May 6 @ 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Kids, Books, and Anti-Racism Series: Vivian Vasquez
Centering What Matters to Children: How to Connect Your Teaching to Your Students’ Passions and Inquiry Questions
- Classroom Teachers, Interventionists & Specialists
- Literacy Coaches & Teacher Leaders
- District & School Leaders
- $499 for Complete Series (includes all professional texts)
- Discounts available for groups, Lesley students and alumni! Email CRRLC@lesley.edu to inquire.
Monday, May 6, 2024
Centering What Matters to Children: How to Connect Your Teaching to Your Students’ Passions and Inquiry Questions with Vivian Vasquez
Critical engagement that centers on matters of importance to children creates a space for them to systematically investigate questions or tensions about the world. This kind of work is generative, culturally sustaining, and allows for the development of new understandings, new questions, and issues of importance that make a difference in the lives of children and those around them. A critical comprehension framework will be shared that creates a space for teachers to connect their teaching to their students’ passions and inquiry questions.
Participants will:
- Learn how to use children’s books and other everyday texts such as print ads and food packaging that children encounter daily from a critical literacy perspective.
- Develop an understanding for building critical curriculum using the inquiry questions of children.
- Explore and experience what it means to read with and against text.
- Experience working with children’s books using the critical comprehension framework.
- Learn how to help children to read with a critical stance, as well as identify and examine problems.
- Understand how to use literacy to teach children to become more socially conscious, and work for social action to make a difference in their lives, the community, and the world around them.
Registered participants will receive a copy of the professional text, Critical Comprehension: Lessons for Guiding Students to Deeper Meaning (co-written Vivian Vasquez, Katie Kelly, and Lester Laminack).
This full-day workshop will be recorded. Registered individuals will have through June 30 to access this recording. Instructions to access the recording will be sent about 1-2 weeks following the session. Due to the workshop’s interactive structure, we highly recommend that registrants participate live on the day of the event.
Attendees will earn 6 professional development hours for their participation.
Vivian Vasquez
Dr. Vivian Maria Vasquez is a Professor of Education at American University. She has worked in the field of education for over 30 years. Her research interests are in critical literacy, early literacy and information communication technology. Her publications include eleven books and numerous book chapters and articles in refereed journals. Prior to coming to AU, Dr. Vasquez taught pre-school and public school for 14 years. Dr. Vasquez’ awards include the prestigious NCTE Outstanding Elementary Educator in the English Language Arts Award (2019), as well as many others. Most recently the NCTE Early Childhood Assembly honored Dr. Vasquez with a scholarship in her name – The Vivian Vasquez Teacher Scholarship.
This workshop is part of a larger series designed to deepen your understanding of how to cultivate anti-bias and anti-racist practices in classrooms and schools. You may register for this individual workshop or all of the series.
Kids, Books & Anti-Racism Series
Wednesday, January 17, 2024 with Carla España
Session Title: Read, Laugh, and Learn Together: Integrating Diverse Texts to Support Multilingual Learners in Your School
Friday, March 8, 2024 with Jennifer Orr
Session Title: How to Engage Your Students in Meaningful Race Conversations
Monday, May 6, 2024 with Vivian Vasquez
Session Title: Centering What Matters to Children: How to Connect Your Teaching to Your Students’ Passions and Inquiry Questions
Click here for information about the complete 2024 Kids, Books & Anti-Racism Series.
Cancellation Deadline & Refund Policies
For a registrant who purchased the Complete Bundle and would like to cancel their registration, the last day to get a full refund is January 3, 2024. A cancellation must be submitted in writing.
For a registrant who purchased individual sessions and would like to cancel their registration, the last day to get a full refund for Carla España’s session is January 3, 2024, Jennifer Orr’s session is February 23, 2024, and Vivian Vasquez’s session is April 22, 2024. A cancellation must be submitted in writing.
Email CRRLC@lesley.edu to cancel or request a substitution. Regardless of conditions, if the event is held but you cannot attend, you will be billed for the full amount.
Registration Deadline
We highly recommend registering at least five business days before the event to allow the minimum amount of time to ship the professional texts.
Independent Learning Policy & Recordings
Each full-day workshop will be recorded. Registered individuals will have access to the recording through June 30, 2024. Instructions to access the recording will be sent about 1-2 weeks following the session. Due to the workshop’s interactive structure, we highly recommend that registrants participate live on the day of the event.
The registrant agrees to access the live sessions and/or recordings for the purpose of independent learning. Access to the live sessions and/or recordings is restricted to the registrant and may not be accessed in a group setting.
Requirements for Participation
In order to receive your certificate of attendance, you will be asked to complete an electronic one-page insight form. We will provide more information about this process after each session. Please allow our team 2-3 weeks to process your certificate.
Share a flyer about the series with your colleagues!
Customized Literacy Professional Learning
Our Center faculty will partner with you to design customized professional learning, workshops, and other job-embedded learning opportunities for educators, facilitated in-person or virtually.
Kids, Books, and Anti-Racism Series: Jennifer Orr
Join us for the second event in our 2024 Kids, Books, and Anti-Racism series! Register for the series or individual sessions.
Kids, Books, and Anti-Racism Series: Carla España
Join us for the first event in our 2024 Kids, Books, and Anti-Racism series! Register for the complete series or individual sessions.