Biography

 HI! I retired as a full professor, in 2021. I continue to be involved in research on AI and language learning. Other research interests include: digital multimodality; mobile learning; multilingual and plurilingual education; digital and plurilingual litracies and pedagogical innovation. 

Scholarly Interests

Multilingual education; Multimodal literacies; Literacy and culture; Communication and education

Research Areas

• Literacy
• Multilingualism
• Pedagogy
• Professional Development
• Second Language
• E-Learning
• Language
• Technology
• Diversity

Faculty & School/Dept

• Faculty of Education - Graduate Studies - Bachelor of Education

Selected Publications

• Heather Lotherington (2018). Mobile language learning: The medium is ^not the message. L2, 10, 198-214.
• Heather Lotherington (2017). Post-modernizing school learning: An evolving playbook to re-read/write language and literacy education for civic engagement. (Casey Burkholder & Diane Watt, Eds.) Language and literacy, 9(3), 4-20.
• Heather Lotherington & Cheryl Paige (Eds.). (2017). Teaching Young Learners in a Superdiverse World Multimodal Approaches and Perspectives. (Heather Lotherington & Cheryl Paige, Eds.) New York, New York, USA: Routledge
• Heather Lotherington (2017). Elementary language education in digital multimodal and multiliteracy contexts. . In S.L. Thorne & S. May (Eds.), Language, Education and TechnologyVol. Encyclopedia of Language and Education (Volume 9), ). Springer Link
• Lotherington, H., Fisher, S., Jenson, J., & Lindo, L.M. (2016). Professional development from the inside out: Redesigning learning through collaborative action research. . In M. Knobel & J. Kalman (Eds.), New literacies and teacher learning Professional development and the digital turn (pp. 65-87). New York, New York, USA: Peter Lang
• Lotherington, H., O'Meara, M.P., Jensen, K.E. (2016). How to build your own world: Creating community on Twitter. In R. Iannacito-Provenzano, & J. Vizmuller-Zocco (Eds.), Social Media: Implications for the University (pp. 139-154). RomeItaly: Aracne Editrice
• Heather Lotherington (2014). DIY plurilingual literature: A multimodal approach to linguistic inclusion in the multicultural classroom. . In C. Hélot, R. Sneddon, & N. Daly (Eds.), Children's Literature in the Multilingual Classroom (pp. 84-103). LondonUK: IoE/ Trentham Books
• Heather Lotherington & Natalia Sinitskaya Ronda (2014). 2B or not 2B: From pencil to multimodal programming: New frontiers in communicative competencies. . In J. Pettes Guikema, & L. Williams (Eds.), Digital literacies in foreign and second language education (pp. 9-28). San Marcos, TX, USA: CALICO
• Lotherington, H. (2013). Creating third spaces in the linguistically heterogeneous classroom for the advancement of plurilingualism. . (S. K. Taylor & K. Snoddon, Eds.) TESOL Quarterly, 47 (3), 619-625. doi:DOI: 10.1002/tesq.117.
• Lotherington, H., Paige, C., & Holland-Spencer, M (2013). Retreived from What works? Research into Practice: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/WW_Professional_Learning.pdf.
• Lotherington,H. (2011). Pedagogy of multiliteracies: Rewriting Goldilocks. New York, New York, United States: Routledge
• Lotherington, H. & Jenson, J. (2011). Teaching multimodal and digital literacy in L2 settings: New literacies, new basics, new pedagogies. (C. Polio, Ed.) Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 31, 226-246. doi:DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0267190511000110 .
• Heather Lotherington (2000). What's bilingual education all about? ? A guide to language learning in today's schools. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Language Australia

