A webinar presented by Bruna Sommer-Farias, Michigan State University.

January 26th, 2023, at 10 am Arizona time.

Download the presentation slides here.

Abstract:

Bio:

Bruna Sommer-Farias (Ph.D., University of Arizona) is Assistant Professor in the Master of Arts in Foreign Language Teaching at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on genre and corpus-informed approaches to curriculum and instruction, language teacher development and multilingualism. Her work has appeared in journals such as Written Communication and Journal of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages.

Participants attending live can request a certificate of attendance for 1.5 hours of Continuing Education during the event. They can request a digital badge after the webinar, once they are contacted by CERCLL after the event.

Participants who require closed captions or ASL at the time of CERCLL’s events should request this at least a week in advance by emailing CERCLL at cercll@email.arizona.edu..

Title: Globalizing the Community College Curriculum: Add Food and Stir 

Event Date: January 20-22, 2023

Location: The University of Arizona, Tucson

Registration Deadline: January 13th, 2023

The Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS); the Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language, and Literacy (CERCLL); the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS); and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona hosted the 7th annual conference for Community College educators on January 20-22, 2023. This year’s theme was Globalizing the Community College Curriculum: Add Food and Stir.

Community Colleges are doing important work educating a large percentage of post-secondary students to become part of a globalized world. As such, it is vital to internationalize the curricula of community college classes; the topic of food, as a universal need and cultural touchstone, provides an accessible gateway to the world. This conference offered an opportunity to learn from colleagues across community college departments and campuses, how the topics of food and cuisine can be used to internationalize the curriculum. Presenters shared what works well, what needs improvement, and how they intend to move forward with internationalizing their curriculum by including these themes. The conference included a Lunar New Year dinner.

This conference met in-person. Limited funding was available for out-of-town presenters’ housing, and three meals were included for all participants.

See the keynote presentation here:

A webinar presented by Amanda Shufflebarger, Indiana University East.

December 10th, 2022, at 10 am Arizona time.

Download Dr. Shufflebarger’s slides here.

Abstract:

In an educational era characterized by censorship debates and standards-aligned instruction, classroom texts can be regarded as a liability at worst and a means to achieving a curricular end, at best, rather than as a humanizing invitation to engage with, enjoy, and even play with language. In addition, some of the most vulnerable learners can be redirected away from creative activities in well-intentioned but misplaced attempts to reduce opportunity gaps (Wilson et al., 2021) or “reverse pandemic learning loss” (Goldhaber et al., 2022). However, rather than detract from literacy activities, poetry and creative texts can promote rigor and interest, supporting students as they engage with language in complex ways. In addition, undertaking creative activities can broaden teachers’ understanding of the creative ways our students make meaning with language.  

Bio:

Amanda Shufflebarger is Assistant Professor of Education at Indiana University East in Richmond, Indiana. She teaches undergraduate and undergraduate courses on English as a Second Language, English Language Arts methods, and Writing. She is also a certified secondary English Language Arts teacher and has taught high school in the Tucson Unified School District. She has published in L2 Journal, TESOL Journal, and Critical Multilingualism Studies.

This is the second event in CERCLL’s Multiliteracies Takes on Language Teaching webinar series.

Participants attending live can request a certificate of attendance for 1.5 hours of Continuing Education at the end of the event. They can request a digital badge after the webinar, once they are contacted by CERCLL about these digital credentials.

Participants who require closed captions or ASL at the time of CERCLL’s events should request this at least a week in advance by emailing CERCLL at cercll@email.arizona.edu..

A webinar presented by Kate Paesani from the University of Minnesota.

November 2nd, 2022, at 4 pm Arizona time.

Dr. Paesani’s Webinar Slides

Bio:

Kate Paesani (Ph.D., Indiana University) is Director of the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) and Associate Professor in the Department of French and Italian at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on literacies-based curriculum and instruction and language teacher development, couched within the frameworks of multiliteracies pedagogy and sociocultural theory. Her most recent co-authored book, Literacies in Language Education: A Guide for Teachers and Teacher Educators, will be published with Georgetown University Press in Spring 2023.

