What in the World? Language Podcast

Translanguaging, Linguistic Shame, Critical Media Literacies & Mock Spanish. A conversation with Mike Mena, Linguistic Anthropologist

I had the pleasure of sitting down with linguistic anthropologist, Mike Mena to discuss issues mentioned in the title of this podcast, and how this all connects to teachers language practices. We also discussed ways in which we can begin to deconstruct some of the Eurocentric, white dominant narratives that are all to pervasive in our pedagogy and content.  Enjoy

 

Links:

Mike Mena on Twitter 

Mike Mena YouTube Channel

Also mentioned, the book by Jonathan Rosa, Looking Like a Language, Sounding Like a Race. 

Jonathan Rosa on Twitter

Organizational Equity with Meredith White

When thinking about equity and best practices for our students do you ever think about how your lessons are structured? Are your students present in your planning? Are your lessons and your LMS system clear and easy to navigate? Do you even think about how equitable your organizational practices are? 

In this podcast, I sit down with Meredith White and discuss organizational equity, and how we can begin to reduce the "noise" in our lessons. Meredith discusses how teachers can organize their lesson plans and unit outlines that move us toward thoughtful planning with the goal of reducing anxiety and adding to, student trauma. Join us for a thoughtful, and engaging conversation.

Links:

Find Meredith White on Twitter @PRHSspanish

Website: Link

Resource Article on Trauma. Leveraging the Neuroscience of Now.

A conversation with Strength of Soul Author, Naomi Raquel Enright

Recently, I had the honor to sit down with author Naomi Raquel Enright about her book, Strength of Soul. During our conversation, we discuss topics she addresses in her book such as, issues pertaining to racial and social justice, equity work in and out of schools, language, identity, and race. We also discuss how we can go about dismantling racism in our classroom through critical self reflection of both our pedagogy and ourselves. Last but not least, we speak about language identity construction and the use of  Spanglish and code switching. 

I hope you enjoy the conversation.

 

Link to book publisher 2Leaf Press

YouTube Presentation ("Strength of Soul" reading w/ Q&A)

YouTube Presentation 2 (Excerpt of Book Reading)

Photo credit: Adam Whittaker

Critical Approaches to Heritage Language Education. A conversation with J. Eik Diggs & Dr Cushing-Leubner

In this episode, I sit down with J. Eik Diggs & Dr Jenna Cushing-Leubner to discuss their program(s) on Heritage language education.

They discuss the program(s) in detail and share their personal stories and motivations for creating their "Growing Biliteries series" &  "Certificate in Heritage Language/Late Bilingual Education" program(s). 

 J. and Jenna take us on a journey of how we as educators can examine our teaching practices through a critical lens and move our pedagogy toward creating a more culturally and linguistically sustaining classroom.

They explain how this course can assist you in transforming your teaching and learning space into a community based, self-determining, language arts classroom that centers the multiethnic/multilingual students that fill our learning spaces. 

 If you are a Heritage language educator, or perhaps you will be in the near future, this podcast and this course are for you.

A link to the program(s) can be found here:

Heritage Language Education

You can contact Dr Cushing-Leubner at cushingj@uww.edu

and you can connect with J. Eik Diggs on

Twitter @jeikdiggs

Instagram @jeikdiggs 

 

Mensajes Positivos en los tiempos extraños

Hoy nos encontramos en tiempos únicos, donde todo parece estar al revés. La normalidad se ha ido, y nos quedamos con la creación de nuevos normales, como un barco en el mar en tiempo tormentoso. Pero no estamos solos, amigos, sino juntos en estas aguas inexploradas. Les ofrezco un podcast con un mensaje de esperanza y e hermandad. Juntos podemos navegar en estos tiempos difíciles, mientras buscamos aguas más tranquilas..

