28th Annual Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies Colloquy

February 19th, 2015

Invited Speakers:

Yến Lê EspirituUniversity of California, San Diego

They Certainly Don’t Teach It In School!”: The Vietnam War and Refugee Postmemories1:00 – 2:30 UA Bookstore

Arnetha BallStanford University

5:30 – 7:00 College of Education Kiva

* Artwork courtesy of Mansfeld Middle School students

Diversity in

Education:Where Are We Now?

Schedule of Events11:00 – 12:00 Registration and Community Booths World of Words, College of Education1:00 – 2:30 Invited Speaker: Yến Lê Espiritu, UA Bookstore2:45 – 3:45 Concurrent Student Session I, College of Education Classrooms4:00 – 5:00 Concurrent Student Session II, College of

Education Classrooms5:00 – 5:30 Poster Session, World of Words5:30 – 7:00 Invited Speaker: Arnetha Ball, College of Education Kiva Auditorium,

Community Presenters: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM World of Words Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, The Dunbar African -American Cultural Center, TUSD’s Culturally Relevant Studies, & Arabian Oasis Cultural Center

Concurrent Session I: 2:45-3:45 PMEDUC Room 312Faculty Discussion- Q&A session about the Job Search and Interview Process

Carol Brochin, Norma González & Erin Turner

EDUC Room 455 Moderator: Leisy Wyman, Associate Professor, TLSPanel Discussion- Confronting the Reproduction of Consciousness: Applying a Processual Approach in Multicultural Education

Alexa Rodriguez, Alejandra Arroyo, Alyssa Martinez, Breanna Lindner, Danissa Gil, Sarah Bigler, Jesus Jaime-Diaz

EDUC Room 257Panel Discussion- Non-Native Speaking Language Teachers: Issues of Identity and Language Diversity

Hope Anderson, Rachel LaMance, Janelle Moser, Chelsea Steinert

EDUC Room 102: Moderator: Eliane Rubinstein-Avila, Associate Professor, TLS Zahra Karimi- A Study of Two Persian Language Classrooms: How Language

Teaching Methodology Affects Learners’ Motivation and Learning Mariia Khorosheva- A Comparative Study of Two Writing classes: Teaching

Approaches and Influence on Students’ Writing Development Junko Sakoi- Meeting Pocket Monsters and Ninja Turtles in the Classroom:

Responses of Fifth Graders to Japanese Pictorial Texts

EDUC Room 530 LaToya Hinton- Miskitu vs. Plurilingualism: A Discourse Analysis on the

Language of Two Pro-Miskitu Activists in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua Lisa Fetman- The Enactment or Arizona's Language Policy Ellen Vujasinovic- Language Planning and Policy: The Case of Catalonia, Spain

Concurrent Session II: 4:00 – 5:00 PM

EDUC Room 257Panel Discussion- Voices de la Calle/Voces of the Street: Symbols, Sounds, and Steps as Transformation

Eliza Butler, Lamonte Tales Goode, Anton Smith, María Jose, Jaca Zulu, DJ Alias, Johanna Martinez, Tere Fowler Chapman, & Cristina Cardenas

EDUC Room 312Workshop- Writing Your ‘Testimonio’ in Honor of Dr. Richard Ruíz

Tamara MC

EDUC Room 102 Moderator: Walter Doyle, Professor, TLS Sheila Rocha- Community Service or Education: The Teaching Dilemma on

Pine Ridge Reservation J Carmen Tirado-Paredes- Nahui Mitl (Four Arrows Journey): Introduction and

Understanding of the Mexica/Aztec Origins and Culture Nayalin Feller- What can children teach us? The role of peer relationships and

translanguaging in the development of bilingual and biliterate young Indigenous children in the Tekoá Marangatu, Brazil

Joseph Kevin Spink- Legitimacy of Cultural Critique: A Reconsideration

EDUC Room 530 Mariia Khorosheva- The Development of English Writing Skills and

International Student Identity Through Feedback and Student Collaboration in an ESL Freshman Writing Course

