Teaching Through Controversy:
There Are No Bad Questions
with Dr. Brandy Shufutinsky
Ethnic Studies Professional Development: Constructing Ethnic Studies
This PD will help educators build Constructive Ethnic Studies curricula in their schools. Educators will become acquainted with the guiding principles, curricular elements, and pedagogy of Ethnic Studies. Special focus will be on developing meaningful lesson plans that engage students by encouraging curiosity and cultivating critical thinking skills.
Content bans and lessons taught under the radar are becoming increasingly normalized. This course seeks to counter this growing chasm between home and school by helping educators develop skills to facilitate learning through controversy. Healthy classrooms where students are encouraged to share their thoughts and questions without concern of being canceled are where authentic learning occurs.
*Registration for this course is for all 3 classes. A syllabus will be provided to registrants prior to the first class.*
Lecture One: Teachers as facilitators: The role of teachers in the classroom Nov 2 @ 7 pm ET
Teachers as facilitators: The role of teachers in the classroom
This session will focus on defining the role of the teacher in the classroom. Some believe that it is a teacher’s job to instill morals and values in their students through lessons. Others feel that it is up to parents to guide their children’s morality, and that teachers should stick to teaching the basics. We will examine what the data shows alongside what parents, teachers, and students are saying.
Lecture Two: Improving intercultural communications for an inclusive classroom Nov 9 @ 7 pm ET
This session will focus on identifying the tenets necessary for positive intercultural communication. Although imperfect, public schools have been on the forefront of integrating diverse communities across the US. Oftentimes the very diversity that makes our society rich, also can lead to divisiveness. One way to address this is to focus on how to improve how we communicate with one another in a constructive manner. If we are going to truly understand each other, then it is necessary to create learning spaces that acknowledge the variety of communication styles.
Lecture Three: Inclusivity in the humanities: Expanding the narrative Nov 16 @ 7 pm ET
In this session, we will build upon Improving Intercultural Communication for an Inclusive Classroom, by applying the tenets for positive intercultural communication to the specific field of history/social studies. Education is at an inflection point, where communities are demanding that their narratives, experiences, and history be included in the classroom. However, the manner in which this is done has led to contentious debate. Inclusivity in the Humanities: Expanding the Narrative will take an in-depth approach to constructive inclusive humanities classes without becoming exclusionary.