When: September 21-23, 2016
Where: Science Center 318, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Institution: The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, Harvard University
Facilitator: Doris Sommer
The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning and Professor Doris Sommer, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, invited faculty and Teaching Fellows to participate in a 3-session workshop to explore the possibilities of Pre-Texts training for adaptation in the Harvard classroom. Graduate students who participated in the workshop were able to count their participation toward one seminar requirement for a Bok Center Teaching Certificate by doing a follow-up project in their classrooms and meeting with other participants to explore the results.
From September 21-23, multiple graduate students and professionals from different fields came together at Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning to rediscover learning through play. The three-day workshop not only provided an introduction into the workings of the Pre-Texts methodology, but it also created a space for critical thinking about how and why we learn. Through a series of warm ups, creative dynamics, artistic responses, and process reflection, attendees were able to experience profound curiosity with a literary work and explore ways in which civic engagement can be fostered among students. Participants also had the chance to come up with their own ideas of how to interact with the text and the opportunity of facilitating their initiatives with the group. Many of those who attended these activities were left inspired in how there are a myriad of innovative ways to bring literary works to life and create a respectful environment where everyone’s voice is valued. Pre-Texts reminded us that learning should be fun, and that the key for encouraging literacy is igniting our imagination!
More photos of the workshop are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/culturalagentsharvard/albums/72157674501658116