MLA 2025 Convention LogoDr. Melissa Sprenkle, NMC Communications instructor, recently attended the 140th Modern Language Association (MLA) Annual Convention at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in New Orleans, Louisiana. This professional development opportunity was funded by CIE. Here’s what Melissa had to say about the experience: 

 

What was the name of the conference/PD opportunity you attended?

140th MLA (Modern Language Association) Annual Convention.

When and where did the event take place?

January 9th-12th, 2025 in New Orleans, LA.

Please share details from a memorable keynote speaker, conference session, or something else notable from the event:

I think I might have attended MLA 20 years ago and the conference has changed a lot, but it is still an intellectually stimulating experience going to sessions and hearing people present cutting edge research on literary and linguistic topics. I mostly attended sessions focusing on AI in the humanities. I opened the conference by attending a half day workshop “Actionable AI in the Humanities Classroom” sponsored by the MLA and CCCC Task Force and then I went to sessions where other researchers were questioning the task force’s approach to AI Literacy. Being in the center of knowledge making (which always includes debate and friction!) is energizing. I met people running a new journal on Critical AI Literacy and talked with folks at different institutions (teachers and administrators) who are working on AI academic policies while keeping learning and equity in mind. Attending the conference at the beginning of my sabbatical linked me in to the latest research and gave me starting points for where the current conversations about AI and learning are focused. Thinking about teaching science fiction and fantasy, I also attended a session called “Black Fantasy World-Building” and I took away some ideas for the next time I teach N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season from a talk by Kiana Murphy at Brown University called “Apocalyptic Relativity: Catastrophe and the Fault Lines of History in the Works of N.K. Jemisin.”

I was pretty focused on taking things in at the conference, but I also enjoyed New Orleans. I’d never visited before and I was charmed by the city. The conference hotel was a few blocks away from the French Quarter, so I went out for walks and sampled some of the sights and a lot of the food!

How likely are you to recommend this opportunity to a colleague? 

Very Likely

Do you have any big takeaways that you’ll be applying to your pedagogy in the near future?

I’ve mentioned some of my takeaways already, and I’ll be sharing resources on AI literacy and pedagogy in the coming months. One point that stood out to me and that came up in different contexts throughout the conference was a point made by David Green, Jr of Howard University during the half day workshop on AI literacy. Professor Green encouraged college teachers that when it comes to knowing how to practice writing, reading, and critical thinking “We got game.” Our tools for learning how to do those things still work and Gen AI is not going to teach students how to do those things.

Is there anything else you’d like CIE or your colleagues at NMC to know about this experience? 

Go if you get the chance!