Delaina Washington | University of Illinois at Chicago (original) (raw)
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This is a qualitative case study of six African American families in Chicago. Each family has a f... more This is a qualitative case study of six African American families in Chicago. Each family has a focal child in 5th through 8th grade who is mathematically successful. Success with math is defined students identifying positively with mathematics. The families vary along the lines of socioeconomic status. This dissertation is preceded by research studies of African American parents that overwhelmingly focus on low-income, African Americans as a de facto representation of all African Americans and/or promote the idea that African American academic failure is explained by parental engagement patterns that differ from the parenting styles or parental involvement of White, middle-class parents. By taking a strengths-based approach to examining African American parents of varying socioeconomic status with mathematically successful students, this study represents a departure from this paradigm of understanding African American families. Furthermore, mathematics reform movements, with Common...
Alternative Forms of Knowing (in) Mathematics, 2012
ABSTRACT
Humanity & Society, 2015
Based on the best-selling novel by the same name, The Hunger Games is set in a dystopic United St... more Based on the best-selling novel by the same name, The Hunger Games is set in a dystopic United States, named Panem. Katniss, the film’s 16-year-old heroine, is thrust into the national spotlight when she volunteers as tribute to replace her younger sister Primrose, in the country’s annually televised battle royal. Justified as atonement for a ‘‘rebellion’’ 75 years ago, the Games provide entertainment for the elite citizens of the Capital, who do not participate. Katniss and Peeta, the male tribute from her district, strategize to stay alive in a ‘‘game’’ designed for one survivor and unknowingly set the stage for rebellion against the State. In total, the film provides a critique of present-day American culture obsessed with reality television and celebrity, while remaining apathetic toward growing inequality and ongoing war.
Various groups, ranging from politicians to educational researchers to everyday citizens, have ca... more Various groups, ranging from politicians to educational researchers to everyday citizens, have called for a reform of the U.S. educational system, particularly in the area of mathematics education. Due to the perception of a worsening systemevidenced by stagnating test scores and lags in international comparisons -many have moved to treat mathematics education research and reform in terms of crisis management. Instances of crisis management are seen in efforts to close the socalled racial achievement gaps, in efforts to educate and judge pre-service and inservice teachers, and in the standardized testing movement. This crisis management frame not only emerges in mainstream mathematics education discourse but also within critical perspectives on mathematics education, where there is an attempt to fight back hegemony, neoliberalism, and neoconservative forces working against democratic ideals and social justice.
This film review provides a brief synopsis of the first installment of the film series The Hunger... more This film review provides a brief synopsis of the first installment of the film series The Hunger Games. We analyze reactions from book fans to the film casting of the character Rue as a Black girl. Despite the books' description of Rue as a Black girl, audiences were surprised to see this personified on screen. We propose that such reactions are part and parcel of their inability to associate the Black body with notions of innocence.
Various groups, ranging from politicians to educational researchers to everyday citizens, have ca... more Various groups, ranging from politicians to educational researchers to everyday citizens, have called for a reform of the U.S. educational system, particularly in the area of mathematics education. Due to the perception of a worsening system – evidenced by stagnating test scores and lags in international comparisons – many have moved to treat mathematics education research and reform in terms of crisis management. Instances of crisis management are seen in efforts to close the so-called racial achievement gaps, in efforts to educate and judge pre-service and inservice teachers, and in the standardized testing movement. This crisis management frame not only emerges in mainstream mathematics education discourse but also within critical perspectives on mathematics education, where there is an attempt to fight back hegemony, neoliberalism, and neoconservative forces working against democratic ideals and social justice. The metaphor of crisis is powerful – articulating the need for immediate action that most, if not all, of the research and policy communities must undertake. There is a particular lure in discussing crises in education because they typically involve the needs of children. In this chapter, we examine the implications of employing a frame of crisis within mathematics education research and reform. What does it mean to have the power to name a phenomenon a crisis? When crisis management is emphasized, what myths and storylines emerge? We give particular attention to the implications of a crisis management frame for marginalized student populations, giving focus attention to Black children. We begin by making sense of the crisis narrative in mathematics education and inspecting who has the power to invoke crisis discourse, referencing specific historical events. Next, we consider framing and discursive frames as means to understand crisis narrative. Further, critical mathematics education, itself, is interrogated with respect to its relationship to frames of crisis. We conclude by discussing alternative framings for the aims and goals of mathematics education.