Veronika Williams- Concept of Learner Autonomy through Sociocultural Lens Sibele Volpi Schafer- Immigrant Parents Confronting Acculturative Stress in the

Educational System: A Case Study of a South American Family

Poster Session: 5:00-5:30 PM, World of Words Michelle Albertson- Teacher Talk: Teacher Voice, Affect, and Identity in Present

Day Managerialist Institutions Melody Buckner- Digital Storytelling as an Assessment Practice in Study Abroad

Programs Danlei Chen- Building a Nurturing Language Learning Environment: From inside

the Class to Outside the Class Casey Richardson- Culturally-Respectful Approach: Funds of Knowledge and other

Factors Sherrie Stewart- AVATAR: Teaching Stereotypes and Reification Through Film Frank Zadroga- Creating a Sustainability Learning Discipline for Youth

Hope Anderson, Rachel LaMance, Janelle Moser, Chelsea Steinert

Panel Discussion- Non-Native Speaking Language Teachers: Issues of Identity and Language DiversityOne issue of diversity in language teaching is the increasing prevalence of non-native speaking (NNS) teachers. In the past twenty years, this issue has primarily been researched in relation to English (e.g., Canagarajah, 1999; Medgyes, 1994; Moussu & Llurda, 2008). This panel seeks to bring the voices of NNS teachers of languages other than English into this discussion. An additional task for NNS teachers of languages other than English is being able to meet the needs of heritage language learners, who may have more home experience with the language than their teachers. Helping students value their home variety of the language (in accordance with Carvalho, 2012; Villa, 2002) while they develop an academic variety is one of the challenges of teaching heritage students. This issue can be more difficult for NNS teachers, due to their differing linguistic backgrounds. The panel features educators of Arabic, French, German, and Spanish, drawing on their personal experiences as non-native speakers in the language classroom to highlight themes of identity, credibility, language diversity, role reversal, and acceptance.This panel is dedicated to Dr. Richard Ruiz, whose work with a colleague of the participants inspired this topic.

Michelle AlbertsonTeacher Talk: Teacher Voice, Affect, and Identity in Present Day Managerialist InstitutionsTeacher talk is one of the most salient features of the teaching profession. This literature review surveys several studies of teacher talk and includes elements of teaching that are con-veyed in teacher talk such as teacher voice, identity and affect. A common denominator of numerous articles presented here is that of teacher narratives, or story-telling, which is fea-tured as being instrumental in the creation of teacher identity, agency, and transformation in the context of present-day education reforms that strongly adhere to policy mandates of managerialist professionalism that has dominated the state of education for the past three decades. As part of this discussion, commentaries presenting teacher identity as affective in nature will be discussed in order to bring to light mechanisms by which teachers cope with institutional change, while maintaining, or preserving, a certain level of agency. The results of my analysis indicate that teachers, being deeply caring and responsible individuals are highly proficient in positively navigating difficult waters created by nationalized education policies.

Melody Buckner Digital Storytelling as an Assessment Practice in Study Abroad ProgramsThis poster session will visually portray the findings of a recent research study conducted at the University of Arizona related to the implementation of digital storytelling as an assessment practice for measuring academic learning outcomes in several summer study abroad programs. This research study was focused upon ways students could effectively demonstrate their learning through digital engagement. The study explored if the method of digital storytelling through the use of multimodal tools, including Voice Thread was an effective way for students to accomplish this task. The researcher will be sharing the

results through the digital stories of students who participated in the study. The topics covered in this poster will include: digital storytelling, digital literacy, assessment practices and the introduction of digital engagement in study abroad programs.

