Another Keynote Presenter Joins Convention Alley 2008!

[Sheryll Townsend]

Convention Alley is pleased to announce the addition of another 
Keynote presenter!

Travis Prinzi will be adding two presentations to our line-up, 
bringing our total of keynote presentations up to 5. Mr. Prinzi has 
an M.A. in Theological Studies and is currently working on his 
M.S.Ed. in Secondary English Education. He presented at Prophecy last 
summer and will be speaking at Portus later this summer. He's also 
working on a book and is excited to be joining the world of published 
Harry Potter analysis. We're very pleased to be able to add Travis to 
growing schedule of events!

The first presentation will be:

"Quills, Queries, and Quests: Literacy Learning in the Wizarding 
World"

When the term "literacy" is used in popular discourse, it most 
frequently refers simply to "the ability to read and write," and in 
education, it follows that becoming "literate" involves a process of 
rote repetition in order to get down basic "facts" and "skills" in 
order to become "literate."  Literacy, however, is far more complex 
than that simple definition, and more than that, all constructions of 
literacy are inherently political.  This presentation examines 
literacy in the Harry Potter series.  Defining literacy as "changing 
participation" in a sociocultural setting, we will examine Harry and 
Muggleborns as outsiders to the dominant discourse; the way education 
is framed by Hogwarts teachers; the "Ministry-approved, theory-
centered" curriculum of Delores Umbridge; the student subversion in 
the form of Dumbledore's Army; and finally, Albus Dumbledore's 
lessons with Harry as an example of an Apprenticeship model of 
literacy learning.

A second presentation is currently being determined.

All keynote presentations and meals are included in when you register 
for Convention Alley 2008. To register, visit our website: 
http://www.conventionalley2008.org/

Sheryll Townsend
For the Convention Alley 2008 Planning Committee