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Counter-narratives as Resistance: Social Justice in the WL Classroom

Stephanie Madison, Ph.D. - Clemson University

L. J. Randolph Jr., Ed.D. - UNC Wilmington

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IALLT Webinar - October 29, 2020

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About Us

Stephanie Madison, Ph.D.

Project Manager of Teacher Learning Progression & Spanish Instructor

Clemson University

@DraStephanie38�sschenc@clemson.edu

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About Us

L. J. Randolph Jr., Ed.D.

Associate Professor of Spanish and Education

University of NC Wilmington

@ProfeRandolph�RandolphL@uncw.edu

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tinyurl.com/iallt2020 | @DraStephanie38 | @ProfeRandolph

  • Identify theoretical foundations for social justice pedagogy.
  • Discuss concrete ways to implement social justice in the language classroom through the use of counter-narratives.

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Objectives

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World language teachers have a hard time implementing a social justice lens in their classes because:

  1. Fear of potential backlash
  2. Unsupportive colleagues
  3. Are unsure what, exactly, to do.

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Wassell, B. A., Wesely, P., & Glynn, C. (2019). Agents of change: Reimagining curriculum and instruction in world language classrooms through social justice education. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, 1-22

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Integrate social justice themes and topics into your current content. Small actions add up. We aren’t dismantling the patriarchy today.

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Potential backlash?

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Find your people! On Twitter, at conferences, and at other schools. Colleagues are more than just co-workers.

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Unsupportive

colleagues?

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Develop activities designed to get students to think more deeply about topics. There are a few different ways to do this.

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What to do?

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What challenges have you faced with implementing social justice in your classes in a meaningful way?

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Ennser-Kananen, J. (2016). A pedagogy of pain: New directions for world language education. Modern Language Journal, 100(2), 556-564.

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“Yet we don’t get our hands too dirty…We don’t usually listen to stories of escaping war and finding refuge and racism in a new land, despite the fact that these events occur in settings where so many of the languages taught in classrooms around the world are spoken”

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Points of Entry

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Glynn, C., Wesely, P., & Wassell, B. (2018). Words and actions: Teaching languages through the lens of social justice (2nd ed.). ACTFL.

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CRITICAL TOPICS

HEROES

COUNTER-

NARRATIVES

Johnson, S. M. (2019, April). Incorporating social justice: Small steps, big impact. ACTFL CSJA SIG Newsletter, 2.

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Heroes

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Critical Topics

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Sample Critical Topics

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Immigration

Employment

Environment

Linguicism

Racism

Xenophobia

Violence & Weapons

Homophobia

Stereotypes

Sexism

Poverty

Identity

Education

Institutions

Diversity

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Counter-

narratives

A form of resistance.

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Solórzano, D. G., & Yosso, T. J. (2002). Critical race methodology: Counter-storytelling as an analytical framework for education research. Qualitative inquiry, 8(1), 23-44.

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“A method of telling the stories of those people whose experiences are not often told (i.e., those on the margins of society)”

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Examining pre-existing beliefs

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Issue:

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“Undocumented children don’t deserve to attend public schools.”

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Counter-

narrative:

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“Education is a human right; unequal schools keep the wealthy and the rest of a country separate.”

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  • Who gets to attend school in other countries?
  • What happens when kids work instead of attending school?
  • Who benefits from excluding students from an education?

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School

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Pre-Interpretive Activity

Novice

Intermediate

  • “Without an education, I don’t have / can’t / am not going to…”
  • “With an education, I have / can / am going to…”
  • “After high school/college, I am going to…”
  • “If I didn’t get a diploma, then I wouldn’t be able to…”
  • “My educational experiences have given / will give me the opportunity to…”
  • “I used to think …, but now I think…”

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  • Video, article, website, or infographic in the target language
  • “What does education mean to you?”