Eliza Butler, Lamonte Tales Goode, Anton Smith, María Jose, Jaca Zulu, DJ Alias, Johanna Martinez, & Tere Fowler ChapmanPanel Discussion- Voices de la Calle/Voces of the Street: Symbols, Sounds, and Steps as TransformationThis collaborative piece explores the perspectives of a range of visual artists as they reflect on their processes of becoming. Together, the voices of graffiti artists, disk jockeys, dancers, and poets provide a glimpse into the complexities of the transformative potency of artistic creation. This multimedia production provokes reflection considering the constraints of our built environments and mental borders, with the intention of identifying the dynamic richness of visual spaces and soundscapes as a response to daily oppression. Our becoming pivots on this potential for transformation. This multimodal grassroots project connects a wide range of artists in reflection upon the importance artistic creation has had on their identity formation and issues of social justice. Through storytelling and video production, artists responded to two questions of inquiry. 1. How has your art form affected your identity? 2. Do you see any connections to issues of social justice? If so, in what ways?Each artist submitted their videos to be to be posted on social media (Facebook and YouTube).The videos were compiled into a 45-minute compilation, which was presented at by collaborating artists, Abagail Fritz (dancer) and Uzo Nkem Nwankpa (dancer) at the Performing the World International Conference in NYC, 2014. This panel will include members from Voices de la Calle in a discussion surrounding their perspectives on how the arts have influenced their lives, with the intention to extend our understandings of the diversity and Education through a multimodal dialogue.

Danlei ChenBuilding a Nurturing Language Learning Environment: From inside the Class to Outside the ClassInformed by the twofold mission of a non-native ESL teacher to create optimal environmental conditions inside the classroom and develop the students’ autonomy to extend learning outside the classroom and by drawing upon teaching fieldnotes, student written feedback and personal communications, the proposed study reflected on three themes: (1) “What is meant by understanding my students well?” (ii) “What is meant by effective tasks?” (iii) “How to develop students’ autonomy?” in a multilingual and multicultural Health Literacy ESL class for adult immigrants in South Philadelphia. The first theme explored the obstacles towards understanding students and redefined what it meant by understanding students well, arguing that understanding students encompasses understanding of not only demographic facts but more importantly, intersections and interplays among students’ life and learning experiences, identify shifts and how these produce their language attitudes and learning expectations. The second theme revisited the original framework deemed thorough and effective and deployed in the task design, reexamined the observed success and failure of a task and concluded by arguing that the definition of “effectiveness” of both a task and the learning

process should not be decided from the teacher’s perspective and perceptions alone but also from those of students. The third theme problematize the teacher’s perceived “lack-of-autonomy”, reexamined exercising of learner autonomy in class, distinguished between “proactive ” and “reactive” autonomy and concluded that student perception should count more in defining learner autonomy and teachers should help students develop an awareness of autonomy and feel of urgency to develop such awareness.

Nayalin FellerWhat can children teach us? The role of peer relationships and translanguaging in the development of bilingual and biliterate young Indigenous children in the Tekoá Marangatu, BrazilIn Brazil, researchers have only recently – in the last 15 years – started to look at the child as a capable and competent beings. This dissertation investigates the teaching and learning processes and the pedagogical practices used by and with Mbya Guarani children in the Tekoa Marangatu reservation, in Imaruí, Brazil. The overarching goal of this research is to explore the role of Indigenous children’s socialization processes in the development of bilingualism, biliteracy and/or biculturalism within the school environment and how the bilingual school is or is not supporting the development of the Guarani language. Children are seen as social actors (Cohn, 2005) who transmit knowledge amongst themselves, the adults in their lives and the different contexts in which they are inserted. In this qualitative study I used ethnographic instruments to document in depth the several literacy practices performed by first and third graders in the Escola Indígena de Ensino Fundamental Tekoá Marangatu (E.I.E.F. Tekoá Marangatu). Data include fieldnotes from participant observations, video and audio-recordings, and literacy samples (in the form of photographs) collected during four months of fieldwork. Through open-coding, I delineated specific domains around the use of literacy events (Heath, 1982) and vernacular literacies (De La Piedra, 2009), following previous empirical studies on Indigenous’ children emergent literacies (Azuara, 2009). Through the use of narrative inquiry, I demonstrate how the role of translanguaging (García and Beardsmore, 2009) and the role that peers took in the socialization processes of these children are some of the important findings of this study.

