Dynamic New Book- Power of Learning from Inquiry

The Power of Learning from Inquiry:

Teacher Research as a Professional Development Tool in Multilingual Schools

by, Aida A Nevárez-La Torre, TESOL Program, Fordham University
A new volume in the series:
Adult Education Special Topics: Theory, Research & Practice in LifeLong Learning
Series Editor(s): Kathleen P. King, Fordham University
Information Age Publishing

I am very pleased to announce that we have a new release in the adult education series at Information Age Publishing: The Power of Learning from Inquiry Teacher Research as a Professional Development Tool in Multilingual Schools by Dr. Aida A Nevárez-La Torre of Fordham University.

Dr. Nevárez-La Torre is director of the TESOL and Bilingual programs at Fordham’s Graduate School of Education and has extraordinary experience as a researcher and practitioner in the field.  This book is  truly a one of a kind human interest, life transformation and professional development research book rolled up into one compelling volume.

Last week I was describing this book  to some of my graduate students as a powerful demonstration of how working alongside of educators/faculty and guiding them to explore action research, providing a safe space for questioning assumptions, can lead to radical transformation. This book reveals that stories in the participating teachers voices- how they came to the awakening, and grew to recognize and resist the oppression which they had been silenced previously. Bilingual and TESOL educators are often even MORE overlooked in k-12 systems than adult educators (hard for us to belive it is possible, but it is  true. There are many reasons for this basis and oppression- not only do they serve new immigrants, ELL learners, but they may also be ELL or immigrants. The end result is that may schools do not even attempt ot hide the fact that few resources, recognition or concern are exercised towards these students, teachers or resources.

• Are you ready to discover how one group of people began changing their corner of the educational world?
• Do you want to see how action research can be used to expose oppression?
• Are you interested in seeing instructor transformation from passive to teacher-researcher, change agent?

You do not want to miss the opportunity fo reading and experience this story of teachers discovering their empowerment over oppression.

Dr. Kathy King, Series editor

Professor Fordham University

CEO, TELLC

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Book Formal Description- For Critical New Book Regarding Empowerment in
TESOL Professional Development, Adult Education & Teacher Education:

The power of teacher inquiry is revealed when educators examine their practices and the factors that influence them with the purpose of making necessary changes to improve the learning opportunities of their students, and working conditions in schools. As such, in this book the author proposes that reflection and inquiry done by teachers in multilingual classrooms and schools may assist them to construct effective learning communities. In this book, Dr. Nevárez-La Torre examines different ways to reflect and conduct teacher inquiry in instructional settings where students speak more than one language.

Her exploration focuses on a teacher-oriented question: What happens when! practitioners who work in multilingual schools inquire about their own practice, their students’ learning, and their school’s ability to create a community of learners and thinkers? The main purpose of the book is to delineate a model for conducting classroom inquiry that teachers may follow to pursue important questions about their practice and multilingual students’ learning process.

Some special features of the volume include: a case study of a multilingual teacher inquiry group; description of the steps to follow in designing and implementing inquiry projects; and a bibliography of key resources (i.e., books, websites, and journals) for conducting teacher inquiry as a professional development tool and for learning about linguistically diverse classrooms and schools.

There are eight chapters in this book divided into three sections. Although the sections are thematically connected, the reader may use them independently of each other. The first section introduces the idea for the book, the author as a practitioner-researcher, and the main practical and conceptual issues discussed in the book. In addition, there is a chapter that introduces a model for using teacher inquiry as a tool for professional development. The second section includes the analyses of the trajectory followed by three teachers into using teacher inquiry to grow as professionals in ESL and bilingual classrooms. The third section of the book situates professional development using teacher inquiry within a broader theoretical framework supported by other research done by academicians in various educational fields. It also examines some key implications of this work for the education of in-service and pre-service teachers.

REVIEWS

“The value of teacher inquiry is strongly supported by the literature. This volume contributes in new and important ways to this literature. It not only advocates for bringing bilingual teachers to the general discussion about children’s education, but it highlights the benefits of this participation. The background and experiences of bilingual teachers are essential to inform collaborative inquiry projects in urban settings where so many of the students are bilingual.”

~ Maria Estela Brisk, Professor and Chair of the Teacher Education,

Special Education, and Curriculum and Instruction Department,

Lynch School of Education, Boston College

“This book examines teacher inquiry as a staff development process and tool in classrooms and schools with multilingual students. The message throughout the text is that teachers that use reflection and inquiry are prepared to teach and make significant differences in students’ learning environment, linguistic and academic achievement. Nevárez-LaTorre’s book offers not only the foundation of teacher growth but also an intricate and comprehensive understanding of the complexity of teacher reflection, inquiry and action. It is scholarly presented, although using a simple and straightforward language style, making this text of great value for pre-service, in-service teachers and schools.”

~ Angela Carrasquillo, Professor Emerita

Fordham University Graduate School of Education

Order Online

http://infoagepub.com/products/The-Power-of-Learning-from-Inquiry

• Paperback: 978-1-60752-280-5   Web Price: $33.99 (Re! g. $39.99)
• Hardcover: 978-1-60752-281-2   Web Price: $62.89 (Reg. $73.99)
• E-Books are also available (See IAP website) www.infoagepub.com

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Posted 2-26-10

TELLC