Ep 8 Dr. Iliana Reyes: A Conversation on Borderlands Education and Beyond

Join us in this enlightening episode of the Inquiry Oasis as we delve into the inspiring work of Dr. Iliana Reyes at the University of Arizona, College of Education. Dr. Reyes takes us through her vital role at the Borderlands Education Center, an initiative strengthened by a recent Department of Education grant. Her rich dialogues with children, pre-service teachers, and community stakeholders shed light on the multifaceted nature of education, from fostering inclusive experiences to enhancing local and global perspectives. This episode is a compelling exploration of the intersections of education, community connection, innovative teaching practices, and cultural understanding – an essential listen for those committed to a more engaged and reflective educational landscape.

Topics Discussed:

• University of Arizona's status as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI)
• Project ADALANTE and The Borderlands Education Center
• Interaction between pre-service teachers and young children's theories
• The role of educators in translating knowledge into practice
• Responsive teaching strategies for specific students and community needs
• International initiatives and the value of diverse local community experiences
• The 25th anniversary of the influential book "Funds of Knowledge"

 Recommended Book:

Funds of Knowledge: Theorizing Practices in Households, Communities, and Classrooms by Norma Gonzalez, Luis Moll, and Kathy Amanti

Transcript

Jeffrey Anthony: 0:02

Welcome to the Inquiry Oasis, a University of Arizona College of Education and Podcast. Here in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, we bring you conversations with our esteemed faculty and staff whose research impacts lives from Southern Arizona to the far reaches of the globe. Recording From the College of Education's Digital Innovation and Learning Lab, we explore the transformative power of education in this border town where diverse cultures and ideas converge, weaving a tapestry of innovation with compassion and a sense of wonder. Join us as we journey through the sands of curiosity, unearthing insights that enrich and inspire. So sit back and relax as we invite you to dive into the inquiry Oasis. Thank you for tuning into the Inquiry Oasis. I'm your host, Jeffrey Anthony, and today we are delighted to be joined by Dr. Ileana Reyes, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Community and International Partnerships Here at the University of Arizona College of Education, Dr. Reyes is also director of the Borderlands Education Center, and throughout our conversation today, we will be exploring the work undertaken at the Borderlands Education Center. Its role in nurturing a vibrant ecosystem of learning and research for educators and researchers in borderland communities. And also the new partnership with Project ADALANTE, funded by a $3 million Department of Education grant. So without further ado, let's dive into this journey of exploration and discovery with Dr. Reyes here in the, in the inquiry oasis. It is an honor to be speaking with you, Ileana.

Dr. Iliana Reyes: 1:33

I'm thrilled to be here, Jeffrey.

Jeffrey Anthony: 1:35

So before we dive into the main topic of today's discussion, I was hoping you could share with our audience a bit of your background and a bit of the motivations that has created the path you are on today.

Dr. Iliana Reyes: 1:46

Thank you so much. It's really an honor to be here with all of you today. And, to share just a little bit about my background and how that has, connections to my own inspirations and goals here as an associate dean and researcher and professor at the University of Arizona College of Ed, it's really, that those experiences as a young child and as a child of an immigrant family that has really continued to inspire me both as an undergraduate student myself, and then going into the journey of, exploring possibilities as a then graduate student, in California, and now continue to inspire me, to be a, the best professor and researcher. Thinking about challenges at the same time that we think and really act on opportunities for first generation students, communities and their families. Particularly thinking how to tap into the knowledge of the local communities in order to bring and connect, you know, to our learning experiences in the classroom, both in the higher education here at the U of A, but also then for our teachers, and educators to think how to translate that knowledge into the classroom.

Jeffrey Anthony: 2:52

Oh, that's fantastic. So you're involved in research in multilingual education, early childhood education, and borderlands pedagogies. What does this research entail and why is it critical in our current educational context?

Dr. Iliana Reyes: 3:05

I'm so glad you asked this question because it is critical not only to the work that I have done in the last 23 years here in the institution, but really, because of the impact of what it means to understand multilingual context, to deliver best in the optimal practices in the classroom, but also out of the classroom context. And I think that's the connection to the work that we're doing at the Borderlands Education Center. Where we hope to translate into best practices, what we learn in the classroom, but the knowledge, that really carries over to different environmental school community after school, programs. So I think that's key, as a goal for us, in the center, and particularly to connect these opportunities. For border, teachers, researchers, and communities. There's something about understanding beyond the geographical, experience and situation, you know, location of, ourselves in the borderlands. It really about the knowledge and. Stories. That again, our students here, the U of A bring because of, their growing experiences, but also that connection of that local knowledge. And I think that's something that we can continue to explore and it always dynamic because it changes according to our student population. Mm-hmm.

Jeffrey Anthony: 4:21

Well, that's interesting. this is, uh, something that's been a theme on some of our podcasts. The idea of learning through what the community has to bring to the process of education and not so much the banking model that, Paulo Freire will talk about where a teacher will tell you what to learn. It's more treating the community and the students as subjects who can teach you in a dialectical relationship. In a way I find that fascinating. The local knowledge from that communities can bring to this? Why is that so important?

