Engaged and Integrated Scholar Lunch Series
The Engaged and Integrated Scholar Lecture and Lunch Series is a bi-semester lunch event at the Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center (TLPDC) which spotlights Texas Tech University faculty that focus on engaged scholarship while integrating their methodologies and findings into their professional work, pedagogy, and classroom performance expectation. This series is designed to increase faculty, student, and staff understanding of what engaged and integrated scholarship is, expound on different methodologies utilized in such scholarship, examine differing theoretical perspectives of engaged scholarship, and encourage cross-institutional discussion and collaboration of engaged and integrated research.
Contact Nicholas Cordes at 806-742-7017 for more information about attending a session or becoming a featured scholar.
SPRING 2012 LECTURE
DR. FERNANDO VALLE
DISRUPTING DEFICIT THINKING
In general, Engaging traditionally marginalized educational communities through educational leadership is valuable work. Using the U.S. Educational pipeline as a guiding framework, it is possible to outline the realistic and empirical work of all members of school communities - principals, teachers, students and parents - in the various aspects of schooling and leadership. Communities have traditionally viewed school leaders through a polarized lens, especially school leaders in secondary schools who are often viewed as disengaged disciplinarians. Those leaders who are transformational in their leadership practices often struggle to include all members of the school and community. In an effort to discuss the obstacles that equate deficit thinking with parents and students, this lecture will highlight current research projects involving partnerships in local school districts and within the university that support teaching, research and service, and will include information on opportunities for collaboration and thoughts on further engagement on local, state and national educational fronts.
Dr. Valle is a first generation graduate and professional. He currently is an Assistant Professor in the Educational Psychology and Leadership Department to graduate and doctoral students. His current research efforts include research on the identity of school leaders through cultural autobiographies, experiences, and practices of Latina/o school principals through critical lenses, and the intersection of school leadership and college readiness and retention of Latina/o students.