Friday showcase to highlight faculty work in multicultural perspectives
The culmination of the 2014-15 Innovative Teaching Showcase will take place from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Friday, June 5, in the Learning Commons (Wilson Library 270).
The event will feature displays, videos and instructional strategy ideas relevant to this year's theme "Infusing Multicultural Perspectives into the Curriculum." Refreshments also will be provided.
Three faculty members are being recognized in this year's showcase:
Amber Sudduth Bone, assistant professor in the Music Department, emphasizes inclusivity in her music, theatre, literature, history, and visual arts courses by enabling students to express themselves—both by bringing the diverse cultural backgrounds of students to their work and by bringing nontraditional artists and works to the curriculum.
Heather Davidson, instructor in the Communication Studies Department, fosters empathetic interpersonal communication and appreciation for all perspectives by making these things a part of every learning activity—from in-class communication exercises and assigned reflective writing to the incorporation of guests and community resources. She encourages students to challenge assumptions, reflect on understandings, and “to enact the empathy skills they develop as agents of positive social change.”
Lysa Rivera, associate professor in the English Department, shows her commitment to multiculturalism via the courses she teaches (Chicana/o and African American literature), the books she assigns for those courses (written by and largely about people of color), and the classroom conversations both often invite. From large survey courses to senior seminars, her students explore perspectives, experiences, and voices—often marginalized and racialized perspectives—vastly different from their own.