Widening the Circle

It is estimated that between 40-60% of American Indian students drop out of school each year. Klug and Whitfield take a critical look at the issues of American Indian education to suggest a way to change this trend. Recognizing the need for a pedagogy that better serves American Indian students, Widening the Circle constructs a culturally relevant model of teaching that blends native and non-native worldviews and methods. Among the building blocks of this new pedagogy are the use of oral histories to supplement traditional texts and a re-evaluation of the knowledge base these students need for academic success.

Beverly J. Klug is Associate Professor of Education at Idaho State University Patricia T. Whitfield is Rountree Caldwell Bryan Distinguished Professor of Education and Director of Teacher Education at Lyon College