Selected Presentations

• Heather Lotherington (2018, September). Scaffolding multilingual language education in digital times. . Presented at: Invited keynote presentation at Linguistic theory in second and foreign language teaching, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Germanistik and Minin University, Braunschweig, Germany.
• Heather Lotherington (2017, May). Post-modernizing school learning: An evolving playbook to re-read/write language and literacy education for civic engagement. Presented at: LLRC Pre-Conference, Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Calgary, AB
• Heather Lotherington (2016, October). From multiliteracies to posthumanism: Language, literacy, education and society at a digital crossroads. . Presented at: Digital Literacies Symposium, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
• Heather Lotherington (2016, March). Teaching multimodal literacies in the superdiverse elementary classroom. . Presented at: COST Action IS 1410: The digital literacy and multimodal practices of young children (DigiLitEY) Cyprus
• Heather Lotherington (2015, April). Conversations with Siri: English language learning opportunities in the post-human spectrum. . Presented at: BIT’s 4th Annual World Congress of Emerging Info-Tech, Shenzhen, China
• Heather Lotherington (2015, March). How to build your own world: Language, identity and learning in a superdiverse elementary classroom.. Presented at: Georgetown University Round Table on Languages and Linguistics, Washington, DC.
• Heather Lotherington (2014, April 8). Rewriting communicative competence for the cloud. Presented at: Global Learning Alliance Conference, Teachers’ College, Columbia University, New York, NY.
• Heather Lotherington (2014, March 31). Revolution below the radar: Action research towards plurilingual education in the superdiverse elementary school. Presented at: University of Oulu, Finland
• Heather Lotherington (2014, March 20). Reimagining communicative competence for global conversations in a digital world. . Presented at: University of Jyväskylä, Finland
• Heather Lotherington (2014, February 28). From ABCs to multimedia programming: Reconceptualizing language and literacy education. . Presented at: Linnaeus University, Sweden
• Heather Lotherington (2014, February 24). Can communicative competence be upgraded for 2.0 communication practices?. Presented at: Institute of Education, University of London, UK.
• Lotherington, H. (2013. February). Literacy, mediation, and complexity. . Presented at: Research Workshop on Language and Literacy, King's College London
• Lotherington, H. (2011, November). Teacher development from the inside out: Connecting multiliteracies research to classroom language and literacy teaching and community awareness. . Presented at: National Association of Foreign Language Education, Beijing, China
• Lotherington, H. (2011, May). Collaborative action research in an urban elementary school: Developing multimodal literacies at Joyce Public School. . Presented at: Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg, Germany
• Lotherington, H. (2010, February). Comics, games, movies, talk shows: Re-imagining emergent literacy instruction as multimodal collaboration in the multicultural urban classroom. Presented at: Pro.T, Cordoba Argentina
• Lotherington, H. (2009, November). Scaffolding inclusive language and literacy education: Interdisciplinary digital narrative projects at primary school. Presented at: National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum (NALDIC), Reading, U.K.
• Lotherington, H. (2009, May). Schools as shared cultural spaces. Presented at: Merchavim and the Walter Lebach institute, University of Tel-Aviv
• Lotherington, H., organizer (2009, April). Language Immersion in formal and informal contexts: Plurilingual voices. Presented at: New Perspectives for Research and Public Policy, CCERBAL, Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI), University of Ottawa
• Lotherington, H. (2009, March). L1, L2, LX: Teaching multimodal learners in the millennium classroom. Presented at: TESOL Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado, USA
• Lotherington, H. (2007, May). Literacy, language and technology: New narratives and new educational possibilities. Presented at: Leading Learning Conference, Huntsville, Ontario
• Lotherington, H. (2006, March). The evolution of digital literacies. Presented at: Big Ideas, TVOntario, hosted by Andrew Moodie

Other Research Outputs

Academia.edu profile: https://yorku.academia.edu/HeatherLotherington

ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Heather_Lotherington  

Research Projects

Production pedagogies for language learning in mobile digital environments

Effects of mobile digital access on language forms and functions

Coming to grips with digital tools for English language learning: What is out there?

Investigating the use of mobile apps for English language teaching

Researching new literacies in the multicultural classroom: Developing a ludic approach to linguistic challenges in elementary education.

Awards

• 2010 Toronto District School Board Award for program/project excellence , Toronto District School Board - 2010
• (Inaugural) Researcher of the Month, January-May 2012 , People for Education - 2012
• Gordon and Jean Southam Fellowship, Association of Commonwealth Universities Titular Fellowship - 2017
• York Research Leader, York University - 2016-2017
• York-Massey Visiting Scholar, Massey College, University of Toronto - 2016-2017
• Dean's Research Impact Award, Dean, Faculty of Education, York University - 2018-2019
• Fellow, McLaughlin College, York University - 2021

Professional Affiliations

• The Canadian Society for the Study of Education : Member; member of Canadian Association of Curriculum studies (CACS); member of Language and Literacy Researchers of Canada (LLRC)
• The Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics: member

York University Affiliations/Cross Appointments

• Institute for Research on Digital Learning: Member
• Centre for research on linguistic and cultural contact/Centre de recherche sur le contact linguistique et culturel: Member

Service/Community Activities

• L'Agence nationale de la recherché: Peer reviewer
• National Center of Science and Technology Evaluation, Ministry of Education and Science: Peer reviewer
• Qatar National Research Fund: Peer reviewer
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council: Past committee member; peer reviewer