About Language & Literacy Education
Faculty
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Associate Professor University of Georgia |
Research Interests
* Melisa "Misha" Cahnmann-Taylor (formerly Melisa Cahnmann) is interested in the relationship between language, culture, literacy, and power. She studies multicultural education and multilingual classrooms as sites of social conflict, where possibilities exist for social change, justice and democracy. She uses a hybrid form of qualitative inquiry that embraces traditional methods alongside nontraditional, feminist, poetic, narrative and arts-based approaches. She is most interested in theoretical and empirical work that excites teachers about the depth and possibility of their work to improve the education of all children, especially children for whom standard English is not a first language. She explores how Georgia educators might learn from bilingual education policy and practice in other states to provide the most effective education possible to the growing Latino presence in the region.
Cahnmann Taylor's most recent research project includes program evaluation and Boalian Theater with the TELL (Teachers for English Language Learners) Project. Pre-service bilingual teachers use forum theater and rainbow of desire among other Theatre of the Oppressed techniques to focus on personal and social change. She judges an annual poetry contest for the Society for Humanistic Anthropology and serves as associate editor of Critical Inquiry in Language Studies.
SOCIETY FOR HUMANISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY2008 ETHNOGRAPHIC POETRY & FICTION COMPETITIONS |
Books Published:
Cahnmann-Taylor, M. & Siegesmund, R. (2008). Arts-Based Research in Education: Foundations for Practice. London: Routledge.
Chapters in books:
Cahnmann, M. (2007). Arts-based inquiry in language education. In K. King (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Language Education. Kluwer.
Remillard, J. T. & Cahnmann, M. (2005). Researching mathematics teaching in bilingual-bicultural classrooms (169-188). In T. McCarty (Ed.), Language, literacy, power, and schooling. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Cahnmann, M. (2005). "Translating competence in a critical bilingual classroom” (283-293). In X. P. Rodríguez-Yáñez, A. M. Lorenzo Suárez, and F. Ramallo (Eds.). Bilingualism and education: From the family to the school. Munich: Lincom Europa.
Cahnmann, M. (2003). To correct or not to correct bilingual students’ errors is a question of continua-ing reimagination (187-206). In N. Hornberger (Ed). The continua of biliteracy. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters LTD.
Journal articles:
Cahnmann, M. (2006). Reading, living, and writing bilingual poetry as scholARTistry in the language arts classroom. Language Arts, 83 (4), 341-351.
Cahnmann, M. & Varghese, M. (2005). By any other name: Critical ethnographies of Spanish-English bilingual education. Linguistics and Education, 16.
Cahnmann, M., Rymes, B., & Souto Manning, M. (2005). Using critical discourse analysis to understand and facilitate identification processes of bilingual adults becoming teachers. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, an International Journal, 2, (4) 195-213.
Cahnmann, M. (2005). Translating competence in a critical bilingual classroom. Anthropology & Education Quarterly 36 (3), 230-249.
Cahnmann, M. (2004). Uncovering creative writing in anthropology. Anthropology News, 45 (9), 27.
Cahnmann, M. (2003). The craft, practice, and possibility of poetry in educational research. Educational Researcher,32 (3), 29-36.
Cahnmann, M. & Remillard, J. T. (2002). What counts and how: Mathematics teaching in culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse urban settings. Urban Review, 34 (3), 179-205.
Cahnmann, M. & Hornberger, N. H. (2000). Understanding what counts: Issues in language, culture, and power in mathematics instruction and assessment. Educators for Urban Minorities, 1 (2), 39-52.
Cahnmann, M. (1998). Over 30 years of language-in-education policy and planning: Potter Thomas bilingual school in Philadelphia. Bilingual Research Journal, 22 (1), 65-81.
Cahnmann, M. (2000). Rhythm and resource: Repetition as a linguistic style in an urban elementary classroom. Working Papers in Educational Linguistics, 16 (1), 39-52.
Cahnmann, M. (1999). “Like three doors - Spanish, English, and both. I’m going to both”: Language attitudes of early adolescent Mexican Americans. Texas Linguistic Forum: SALSA VI, 42 13-24.
Poetry Publications:
Cahnmann, M. (2006). Festival Cervantino. Anthropology & Humanism . 31 (1), 83.
Cahnmann, M. (2006). Ghetto Teachers’ Apology. Anthropology & Humanism. 31 (1), 8.
Cahnmann, M. (2006) Language Lessons. Journal of Latinos and Education, 5 (1), 75-6.
Cahnmann, M. (2005). How Suffering Goes. Bellevue Literary Review, 5 (2), 128-9.
Cahnmann, M. (2005). After Reading A Letter From My Mother. Bellevue Literary Review, 5 (2), 128-9.
Cahnmann, M. (2004). Inheritance. Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, 14 (2), 15.
Cahnmann, M. (2004). Ladies’ night. Puerto del Sol, 39 (1), 8-9.
Cahnmann, M. (2003). American Defense. Anthropology & Humanism, 28 (2), 206-7.
Cahnmann, M. (2002). Make Believe. Red Rock Review, Winter (11), 19-21.
Cahnmann, M. (2002). Mother. Red Rock Review, Winter (11), 19-21.
Cahnmann, M. (2001). Fathering. American Poetry Review, 30 (6), 50.
Cahnmann, M. (2001). Even Then. Laurel Review, 35 (2), 76.
Cahnmann, M. (2000). Driving Through North Philly. Quarterly West, 51, 98-99.
Cahnmann, M. (2000). Advice. Barrow Street, Summer 2000, 45.
Cahnmann, M. (2000). What You Are. River City, 20 (2), 106.
Cahnmann, M. (9/5/1999). Driving Through North Philly. Community Voices,Philadelphia Inquirer(E-5).
Cahnmann, M. (1997). Photograph. Bridges: Journal for Jewish Feminists and Friends, 7 (2), 68.
Cahnmann, M. (1996). Garage Sale Poetry. Writing for Our Lives, 5 (2), 6.
Courses Taught
| ELAN 6631 | Bilingualism and Bilingual Education |
| ELAN 7600 | Reading and Writing in a Non-Native Language |
| EDEC/EDMS/ELAN 5180/7180 | Understanding Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Schools (Xalapa, Mexico) |
| 5040/7040 | Language And Culture |
| ELAN 8590 | Arts-Based Inquiry in Diverse Learning Communities |
Academic History
| Education Level | Institution | Year | Major Area |
| M.F.A. | New England College | 2007 | Poetry |
| Ph.D. | University of Pennsylvania | 2001 | Educational Linguistics |
| M.A. | University of California, Santa Cruz | 1997 | Educational Research |
| B.A. | Tufts University | 1992 | Spanish and Latin American Studies |
Academic and professional positions held
| 2002-Present | Assistant Professor, Language Education Department, the University of Georgia |
| 1992-1995 | Full-time Bilingual Elementary School Teacher and Bilingual coordinator at South Park Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Professional Clear Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Clear Bilingual, Cross-cultural Language and Academic Development Certificate Issued by the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. |
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