""Who We Are and How We Learn: Educational Engagement and Justice for Diverse Learners" serves as an education program handbook for understanding the complexities of student engagement and providing access, equity, and justice for learners, with an emphasis on students with diverse backgrounds. The book examines current research and best practices on engagement for these learners and explores educational issues through social, cultural, and racial lenses.
Topics include the framing of student engagement and educational justice through social and cultural views, the role of cultural capital from home and school settings, and the influence of the funds of knowledge.
The material addresses race and culture as they pertain to curriculum, instruction, and performance of all students, with focus on African American and Latino students. It examines social class and identity, social and cultural dimensions of family involvement as a predictor of student engagement, adaptations for English learners, and writing as a way to capture student voices.
Filled with insights gained from field-based research and intended to ignite a passion for transformative action in education, this text is ideal for teachers, counselors, and administrators.
Dr. Jose Lalas is a professor at the University of Redlands and has been involved in teacher education for 26 years in both public and private universities.
Dr. Angela Macias has been an educator for ten years. She is involved in local education as the chairperson of "Civics and Technology for Youth" and an assistant professor at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Dr. Kitty M. Fortner is an adjunct professor at the University of Redlands. She teaches in the pre-service teacher program and has been involved in public education for over 20 years as a principal, teacher, and advocate for parental involvement.
Dr. Nirmla Griarte Flores is a faculty liaison and teacher performance assessment cohort advisor for the School of Education, University of Redlands.
Dr. Ayanna Blackmon-Balogun is an adjunct professor at the University of Redlands and a public school administrator. She has been in public education for over two decades.
Dr. Margarita Vance is a professor at Collin College in Plano, Texas and a member of the Texas Community College Teachers Association."