In Lak`Ech: Teaching Justice and Decolonial Pedagogy

 XITO is a sponsored program of Prescott College In Lak’Ech: Teaching Justice and Decolonial Pedagogy June 26 – June 28, 2015 Tucson, AZ The V
ision: the needs of There is a lack of opportunities for teachers to improve their practices in meeting ethodology. students of color through culturally responsive, a uthentic and research based m
institute that The Xican@ Institute for Teaching and Organizing (XITO) is an urban educational will fill the gap in Xican@/Latin@ schooling for students and practitioners with the goal of impacting future education policy. The M
ission: XITO strives to support t
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ican@/Latin@ c
ommunity t
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articipation, social justice pedagogy, and community organizing. XITO’s practices are steeped in X ican@ Indigenous epistemology, which drives the intentions, structures, and practices of the institute. The Rationale: laws, policies and practices, including HB Arizona is a testing g round for anti-­‐Xican@/Latin@ 2281 (A.R.S. 15-­‐112 & 15-­‐112), the anti-­‐Ethnic Studies law banning Mexican American Studies courses in public schools. Given that many such political “experiments” have been successfully exported from Arizona to the larger nation, XITO addresses the implications of this legislation by offering workshops in community organizing a nd critical teaching to counter this trend. In addition to teaching workshops, XITO supports the continued teaching of XIcan@ Literature and XIcan@ Studies in Tucson, Arizona. XITO thrives other Ph to support Mexican Americans Anita aFnd ernández, Latin@s, the largest and fastest growing “minority” a group in the nation, by coordinating policy on the local, state, r egional, or national level. viable way of affecting XITO Anita Fernández, P h.D. -­‐ Director Curtis Acosta, Ph.D. Sean Arce, M.Ed. José González, M.A. Norma G
onzález, M.Ed. 2 XICAN@ INSTITUTE FOR TEACHING & ORGANIZING XITO Facilitators
Anita Fernández, Ph.D. – Director, XITO & Prescott College Tucson eliminated classes to continue on in a non-­‐
formal setting for college credit from Prescott College. Anita is also the co-­‐founder of La Tierra Community School, a K-­‐8 Expeditionary Learning school in Prescott, AZ. award-­‐winning educator that has been featured in the documentary Precious Knowledge, The Daily Show with John Stewart, and his classes were subject of multiple profiles by CNN, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times amongst many other media outlets. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon; a Master’s of Arts in Language, Reading, and Culture from the University of Arizona; and a Doctorate in Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies at the University of Arizona. Curtis Acosta, Ph.D. – Acosta Latino Learning Partnership & XITO Anita Fernández is a scholar activist at Prescott College (Arizona) and teaches in both the undergraduate Education program and the graduate program in Social Justice and Human Rights. Anita’s work in education began as a high school English teacher, which influenced her graduate work to focus on preparing activist teachers who are both compassionate and critical. Anita is locally and nationally involved with organizations that focus on Chican@ access to education, social justice activism, critical pedagogy and transformative teacher education. Anita has worked closely with the now banned Mexican American Studies Department in Tucson, and in that work she created a structure for the eliminated classes to continue on in a non-­‐
formal setting for the Sean Arce, M.Ed. – Prescott College Instructor & XITO Curtis Acosta has been a public high school teacher in Tucson for nearly 20 years where he developed and taught Chican@ / Latin@ Literature classes for the renowned Mexican American Studies (MAS) program in Tucson -­‐ the largest public school ethnic studies program in the nation before being dismantled in January, 2012. MAS classes were centered on student empowerment and agency through critical pedagogy, as well as culturally responsive and socially relevant curriculum. Curtis is an Sean Arce, co-­‐