This is a qualitative case study of six African American families in Chicago. Each family has a f... more This is a qualitative case study of six African American families in Chicago. Each family has a focal child in 5th through 8th grade who is mathematically successful. Success with math is defined students identifying positively with mathematics. The families vary along the lines of socioeconomic status. This dissertation is preceded by research studies of African American parents that overwhelmingly focus on low-income, African Americans as a de facto representation of all African Americans and/or promote the idea that African American academic failure is explained by parental engagement patterns that differ from the parenting styles or parental involvement of White, middle-class parents. By taking a strengths-based approach to examining African American parents of varying socioeconomic status with mathematically successful students, this study represents a departure from this paradigm of understanding African American families. Furthermore, mathematics reform movements, with Common...
Alternative Forms of Knowing (in) Mathematics, 2012
ABSTRACT
Humanity & Society, 2015
Based on the best-selling novel by the same name, The Hunger Games is set in a dystopic United St... more Based on the best-selling novel by the same name, The Hunger Games is set in a dystopic United States, named Panem. Katniss, the film’s 16-year-old heroine, is thrust into the national spotlight when she volunteers as tribute to replace her younger sister Primrose, in the country’s annually televised battle royal. Justified as atonement for a ‘‘rebellion’’ 75 years ago, the Games provide entertainment for the elite citizens of the Capital, who do not participate. Katniss and Peeta, the male tribute from her district, strategize to stay alive in a ‘‘game’’ designed for one survivor and unknowingly set the stage for rebellion against the State. In total, the film provides a critique of present-day American culture obsessed with reality television and celebrity, while remaining apathetic toward growing inequality and ongoing war.
Various groups, ranging from politicians to educational researchers to everyday citizens, have ca... more Various groups, ranging from politicians to educational researchers to everyday citizens, have called for a reform of the U.S. educational system, particularly in the area of mathematics education. Due to the perception of a worsening systemevidenced by stagnating test scores and lags in international comparisons -many have moved to treat mathematics education research and reform in terms of crisis management. Instances of crisis management are seen in efforts to close the socalled racial achievement gaps, in efforts to educate and judge pre-service and inservice teachers, and in the standardized testing movement. This crisis management frame not only emerges in mainstream mathematics education discourse but also within critical perspectives on mathematics education, where there is an attempt to fight back hegemony, neoliberalism, and neoconservative forces working against democratic ideals and social justice.
This film review provides a brief synopsis of the first installment of the film series The Hunger... more This film review provides a brief synopsis of the first installment of the film series The Hunger Games. We analyze reactions from book fans to the film casting of the character Rue as a Black girl. Despite the books' description of Rue as a Black girl, audiences were surprised to see this personified on screen. We propose that such reactions are part and parcel of their inability to associate the Black body with notions of innocence.
Various groups, ranging from politicians to educational researchers to everyday citizens, have ca... more Various groups, ranging from politicians to educational researchers to everyday citizens, have called for a reform of the U.S. educational system, particularly in the area of mathematics education. Due to the perception of a worsening system – evidenced by stagnating test scores and lags in international comparisons – many have moved to treat mathematics education research and reform in terms of crisis management. Instances of crisis management are seen in efforts to close the so-called racial achievement gaps, in efforts to educate and judge pre-service and inservice teachers, and in the standardized testing movement. This crisis management frame not only emerges in mainstream mathematics education discourse but also within critical perspectives on mathematics education, where there is an attempt to fight back hegemony, neoliberalism, and neoconservative forces working against democratic ideals and social justice. The metaphor of crisis is powerful – articulating the need for immediate action that most, if not all, of the research and policy communities must undertake. There is a particular lure in discussing crises in education because they typically involve the needs of children. In this chapter, we examine the implications of employing a frame of crisis within mathematics education research and reform. What does it mean to have the power to name a phenomenon a crisis? When crisis management is emphasized, what myths and storylines emerge? We give particular attention to the implications of a crisis management frame for marginalized student populations, giving focus attention to Black children. We begin by making sense of the crisis narrative in mathematics education and inspecting who has the power to invoke crisis discourse, referencing specific historical events. Next, we consider framing and discursive frames as means to understand crisis narrative. Further, critical mathematics education, itself, is interrogated with respect to its relationship to frames of crisis. We conclude by discussing alternative framings for the aims and goals of mathematics education.