Introduction to Education, Second Edition is written for students beginning their study in education. As the school population increasingly reflects the diversity of America's population, many prospective teachers, typically from the middle classes, will be unprepared for the diverse classrooms they will inevitably encounter. This text helps students prepare to be teachers in a pluralistic society whose classrooms represent an increasingly varied set of cultural histories and values. Introduction to Education, Second Edition identifies and examines key educational topics and issues: A history of Education that goes beyond the standard Puritan background and begins instead with indigenous Americans and the influence of the Spanish., Surveys of a broad spectrum of children's backgrounds, including experiences with drugs, poverty, and lack of access to vital cultural currency like the Internet., And provides numerous pedagogical aides:, Reflective in-text questions that challenge students to think beyond their own cultural backgrounds and to develop an appreciation for a variety of different cultures, Student Web materials including supplemental readings involving issues in contemporary American education, in-text case studies, An issues-based guide to websites on hot topics like vouchers and the No Child Left Behind Act, Instructor's Manual with Test Bank (still under construction)