founder and former director of the nationally renowned and now banned Mexican American Studies Department in Tucson, AZ, received the Myles Horton Award for Teaching People’s History from the Zinn Education Project (ZEP) in 2012. ZEP honored Arce “for his instrumental role in 3 nurturing one of the most significant and successful public school initiatives on the teaching of history in the United States.” His work has been highlighted on PBS, Democracy Now and National Public Radio. As an activist urban educator for over 20 years, Arce and his colleagues developed “Barrio Pedagogy” -­‐ which centers Xicano Indigenous epistemologies and social justice principles as its foundation -­‐ where students and teachers co-­‐
constructed an educational experience that fostered and developed both academic strong cultural identities. Arce received his Bachelor of Arts in Mexican American Studies from the University of Arizona and his Master’s in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. He is currently completing his doctorate in Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies at the University of Arizona. What drives Arce’s work are all Xicana/o children, specifically his own two, Maya and Emiliano, who are plaintiffs in the Arce et al. v State of Arizona case that is currently in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging Arizona’s anti-­‐Chicano Studies law 15-­‐111 & 15-­‐
112 (formerly known as Arizona HB 2281). XICAN@ INSTITUTE FOR TEACHING & ORGANIZING XITO Facilitators
José Gonzalez , M.A. -­‐ XITO Isela González, “Papa” to Joseph Elias González and “Tatzin” to his grandchildren, Ameyalli Ballesteros, Citlanique Ballesteros, Isita Felix, and Santi Felix. epistemologies. Currently she is a third grade teacher at the “Greenest School in the Nation,” Manzo Elementary School in Tucson, AZ. Norma’s current curricular and pedagogical focus centers on ecology, environmental justice and Indigenous Traditional Earth Knowledge. Georgina Cecilia Peréz, M.A., Doctoral Candidate – UTEP: Teaching, Learning and Culture Norma Gonzalez, M.Ed. -­‐ XITO Jose González is in his twenty-­‐second year of teaching and currently works for Tucson Unified School District teaching th
6 grade World History at Roskruge Bilingual Middle School in Tucson, Arizona. As a student advocate, Jose was one of thirteen plaintiff’s challenging the constitutionality of HB 2281 (ARS 15-­‐112), which has made teaching Chicana/o Studies illegal in the State of Arizona. As and educator and student advocate, Jose anchors his instruction by implementing a Xican@ Critical Race Pedagogy, simultaneously interweaving a humanizing pedagogy which at its core is grounded in Indigenous epistemologies. He works to foster and facilitate his student’s academic identity through a philosophy, which is centered on the student’s self-­‐actualization and self-­‐
discipline. Jose is the proud husband to Norma Norma González has been a Mexican Indigenous Studies Critical Educator for over 20 years. Her research interest is centered on culture and re-­‐
introducing Xicana/o youth to Indigenous Mexican knowledge and wisdom as a means to solidify a positive identity. She holds a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and a B.A. in Elementary Bilingual Education. Professionally Norma was a curriculum specialist with the Mexican American Studies Department for ten years where she developed curriculum (K-­‐12) that was culturally responsive and that implemented critical pedagogy and indigenous Born and raised in El Chuco, Georgina is engaged in educational and community development through advocacy efforts, to include organizing events, presentation, rallies and protests to address political attacks on education, to include: Working with the Texas School Board of Education on the Implementation of Cultural Studies in Texas Public Education, protesting against Texas House Bill 1938 and Texas Senate Bill 1128 which aimed at effectively dismantling Ethnic Studies and Women's Studies in Texas education. As an 4 advocate of grassroots organizing, Georgina sits on the Social Justice in Education Task Force, collaborates with local women’s organization, La Mujer Obrera and Centro Sin Fronteras Border Agricultural Workers Project, developing workshops, organizing fund raising events, poetry nights and "Pelicula y Platica" cultural film screenings in order to