Caitlin L. Ryan

reflect on what it means to do ethical literacy research. Each author explores ethics as defined not just by traditional, institutional standards, but by standards informed by their specific contexts and broader definitions of justice. Together, these pieces provide direction for any researcher concerned with producing work that nourishes communities beyond research institutions. We begin with an interrogation by Jill M. Hermann-Wilmarth, professor of sociocultural studies at Western Michigan University, and Caitlin L. Ryan, associate professor of reading education at East Carolina University, of what "risk" entails when conducting research in pursuit of justice for LGBTQ youth and communities. Hermann-Wilmarth and Ryan posit that while queer topics themselves are problematically labeled "risky" in classrooms, the real risk lies in perpetuating the silencing of LGBTQ educational experiences through an overregulation of research that engages queer themes with children. Timothy San Pedro, assistant professor of multicultural and equity studies in education at The Ohio State University, continues the conversation with a call to reframe the roles of researcher and participant , highlighting the possibilities of seeing participants as partners in all aspects of research. Rather than attempting qualitative research in pursuit of universal truths about participants' experiences, San Pedro argues that researchers ought to engage participants as coinvestigators, storying the rich, fluid findings that emerge in dialogue between all inquirers. We end with Jen Scott Curwood, associate professor in English education and media studies at the University of Sydney, who offers essential questions for researchers collecting data from online forums. Curwood poses ethical dilemmas common in digitally mediated spaces that push researchers to address both the seemingly unfamiliar conundrums experienced with new technologies and the humanity perennially present in digital worlds. Speaking from across literacy conversations and invigorating ongoing discussions with new inquiries, our In Dialogue contributors encourage us to follow in their footsteps to actively inquire how our research can be ethical.

In this paper, we explore the intersection of critical literacy pedagogy, queer pedagogy, and transgender topics by turning our attention to the learning that supported the writing of an acrostic poem about Title IX and transgender students. We examine how this writing, in turn, created additional content and context that spurred others' learning. We examine this particular poem because of the ways it demonstrates how a 4 th grade student drew on three overarching components of the classroom's instructional context to support its production: the critical literacy pedagogy present in the class, exposure to transgender topics, and the importance of situating students as expert teachers for an authentic audience. Jill M. Hermann-Wilmarth is a professor of Social Foundations in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Studies at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI. Her research and teaching examine issues of identity inside and outside of classrooms using the lenses of literacy, social justice, and critical and deconstructive theories. Among other places, her work can be found in

Drawing on examples of teaching from elementary school classrooms, this timely book for practitioners explains why LGBTQ-inclusive literacy instruction is possible, relevant, and necessary in grades K–5.

The authors show how expanding the English language arts curriculum to include representations of LGBTQ people and themes will benefit all students, allowing them to participate in a truly inclusive classroom. The text describes three different approaches that address the limitations, pressures, and possibilities that teachers in various contexts face around these topics. The authors make clear what LGBTQ-inclusive literacy teaching can look like in practice, including what teachers might say and how students might respond.

Reading the Rainbow is designed to be interactive, providing readers with opportunities to consider these new approaches with respect to their own classrooms and traditional literacy instruction.