For a long time, many American educators and educational stakeholders have drawn their ideas for educational reforms from ideas generated in Europe and Asia for the changing demographics of America's diverse classrooms. This book is therefore motivated by a bold attempt at advocating for the revision of existing pedagogic fora and the creation and addition of new fora that would provide for the inclusion of thoughts, perspectives and practices of African traditional oral literature in the pedagogical tools of content area classrooms especially in North America. The articles that are presented in this book provide theoretical frameworks for using African traditional oral literature and its various tenets as teaching tools. They bring together new voices of how African literature could be used as helpful tool in classrooms. Rationale for agitating for its use as ideal for pedagogic tool is the recurrent theme throughout the various articles presented. The book explores how educators, literacy educators, learners, activists, policy makers, and curriculum developers can utilize the powerful, yet untapped gem of African oral literature as pedagogical tools in content area classrooms to help expand educators repertoire of understanding beyond the 'conventional wisdom' of their pedagogic creed. It is a comprehensive work of experienced and diverse scholars, academicians, and educators who have expertise in multicultural education, traditional oral literature, urban education, children's literature and culturally responsive pedagogy that have become the focus of U.S. discourses in public education and teacher preparation. This anthology serves as part of the quest for multiple views about our 'global village', emphasizing the importance of linking the idea of diverse knowledge with realities of global trends and development. Consequently, the goal and the basic thrust of this anthology is to negotiate for space for non-mainstream epistemology to share the pedagogical floor with the mainstream template, to foster alternative vision of reality for other knowledge production in the academic domain. The uniqueness of this collection is the idea of bringing the content and the pedagogy of most of the genres of African oral arts under one umbrella and thereby offering a practical acquaintance and appreciation with different African cultures. It therefore introduces the world of African mind and thoughts to the readers. In summary, this anthology presents an academic area which is now gaining its long overdue recognition in the academia.

This book, the second in the series, is a distinct exploration of how educational policy makers, curriculum developers, educators, learners and social activists can utilize the hitherto untapped rich resource of African traditional oral literature and visual cultures. These are epistemological reservoirs and invaluable pedagogical tools in the delivery of content in the classrooms of the present global village, most of whom contain diverse student populations from varying backgrounds. The content of the book is thus designed to help expand educators' repertoire of understanding beyond the hitherto "conventional wisdom", most of which are either outdated or are colonial impositions on former colonial entities. Our motivation for pulling together this anthology was due to the fact scholars, educators and educational policy makers have hitherto paid little attention to the epistemological and pedagogical value of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge systems (TIKS). Our objective has been largely achieved by this anthology in the sense that the research perspectives of the contributors to this effort have enhanced the hitherto limited exposure and knowledge about traditional oral literature and visual cultures in Africa. The torch that has been lighted from this endeavor heightens the epistemological and pedagogical implications of TIKS. In launching this book, we are extending a clarion call to researchers and disciples of Indigenous Knowledge systems in Africa and elsewhere to seize this opportunity and interest generated by this endeavor to undertake more studies in this area. Our current efforts were focused mainly on Africa TIKS systems, but we strongly believe that there are similar and equally powerful and important TIKS systems in other parts of the world, Asia, the Far East, Central and Southern America as well as the Caribbean that are longing for exploration and exposition. It is therefore our fervent hope that exploration and dissemination of knowledge in this field will continue with the flame lighted from this endeavor. We believe that these efforts will greatly enhance awareness an otherwise neglected and almost forgotten, but important aspects of knowledge creation and dissemination, especially about traditional and hitherto unwritten histories and knowledge systems around the world. These undertakings will help to broaden the conceptualization of what constitutes global knowledge within the current reality of globalization.

This book, the second in the series, is a distinct exploration of how educational policy makers, curriculum developers, educators, learners and social activists can utilize the hitherto untapped rich resource of African traditional oral literature and visual cultures. These are epistemological reservoirs and invaluable pedagogical tools in the delivery of content in the classrooms of the present global village, most of whom contain diverse student populations from varying backgrounds. The content of the book is thus designed to help expand educators' repertoire of understanding beyond the hitherto "conventional wisdom", most of which are either outdated or are colonial impositions on former colonial entities. Our motivation for pulling together this anthology was due to the fact scholars, educators and educational policy makers have hitherto paid little attention to the epistemological and pedagogical value of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge systems (TIKS). Our objective has been largely achieved by this anthology in the sense that the research perspectives of the contributors to this effort have enhanced the hitherto limited exposure and knowledge about traditional oral literature and visual cultures in Africa. The torch that has been lighted from this endeavor heightens the epistemological and pedagogical implications of TIKS. In launching this book, we are extending a clarion call to researchers and disciples of Indigenous Knowledge systems in Africa and elsewhere to seize this opportunity and interest generated by this endeavor to undertake more studies in this area. Our current efforts were focused mainly on Africa TIKS systems, but we strongly believe that there are similar and equally powerful and important TIKS systems in other parts of the world, Asia, the Far East, Central and Southern America as well as the Caribbean that are longing for exploration and exposition. It is therefore our fervent hope that exploration and dissemination of knowledge in this field will continue with the flame lighted from this endeavor. We believe that these efforts will greatly enhance awareness an otherwise neglected and almost forgotten, but important aspects of knowledge creation and dissemination, especially about traditional and hitherto unwritten histories and knowledge systems around the world. These undertakings will help to broaden the conceptualization of what constitutes global knowledge within the current reality of globalization.

For a long time, many American educators and educational stakeholders have drawn their ideas for educational reforms from ideas generated in Europe and Asia for the changing demographics of America's diverse classrooms. This book is therefore motivated by a bold attempt at advocating for the revision of existing pedagogic fora and the creation and addition of new fora that would provide for the inclusion of thoughts, perspectives and practices of African traditional oral literature in the pedagogical tools of content area classrooms especially in North America. The articles that are presented in this book provide theoretical frameworks for using African traditional oral literature and its various tenets as teaching tools. They bring together new voices of how African literature could be used as helpful tool in classrooms. Rationale for agitating for its use as ideal for pedagogic tool is the recurrent theme throughout the various articles presented. The book explores how educators, literacy educators, learners, activists, policy makers, and curriculum developers can utilize the powerful, yet untapped gem of African oral literature as pedagogical tools in content area classrooms to help expand educators repertoire of understanding beyond the 'conventional wisdom' of their pedagogic creed. It is a comprehensive work of experienced and diverse scholars, academicians, and educators who have expertise in multicultural education, traditional oral literature, urban education, children's literature and culturally responsive pedagogy that have become the focus of U.S. discourses in public education and teacher preparation. This anthology serves as part of the quest for multiple views about our 'global village', emphasizing the importance of linking the idea of diverse knowledge with realities of global trends and development. Consequently, the goal and the basic thrust of this anthology is to negotiate for space for non-mainstream epistemology to share the pedagogical floor with the mainstream template, to foster alternative vision of reality for other knowledge production in the academic domain. The uniqueness of this collection is the idea of bringing the content and the pedagogy of most of the genres of African oral arts under one umbrella and thereby offering a practical acquaintance and appreciation with different African cultures. It therefore introduces the world of African mind and thoughts to the readers. In summary, this anthology presents an academic area which is now gaining its long overdue recognition in the academia.