keep the message on the forefront. One of her proudest endeavors is "Tu Libro“ -­‐ an initiative she spearheaded to provide Libros to students and their families. Jesus “Chucho” Ruiz -­‐ Calpolli Teoxicalli Over the past decade, Chucho has transformed the lives of countless Raza youth through a La Cultura Cura approach as the Youth, Services Director with Chicanos Por La Causa. Additionally, through his affirmation and maintenance of Nahua cultural practices and way of life, commitment to social justice, and obligation to the Tucson community, Chucho has served as a central facilitator of la tradicíon Nahua within the Calpolli Teoxicalli, a constellation of Nahua familias in Tlamanalco, Aztlan. Chucho has always answered the call to meet the needs in of the Chicano community as spiritual advisor, authentic community leader, and “barrio intellectual” -­‐ particularly as the Chicana/o community has been under attack through racist laws (HB 2281 & SB 1070) and dehumanizing practices. Elias Serna – Doctoral Candidate, UC Riverside; Raza Studies Now, and Chicano Secret Service. Elias is an English doctoral student at UC Riverside and currently teaches Chicano Studies at Cal State L.A. and Dominguez Hills, and is directing the PYFC Summer Arts Program in Santa Monica. In 2013 he won the National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest hosted by the Library of Congress for his collection titled “Chicano Movement Banned Books.” He is co-­‐
organizing the 4th Raza Studies Now Conference (August 23 in Santa Monica) which has drafted “El Plan de Los Angeles” envisioning Ethnic Studies in high schools. With Johnavalos he co-­‐founded the Xican@ Pop-­‐Up Book Movement -­‐unfolding in Riverside, Texas, Minnesota, Salt Lake, South LA and all over Aztlan -­‐ that promotes Raza Studies arts and science through pop up books, in order to proclaim that “you can ban Chican@ books, but they’ll still POP UP!” Johnavalos, M.A. – UC Riverside, Department of Music With a Masters Degree in Ethnic Dance Education from Stanford University 1978, and a B.A. in Sociology from UC Santa Cruz, "Johnavalos" (John Rios aka juan) has been teaching Mexican/Xican@ dance at 4 UC campuses for the past 25 years. Currently a lecturer/adjunct with the Department of Music at UC Riverside he serves as premier director of the UCR Studio for Mexican Music and Dance (SMMD) where he collaborates with famed pioneer of mariachi women Laura Sobrino and they both work with students to produce a weeknight annual concert for the UCR campus community During the 70's and 80's, Johnavalos performed and toured with such companies as Los Lupeños de San Josè, Ballet Mexicapan de Benjamin Hernandez, The National Chicano Dance Theater of Enrique Montoya , Miguel Delgado's Teatro Mechicano de Danza and during his college years co-­‐founded "Los Mejicas de UCSC.” His most noted credits include a featured dancer role in the 1979 motion picture "Zoot Suit" by Luis Valdez and can be seen as a Mayan Dancer at EPCOT Mexican Pavilion in Disney World Florida working under famed Aztec dancer Florencio Yescas. With a lifetime of Folklorico performance and serving 12 years as an elected board member of the National Association of Folklòrico Groups (ANGF) Johnavalos continues to search for ways to enhance the understanding the people we call Mexican. His work as an artist is dedicated to creating new performances that tell the story of his life as a gay American, his mother's life as a farmworker with 11 children, and the enduring spirit of his indigenous ancestors the Avalos (hence his new artist name"Johnavalos"). It is these recently found "Purèpecha" ancestors who continue to take care 5 of the original cornfield once owned by his maternal grandfather who had fled to Los Angeles during the Mexican Revolution. Friday, June 26, 2015 9:00 am -­‐ 9:30 am 9:30 am -­‐ 10:00 am 10:00 am – 11:00 am 11:00 am – 11:15 am 11:15 am -­‐12:15 am 12:15 am-­‐ 1:15 pm 1:15 pm -­‐2:15 pm Time 8:30 am -­‐ 9:00 am Institute Workshop Sessions Check in and light breakfast Welcome: Anita Fernández Opening Ceremonia: Calpolli Teoxicalli Introductions & Self-­‐Assessments In Lak’Ech: Framing the Political Landscape and the Need for Activist Oriented Pedagogy -­‐ Anita Fernández Break The Nahui Ollin as a Pedagogical Framework