As an OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education) alumna, I enjoyed a full day of inspiring workshops at the Justice and Peace Conference on Saturday.
First, I attended Simon Malbogat's (Mixed Company) workshop on Forum Theatre. The young aspiring teachers-to-be were very keen on getting to know more about this wonderful technique of using theatre arts for social change. I was surprised how few of them actually new of the Theatre of the Oppressed and Augusto Boal's work. This makes me think that yes, let's bring Forum to the schools, but not to the students, but to the teachers. It would be an excellent professional development strategy.
My second workshop was all about anger: Understanding the Roots of Anger. I especially enjoyed the biological background with which Lisa Romano-Dwyer supported her presentation. And, what I appreciated most was a place of compassion and understanding that she was coming from. It was not about "managing" the anger, but rather about understanding the causes and effects of anger. Also, she talked to us as future teachers who are angry as well; not only our students.
In the afternoon, Jeff Kugler, Karen Murray, and Nicole West-Burns from the Centre for Urban Schooling presented the story of Africville and its use in the 5-Step Lesson Plan to Move Issue to Action. They demonstrated culturally responsive and relevant curriculum by working with the story of Halifax African-American community - Africville. I learned a shameful and discriminatory piece of Canadian history along with some interesting strategies of implementing such story into teaching.
I am grateful for a well spent Saturday with OISE students. And hope for similar opportunities in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment