Kris D. Gutiérrez

She examines relationships among language, culture, and human development and implications of these relationships for the teaching and learning of literacy and translingualism, the role of language in mediating learning, organizing literacy activity, and shaping social practices of learning environments; how the organization of a community's practices, the role of other participants, and available cultural tools in the social ecology of individuals' lives contribute to the nature of students' learning. Her research has substantively shaped theorizing, practice and national policy around language variation and opportunity to learn in both schools and informal environments. Her designed-based research has helped to shape the Learning Sciences.