Lisa FetmanThe Enactment or Arizona's Language PolicyStudents speaking a first language other than English comprise more than 10% of students in U.S. public schools, and are predicted to represent 25% of all public school students by 2025. States enact language policies to address this growing demographic, and Arizona’s sheltered English-only policy (Proposition 203, 2000) is the most restrictive in the U.S. Despite scant empirical support for the efficacy of Arizona’s model, Proposition 203 passed and remains as a result of the veneer of democracy (a political strategy that projects equitable inclinations while shielding inequitable ideologies). In order to wipe away the policy’s veneer of democracy and reveal its marginalizing effects, I compare findings from an ethnographic study of one linguistically and culturally diverse high school confronting mandates from Proposition

203 with findings from a critical analysis of the policy’s text. Findings show that the policy’s veneer of democracy exudes discourses of morality, opportunity, and rationality, and these taken-for-granted macro-level political discourses conflict with and subjugate the micro-level realities of schools. The illustration of this tension provides a comprehensive understanding of how the enactment of policy is distinct from policy itself, thus implying a need to reexamine democracy in education from political and school levels.

LaToya HintonMiskitu vs. Plurilingualism: A Discourse Analysis on the Language of Two Pro-Miskitu Activists in Puerto Cabezas, NicaraguaThis discourse analysis studies the structure of the Miskitu Language in contrast with the Pro-Miskitu Language Ideology of Yatama Organization Political Activists in Puerto Cabezas, a large port town on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. Two interviews are examined, one interview by Dr. Laura Herlihy with Brooklyn Rivera, leader of the Yatama Organization, and one by the researcher, LaToya Hinton with a Yatama youth member, Gianni. This study examines the discourse of plurilingualism and language contact while highlighting the political nature of Miskitu language use in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua.

Zahra KarimiA Study of Two Persian Language Classrooms: How Language Teaching Methodology Affects Learners’ Motivation and LearningSecond language classroom is one of those contexts in which interaction helps the language learners apply their new knowledge in expressing their ideas in a new language. Heritage language teaching seeks its own materials, teaching methods, and policy which should be taken more into consideration when teachers face diverse groups of students from different linguistic and cultural background. So, this reality should affect the curriculum and instruction, since teachers should clarify the rules necessary for an organized classroom and time is set aside for the teaching of these rules (Garrett, 2008). My experience of second language learning made me do a research to explore how a heritage language like Persian is being taught to the learners in an educational context. So, the settings of this research are two Persian language classrooms. The participants of this study are teachers and learners of two classrooms. The learners in two classes are diverse based on their parents and context they have been grown up in. so there were three types of learners of heritage language including full-Iranian, half-Iranian, and non-heritage learners. I gathered the data of this study through class observation in seven sessions of sitting in the classrooms, writing field notes, interviewing with teachers and learners of class ‘A in face-to-face talk. I had to do written interview with learners of class ‘B’ through sending the questions and getting their answers, though, the information taken from written interview is not as deep and informative as oral interview. First research question is to explain if different types of language learners based on their linguistic, cultural knowledge and different language levels are received any specific scaffolding strategies in their Persian language learning process. By asking the second research question, I wanted to discover if the concept of “funds of knowledge” has been applied in these classrooms whereas teachers in both classes did not know anything about

their learners whose background knowledge could be a good resource for class material and activities. In a heritage language classroom, teacher plays an important role in providing appropriate environment for having interaction through creating some interactional opportunities between teacher and learners or among learners through which their voices would be heard and also they could be more motivated to keep learning a new language as a second language or foreign language.

