Questions:
1. Gilyard's presentation revolves around his argument for pluralism
of language and values in education. By his own account, street life
was rife with drugs, violence, illegal activities, abuse, and ambivalence
to the educational process. What exactly are the values of street
culture he is asserting we should preserve?
2. Gilyard makes a strong case against eradication of language, especially Black English. He says that by the use of the native language, Standard English will come more naturally. At what point (if any) should Standard English become dominant in the pedagogy?
3. A central quandary seems to be that there is a need for excellent teachers in inner-city schools, ones that aren't likely to want to go there; ones that can "make a difference." How can we produce excellent, dedicated teachers that will fit the bill? It seems, as it stands now, that it has more to do with personal talent than training. Is there a way we can create that kind of talent?
4. There seems to be a definite absence of moral values on the street (stealing, assault, drugs, irresponsible sex) that seems to have a huge impact on educational success. In so many instances, Gilyard "knew better" than to do the things he did, but he seemed to have been "sucked up into the culture." What is the best way to deal with this?
5. It's obvious from the narrative that Gilyard's family had a great deal to do with his success in school. From other things I've read and experienced, it's extremely difficult to get low-income parents involved in their children's schooling. How big an impact does parental education and involvement have on the success of the children in a general sense?
Submitted by Laura Reid.