Four members of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the U of A College of Education and Health Professions attended and led sessions at the biennial conference of the English Language Arts Teacher Educators (ELATE) July 6-9 at Georgia State University in Atlanta. This year's conference, themed "Centering Hope and Organizing for Justice," was the first in four years following the COVID-19 pandemic, most recently hosted by the U of A and past-chair Chris Goering in 2019. 

Doctoral Fellow Holly Riesco and Goering presented their research titled "Pathways of Resistance and Hope: Critical Disruption of ELA for Engagement and Equity." In addition, Goering presented on "Self-Advocacy in the Professoriate: A Conversation on Academic Ranks" and — in the opening session of the conference — teamed with Chicago educator and songwriter Tim Duggan to lead attendees in a rendition of an original song. "Words Matter" emphasized the vital importance of language to students, society and the teaching profession, and the need to use words critically and responsibly. 

Hung Pham, director of the U of A Center for Children and Youth, serves as leader for the ELATE Commission on Arts and Literacies (COAL) and contributed to multiple conference sessions. Along with Stephen Goss of Kennesaw State University, Pham facilitated a hands-on learning session on "Activist Art as Justice-Centered Literacy Practice." In addition, he and Pamela Hartman of Ball State University also co-chaired the COAL organizational meeting to develop national-level advocacy for the effective integration of art and multimodal literacy practices in ELA classrooms and teacher education.

Joining Pham in a session on the implications of ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence in ELA, was U of A Doctoral Fellow Katie Hackett-Hill. Speaking to a packed room, Pham and Hackett-Hill discussed the daunting potential and speed of change presented by ChatGPT and AI more generally—but how reflecting carefully on our foundational values and goals as teachers can help guide educators in understanding and positively adapting to the sea change. 

Reflecting on her experience, Hackett-Hill remarked, "Attending the ELATE Summer Conference was fantastic and felt like a true intellectual home. The whole event was charged with passion, wisdom, creativity and a shared commitment to improve teaching and teacher education in ELA." 

Added Pham, "This conference was a wonderful occasion to learn from and collaborate with peers far and wide, and an opportunity to help shape the professional conversation on the topics and issues facing practitioners. Hats off to (ELATE Chair) Nadia Behizadeh, Georgia State University and all the conference organizers."

Travel to the conference was supported by the College of Education and Health Professions, the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the Center for Children and Youth.