Mariia KhoroshevaA Comparative Study of Two Writing classes: Teaching Approaches and Influence on Students’ Writing DevelopmentU.S. universities are becoming more international, with students coming to study from a variety of countries. CESL (Center for English as a Second Language) is located at the University of Arizona and is mainly responsible for preparing international students for the challenges they will encounter in their studies, which includes academic writing. This qualitative and quantitative study examines the effects that different teaching methods and activities have on student attitudes. Knowledge of how student attitudes correlate with teaching practices is important in establishing instruction practices that are more effective. Issues of collaboration, grammar instruction and textbook use will serve as the basis for comparing student impressions in 2 intermediate CESL writing courses. The courses were taught by instructors with different backgrounds and goals, but the same textbook was used in the courses. Students likewise came from different countries and learning experiences. Data is collected through student interviews, instructor interviews, as well as observations and a survey. The outcomes of this study echo those of previous research data and raise important considerations regarding grammar instruction, collaboration and textbook use in writing classes that might have been overlooked. This study could be useful for researchers and teachers of ESL writing, especially at the University of Arizona, and could be generalized to other settings.

Mariia KhoroshevaThe Development of English Writing Skills and International Student Identity Through Feedback and Student Collaboration in an ESL Freshman Writing CourseThis is a case study, conducted during the course of 1.5 month, of an individual international student’s progress in an English 107 class at the University of Arizona. The student was tutored twice a week for four weeks, five English 107 lessons were observed, and teacher as well as student interviews were conducted. This study is an example of how students make the transition from their native country and its writing techniques and traditions to those of the US academic system, and what role feedback, student collaboration and classroom activities have in developing English writing skills and student identity. This study focuses on what opportunities the writing program at the University of Arizona gives to international students, as well as the challenges that students face. Issues regarding teacher and student feedback, classroom collaboration and activities, primarily the use of movies, are discussed, as well as their influence on the development of English proficiency, academic writing and identity development. Several possible improvements to the English Writing program are also proposed.

Tamara MC

Workshop- Writing Your ‘Testimonio’ in Honor of Dr. Richard RuízPlease join this writing workshop and begin to write your "testimonio" in honor of Dr. Richard Ruiz. We will begin writing with a prompt from Rigoberta Menchu. "My name is Rigoberta Menchu. I am twenty-three years old. This is my testimony." This workshop will address what a "testimonio" is, and how it differs from other forms of lifewriting. Dr. Richard Ruiz served on my dissertation committee in which I wrote my own "testimonio". I would like to share this powerful experience with you. From this workshop, (with your permission, of course) I would like to gather our collective stories, and put together a small tribute to the work of Dr. Ruiz. This is a social justice event where we will begin to look at our lives through the lives of our ancestors, so that we can impact our personal futures, as well as the futures of our communities. We will remember Dr. Ruiz through remembering our own histories, and our connection to the land, and to our people. Please come and listen, remember, write, share, and testify.

Casey RichardsonCulturally-Respectful Approach: Funds of Knowledge and other FactorsImmigrant children will never receive a fair education so long as the subculture which is making the claims and the rules for minority cultures is the same white majority subculture to which the minority subcultures are compared. It is impossible for one generic model to accommodate the viewpoints and histories of each and every subculture in United States society. When models such as the ones currently in practice are over generalized, we are doing a disservice to those affected—in this case immigrant students. In a culturally-respectful approach, culture and language are seen as dynamic entities; when students are viewed through a dynamic lens taking into account their linguistic, cultural and literacy backgrounds, society will become more tolerant, more respectful and more just. The only way that we will respect the different perspectives and backgrounds that minority children bring with them not just to class but to everything they do, would be a consequence of local and global communities taking more responsibility for learning about students' backgrounds and funds of knowledge (Gonzalez, N., Moll, L. C., & Amanti, C., 2005). This poster will discuss the following questions:1) How the current deficit thinking model serves as a barrier to immigrant education2) How the current educational policies and curricula need to change to be more culturally-respectful3) How we, as teachers, can teach English following a culturally-respectful approachAnd4) How the state and national-level standardized assessments need to change to be more culturally-respectful.

