Presentations

Bilingual Education and Linguistic Human Rights

Language is the heart, spirit, strength, history, and future of a people. This presentation

includes a detailed discussion covering the theory and practice of the various program

models within bilingual education, leading to critical reflection of these programs through

the lens of their social, cultural, and historical contexts. Well then explore linguistic human

rights, both nationally and internationally.

Raven’s Time: Wildness and Beauty

This presentation explores the beauty and tensions of cultural, linguistic, and political place through the symbolism of natural elements in the Southwest: ravens, water, skulls, turquoise, and textures. The importance of this topic is experienced on every level: social, cultural, economic, and political. Both the beauty and the tensions of our history fill public and private rhetoric surrounding immigration, education, culture, and economics. Raven’s Time is grounded in the understandings of beauty as social justice and wildness as freedom. This presentation reveals these dynamics and seeks to bring understanding through wisdom from the landscape and natural elements.

Create Authentic Creative and Professional Community Through Social Media

This interactive workshop focuses on how to create a social media presence based in authenticity,

community, and creativity. We’ll explore ideas and tips about creating a Facebook, Twitter,

Pinterest, and blog presence that reflects a creative and professional spirit – and is actually fun to

do. Through guided exercises, participants discover ways in which their goals and dreams can be

extended virtually to open new doors of professional and personal possibilities.

Will this Book EVER Be Published? What To Do When it Feels like the Impossible Dream

This presentation explores practical rhythms that sustain a writer on the path to publication.

Turquoise: Explorations in Migration and Immigration Linda McDill & Melissa McCurley

This presentation explores the historical and contemporary migration and immigration in the Southwest through the lens of turquoise, and his this might inform our understandings of current immigration policies.

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMK69VGh39k&feature=relmfu

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT2o2hbRLzM

Teaching Passionately

Reflection and transformation can lead to passionate pedagogy. We examine historical and personal approaches to teaching and learning. Specific exercises encourage teachers to discover or cultivate the passions in their life and how these can enrich and energize their teaching and learning. Attendees will understand pedagogy; how it can be implemented in various contexts; why it matters; and the links between personal and professional passionate pedagogy.

Rivers of Life

Power. Flexibility. Destruction. Strength. Nourishment. Gives or takes away life. All are commonalities that language and culture share with water. Here in the southwest, the power of water underlies all. Agua es vida. This presentation explores the unique dynamics of language in the Southwest, the intimate relationship of language and culture, and how the properties of water and the southwestern landscape can inform our understandings about language.

Skulls as Culture

This presentation explores the symbolism of skulls through Hispanic, Indigenous, and Anglo

historical and contemporary lenses. From the Mayan crystal skulls and Skull Mountain of the

Aztecs, to the scattered bones of livestock herds brought by the Spanish and Anglos, the sugar

skulls that come alive during el Dia de los Muertos, and the human skulls of would-be

immigrants now baking under the southwest desert sun. What can we learn from the historical

and contemporary symbolism of skulls and how can this inform our understandings of culture,

language, and policies today?

Textures: The Textures of Language

“Everything grows in the jungle,” my friend said to me, as we sat in a river looking up at the textured walls of jungle foliage rising several stories above the water. This presentation poses questions about the hierarchy of languages in the Southwest and around the world, linguistic human rights, and the role of English around the world. What insights might the rich textures of the jungles of Costa Rica have for our understandings?

Critically Reflective Teaching

In this workshop, participants will explore their roles as critically reflective teachers

and in diverse educational settings as they engage in an ongoing commitment to the

development and practice of self-directed reflection and leadership. Emphasis will be

placed on defining how personal experiences as learners impact the choices teachers

make and influence their teaching methodology, curricular decisions, development of

the learning environment, and their interactions with students.

SIT TESOL Certificate Course

The SIT Graduate Institute TESOL Certificate is a 130 hour course which

provides participants with professional knowledge and skills in Teaching

English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) as well as tools for their

own reflection and growth as teachers. It is designed to be offered intensively

in four weeks or extensively over a longer period. The course provides

practical training through teaching demonstrations, lesson planning and

analysis, and practice teaching and feedback. Participants develop skills

in teaching, speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar and culture.

The course begins with a brief look at second language acquisition through

the experience of being a learner. Participants then examine specific

teaching areas each day, which they apply in their daily practice teaching

of adult ESOL learners. Participants gain skills in analysis through examining

their lessons with SIT teacher trainers.

http://www.sit.edu/graduate/5191.htm livepage.apple.com