Dr. Iliana Reyes: 4:48

When I reflect again on our experiences, with our students here in higher education in our classrooms, but then also our interactions with students in our local districts and their classrooms, I think of shifting the educational paradigm, and when I say that I think it's so critical to come and approach learning. And teaching from the community based, knowledge. And that is called the asset based, educational paradigm, right? Mm-hmm. so the changing and the shifting of this paradigm is to think, what do we need to learn from these communities, particularly these children and students in order to make it, interesting in order to make it, critical learning in terms of what they wanna incur about and learn about, in the world. And I connected particularly to one of our, theoretical, but really put into action, in practices in the classroom. It is the asset based bicultural continuum model that I have developed in the past. In the last. 10, 12 years with my colleague, Dr. Andrea Romero, here at the University of Arizona as well, Where we started from a methodological approach, but then we shifted, quite quickly to think about, so what are the practices when interviewing, families when interviewing teachers in South Tucson in this case, and how do, we together, shift the paradigm again, of really learning their social capital, their funds of knowledge, in order for us then as educators and researchers to think, oh, these are the type of questions that we should be asking. Because, their connection to, whether it's a rural community or a southern, Mexican background, community, whatever the knowledge. Capital that perhaps as educators and researchers we need to be tapping on and then being able to translate and share with the rest of the, the educational system., Jeffrey Anthony: The Borderlands an intellectual hub in the rural borderlands of southeastern Arizona and northern Mexico. Can you speak to the ways in which the center is achieving this and its impact on the broader community, and why is this important? We approach our learning in, a scholarly exchange, from. Fostering the development of a network, the development of, again, of an exchange of knowledge between students, teachers, educators, and ourselves as researchers at the university. And it is important, again, in order to be successful, at shifting, a deficit paradigm into an asset-based community knowledge, paradigm. And in order to do that, we really need to think about, our capacity. Within our programs, academic programs, college level, but also at the institutional level. And that's where the Borderlands Education Center comes into play. It plays, you know, a really, essential role in helping connect the different, stakeholders in our communities along with those that are key here at the university. It's also important because it supports to position the university as a top destination to actually do this research, to actually learn, from what is the context and environment around the borderlands, beyond the campus at the U of A here at the central campus to really connect to global by national and the regional context that really surround this beautiful borderland, Sonoran desert, context that we find ourselves in.

Jeffrey Anthony: 8:09

What are some successful borderland projects that you are bringing to this newly funded project Adalante to amplify and strengthen the work of the Borderlands Education Center. And has it already begun?

Dr. Iliana Reyes: 8:19

We have just been awarded in the last two months and successfully we have, our first retreat with colleagues across campus and also with community members where we're planning, and situate the knowledge again of Latinx and Hispanic students at the core of our activities in this project. So the Adalante project is funded by US Department, title V, grant, and it's, it is, the second one to be awarded here at the U of A where we actually putting, students, faculty and staff at the center of these activities in order for to learn and translate, a model that talks about best practices, best cultural responsive practices in terms of pedagogy, in terms of, learning, including, digital learning, but at the same time, one-to-one. In person, exchange of knowledge. So we are excited to focus, for the College of Education project on a faculty and staff fellowship program where we're gonna be developing the best practices throughout, the first three years of the project, and inviting key players in this case, we're starting with both, student advisors and mentors because they work directly have the most impact in working daily with students, but also in the exchange of working with faculty who have expertise on cultural responsive pedagogies, on multiculturalism in financial knowledge and learning how to co-construct a fellowship program that hopefully will be institutionalized in the future, you know, in order for everybody to have access. Mm-hmm. Beyond, student advisors and faculty in our colleges, we are collaborating with, colleagues as well outside education, in humanities and social and behavioral sciences.

Jeffrey Anthony: 10:08

That's incredibly exciting. you know, the University of Arizona is a Hispanic Serving Institution. It's designated as such. And how has that impacted the work that you do here?

Dr. Iliana Reyes: 10:16

For me, particularly working now in ADALANTE, of course, with funding, but Bringing together such dedicated, uh, community of scholars. And when I say scholar includes administrators, staff, and colleagues, who are scholars who have been doing work with first generation students, Mexican American, and other students who also bring knowledge, you know, into enriching these culturally and, diverse linear experiences. So in this case, the Borderlands Education Center and the College of Education really is at the center of supporting HSI initiatives and projects ADALANTE is one of them. we also talk with colleagues about the opportunity then to think about what, kind of scholarships and funding, you know, our students need. What are some important, Projects and initiatives to support, very particular types of internships that, again, are situated within Borderlands context.

Jeffrey Anthony: 11:10

Hmm. can you share any discoveries or outcomes in your work that just has taken you by surprise? Like, wow, I had no idea that would happen. Yeah.