Gracias a:

(Twitter Linked)

A.C Quintero, LJ Randolph, Alejandro Hortal, Amy Tally, Ana León, Ashly Uyaguary, Gary DiBianca, Dorie Conlon Perugini, Françua (Woke Spanish Teacher,) Jim (Señor Wooly) Woolridge, Justin Slocum Bailey, Annabell (La Maestra Loca) Williams, Meredith White, Mundo de Pepita, Noah Geisal, Sarah Breckely, William Yepes, Kia London

 

Music from Blue Dot Sessions

 

Beyond Febrero 4. Black History is more than just a month.

I introduce the last episode in this series titled: Beyond Febrero. Black History is more than just a month. 

In this podcast, I had the pleasure to interview Kia London about this topic that white educators often ignore. As Kia states in this episode: "We make time for what we prioritize." It is my hope that, as you listen to this final episode with Kia, you begin to make space in your curriculum for discussing Black and Afro-Latinx History. I leave you with the wise words of Señora London: "Don't make it a side dish." Enjoy! 

Beyond Febrero 3. Black History is more than just a month.

I had the opportunity to speak with Jennifer Saldaña Whyte for episode three in this small series titled: Beyond Febrero. Black History is more than just a month.

Jennifer brings her #authenticvoices and perspective to this very important conversation. Both her and her husband are Afro Latines from the Dominican Republic, and Panama. Giving this conversation a critical, and authentic perspective that is lacking today in public conversations, around topics of identity and cultural representation.

In this conversation, Jennifer discusses the importance of sharing her lived experiences as an Afro Latina with her students, from personal anecdotes, to sharing about her daughter's quinceanera, to even inviting students to participate in out of school activities.  Her perspective is inviting and refreshing. Enjoy

Facebook groups:

 Incorporating Afro Latino Culture in Spanish classrooms, 

Spanish con Sazón, 

Bilingual Kids, Inc, Harvest International Ministry, 

African American Linguists

Beyond Febrero 2. Black History is more than just a month.

I had the opportunity to interview Françoise Thenoux for my second episode in this small series. 

Françoise speaks about the importance of zooming in on content, and really challenging ourselves as educators to do the self-work needed to talk about all aspects of culture. Françoise touches on cultural intersectionality and why she does not approach one group as a monolith, but instead strives to have an inclusive classroom.

She also shares some ideas and resources that you can use in your classroom when trying to incorporate Arfo-Latinx and Black history into your curriculum, not just in February, but all year long. 

You can find Françoise on Twitter: @TWSteacher

 

Beyond Febrero 1. Black History is more than just a month.

This is the first episode in a short series of conversations about Black History Month, and how Afro Latinx and Black stories are neither more than just a side note, nor a simple add on during the month of February.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jessica Reyes about how she approaches this topic with her elementary students, both in February and beyond. She shares her story as a Colombiana, and how she seeks to represent not only her culture and the one of Afro-Colombianes, but also, black history to her predominantly white students. 

You can connect with Jessica on Twitter @reyesjessica6 

 

Confronting our Whiteness with Jay Wamsted

I had the opportunity to sit down with Jay Wamsted. Jay has been a math teacher at Benjamin E. Mays High School in southwest Atlanta for fourteen years. His writing has been featured in various journals and magazines, including “Harvard Educational Review,” “Mathematics Teacher” and “Sojourners.” He can be found online at The Southeast Review, Under the Sun and the TEDx YouTube channel, where you can watch his 2017 talk

 During this hour long conversation, Jay and I discuss what it is like as white educators to teach in predominantly African American schools. We discuss politics, being called out, being tested by our students, the good experiences, and the bad ones. We share personal stories about building trust with students, and about simply being vulnerable as we learn to navigate our whiteness. We also discuss things such as the white saviour complex, and the privileges and biases we bring  into the classroom.

Links: 

Jay Wamstead on twitter

Email at wamsted@gmail.com

Articles: FORGIVENESS IS NOT THE EASY WAY OUT OF RACISM

We Only Licensed

Eating the Elephant: Ending Racism & the Magic of Trust Tedx Talk

Sojourners blog