“Reading the world always precedes reading the word, and reading the word implies continually reading the world.”
Freire
Mission
To advance educational equity, critical pedagogy and joy in professional learning competence of educators in international research standards-based Portuguese literacy and biliteracy instruction in dual language programs for Portuguese students with and without disabilities in MA and beyond.
Vision Statement
We believe that every child in Portuguese Bilingual/Dual language in MA and beyond has the right to learn to read in Portuguese with professionally well prepared teachers who facilitate their full potential in becoming active bi-literate ‘global citizens and critical thinkers capable of contributing to their communities at every level’ (www.ILA.com, 2023).
Goals
- To contribute to building capacity in teacher education/professional learning related to the specifics of international research-based science of Portuguese reading in teaching students with and without disabilities.
- To articulate the professional learning standards in Portuguese Literacy in “learning to read” and write and “reading to learn”.
- To empower teachers with cutting-edge methodologies specific to teaching/learning Portuguese Literacy.
- To enable teachers with the knowledge, experience, and resources necessary to implement two significant methodologies: Niza’s Life Experience Model of teaching literacy without books and the Freire Method of Alfabetização in interaction with UDLPortuguês.
- To promote autonomy and ethics in biliteracy attainment in collaboration with organizations and other institutions.
Values
Respect
Biliteracy
Equity
Collaboration
Critical Thinking
Creativity & Innovation
Empathy & Well-being
Interculturacy (Rinaldi)
‘Cidadania’
______
Growth Mindset
The Myth of the Average
Standards-Based
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
About Us
An international group of Portuguese-speaking educators, practitioners and researchers professionally trained and experienced in teaching critical Portuguese reading and writing (alfabetização), brought together by the PWLI at Lesley University MA.
Committed to advancing high-quality, effective, empowering, standards-based learning of Portuguese Literacy instruction for students with and without disabilities in Portuguese dual/Bilingual language education within a critical thinking and well-being framework.
Panel
- Aida Bairos, MED – Cambridge Public Schools, MA USA
- Daniel Soares, PhD – Universidade Federal PUC Brazil
- Graça Castanho, PhD – Universidade dos Açores, Portugal
- Graça Hammond, MED – Cambridge Public Schools, MA USA
- Lidia A Silveira, EDD – Bridgewater State University, MA USA Co-Conveners Executive Team
- Maria de Lourdes B Serpa, EDD – Lesley University, MA USA Co-Conveners Executive Team
- Margarida Goes, MED – Lowell Public Schools and Lesley University, MA USA
- Natalia Costa, MED – Cambridge Public Schools, MA USA
- Natalie Ormonde Serra, MS – Parent Advisory Chair, Lowell Public Schools
- Patricia Medeiros Landurand EDD – Mary Thorp Professor, RI College (Honorary Chair)
- Silvana Watson, PHD – Wesleyan University, N Virginia
Action Plan 2024/2025
- Design teacher education standards in Portuguese Literacy in the USA and beyond that are linguistically and culturally appropriate.
- Design a CC version of Portuguese Language Arts (that is not English Centric).
- Design and offer research & standards-based, HIGH-QUALITY professional learning opportunities for Portuguese Literacy (alfabetização) teachers in bilingual contexts in MA and beyond.
- Collaborate with others to support educators in their quest to enable children and youth with and without disabilities to become fully literate and empowered via dual language Portuguese in 3 to 5 months.
- Support the creation of appropriate reading and writing materials in bilingual contexts.
World Language Institute, Lesley University, MA USA