Decolonizing Pedagogy

Developed by Asilia Franklin-Phipps As the decolonial paradigm gains traction in the world of education, we pause to consider what that means in CUNY, how it is connected to larger discourses and practices by educators and scholars, and the ways we can conceptualize of a teaching practice that is aligned with goals and principles that are decolonizing. This session will first offer space and resources for discussion on decolonizing research and teaching methodologies in academia, both imagining the possibilities and problematizing our positionalities of a decolonial practice in the classroom. The second part of the workshop will turn to how …

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Using Online Polls to Promote Active Learning and Student Engagement

Developed by Fernanda Blanco Vidal fblancovidal@gradcenter.cuny.edu             “Technology doesn’t inherently improve learning; it merely makes possible effective pedagogy, and only when it is consonant with an instructor’s educational philosophy and beliefs and reinforced by other components of the total course” (Beatty, 2004, p. 08)    Have you ever introduced a new concept in your classroom and asked the students what they think about it, but they have remained quiet? Or have you assigned an excellent reading that you’re sure will promote interesting discussions, but your students don’t connect with the content? As educators, many of …

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Speech Communications in the Virtual Classroom

Developed by Kyueun Kim and Mei Ling Chua In spring 2020, many of us were pushed to communicate and conduct classes through our electronic devices. The move to the virtual classroom, however, was not a simple 1:1 shift. Our interactions are being flattened to different degrees by video, audio, and textual modes that may or may not be happening at the same time. The move had effects that ranged from the subtle dimension of (not) seeing the physical expressions and reactions of others, to drastically rethinking how to accomplish different classroom engagements like lectures, students’ presentations, and discussions. Acknowledging this …

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Activating Linguistic Diversity in the Classroom

Developed by Kyueun Kim CUNY’s classrooms are famously diverse, a reality reflected in the vast number of languages spoken by undergraduate students. Have you thought about how this language diversity will impact your teaching, and specifically how they how language dynamics impact classroom communication? How do we as instructors (especially international students and non-native English speakers) address the politics of language in the classroom? What strategies are there to make our classrooms more inclusive of non-native English speakers, and what are the benefits of seeking to “activate” the multiple linguistic identities of our students as elements of our learning?  This …

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