Sonia Nieto
Encyclopedia
Sonia Nieto is Professor Emerita of Language, Literacy and Culture at the School of Education, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. With experience teaching students at all levels and from many socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, Nieto is one of the leading authors and teachers in the field of multiculturalism
. She has won several awards in her field, most notably the 1997 Multicultural Educator of the Year award from the National Association for Multicultural Education, the 2005 Educator of the Year Award from the National Council of Teachers of English
, and honorary doctorates from Lesley University
(1999), Bridgewater State College
(2004), and DePaul University
(2007).
Nieto was raised in Brooklyn, New York where she attended the public school systems until eventually attending St. Johns University where she received her B.S. in Elementary Education. Later, she studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, receiving her M.A. in Spanish and Hispanic Literature. In the following years she taught in Brooklyn and the Bronx until moving to Massachusetts and receiving her doctorate in curriculum studies with concentrations in multicultural and bilingual education, from the University of Massachusetts in 1979.
Affirming Diversity also includes multiple case studies of students of various sociocultural backgrounds so that teachers can learn from the voices and experiences of young people themselves. This resource can prove to be invaluable in a classroom setting.
Nieto's work seeks to shed light on common institutional policies and practices (racism
, inequality
, discrimination, and other forms of exclusion) in multicultural learning environments and to show teachers how to effectively confront these challenges. According to her, institutional policies and practices that jeopardize student learning are evident at many different levels: negative societal ideologies, inequitable power relationships, rigid national policies, unresponsive school districts, and even the biases and beliefs of teachers themselves.
Her books also offer activities both in the classroom and out that the teacher can engage in with students, colleagues, and community members to provide a better learning environment. These activities usually seek to bring about positive change in the school, the community, and inside oneself. Her book also offers web resources for a multimedia learning experience.
Nieto is also a signatory to the Support 4 Bill Ayers petition, which has been signed by more than 3000 Academics.
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
. She has won several awards in her field, most notably the 1997 Multicultural Educator of the Year award from the National Association for Multicultural Education, the 2005 Educator of the Year Award from the National Council of Teachers of English
National Council of Teachers of English
The National Council of Teachers of English is an American professional organization dedicated to "improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education...
, and honorary doctorates from Lesley University
Lesley University
Lesley University is a private, coeducational university in Boston, Massachusetts and Cambridge, Massachusetts.The university is a member of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, National Association of Schools of Art and Design, and New England Collegiate Conference.-History:The...
(1999), Bridgewater State College
Bridgewater State College
Bridgewater State University is a public liberal-arts college in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is the largest college in the Massachusetts state university system outside of the University of Massachusetts system. The school's mascot is the bear.-History:BSU was founded by...
(2004), and DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
(2007).
Nieto was raised in Brooklyn, New York where she attended the public school systems until eventually attending St. Johns University where she received her B.S. in Elementary Education. Later, she studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, receiving her M.A. in Spanish and Hispanic Literature. In the following years she taught in Brooklyn and the Bronx until moving to Massachusetts and receiving her doctorate in curriculum studies with concentrations in multicultural and bilingual education, from the University of Massachusetts in 1979.
About her work
In Nieto's book Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education (the fifth edition of which is co-authored by Patty Bode), Nieto takes an in-depth look into public school systems and describes how they fail to serve many students, particularly children of color and those who live in poverty. Her text often describes structural flaws in the education system and how to challenge them in the classroom. Her work can be regarded as a reference for teachers in a multicultural environment.Affirming Diversity also includes multiple case studies of students of various sociocultural backgrounds so that teachers can learn from the voices and experiences of young people themselves. This resource can prove to be invaluable in a classroom setting.
Nieto's work seeks to shed light on common institutional policies and practices (racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, inequality
Economic inequality
Economic inequality comprises all disparities in the distribution of economic assets and income. The term typically refers to inequality among individuals and groups within a society, but can also refer to inequality among countries. The issue of economic inequality is related to the ideas of...
, discrimination, and other forms of exclusion) in multicultural learning environments and to show teachers how to effectively confront these challenges. According to her, institutional policies and practices that jeopardize student learning are evident at many different levels: negative societal ideologies, inequitable power relationships, rigid national policies, unresponsive school districts, and even the biases and beliefs of teachers themselves.
Her books also offer activities both in the classroom and out that the teacher can engage in with students, colleagues, and community members to provide a better learning environment. These activities usually seek to bring about positive change in the school, the community, and inside oneself. Her book also offers web resources for a multimedia learning experience.
Other publications
Nieto has written dozens of journal articles and book chapters and is also author of the following books: What Keeps Teachers Going? (2003); Language, Culture, and Teaching: Critical Perspectives for a New Century (a compilation of previously published journal articles and book chapters; 2002); The Light in Their Eyes: Creating Multicultural Learning Communities (1999); Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education (1st ed. 1992); and three edited volumes, Puerto Rican Students in U.S. Schools (2000), Why We Teach (2005), and Language, Culture, and Teaching: Critical Perspectives (2010, 2nd edition).Nieto is also a signatory to the Support 4 Bill Ayers petition, which has been signed by more than 3000 Academics.
Resources
- Nieto, Sonia. Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education published by Pearson Education, Inc.
- About Sonia Nieto from "Why We Teach," September 25, 2007