Triple Dawg researches new ways to diversify classroom experiences
For Triple Dawg Mariana Souto-Manning, culturally relevant teaching can be a much-needed window into early education classrooms. By honoring each student’s unique identity and historical significance, Souto-Manning believes that knowledge and diversification can enhance traditional curriculums while maintaining traditional measures of literacy achievement.
We need to start from the foundation that we’re all cultural beings," said Souto-Manning, an associate professor and program coordinator of the early childhood education program at Teachers College, Columbia University. “So I’m not using culture as a code name for foreign-it’s really understanding that we’re all cultural beings.
Earlier this month, Souto-Manning led a series of events for the College of Education’s Language and Literacy Education Graduate Organization. She lectured at a community-wide talk, “Why Culture Matters in Reading and Writing,” and participated in a reading and signing for her most recent award-winning book, “Reading, Writing and Talk: Inclusive Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners, K-2.”