Webinars and talks

SALTISE webinar | Teaching about Complicity: Reflecting on Creativity, Critical Thinking and Social Change

April 01, 2022 | 2:30 - 4:00 PM

About this event

“We have to think with nuance, and unfortunately public discourse rarely allows for nuance. And see where that has gotten us.”
Roxane Gay; from an interview with Aida Edemariam, The Guardian, 27 Dec. 2018

Classroom discussions about privilege and disadvantage are difficult. Harms can be done, traumas triggered, and mistakes made that can leave an impression – valid or not – that unjust power structures are being reproduced in the classroom. The goal of this webinar is to work through the complexities present when an educator stumbles into the polarizing social issues of today. Do intentions matter? How can creativity, critical thinking and social change be integrated into the classroom to minimize the potential for harm, while deepening the learning taking place? And when mistakes are made, what can we learn from nonviolent and reparative approaches to righting wrongs?

Join us on April 1st at 2:30pm to discuss these and many other questions presented by our presenters Pat Romano and Kim Simard. They have worked together on several educational initiatives, including the Resist Violence pedagogical development project. They currently have a 2-year ECQ Grant to further develop this educational approach into a college-wide initiative, the Creative Collective for Change, that seeks to create inclusive spaces for conversation and action on polarizing social issues.

Presenter(s)

Kim Simard

Kim Simard

Professor in the Department of Cinema and Communications, Dawson College

Kim Simard is at once a teacher, filmmaker and community activist who has presented and practiced in global contexts. Currently involved in many pedagogical projects in Montreal, Kim is making a habit of learning from her students and colleagues at Dawson College.

Pat Romano

Pat Romano

Professor in the Humanities Department, Dawson College

Pat Romano teaches in the Humanities Department at Dawson College. Her academic background is in political science, and she is currently teaching courses that explore the potential of nonviolent resistance and the ethical questions raised by our responses to historical wrongs.

Vanessa Copeland

Vanessa Copeland

Teacher, Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf

Vanessa Copeland is an English language teacher at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf with a passion for literature, learning, and asking questions. After completing a Master’s in Applied Linguistics at Concordia University, she plunged into the world of educational publishing for six years. An active volunteer, she cares deeply about community building, reconciliAction, and advocacy.

Additional information

Location
Virtual
Organizer
SALTISE
Language
English
Fee
Free