Margaret Vaughn

Artifactual literacies: every object tells a story

producers in developing countries who are feeling the effects of a global economy. The Slow Food movement reflects a desire for not only good food, but a concern for the effects of globalization, obesity, food scarcity, the impoverishment of small farmers, and the environmental consequences of our food system. The core ideological principle of the Slow Food movement is ‘‘ecogastronomy,’’ defined as ‘‘the combination of a concern for the environment with the pleasures associated with the production, preparation, cooking and consumption of food.’’ Andrews points out that this is Slow Food’s most distinctive feature, as it puts the pleasure of food in an environmental context. Slow Food is the fusion of gastronomy and ecology. Andrews highlights the Slow Food movement’s organizing principles of ‘‘good, clean and fair.’’ ‘‘Good’’ is a commitment to quality, as well as a respect for nature and its benefits to quality of life and a civilized society. ‘‘Clean’’ is the naturalness and sustainability of food production. Food that is ‘‘fair’’ is produced in a way that respects the worker through commensurate pay and conditions. These three principles represent a political framework implemented in practical and local initiatives around the globe. Reading ‘‘The Slow Food Story’’ reminded me of the valuable role for local foods and artisan products in preserving local knowledge and sense of place, as well as in creating connections between food producers and consumers. According to Wendell Berry, whose readings influenced Carlo Petrini, ‘‘most people ignore the key issues concerning not only the quality and cost of food . . . but also, crucially the type of farms and the knowledge and skills needed to produce it’’ (p. 89). As consumers, we can take responsibility for learning about the agricultural practices used in producing foods and support practices which are sustainable. Andrews provides an excellent summary of the Slow Food movement and its political context, the relevance of which has grown as the practices of corporate agriculture are questioned (Food, Inc., a documentary film is an example). I recommend this book for those who want a deeper understanding of the Slow Food movement, for those interested in a great example of how a small group of committed individuals can cause global change, and for anyone who cares about food that is ‘‘good, clean and fair.’’

Young children’s identities becoming: Exploring agency in the creation of multimodal literacies

This cross-case qualitative study draws on poststructural notions of identity to explore the relationship between multimodal literacies of young children and their becoming identities. Although research focuses on the products or texts of multiliteracies, more research is needed to examine shifting identities in the process of students creating. This study uses mediated discourse analysis to analyse interactions across one school year in a kindergarten (five- and six-year-olds) and a second-grade (seven- and eight-year-olds) classroom. Four insights are discussed across cases: (1) understanding and recognition of shifting identities, (2) the children becoming and doing teacher, (3) being a multimodal visionary and (4) living as a mentor designer and teacher. Insights highlight a ‘multimodal as agency’ stance, suggesting that through the process of creating multimodal forms of literacy, positions were instantiated and identities were re/negotiated. We encourage early childhood educators to create multimodal curricular spaces to facilitate young children’s agency and becoming identities.

Adaptive teaching: reflective practice of two elementary teachers’ visions and adaptations during literacy instruction

Adaptive teachers are considered visionary and effective in their teaching. These teachers apply a flexible approach to instruction as they build upon students’ interests and inquiries. However, despite the intuitive and appealing nature of adaptive teaching, there is limited empirical data on teachers’ adaptations and rationales for adapting. Moreover, although adaptive teachers are considered visionary, there is little research that explores teacher visioning in relation to adaptive decisions. To meet this need, the current study provides an in-depth analysis of two teachers’ instructional visions, adaptations, and rationales for adapting their literacy instruction. Two upper elementary teachers were selected for this study based on teacher and principal recommendations. Classroom observations and interviews were used to gather data; qualitative methods were utilized to analyze the interviews and the field notes. Findings suggest teachers adapted their instruction to scaffold student understanding and to promote instructional tasks to engage and support student learning. Evidence was found for the influence of visioning on instructional adaptations. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.

A Longitudinal Study of Literacy Teacher Visioning: Traditional Program Graduates and Teach For America Corps Members

The current high-stakes educational context compels many schools and school systems to encourage teachers to use restrictive literacy teaching practices, which are unlikely to meet students’ diverse needs. These restrictions typically fall on novice teachers, who enter the field through various preparation routes, because they often work in schools which are difficult to staff. Researchers suggest that literacy teachers with a clear vision for their teaching may have the fortitude to negotiate such obstacles to best meet students’ needs. This study follows teachers’ vision development from their literacy teacher preparation coursework through their beginning years teaching. The participants come from two different preparation routes: a university based program and Teach For America. This study found both similarities and differences in the development of teachers’ visions from these different preparation programs.