A virtual conference for K-8 educators on the use of global literature in classrooms will be held on October 15, 2022, 9:00 a.m.-12:00  AZ (12-3 ET). To see what time it starts outside Arizona, click here.

The presenters are classroom teachers who are members of study groups that have been exploring different ways of engaging with global literature in their elementary and middle school classrooms. After an opening keynote, there will be breakout groups with presentations by teachers. We are very excited about the various issues, strategies, and engagements that will be shared during our conference.

This virtual conference is free, but participants must register here: https://forms.gle/n3kSv8Rk8Zc1Vo7R9. A Zoom link will be sent closer to the time of the conference.

Schedule (9 am – 12 pm Arizona time, 12 – 3 pm ET)

9:00 – 9:40     Opening Speakers: Kathy Short and Cynthia Ryman: Creating a Curriculum that is Intercultural

9:45 – 10:15     Breakout Session 1

10:20-10:50     Breakout Session 2

10:55-11:25       Breakout Session 3

11:30-12:00      Town Hall

Breakout Session 1 (9:45-10:15): Book Selection

• Jeanne Fain – Teachers’ use of 3 lenses for selecting global literature, Tennessee
• Sue Parsons – Options when a global community is underserved in global publishing, Oklahoma
• Kay Hones – Using print and audio to invite reluctant readers into global literacy, California

Breakout Session 2 (10:20-10:50): Multiple Perspectives and Cross-Cultural Explorations

• Kait DeMoney – Exploring multiple perspectives in a literature unit. Washington
• Junko Sakoi, Kathryn Chavez & Nalda Francisco – Cross-cultural inquiry in the Middle East and Muslim cultures, Tucson
• Yuan Chen and Chang Pu– Cross-cultural inquiry through virtual exchanges across global settings, Atlanta and China

Breakout Session 3 (10:55-11:25): Exploring the Rights of Children through Global Literature 

• Yoo Kyung Sung – Introduction to using an anchor text and text sets (10 minutes), New Mexico

          Breakouts (20 minutes):

• Diana Botello – Exploring Migration with Young Children to Understand Self and Other
• Amber Gordon – Engaging adults in children’s rights in a college writing class
• Melody Magor-Begay – Seeing through the eyes of children on the Spectrum using literature

This virtual conference is offered in collaboration with Worlds of Words: Center of Global Literacies and Literatures.

We have a few free registrations available for this event organized by the National Center for Interpretation and Worlds of Words, and cosponsored by CERCLL. If you are a UArizona student and would like to attend, email us at cercll@email.arizona.edu.

This webinar provides participants with an introduction into how the translation of children’s books works and to the art of translating itself, with a focus on picturebooks. Participants will learn about the major players working to support children’s literature in translation and how to get started in the field. Then we will look at a few pages from 2-3 different picturebooks together, and participants will have the opportunity to try their hand at translating a page from a picturebook.

Upon completing the session, participants will have:

• An understanding of the publishers and major players actively involved in making children’s literature travel and how they can get started in the field
• An understanding of the role of the translator as a creative agent
• An understanding of literary translation as the art of transferring meaning, style, and register rather than individual words

The workshop is led by Mia Spangenberg, Ph.D., who translates fiction, nonfiction and children’s literature from Finnish and German into English. Her work has been published in Finland and the UK, and in journals such as LitHub and Asymptote. She also teaches translation workshops and is a regular contributor to the WorldKidLit blog. She holds a Ph.D. in Scandinavian studies from the University of Washington, Seattle, where she resides with her family.

For all the details and to register, visit https://nci.arizona.edu/workshop/introduction-translating-childrens-literature. 

CERCLL is hosting the Arizona Language Association (AZLA) Fall conference at the University of Arizona in September, 2022. The event takes place in the University of Arizona’s Student Union; lodging is at the Tucson Marriott University Park hotel.

