Call for Papers

Twenty-first century education calls for twenty-first century perspectives for teaching and learning. As our need to be multilingual, multiperspectival and multicultural increases, so does our need to recognize the expertise of colleagues and students across disciplinary communities. How can teacher education draw upon interdisciplinary / multidisciplinary contexts and perspectives in the preparation of new teachers? How might multi-disciplinary teacher education transform the separate subject “silos” (math, literacy, science, social studies, music) that often structure our work? What forms of interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary preparation enhance the ways in which teachers perceive the nature of teaching and the creation of curriculum? What challenges and struggles might teachers or teacher educators experience in working in multi-disciplinary/interdisciplinary contexts?

Topics may include:

• interdisciplinary teacher education practices and initiatives
• theme-based or project-based teaching, writing-enriched STEM or arts-infused STEAM teaching
• child-centered interdisciplinarity, inter-disciplinary technologies, changing contexts of schools and the need for interdisciplinary voices
• historical context for (inter)disciplinary approaches to education
• the role of language within interdisciplinary contexts, code-switching
• code-meshing and translingualism and their connection to interdisciplinary education

*Multidisciplinary refers to different disciplines working together, each drawing on their disciplinary knowledge. Interdisciplinary refers to integrating knowledge and methods from different disciplines, using substantive synthesis of approaches. 

The preparation of new teachers is often seen as the core of teacher education. However, teacher preparation is only the first step in the development of truly excellent teachers and educators. The experience that teachers gain through the initial years of classroom practice helps. But it is only that experience when combined with focused reflection on and ongoing inquiry into that practice that makes for really great educators. At this point in a teacher’s career, imaginative and creative educator professional development programs and sustained opportunities at the graduate level can make all the difference between fair enough performance and mastery engagement in schools. It is also through excellent professional development programs that engage the intellectual and ethical ideals of education that teachers begin to develop the “eye” to see the whole of the school beyond their own classroom, to see how a harmony of whole school practice can be created out of initially unconnected classroom performances. This is the transformation through professional development from classroom teacher to teacher as school leader.

Topics may include:

• in-service technology
• lesson study
• analyzing student work
• teacher discourse
• in-service training programs
• graduate programs at the masters and doctoral levels, etc. 

Understanding language development and second language learning are critical issues in teacher education. In a global economy and in an era of global migration, teachers’ understandings of multilingual learners and second language development must be supported through a range of teacher education practices. Proposals in this area will explore successful approaches in supporting teacher understanding of language development, research on teacher understanding of language development or on language policy, and various challenges that teachers face supporting diverse language learners.

Topics may include:

• second language learning programs
• technologies
• pedagogies
• teacher education research on second language learning
• policy on language learning
• bilingualism in schools
• multilingual language policies
• resistance to multilingualism
• resilience among multilinguals etc. 

Proposals in this area will consider the ways in which national policy and policy initiatives shape teacher learning for either pre-service or in-service growth.Topics might involve national curriculum initiatives, nationalized certification efforts,and/or national assessments.

Topics may include:

• certification standards & barriers
• accountability measures
• curriculum standards & assessments
• merit-based pay, etc.

• A sign containing the paper title and the authors' name and affiliations should appear at the top of the poster.
• Keep in mind that all your text and illustrations will be viewed from a distance of more than three feet. All lettering should be at least 2/3" high, 1" for more important information, and preferably in bold font.
• Figures and tables should be kept as simple as possible, so that viewers can readily take away the main message. A brief large type heading of no more than one or two lines should be provided above each illustration, with more detailed information added in smaller type beneath the illustration.
• A copy of your abstract (300 words or less) should be placed in the upper left portion of the poster, with a conclusion in the lower right hand corner.
• Although there is considerable room for flexibility, it is often useful to have panels indicating the aims of the research, the methods and subjects involved, and the experimental tasks. Another panel might highlight the important results, with a few panels being used to present the main points in tables or figures.
• When working on the arrangement of your display on the poster, be aware that it is preferable to align materials in columns rather than rows. Audience members who are scanning posters have a much easier task if they can proceed from the left to right rather than having to skip around in the display.

• Plan to set up your display 15-30 minutes before the session is to begin. The presenting author(s) should be available throughout the session.
• Your material should be mounted on poster board or cardboard. Avoid the use of heavy board, which may be difficult to keep in position on the poster surface. If it seems appropriate, it can be helpful to mount conceptually related portions of your display on backgrounds of the same color, as this will help viewers scan the display efficiently.
• The poster should be as self-explanatory as possible so that your main job is to supplement the information it contains.
• The poster format provides a mechanism for in depth discussion of your research, but this is possible only if the display includes enough information to have a sketch pad and drawing materials available to help you make your points.
• It is also strongly recommended that the author(s) have available a number of copies of the full paper to distribute to interested parties