Jose González & Norma González Lunch The Nahui Ollin as a Content Framework Jose González & Norma González Room TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD Break Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, Huitzilopochtli, and Xipe Totec in the Social Studies Classroom: TBD Knowing Ourselves, Our Students, and Our Community -­‐ Sean Arce Day One Summary & Workshop Evaluations TBD 6-­‐26-­‐15 Institute Workshop Descriptions Title Description In this opening workshop, XITO Director Anita Fernández will describe Arizona’s current political In Lak’Ech: Framing the Political landscape, how it necessitates culturally responsive and activist oriented pedagogy as well as its Landscape and the Need for impact on national educational policy. An overview of the battle to preserve Mexican American Activist Oriented Pedagogy Studies will set the framework for the institute bringing focus to the mission and vision of XITO. The Nahui Ollin, was developed and utilized by the former Mexican American Studies teachers as The Nahui Ollin as a Pedagogical a pedagogical framework that fosters culturally sustaining teaching. The framework will be Framework “unpacked” by participants’ as they will delve into the critical components. This pedagogical framework fosters an academic identity in students and is a humanistic approach to creating respectful relationships with students. The Nahui Ollin is a multifaceted philosophy that also functions as a content framework. The Nahui Ollin as a Content Participants will learn about this content framework and how they can apply it as they introduce Framework concepts to their students. As a content framework it is centered in an inquiry-­‐based approach to learning through action research. 2:15 pm – 2:30pm 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm 4:30 pm – 4:45 pm 6 Saturday, June 27, 2015 Time 8:30 am -­‐ 9:00 am Check in and light breakfast Institute Workshop Sessions 9:00 am -­‐ 9:15 am Welcome: Norma González -­‐ Opening Ceremonia: Calpolli Teoxicalli 9:15 am -­‐ 10:15 am Barrio Libre Mural Tour -­‐ Sean Arce Room TBD TBD Barrio Libre TBD 10:30 am -­‐ 12:00 pm Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Presentation in Action: “Amoxtli Yayauhqui Tezcatlipoca: El Camino Hacia Nuestro Ser Interno” – Norma González 12:00 pm -­‐1:00 pm Lunch TBD 1:00 pm -­‐2:00 pm Literacy, Libraries & Liberation: Mujerisma in the Classroom – Georgina Perez TBD 2:00 pm -­‐2:15 pm Break 2:15 pm – 4:15 pm Si Se Puede! Chican@/Latin@ Literature and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy In Action – TBD Curtis Acosta 4:15 pm – 4:30 pm Day Two Summary & Workshop Evaluations TBD 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm Break 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm XITO Dinner hosted for conference participants TBD 6-­‐27-­‐15 Institute Workshop Descriptions Title Description This session will offer teachers who work with Raza students with an indigenous rooted process Culturally Responsive Pedagogy of attaining self-­‐love centered on the Tlamanalcayotl philosophy of life (Nahui Ollin-­‐ four Presentation in Action: “Amoxtli movement). Given that, an underlying goal guiding this presentation is to begin to transform the Yayauhqui Tezcatlipoca: El negative impact of colonization and the tragic effects it has had on indigenous Raza people of Camino Hacia Nuestro Ser this continent for the past five hundred years. Poetry will be utilized for that reflection and Interno” introspection in such a manner whereby participants can profoundly interact with their inner-­‐self as they create their beautiful story in the tangible form of an amoxtli (a codex). An interactive session of machiliztli tlazohtla mahuitzli (knowledge, love, respect) offering Literacy, Libraries & Liberation: mujerisma ~ the pedagogy of brown and black womyn in classroom communities. A reading and Mujerisma in the Classroom discussion of culturally and herstorically responsive literature will be offered with the purpose of developing personal frameworks for implementation in knowledge sharing environments. Si Se Puede! Chican@/Latin@ This session is an interactive teaching model of the acclaimed Mexican American Studies Literature and Culturally program in Tucson led by Chican@/Latin@ Literature teacher, Curtis Acosta. Participants will Responsive Pedagogy In Action have an opportunity to experience a sampling of the pedagogy and curriculum through a simulated classroom experience that focuses specifically on Chican@/Latin@ literature. After building a sense of community through the experiences as a class, participants will have an opportunity to engage in a frank and candid discussion about the benefits of culturally responsive pedagogy and curricula, as well as how to assist teachers in the implementation of such techniques in their classroom. 