Transforming Curriculum for A Culturally Diverse Society

Book excerpt: The intention of this book is to engage educators in transforming the public school curriculum for a culturally diverse society. This means more than including knowledge about diverse populations. It means reconceptualizing school practices through debate, deliberation, and collaboration involving the diverse voices that comprise the nation. Certain key questions must be addressed in this process: * What should be the purpose of schooling in a culturally diverse society? * Who should be involved in curriculum planning and what process should be employed? * How is the actualized curriculum differentiated? * What is the relationship between school practices and the structure of the larger society? * How should the curriculum be evaluated? The authors of the essays in this book address critical perspectives from which a framework is constructed for a discourse on planning curriculum for a culturally diverse society. In a substantive introduction, Hollins presents the major themes and overall goals of the book and describes how the readings in each of the four parts are linked to each other and to these themes and goals. Each part begins with critical questions and an overview to provide a framework and a focus for the readings that follow, and concludes with suggested learning experiences.