Abstract and Acknowledgements

Abstract

Textiles and Tapestries presents thought-provoking research that explores the intricate and complex weavings of teaching and learning. It reflects a compelling mixture of traditional and contemporary methodology, collaborations within and beyond teacher education, and allows space for considering the implications of current worldwide social, political, and systemic tensions. Importantly, it highlights the central role of self-study in creating insights and understandings of practice for transforming teaching and for generating new knowledge. 

Contributions from experienced and novice academic researchers, teacher educators, practitioners, and graduate students provide opportunities to learn with and from the voices of dynamic and diverse self-study researchers. Section one focuses on the process of exploring and making meaning from weaving inquiry, teaching, and learning from studying practices through self-study. Section two illuminates the act of making new meaning, creating the tapestries and textiles of knowing by attending to the tools and crafting in studying teaching and professional practices. Section three focuses on the formation of new tapestries of understanding as authors share the implication of their findings through self-study. 

This book presents new methods, frameworks, collaborations, and understandings of practice that will be useful for teacher educators, graduate students, and self-study of practice researchers.

Acknowledgments

The learning curve as editors was swift and, at times, overwhelming. Without the support of our many self-study friends and colleagues, we would not be here celebrating the outstanding work gathered in these pages. First, we wish to thank the contributing authors, not only for sharing their work but for also providing valuable peer reviews throughout this three-phase, double-blind, peer-review process. Our initial call for proposals yielded 130 submissions; 83 were invited to submit final chapters for consideration of inclusion in round two, and round three resulted in 72 chapters included in the book. We acknowledge the perseverance and commitment the authors and peer reviewers showed to the process despite the many challenges facing the world during the time this book was coming together. 

With gratitude, we acknowledge the following members of the research community who generously offered their time and expertise as peer reviewers who rigorously and constructively critiqued chapters:

Abab Abi-Hanna; Linda Abrams; Valerie Allison; Bohdana Allman; Stephanie Baer; Courtney Baker; Allison Barness; Christine Beaudry; Stephanie Beni; Blake Bennett; Laura Bitto; Natalia Bondar; Richard Bowles; Erin Bronstein; Clarque Brown; Rebecca Buchanan; Brandon Butler; William Cavill; Michael Chilcutt; Margaret Clark; Jamie Collins; Jane Cooper; Georgann Cope Watson; Enrique Correa Molina; Maura Coulter; Cheryl Craig; Ramona Cutri; Charity Dacey; Jane Dalton; Jacqueline Dauplaise; Sophie Degener; Elizabeth Dorman; Scott Durham; Tess Dusling; Yvonne Findlay; Linda Fitzgerald; Tim Fletcher; Charlotte Frambaugh-Kritzer; Rodrigo Fuentealba; Colleen Gannon; Dawn Garbett; Leslie Gauna; Natasha Gerstenschlager; Melva Grant; Elizabeth Grassi; Steven Greenstein; Susie Gronseth; Karen Rut Gísladóttir; Miriam Hamilton; Laura Haniford; Shelly Harkness; Janet Hernandez; Melissa Heston; Susan Hillman; Anita Hiralaal; South Holden; Timothy Hopper; Edward Howe; Marie Huxtable; Chinwe Ikpeze; Signe Kastberg; Michaelann Kelley; Laura Kennedy; Roger Kintish; Julian Kitchen; Asnat Klaiman; Emily Klein; Makie Kortjass; Carlos Kucera; Barbara Laster; Celina Lay; Young Ah Lee; Alyson Lischka; Kelly Lormand; John Loughran; Jennifer Mansfield; Andrea Martin; Adrian Martin; Peter Martindell; Lungile Masinga; Tina McCulloch; Barbara McNeil; Tamar Meskin; Tammy Mills; Kathy Miraglia; Margaret Mnayer; Evan Mooney; Isabel Moua; Vusi Msiza; James Muchmore; Marguerite Muller; Shaun Murphy; Megumi Nishida; Chris North; Olufunke Oba; Anne Odwyer; Elsie Olan; Kristi Oliver; Yu Osaka; Edda Óskarsdóttir; Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir; Alan Ovens; Amber Pabon; Angela Pack; Amy Palmeri; Meredith Park Rogers; Kevin Patton; Jeanne Peter; Elizabeth Petroelje Stolle; Eliza Pinnegar; Stefinee Pinnegar; Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan; Catherine Pulkinen; Laurie Ramirez; Wendy Rawlinson; Mary Rice; Elsa Richter; Kerry Robertson; Tom Russell; Yehudit Salfati; Rebecca Sanschez; Kathy Sanford; Jennifer Seat; Lavina Sequeira; Ying Shen; Melanie Shoffner; Brandy Smith; Tamara Spencer; Nathan Stables; Elizabeth Stevens; Kathryn Strom; Megan Stump; Tony Sweeney; Sebra Talbot; Suzanne Tate; Monica Taylor; Lynn Thomas; Matthew Thomas; Deborah Tidwell; Jamelyn Tobery-Nystrom; Amy Tondreau; Cheryl Torrez; Laura Turchi; Tanya Van der Walt; Linda van Laren; Susan Watts-Taffe; Kristen White; Jack Whitehead; Taylor Williams; Nance Wilson; Diane Yendol-Hoppey; Terrel Young; Sedighe Zamani Roodsari; A. J. Zenkert; Mona Zignego

We also wish to thank Stefinee Pinnegar for her wisdom and guidance. It was through her that we were connected to Royce Kimmons, the creator of EdTech books and Kendyl Loar, Brigham Young undergraduate assistant. From the onset of our book, Royce was incredibly helpful, attentive, and patient as we learned a new platform and began the process of creating a book. We appreciate the foresight of Royce and his team in the creation of an open-source publishing platform with the goal to "make good scholarly work more open and accessible." Kendyl's eye for detail ensured that APA formating for the references was completed accurately. We thank and appreciate her willingness to be part of this process. 

Walking in the shoes of others is the most certain way to grow appreciation. With that sentiment, we wish to thank Dawn Garbett and Alan Ovens, previous Castle Conference chairs and editors for the corresponding proceedings. Acting as mentors from half-way around the world, they never once hesitated to offer guidance, feedback, and support. As we look ahead to the next Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices International Castle Conference in 2022, we appreciate knowing our partnership -- and now friendship -- with these two New Zealand rockstars will continue. 

It is with the utmost gratitude that we acknowledge our department head, Joe Lubig. The three of us (Christi, Abby, and Bethney) joined the faculty at Northern Michigan University around the same time. As we navigated the transition from public school teaching to academia, Joe's support, guidance, and unwavering belief in us as educators and researchers were shown to us in a multitude of ways. Our requests for time and space to teach and research together, for support to disseminate and share our research with others, and most recently a request for financial support to access the premium version of EasyChair was always answered with a "Yes, we can make that happen because your work is important." Joe is an educator-leader who puts his faculty first and works tirelessly to create and support opportunities for others to be successful. We are forever grateful to be part of his team. 

Finally, we wish to thank our families who understood that these three moms would be in Zoom meetings for hours on end, at all times of the day and night, working to bring this book to fruition. We thank Chris, Tessa, and Ella Standerford, John, Aiden, Eli, and Owen Edge, and David and Luca Crum for their support, hugs, snacks, and love. 

Christi Edge, Abby Cameron-Standerford, and Bethney Bergh

Northern Michigan University, USA

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