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Authentic Resource - Interpretive

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un5msddQl6U

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https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2017/09/14/after-daca-supporters-dissenters-look-to-dream-act/

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https://campusinvolvement.umich.edu/article/educational-equity-beyond-access-supporting

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https://greenvillejournal.com/2019/03/14/sc-bill-would-allow-dreamers-in-state-tuition-licensures/?fbclid=IwAR0I9rI5MPKqmk0mIsU4UfQ5ImFY_b1wFOqTkdD9G1jzdKwH0RY2qmKXi64

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  • On a scale of 1-5, how strongly do you agree?
  • Have a bank of phrases/words on the board, especially for novices
    • “Education is important”
    • “Children should go to school”
    • “Unequal schools are a problem”

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Interpersonal or Presentational Follow-up

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Issue:

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“Climate change isn’t real, and even if it is, what does it matter to me?”

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Counter-

narrative:

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“The world’s weather patterns are interconnected; weather doesn’t care about borders. Globally, the poor are impacted more than the rich.”

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  • Let’s examine a resource and develop:
    • Essential questions
    • Pre-interpretive activity
    • Post-listening/reading/viewing interpersonal or presentational activity

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Weather

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Authentic Resource: Interpretive

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https://www.who.int/globalchange/climate/infographics/en/

Pre-interpretive activity

Essential questions

Post-reading interpersonal or presentational activity

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Authentic Resource: Interpretive

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Tweet: We Mexican youth demand climactic action! If we don’t change, we won’t breathe!

Image: Rebellion or extinction

Image: The world is like beer, the hotter the worse.

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Issue:

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“Race doesn’t matter; we’re all the same. I’m basically colorblind.”

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Counter-

narrative:

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“Race matters, and experiences with race matter.”

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  • Let’s examine a resource and develop:
    • Essential questions
    • Pre-interpretive activity
    • Post-listening/reading/viewing interpersonal or presentational activity

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Identity

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Authentic Resource - Interpretive

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/9-famous-faces-on-the-struggles-and-beauty-of-being-afro-latino_us_56c3a3cee4b08ffac126ecd9

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Pre-interpretive activity

Essential questions

Post-reading interpersonal or presentational activity

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Bonus Resource!

Vocabulary

cultura (culture)

dos mundos (two worlds)

negro (black)

latino

racismo (racism)

cocolo (non-Latinx Black person)

borrar (to erase)

celebrar (to celebrate)

orgullo/orgulloso (pride/proud)

curvas (curves)

rizos (curls)

piel (skin)

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/6-afro-latinos-open-up-about-what-it-means-to-be-black-and-latino_us_56f18477e4b03a640a6be47c?ir=Chicago&section=us_chicago&utm_hp_ref=chicago

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Key Takeaways

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  • Start small. Identify points of entry in your current curriculum.
  • Keep linguistic and developmental level of students in mind.
  • Be proactive.
  • Find a supportive community of like-minded colleagues.
  • What are the counter-narratives in your own life?

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  1. I am afraid of asking questions about social justice in the second language because students may already have a difficult time grappling with these topics in their first language. How do we make social justice vocabulary a natural part of their lexicon, in all languages?
  2. How do we deal with social justice in the “Donald Era” when almost everything social justice related is deemed as coming from the “radical left” or “socialist”. Jobs can be at risk when/if you dare to discuss some issues in the classroom i.e: Black Lives Matters sign.
  3. Could you provide your insights on social justice in rural communities? We have few African American students, but 60% Hispanic, Pacific Islanders, etc. Many resources are centered/geared towards the African American perspective, but our context is different. Many thanks!
  4. How do we encourage faculty to re-think their syllabi without seemingly encroaching on academic freedom?
  5. What comprehension resources do you recommend at lower levels, reading and listening?

Your Questions

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Thanks!

Any questions/ideas?

Special thanks to all the people who made and released these awesome resources for free:

  • Presentation template by SlidesCarnival
  • Photographs by Pixabay

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