Sheila RochaCommunity Service or Education: The Teaching Dilemma on Pine Ridge ReservationOf the four types of K-12 schools that service the educational needs of Pine Ridge Reservation, BIE 638 contract-grant schools consistently perform below their counterparts. Regardless of better hands-on oversight by tribal education boards, a conundrum exists in the provision of adequate teachers for the classroom. This research

took the shape of qualitative inquiry using core research values promoted by the National Congress for American Indians (NCAI), and the Oglala Lakota. It is comprised of student testimonies from Oglala Lakota College (OLC), and members of the reservation community, personal observation of K-12, quantitative data from Native American Indian Education Association, as well as evaluation of my own students’ preparedness in college level English courses while teaching at OLC. Results indicate contract schools depend upon a disproportionate number of volunteers from the Teach for America (TA) program to fill teaching vacancies. Volunteers arrive without teaching experience, training, knowledge of Lakota culture, or knowledge of subject area assigned. No measurement tool exists to ascertain their level of instructional competency. Classrooms are also void of text books, resources materials, and technology. Students entering post-secondary studies at OLC from contract schools were ill-prepared, at best, for college course work. The pathway to quality teachers is dependent upon a complex series of changes that include human capacity building, elimination of external political influences, and uncompromising standards for teacher selection, along with compensated performance based on experience, expertise, and culture/language capability.

Alexa Rodriguez, Alejandra Arroyo, Alyssa Martinez, Breanna Lindner, Danissa Gil, Jesus Jaime-Diaz, Sarah BiglerPanel Discussion- Confronting the Reproduction of Consciousness: Applying a Processual Approach in Multicultural EducationThe morals and values that we are socialized with are continuously reproduced generationally through our families and our socialization and schooling experiences. In multicultural education our mission is to respect and honor such experiences as lived resources we all bring into the classroom as our funds of knowledge to engage in meaningful dialogue. According to Norma Gonzalez (1995) “…Processual approaches to culture that take into account multiple perspectives can reorient educators to consider the everyday lived experiences of their students” (p.237).The purpose of this panel presentation will be to discuss as a community of learners how LRC 204 Language, Culture & Race in Education served as a catalyst to promote diversity, while encountering resistance to the content in the course curriculum. LRC 204 created awareness within students by confronting modern institutionalized oppression, racism, and privilege that is still very real in our society. Even in a nation of immigrants in a so-called "melting pot" society racism is still a relevant and pressing issue. Within the exploration of this course both the students and the instructor expanded the curriculum and strayed out of our comfort zone to explore issues of oppression not included within the text to examine the intersection of oppression in a safe environment that encouraged deep discussion.

Junko SakoiMeeting Pocket Monsters and Ninja Turtles in the Classroom: Responses of Fifth Graders to Japanese Pictorial Texts Today various graphic forms of texts, such as graphic novels, manga, and anime, have exploded in popularity in the United States (e.g., Greene & Kohler, 2012; Mullis, 2014). A growing number of scholars suggest that popular media should be treated as a resource for literacy development, critical inquiry, and cultural understanding (e.g., Bakis, 2012;

Schwartz & Rubinstein-Avila, 2006). Despite the popularity of manga and anime among young people as well as kamishibai (Japanese storytelling) in educational fields, few studies investigate children’s responses to these Japanese pictorial texts. This study addresses this lack of the research by investigating fifth graders’ responses of the texts. This study took place in a public school in Arizona. The research questions were: What understandings of Japanese culture are demonstrated in children’s responses of Japanese pictorial texts? How do children respond to the texts? The study drew on reader response theory and New Literacy Studies. Data collection included participant-observation, audiotaped discussions and interviews, participants’ artifacts, fieldnotes, and reflection journals. Results revealed that children demonstrated four types of cultural responses including 1) ethnocentrism, 2) understanding and acceptance, 3) respect and valuing, and 4) change. They also showed four types of literary responses including 1) analytical, 2) personal, 3) intertexual, and 4) cultural. These findings illustrate that the children employed their pop-culture knowledge to make intertextual connections as part of meaning making from the stories. This study makes a unique contribution to reader response as it examines children’s cultural understandings and literary responses to the Japanese pictorial texts.

