness indicators among Latina/o/x student and Native American students in New Mexico public schools. This analysis, used in the successful Martínez v. New Mexico (2018) case, highlights the disparate levels of access to curricular resources across 15 school districts in New Mexico. Utilizing secondary data from several sources, a story of uneven access and inequity in New Mexico’s in public schools is conveyed.