7 Time 8:30 am -­‐ 9:00 am 9:00 am -­‐ 9:15 am 9:15 am -­‐ 10:30 am 10:30 am -­‐10:45 am Sunday, June 28, 2015 Institute Workshop Sessions Check in and light breakfast Welcome: Jose González Opening Ceremonial: Calpolli Teoxicalli Re-­‐Defining and Re-­‐Creating Xicano Manhood: Towards Counter Hegemonic Masculinities with and for Xicano Male Youth – Sean Arce Break 10:45am -­‐ 12:00 pm Room TBD TBD TBD TBD Xican@ Pop-­‐Up Books: Pedagogies and Allegories Against Book Burning and the Ban on Xican@ Literature – Elias Serna & Johnavalos Rios 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch TBD 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Pulling It All Together: Theoretical Frameworks for Decolonial Projects – Anita Fernández TBD 2:00 pm – 2:15 pm Break 2:15 pm – 3:45 pm Small Group Work -­‐ share community goals & report to larger group for input TBD 3:45 pm -­‐ 4:00 pm Day Three Summary & Workshop Evaluations TBD 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm Closing Circle TBD 6-­‐28-­‐15 -­‐ Institute Workshop Descriptions Title Description In this workshop, Sean Arce will facilitate a critical examination of the formations, origins and Re-­‐Defining and Re-­‐Creating current manifestations of Xicano masculinities. Moreover, the current manifestations of Xicano Xicano Manhood: Towards hegemonic masculinities will be analyzed and pathways as possibilities (utilizing La Cultura Cura Counter Hegemonic Masculinities as a practical framework) to counter these hegemonic masculinities with and for Xicano male with and for Xicano Male Youth youth, both inside and outside of the classroom, will be presented. As historical subjects that have agency, the Xicano male has the capacity to act upon his reality in positive and transformative ways to re-­‐define and re-­‐create positive and healthy masculinities for the strengthening of himself, his female equivalent, and his community. Adapting MAS' Xican@ Paradigm, and in the context of attacks on Xican@ indigenous Xican@ Pop-­‐Up Books: epistemologies -­‐ from colonial book burning to the banning of Chican@ Studies books in Pedagogies and Allegories Against Arizona -­‐ we will walk participants through Xican@ Pop-­‐Up Book lesson plans, including the role Book Burning and the Ban on of allegory and pop-­‐up techniques. We use the concepts of self-­‐reflection, precious knowledge, Xican@ Literature the will to act, and transformation to explain classroom lessons and experiences, as we proclaim that "you can ban Chican@ books, but they'll still POP UP!" Pulling It All Together: Theoretical Frameworks for Decolonial Projects In advance of participants working on their community goals and projects, this final workshop will offer a framework of decolonizing education to consider when applying the institute’s epistemology to community work. A pedagogy of hope and love along with liberatory practices that focus on healing will be presented and participants will be encouraged to engage in a dialogue on how their specific work relates to these frameworks. 8 Special Thanks to: Calpolli Teoxicalli – Tlamenalco, Aztlan Xican@ Pop-­‐Up Books* -­‐ CalifAztlan The Xican@ Pop-­‐Up Book Movement was founded September 2013, promoting awareness of the Tucson MAS struggle and particularly the banning of Chican@ Literature. By proclaiming that "You can ban Chican@ books, but they'll still pop up!" we spread awareness and promote the advantages of learning hidden histories, Ethnic Studies, and defending Chican@ Literature in Arizona. We have been recently featured on NPR radio's "Latino USA" and a fabulous Ted talk by Ron Espiritu. XPUB Pedagogy has popped up at UC Riverside, CSU Dominguez Hills, Animo South LA High School and Univ. Minnesota St. Cloud. 9