Joseph Kevin SpinkLegitimacy of Cultural Critique: A ReconsiderationAddresses the question as to whether or not there might be criteria for social scientists and others concerned with social justice issues to be able to legitimately evaluate aspects of cultures, in general, that are related to social justice issues and then be able to make recommendations that would move society(ies) towards a state of greater justice.This discussion is largely based on the construct of: Cultural Assets and Deficits, as described by Jane Roland Martin in her work - Cultural Miseducation: In Search of a Democratic Solution (John Dewey Lecture Series). This paper addresses issues related to the: "who," the "how," and the "towards what purpose," of critically examining cultures to assess their assets and deficits. This paper also came out of the varied and rich discussions around this topic that occurred in Dr. Ruiz's Social Justice Class, from the fall semester of 2014. And these ideas were further shaped by his written response to the original paper and by a follow-up discussion with him regarding this topic. 

Sherrie StewartAVATAR: Teaching Stereotypes and Reification Through FilmThis poster reveals how contemporary film makers use stereotypes to help viewers recognize socio-economic groups in their films. Some stereotypes are helpful. Putting a doctor in a lab coat makes that doctor easily recognizable as a medical professional. However, the use of stereotypes of Indigenous peoples can create negative impressions. Understanding the power of film and media in today's world is imperative in assessing everything from a perfume commercial to electing the President. Teaching students how to analyze film to recognize how film makers manipulate stereotypes assists those students in viewing all media communications critically. Once learned in the classroom through analyzing popular film, students carry that critical eye into their world of eight second commercials and sound bites, and begin thinking more critically about what they hear and see.

J Carmen Tirado-ParedesNahui Mitl (Four Arrows Journey): Introduction and Understanding of the Mexica/Aztec Origins and CultureThis research study looks at the culture and origins of the Mexica people, also known as the Aztecs of Mexico, by looking at the writings and documents from Mexica scholars as well as stories from the Oral Tradition by Mexica elders. This study specifically looks at the story of Xolotl and the Nahui Mitl (Four Arrows Journey) as told by the Mexica elder Tlakaelel. This study compares the writings and documents by Western Europeans (following their arrival to the homelands of the Mexica people), and subsequent scholars who derived their perspectives from those understandings based from the European perspective of the Mexica people and their culture to those from the scholars of the Mexica perspective. This study also explores the politics and ideologies in the language used to describe and explain the understandings of the Mexica culture from both the European perspective and the Mexica perspective, and how it is represented in today’s contemporary society.

Sibele Volpi ShaferImmigrant Parents Confronting Acculturative Stress in the Educational System: A Case Study of a South American FamilyThe research stream on immigrants (Darder & Torres, 2014; Portes & Rumbard, 2001; Suárez-Orozco & Suárez-Orozco, 2002) has shown that immigrant families often experience acculturative stress (Berry, Phinney, Sam, & Vedder, 2006) when adapting to a new culture. One context where they experience this stress is the educational system of the host country. This case study aimed to understand what are the linguistic and cultural challenges that first generation immigrant parents face in helping their children adjust to the educational system in Tucson-area schools. The participants were well-educated first-generation South American parents and their son. Observations, journals individually written by parents and child, and a semi-structured interview with parents were important sources to analyze the data. The data revealed that “communication barriers” and “unfamiliarity with rituals and traditions” are the main sources for parents experience with acculturative stress in American schools. The insight gained from this study is that parents desire to help their children negotiate two sets of cultural expectations, but fail because they are not fully competent in that host language and culture.