Navigating our New Normal: Creating Inclusive Language Learning Environments

Keynote Presentation:  Rachel Tillotson, Let’s Keep it Real

Having trouble balancing everything on your plate? Struggling with challenges that feel overwhelmingly difficult to overcome? How can we possibly stay positive while doing all that’s required in a world that has recently been turned upside down? The answers to these questions may not be simple but there are ways to rethink our perspectives and methods of addressing these challenges. Simply put, LET’S KEEP IT REAL! Let’s take a step back and look at how we approach the new normal handed to us and identify what really matters. In this session we’ll view, discuss, and practice focused strategies that we can implement both in and outside of the classroom to promote a more well-balanced approach and how to help those around us to do the same.

Rachel Tillotson is a national PLAN, SWCOLT and ACTFL presenter and is a strong advocate for global competency, social justice, diversity and the incorporation of Social Emotional Learning pedagogies. She is currently the President of the Professional Language Association of Nevada and a National Board Certified teacher in an urban high school in Reno, NV.

CERCLL is sponsoring travel scholarships for educators wishing to attend this event. Click HERE for details and the application form.

AZLA membership for the 2022-2023 academic year is included with your registration. The registration deadline is September 16, 2022.

Lodging is available at the Tucson Marriott University Park hotel at a discounted rate for bookings made by September 9 ($145; $166 with taxes). Book your group rate room here.

Story as World Making: Connecting Children to Global Cultures

An in-person workshop presented by Kathy G. Short and Dorea Kleker, University of Arizona, with participating authors Rajani LaRocca and Carol Kim.

June 2-3, 2022, 9 am to 4 pm each day, at the University of Arizona.

Cost: $30, including lunch and materials. (The travel scholarship application deadline was May 13th.)

A certificate for 12 hours of Continuing Education is available for those who participate in the entire institute.

This event is full, and registration has ended.

Event Details:

Join us for a two-day workshop to engage in experiences and books that invite children to immerse themselves in global cultures. In this interactive workshop, you will explore new global books for your work with children and participate in engagements with these books. You will also interact with several children’s authors who will join us to talk about their global books. Participants will receive copies of their picturebooks along with booklists and other materials.

Our work is framed around encouraging children to balance an understanding of their cultural locations and loyalties with a reflective openness to new ways of thinking and being in the world. This open mindedness can be created by inviting children into story worlds where they can experience the ways people live, feel, and think in global cultures. As children develop empathy and knowledge, they come to know their home cultures and the world beyond home. One challenge is to dig below the surface of a culture (e.g. food and festivals) to connect with deeper cultural values, including the significance of language. Through engagements with books, we can challenge children to engage with story as a means of bridging divides and creating intercultural understanding.

Presenter Bios:

Kathy G. Short is a professor and endowed chair of global children’s literature in the College of Education at the University of Arizona with a focus on dialogue and inquiry and is Director of Worlds of Words: Center of Global Literacies and Literatures (wowlit.org). She has worked extensively with teachers all over the world on literature-based approaches and has authored many books and articles, including Creating Classrooms for Authors and Inquirers and Teaching Globally: Reading the World through Literature. She served as President of the National Council of Teachers of English and the US Board of Books for Young People.

Dorea Kleker is an early childhood teacher, educator and lecturer at the University of Arizona. Working with students and teachers across a wide variety of educational contexts in both the U.S. and Latin America, her work focuses on global and multicultural children’s literature, literacy and play to develop intercultural understanding, and the use of literature to actively engage children as inquirers across all content areas.

Carol Kim believes books and words have a magical ability to change the world for the better, and she writes for children with the hope of spreading some of that magic. She is the author of the picture book biography, King Sejong Invents the Alphabet, as well as 20 fiction and nonfiction books for the educational market. Carol relishes unearthing real-life stories and little-known facts to share with young readers. She lives in Austin, Texas with her family.

Rajani LaRocca was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and lives in the Boston area, where she practices medicine and writes books for young people, including Red, White, and Whole (2021), Seven Golden Rings (2020), Bracelets for Bina’s Brothers (2021),Where Three Oceans Meet (2021), I’ll Go and Come Back (2022), and more. She’s always been an omnivorous reader, and now is an omnivorous writer of fiction and nonfiction, novels and picture books, prose and poetry. She finds inspiration in her family, her childhood, the natural world, math, science, and just about everywhere she looks.

