For your essay, consider the potential contribution of linguistic anthropology to the ongoing reform of Native American Education a movement led by Native American communities themselves in an attempt to attain more culturally relevant curricula and teaching styles that are viewed as more culturally compatible. We can assume that all researchers would need to conform to the community’s perspectives and be in a dialog with native controlled research review panels. You can imagine you are asked to consult a particular tribe about what types of educational reforms you would recommend on the basis of a small sample of linguistic and linguistic anthropological research. So consider which articles that we have read seem to you to be the most useful as either possible content in a curriculum reform or as suggesting alternative pedagogies. Why did you pick them and how could they be applied to educational reform? You may consider all grades from pre-K to College in this essay and you must make some recommendations for reform of both curriculum and pedagogy but you must limit yourself to sources presented in the course: both texts and articles.

Note that research on 1) linguistic stereotypes, 2) Native American linguistic structures, 3) the ethnography of communication, 4) interethnic communication, and 5) language, communication and education all suggests a strong link between language and identity that is especially relevant for anyone designing appropriate pedagogy and curriculum for Native Americans.

Using at least one example from the readings for three of the first four areas, and finally a total of at least three from the fifth, make appropriate recommendations for reform.

Consider what observations from these fields, as represented in readings and lectures from this course, might be effectively incorporated into an “additive” approach to educational reform in Native American communities seeking to control and improve their own educational institutions. Advice: avoid “filler” and get to the heart of the matter—why do you feel these are good choices. Keep in mind that this is not a test of your imagination or of what you knew before you took this class but rather a display of how well you can use the materials you were assigned to complete this task.

The Rules

1. Your essay, based clearly on the assignment above, should be about 8 double-spaced typewritten pages. [For graduate students in 255, the paper should be approximately 15 pages].

2. Your essay will be evaluated according to the following criteria: relevance (are you answering the question posed?), comprehensiveness (have you used all the pertinent course materials available to you? – lectures, textbooks, and reader), significance (are you using available space to make important points?), and clarity (is your essay carefully arranged and presented?).

3. The exam is meant to be a display of knowledge gained through the course. Be sure to use all the appropriate course materials available. Do not use sources from outside the course including those on the internet unless you have received my explicit permission.

4. You should cite any sentence, idea, or quote that refers directly to a reading or a lecture when this is not “general knowledge” or your own original idea. These both show your awareness of the sources and prevent you from engaging in plagiarism. So be sure to cite the readings, citing the author’s last name, date if necessary, and page, but Not.

5. Remember to use direct quotes to reinforce your ideas rather than as the means to state your idea. In other words—it is your job to appropriately interpret and to context all quotes. You should never assume that their meaning, within your paper, is self-evident.