Our guest is Dr. Melody Zoch. Our conversation today focuses on the role of inclusivity of families formed through adoption.
Hosted by: Nodia Mena
Music, The Garifuna Collective, Weyu Larigi Weyu
Quote from the Episode
“1 out of every 25 families in the U.S. includes an adopted child. Despite the fact that we do have a prevalence of children being adopted and families formed through adoption, stories about adoption and adopted children are not regularly a part of our classroom discussions or included in the curriculum.”
About our Guest
Melody Zoch
Melody Zoch (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professor of Literacy and TESOL Education in the Teacher Education and Higher Education department at UNCG. She joined the UNCG faculty in 2012 after completing her PhD in Language and Literacy Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to that, she worked for six years as a bilingual Spanish/English elementary school teacher and literacy coach in Texas. She is the lead PI for a multimillion-dollar grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Project Ignite, which supports ESL licensure for pre-service and in-service teachers. Her research interests include supporting teachers to develop practices that are inclusive of culturally and linguistically diverse students and communities. This includes families that are formed through adoption and families who have been forced to resettle due to war and other catastrophes in their home countries.
References from the Episode
- Bishop, R.S. (1990). Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives, 6(3), ix–xi.
- Dei, G. J. S. (1996). Anti-racism education: Theory and practice. Fernwood Publishing.
- Dei, G.J.S. (2014). Personal reflections on anti-racism education for a global context. Encounters/Encuentros/Rencontres on Education, 15, 239-249.
- Guida-Richards, M. (2021). What white parents should know about transracial adoption: An adoptee’s perspective on its history, nuances, and practices. North Atlantic Books.
- Kendi, I.X. (2019). How to be an antiracist. One World.
- Lee, E. (2012). Antiracist teaching. In James. A. Banks (Ed.), Encyclopedia of diversity in education, Volume 1 (pp. 114-117). Sage Publications.
- Paris, D. (2012). Culturally sustaining pedagogy: A needed change in stance, terminology, and practice. Educational researcher, 41(3), 93-97.
- Paris, D., &; Alim, H. S. (Eds.). (2017). Culturally sustaining pedagogies: Teaching and learning for justice in a changing world. Teachers College Press.
- Polacco, P. (2009). In our mothers’ house. Philomel Books.
- Ruskai Molina, L. (1998). Raising adopted children: Practical, reassuring advice for every adoptive parent. HarperCollins.
- Troyna, B. (1987). Beyond multiculturalism: Towards the enactment of anti-racist education in policy, provision and pedagogy. Oxford Review of Education, 13(3), 307-320.