Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy
I am in love with Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy. We always talk about how history informs the systemic issues we see in our schools and how those issues harm our students and their learning. We don't always talk about how the learning experiences that we are taught to provide for students can also reflect those systemic issues and cause harm to our students. This framework is not just culturally responsive, it is historically responsive! That is genius. I now believe that history should inform our instruction and assessment practices, not just complement them. This book provides the tools for educators to plan with intention, models for exemplar units, and background knowledge to be informed of historical facts and systems that worked for people of color, specifically Black Americans. I would love to read another version of this text that highlights the literacy traditions of many more ethnic communities. This work exposed me to the importance of historical literacy and inspired me to learn more about the tools, beliefs, and structure of past literacy communities to increase my competency in serving all students.