Aligning Visions: Striking a Balance Between Personal Convictions for Teaching and Instructional Goals

Abstract Theory suggests that effective teachers should possess a vision for teaching, but the reality of teaching within the current educational policy climate raises questions about teachers’ autonomy of their instructional decisions and ultimately their personal convictions for teaching. This exploratory study examines 11 teachers’ visions of teaching and the extent to which their reported visions aligned with instructional goals for their students. Findings suggest that teachers’ reported visions aimed to develop dispositional qualities in students despite great concern over the pressures of standardized testing and district mandates.

Action research as a reflective tool: a multiple case study of eight rural educators’ understandings of instructional practice

Given today’s educational context, educators are rarely viewed as knowledgeable decision makers, especially in rural contexts where there are few resources for professional development. However, action research has long been characterized as a way to engage in reflective practice while providing a forum for educators to share their knowledge of effective, research-based instruction. Therefore, this paper seeks to explore the ways in which eight rural educators understand their roles and knowledge gained from conducting year-long action research projects. Findings demonstrate that participants reported a shift in their roles as educators, an increased understanding of the benefit of incorporating a researcher lens, and an enhanced sense of responsibility for meeting the unique needs of their students and rural communities. In particular, the paper highlights the need in today’s educational climate for teachers to engage in reflection, which can be supported through action research.

Teachers’ Instructional Adaptations: A Research Synthesis:

Researchers recognize adaptive teaching as a component of effective instruction. Educators adjust their teaching according to the social, linguistic, cultural, and instructional needs of their students. While there is consensus that effective teachers are adaptive, there is no consensus on the language to describe this phenomenon. Diverse terminology surrounding the same phenomenon impedes effective communication and comprehensive understanding of this important aspect of classroom instruction. Moreover, researchers have studied this phenomenon using a variety of methods, in various disciplines, with different results. Therefore, our research team completed a comprehensive literature review of the empirical research studying adaptability across academic disciplines. In this article, we describe how adaptive teaching is defined and conceptualized in the education research literature from 1975 to 2014, the methods used to study instructional adaptations, and the results of these studies.

Toward Adaptability: Where to from Here?

In this article, the collection of articles in this issue are synthesized to discuss conceptualizations of adaptive teaching as a means to foster spaces for adaptive teaching in todays complex educational system. Themes that exist across this collection of articles include adaptive teachers as constructivists, adaptive teachers as knowledgeable professionals, adaptive teachers as reflective educators, and contexts that support teacher adaptations. These themes are discussed with implications for teachers, teacher educators, administrators, and other educational stakeholders. Finally, the discussion shifts its focus to discuss future directions.

Re-Envisioning Literacy in a Teacher Inquiry Group in a Native American Context

Abstract The present study describes a yearlong collaborative inquiry involving six teachers and their professional discussions about literacy instruction as they developed a curriculum to support the cultural and linguistic needs of their school’s 88% Native American student population. Participants in this study were four Native American teachers and two European American teachers who taught in an elementary public school located on a Native American Reservation in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Using a grounded theory approach, focus group discussions, interviews, and artifacts were analyzed. Analyses revealed the positions teachers adopted (i.e., advocate and cultural visionary) in their collaboration and the re-envisioning that took place as teachers adapted the curriculum to support their students’ linguistic and cultural strengths.

A multiple case study of teachers’ visions and reflective practice

Abstract Researchers have found that teachers’ visions of what they hope to instill in their students beyond curricular objectives are integral to their instruction and to larger decisions such as their career paths. The purpose of this research was to examine 10 in-service teachers, who taught in different geographic locations across the United States, their visions, and the ways in which these visions influenced their reflective curricular decisions and instructional actions. The researchers describe salient dimensions of visions, the actions teachers reported to enact visions, and the distance and tensions in enacting visions. Researchers used grounded theory and constant comparative analysis to analyze interviews, questionnaires, and artifacts. Findings explore the relationship between teachers’ visions and reflective practice as well as the alignment of instructional practices teachers report in supporting their respective visions. Implications for future research, theory, and practice are discussed.