Dr. Iliana Reyes: 11:18

In my work throughout. the tenure here at the U of a, I have been, just delighted to be able to learn from, young children and their families in connection to pre-service teachers. Learning about, how do they view their world. I'm a developmental psychologist by training in education, translating into educational practices for over two decades. But it's always fascinating to hear the theories from young children and then how are pre-service teachers and future classroom teachers are actually listening to those theories. And then again, Really observing and listening to what children have to say about inquiry and learning. A lot of times we think, oh, you know, we have this, curriculum already, planned for us we're, learning it and translating it. But it's really in the interaction one-on-one or in one, say 1 0 1 isn't really you as a teacher educator with the whole classroom community where you have to really. Think right in the moment on how to translate those, the knowledge into practice. And then the other way around the practice has to have an impact in your own knowledge as an educator. Mm-hmm. And I think in order, for us to continue to be, thriving and contributing to the field, you have to have that dynamic exchange.

, Jeffrey Anthony: 12:36

This. So that's fascinating to me you just described to me there is, as a teacher, what's more important is that you are working in the moment to see how your practices are affecting the students that you're teaching, and then adjusting to that so that the. Best result can manifest from that, And I think that's really a powerful, conception of teaching and also what that can produce going down the road that makes me excited for the future.

Dr. Iliana Reyes: 12:58

That certainly, you know, it's the point of, really. Investing in our, teacher education programs where we can help them situate themselves as educators, but also situ a themselves in the context where they will be teaching, you know, very, you know, soon as, as they graduate.

Jeffrey Anthony: 13:14

So let's say we get into a time machine here and we, uh, We jump ahead 20, 30, 40 years. And you're surveying the impact of the Borderlands Education Center. what would you love to see in this future

Dr. Iliana Reyes: 13:24

That's a great, question. I would really like to see all of us, again as a community in a higher education institution like the University of Arizona to be responsive and about the specific students and community needs. And when I say needs, it's really assessing together what those needs are. Yeah. And I really, have seen how, engaging in a very respectful, but also, Exciting, interactions again in the classroom, but I also go, from the community to the classroom. Experiences really contribute, to broaden our thinking and. as you know, as part of my title, I contribute and support international initiatives. And often I think, that we don't necessarily have to go, internationally to learn some of those diverse experiences. We certainly, benefit from those. And I encourage always, not only students, but also faculty and staff, to have those experiences, learning, you know, in other communities and societies. But if we can also really immerse ourselves, In learning about our local communities. You're already contributing to a very diverse, experience and really hopefully taking as well, some of that social capital and knowledge, understanding better that capital and that knowledge that our communities, bring to our experience

Jeffrey Anthony: 14:40

well. So as we near the end of our conversation, we like to ask our guests to recommend the book or a paper that has been meaningful to them. Could you share one with our audience and explain how this book or paper has impacted you?

Dr. Iliana Reyes: 14:52

This summer as I, kept thinking of planning, you know, activities for both recruitment and outreach, I think of some essential research that I have learned and that I, that have impacted my own asset-based, pedagogies framework. that will be, a book that has inspired me that I revisited this summer is the "Funds of Knowledge Theorizing Practices in Households, Communities, and Classrooms" by our dear colleagues, Norma Gonzalez, Luis Moll and Kathy Amanti. In the eighties, they started this theoretical tradition, but really the theoretical and the theorizing of communities and the knowledge that the communities bring, to our experiences was. Very, quickly connected to, teachers. The tradition comes under from anthropology with a another dear colleague, Carlos Bazua-Morales, but with Luis Moll, and Norma, they quickly saw that need, to translate that theoretical framework of fun and knowledge into practice with teachers. So they started, this educational ethnographic work in eighties and throughout the years at the College of Education, we have been able to translate many of those research projects and the knowledge and findings from those projects into, pedagogical practices. I wanna mention, you know, an inspiration for this, from this book, the Fan of Knowledge book, that is approaching actually a 25th anniversary, believe it or not. When I arrived here, Norman and Louis were. Just published in this book along with Kathy Manti, who was a former grad student back then and now thinking like all the work, that has impacted our projects here. Both research and in terms of, pedagogies is really, again, a connecting the capital knowledge, the social capital and funds of knowledge from our communities and children and students into our practices as educators. So I really invite students and your audience. to take a look at this book that is really seminal field.

Jeffrey Anthony: 16:47

Thank you for sharing that. You know, as I've been hosting this podcast here for the College of Education, the funds of Knowledge Theory has come up for an over half of the episodes. And I think it's great that the book is being recommended. And I did not know it is at this 25th year anniversary. and it's really remarkable to think that this book and this knowledge and this work has been happening right here at the University of Arizona. And, and the impact it's having right now. Right here in our communities. It's fantastic.

Dr. Iliana Reyes: 17:11

It continues to have the impact and stay tuned for some events, coming up our way here at the College of Education to celebrate

Jeffrey Anthony: 17:18

Well, that is exciting and thank you Iliana, for sharing your insights and the transformative work happening at the Borderlands Education Center and Project ADALANTE. It's clear that the strides being made are indeed fostering a brighter future in border studies, and for the broader community here in Arizona. And thank you listeners for joining us today in the inquiry Oasis. We hope our conversation with Dr. Ileana Reyes has inspired you as much as it has us. Remember, we're back on the first and third Wednesdays every month with fresh insights and conversations, so be sure to tune in. Until next time, keep your curiosity alive and remember, knowledge is our oasis.