Upcoming Themes
January 2011: The Rights of Readers
Are school curricula turning reading into some onerous task? In 1972, French author and teacher Daniel Pennac wrote a passionate argument against French school curricula, which he claimed systematically stamped out the pleasure and joy children had once taken from stories and books. In his book, The Rights of the Reader (Comme un roman) (1972/2008), he entreated parents and teachers to make reading “a gift we give to children and ourselves,” and provided 10 rights of the reader. (To see this list, go to http://userpages.bright.net/~dlackey/2004/08/daniel-pennacs-readers-bill-of-rights.html.) This list included the right to read anything, anywhere, as well as the right to read nothing at all. How do families, schools, and communities today construct and shape the lives of readers? In what contexts do we find children taking pleasure and joy in books? What rights do young readers need, want, and deserve in the twenty-first century? We invite manuscripts that show how children, teachers, librarians, and researchers advocate for and extend readers’ rights. (Submission deadline: September 15, 2009)
March 2011: Movement of Languages and Literacies in the 21st Century
In the United States today, hegemonic views of language and literacy acquisition and practices are dominant. Global views have begun to create tensions and conflicts with some of the hegemonic perspectives, discourses, and ideologies that have shaped/informed literacy practices in the past. Given these heightened global perspectives, educators and educational researchers are examining social inequalities more closely in order to re-imagine a different and viable social justice agenda for language and literacies in the 21st century.
For this issue of Language Arts, we are seeking manuscripts that highlight how research, classrooms, and communities envision/take up/act on the impact of globalization on the language arts. How does global education influence how people talk and think about schooling? How do interactions with global discourse inform/influence our knowledge and valuing of language and literacy? How do tensions with global views impact our educational communities’ views of their students and their responsibilities to them? How do they affect how students see themselves and their life chances? We look forward to reading about what matters to you and what interpretations you bring to these questions. (Submissions deadline: November 15, 2009)
May 2011: Stories of Achievement
In the American ethos, achievement is frequently defined by a Puritan work ethic, rugged individualism, and economic success. This story of achievement is evident in ways we talk about children, schools, and literacy. The myth of this achieving child circulates as one who works hard, pays attention, and complies—behaviors that create the dichotomy between “good” student and “bad” student. Test scores, in turn, both reflect this ethos and reinforce the underlying implied view of achievement that creates disparities in the first place.
For this issue of Language Arts, we invite manuscripts that consider the many different stories of achievement that are a part of our schools today. What are stories of achievement outside of this traditional perspective that we might turn to? What kinds of achievement are happening outside of the norm? What is the trajectory of such success? What preparation do these alternative types of success give for participation in the adult world? What texts support different types of achievement? What types of literacy help us redefine achievement and examine what we’re doing with texts and students in classrooms? What tensions and questions exist around definitions of achievement in schools in comparison to the realities of 21st-century life? Overall, how do we as educators notice achievement in all its forms and cultivate a passion for learning in ourselves and our students? (Submission deadline: January 15, 2010)
Feature Call
In each issue, we will feature a final page called “In Closing . . . .” This is a one-page format (750-word maximum) that could take the form of a poem, essay, conversation, journal entry, short story, or visual art with caption. The focus is on the voices of educators who have recognized a shift in perspective, perception, or practice—in their school, their district, or themselves. We hope that readers will look forward to this feature because it prompts them to remember and rethink. Deadline is ongoing.