Traversing and Negotiating the Interstices of Nuestros Mundos Through Pedagogía Transmundial

• In Event: 42.042 - Practice in the Borderlands: Teaching and Teacher Education and the Promise of Educational Opportunities

Abstract

Objectives
Teaching in the borderlands requires bilingual educators assist learners navigate multiple borders, while traversing into new worlds, both real and imagined. We explore the potential of transworld pedagogy to bridge the multiple worlds learners bring into La Clase Mágica informal learning settings. We also examine the bilingual education teacher candidates (aspirantes)’ role in assisting leaners to reach new levels of understandings of self and their multiple worlds.

Theoretical Framework
Pedagogía transmundial is grounded in four theoretical constructs: the dialogical method (Freire, 1970; Vygotsky, 1978); Vygotskian’s (1978) notion of culture, which sees the child as historical being; critical bilingual/bicultural pedagogy (Authors, 2014; Darder, 1991), and the sacred sciences—i.e. community knowledge past through language, traditions, narratives, and ways of being. In allowing children to freely express their thoughts in mutual and respectful discourse, we learn about the children’s world and how they use these understandings to navigate other worlds. Mobilizing a pedagogía transmundial builds on the children’s knowledge base at present, and extends their intellectual boundaries, creativity, and social imagination by connecting to the cultural group’s history of accomplishments. Through critical bilingual/bicultural approaches, the child’s linguistic and cultural development is promoted. The notion of sacred sciences recognizes our antepasados knowledge and contributions to our modern world.

In many ways, una pedagogía transmundial is similar to border pedagogy in that it is an exercise expressing one’s unique creativity and perspective on the world. It “ascertains that teachers need to acknowledge the political nature of teaching as well as the effects of the colonial difference and provide opportunities for growth by centering, and privileging the community knowledge and critical scaffolding of the world” (Cervantes-Soon & Carrillo, 2016; p. 286). Transworld pedagogy draws on the cosmovisión of our antepasados embracing an indigenous perspective in which all living and nonliving entities exist in harmony and balance, and are honored as sacred. In recognizing these sacred sciences, as part of our emancipatory pedagogy, we are countering hegemonic discourse that places premium on a singular way of knowing, i.e., Western knowledge.

Methods
Qualitative methods were used to explore aspirantes’ reflections of their experiences within informal learning clubs. Journal reflections and aspirante-learner interactions were culled for emerging themes. Triangulation and member-checking ensure the trustworthiness of the data (Lincoln & Guba, 1985).

Results
Often, aspirantes’ experiences within classrooms are hampered due to the excess emphasis on high-stakes testing. Also, they are exposed to language oppression rather than bilingual learners’ authentic language practices. Informal learning clubs promote communal learning in contrast to competitive learning, in which the attaining of facts is seen as absolute. Informal learning clubs provide aspirantes opportunities to explore and augment learners’ multiple worlds. As learners, aspirantes are able to observe the various linguistic and cognitive tools bilingual learners use in the creation of knowledge.

Significance
Pedagogía transmundial provides a window for observing learners and teachers act in transformative ways. These experiences are invaluable for aspirantes to thrive in multiple lived words as learners and teachers. To transform education, we recommend that these opportunities be replicated.

Authors

• Belinda Bustos Flores, The University of Texas - San Antonio

• Ellen R. Clark, The University of Texas - San Antonio

• Olga A. Vasquez, University of California - San Diego