A webinar presented by Kris Aric Knisely from the University of Arizona.

May 11th, 2022.

Download the presentation slides here. See the webinar recording below.

In this webinar, Dr. Kris Aric Knisely (University of Arizona) will introduce The Gender-Just Language Education Project, an open resource project to support language educators in engaging with trans knowledges and proactively planning for gender justice. This webinar will begin with an introduction to gender-just language pedagogies. Then, extending the critical ethical impetus for inclusion, Knisely will outline recent research that demonstrates the ways in which gender-just pedagogies can support holistic linguistic, intercultural, and symbolic competence development as well as intersectional thinking. Alongside a discussion of reasons for and ways to proactively plan for gender-justice, Knisely will discuss ways of proactively planning for resistance thereto. This discussion will be supported by a suite of open educational resources (OERs), which will allow attendees to build upon the content introduced in this webinar and adapt it to their own sites of language teaching and learning.

Bio:
Kris Aric Knisely (Ph.D., Emory University) is an Assistant Professor of French and Intercultural Competence as well as affiliated faculty in both SLAT and TSRC at the University of Arizona. Knisely’s research broadly considers gender and sexuality in language teaching and learning and, in its most specific form, focuses on the linguistic and cultural practices of trans and nonbinary speakers of French, particularly as they can inform the articulation of trans-affirming L2 pedagogies.

Participants attending live can request a certificate of attendance for 1.5 hours of Continuing Education during the event; or they can request a digital badge after the event.

Participants requiring closed captions or ASL at the time of CERCLL’s events should request this at least a week in advance by emailing CERCLL at cercll@email.arizona.edu..

A webinar presented by Tracy Quan, University of Colorado, Boulder.

Download the presentation slides here.

See the recording below.

April 13, 10 am Arizona / UTC-7. To see the time of this event where you are, click here.

The recent social and multilingual turn in language research and pedagogy has drawn attention to how the teaching of languages is an ideological endeavor. What and how we teach tells our students what and who society values inside and outside the classroom. As such, this webinar explores the following questions: What ideologies underlie our language teaching? What messages may we be perpetuating that in fact contradict and undermine our goals as language instructors? What decisions and actions can we take to interrupt ideologies in our pedagogy? First, Quan will define and provide examples of ideologies in the context of language instruction. Participants will discuss language ideologies, or beliefs about speakers, the structure, and the use of language in general and in regards to specific varieties. They will also examine raciolinguistic ideologies, which are racialized ideas about people’s language use and knowledge. Second, Quan presents research that illustrates the consequences of ideologies, particularly for individuals and communities of minoritized backgrounds. Third, she draws from multilingual and critical language pedagogies to offer strategies for contesting ideologies in our teaching.

By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to: 1) broadly describe ideologies related to language instruction in general and to the language(s) they teach; 2) identify pedagogical strategies for unpacking ideologies in didactic materials, learning activities, and instructional decisions; and 3) critically reflect on opportunities for and challenges to teaching language in a culturally, linguistically, and socially-equitable manner. 

Bio:
Tracy Quan is Assistant Professor of Spanish at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate language, linguistics, and pedagogy courses. Her areas of research include second and heritage language development and education, language and identity, study abroad, and critical pedagogies. Drawing on her personal background and K-16 experiences teaching English and Spanish abroad and in the U.S., she is interested in exploring the dynamic role identities and ideologies play in shaping language learning, teaching, and use, particularly for racialized multilingual populations. She hopes her research will demonstrate the transformative and equitable potential of language education and research if done critically and thoughtfully. She is co-editor of the volume, Heritage Speakers of Spanish and Study Abroad (2021, Routledge), and her work has appeared in venues such as Bilingual Research Journal, Foreign Language Annals, Hispania, L2 Journal, and The Modern Language Journal.

Registration closed the day before this event.

Participants attending live can request a certificate of attendance for 1.5 hours of Continuing Education during the event; or they can request a digital badge after the event.

Participants requiring closed captions at the time of CERCLL’s events should request this at least a week in advance by emailing CERCLL at cercll@email.arizona.edu..