Ellen VujasinovicLanguage Planning and Policy: The Case of Catalonia, SpainCatalonia’s struggle for recognition and its constant vacillation in defining its own language, culture, and identity complicates any analysis of Catalonia’s language planning and policies. In this presentation, it is my intent to describe, briefly, the origins of the Catalan language, its repression and subsequent revival. I will outline the policies that have guided Catalan language planning and policy (LPP) over the last thirty years. Moreover, the presentation will examine the effects of new immigration on Catalonia’s LPP and the educational adjustments needed as Catalan language use continues to shift in the academic, public, and private spheres. In Catalonia’s seemingly endless fight to be

“different” than the rest of Spain, the future of the region’s language policy and planning is uncertain and full of challenges (Jackson, P., 2014; Miley, T., 2002; Perez, F., & Rios, P., 2014; Serrano, I., 2013).

Veronika WilliamsConcept of Learner Autonomy through Sociocultural LensThe concept of learner autonomy entered language education four decades ago when in 1971 the Council of Europe’s Modern Languages Project and its institution CRAPEL (Centre de Recherches et d'Applications en Langues, France) were established. The aim of CRAPEL was to promote adult lifelong self-directed language learning by establishing self-access language resource centers (Benson, 2011). Holec (1981) defined learner autonomy as ability “to take charge of one’s own learning” (p. 3). Since then learner autonomy became its own field within pedagogical research with prolific literature (Benson, 2011, 2013; Holec, 1981; Lennon, 2012; Little, 1990, 2007; Palfreyman & Smith, 2003; Wenden, 1998). Over the years, researchers gained much insight into what comprises learner autonomy and what dimensions can be distinguished within this complex concept (Benson, 2011; Smith, 2008, 2007). Even though the concept of learner autonomy was initially associated with adult self-directed learning, in current understanding autonomy is applicable to many educational contexts, including formal language education. This presentation summarizes a series of my previous theoretical research papers on the following topics:1) autonomy and its dimensions in language learning; 2) different versions of autonomy; 3) a brief review of educational reforms and philosophical concepts proposed by Dewey (1916) Freire (1970), Illich (1971) and Rogers (1969,1983), that are related to the development of autonomy concept in education; 3) description of changes in power distribution in a context of formal language education where pedagogy of learner autonomy is implemented.

Frank ZadrogaCreating a Sustainability Learning Discipline for YouthAfter an analysis of the origins and current challenges that surround the universally accepted concept of sustainable development, I found that deficiencies in the understanding and implementation of the concept lead to dysfunction. Specifically, the incomplete application of its four essential components, and the lack of a values and spirituality dimension stand out as primary causal factors. To correct these, progressive and transformative education and training are critical, especially for youth. Although a cohort of environmental learning “tools” (methodologies and practices) are available, important deficiencies need to be corrected, relating to the content, context and culture behind these practices. More specifically, in order to understand how elementary teachers (and other practitioners) can help students learn the concept and application of sustainability, I propose to do a qualitative study of three (or four) exceptional science teachers, and their classroom ecology, to answer the following primary research questions: 1) How do these teachers help students learn about sustainability (EL)? What do these teachers do to make students learn?  How and why do these techniques help students learn? What motivates the teachers to do what they do? Is what teachers intend to teach the same as what students feel the teachers do for them to learn? How do student understandings of what helps them learn differ from teacher understandings? In light of these specific research questions, the overarching challenge becomes: How can education/learning transform itself so as to enable greater understanding of the interconnectedness of life with our planet and the adoption of a viable systems-oriented concept of sustainability? More specifically, what kinds of experiences and

spirituality/values system will most effectively enable young people to understand the existentialist meaning of sustainability and create in them behaviors that will generate a personal commitment to sustainability and sustainable lifestyles?