The Fall Institute 2020 will be taking place from October 26-29, 2020, with the support of funding from the Vice-Dean of Governance and Student Affairs, Dr. Francis Bangou's office. There are a series of four speakers, each speaking on a different evening (i.e. 7-8pm EST), to provide graduate students, teacher candidates, and teachers an opportunity to (un)learn. This year, the theme focuses on a primer on antiracism in education. We are also proud to announce Dr. Saba Alvi as our keynote speaker, who will get the week started with the first workshop.
Day 1 — October 26, 2020: Antiracism 101 with Dr. Saba Alvi (she/her)
Register Here: Keynote Speaker on Antiracism 101 from 7-8pm EST
Description: This workshop launches with our keynote speaker, Dr. Saba Alvi. In particular, the workshop focuses on antiracism, as a theory and practice, and how we, as educators, can use it as a lens. By defining antiracism, in particular, a scope is provided to get the discussion started. It provides an overview of what it means to be actively antiracist, as well. Then, the workshop considers the ways we can address and challenge racism in the classroom context, especially considering the diversity of our students. Drawing from her experience, Dr. Alvi ties all of this together to provide a message — one of hope and a language of possibility — to inspire educators to disrupt the field of education and better support our students.
Facilitator Bio: Dr. Alvi is a part-time professor a part of the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. She has taught several courses both in Teacher Education and graduate studies, including but not limited to Antiracism and Racism, Globalization and Comparative Education, and Schooling & Society. She was the recipient of the Part-Time Professor Award for Excellence 2019 at the Faculty of Education and the Part-Time Professor of the Year 2019 at the University of Ottawa.
Description: This workshop launches with our keynote speaker, Dr. Saba Alvi. In particular, the workshop focuses on antiracism, as a theory and practice, and how we, as educators, can use it as a lens. By defining antiracism, in particular, a scope is provided to get the discussion started. It provides an overview of what it means to be actively antiracist, as well. Then, the workshop considers the ways we can address and challenge racism in the classroom context, especially considering the diversity of our students. Drawing from her experience, Dr. Alvi ties all of this together to provide a message — one of hope and a language of possibility — to inspire educators to disrupt the field of education and better support our students.
Facilitator Bio: Dr. Alvi is a part-time professor a part of the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. She has taught several courses both in Teacher Education and graduate studies, including but not limited to Antiracism and Racism, Globalization and Comparative Education, and Schooling & Society. She was the recipient of the Part-Time Professor Award for Excellence 2019 at the Faculty of Education and the Part-Time Professor of the Year 2019 at the University of Ottawa.
Day 2 — October 27, 2020: Performative Allyship with Shyam Patel (he/him)
Register Here: Performative Allyship Workshop from 7-8pm EST
Description: This workshop commences with the reading of a personal essay, "I'm Afraid of White People" written for and by a teacher of colour. It then looks at how white privilege and white supremacy continue to be on the rise, seeping into the classroom, including teacher education and graduate studies. Once this is taken into consideration, the workshop delves into the ways antiracism, drawing on the (un)learnings from the keynote speaker workshop, continues to be dominated and hijacked by performative [white] allies and those with complicities/proximities to whiteness. Considering this, the workshop will ask, "What can we do to shift from perfomative politics — whether well-intentioned or not — towards transformative practices?"
Facilitator Bio: Shyam is a current MA student a part of the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. He is a former teacher candidate from the University of Ottawa (2018-20) and a former fellow from Teach for India (2014-17). He was one of the founding co-organizers of the Teacher Candidates of Colour (TCC) Collective and now one of the organizers of the Education Graduate Students of Colour (EGSC). For his thesis, he will focus on the experiences and stories of teacher candidates of colour (TCCs).
Description: This workshop commences with the reading of a personal essay, "I'm Afraid of White People" written for and by a teacher of colour. It then looks at how white privilege and white supremacy continue to be on the rise, seeping into the classroom, including teacher education and graduate studies. Once this is taken into consideration, the workshop delves into the ways antiracism, drawing on the (un)learnings from the keynote speaker workshop, continues to be dominated and hijacked by performative [white] allies and those with complicities/proximities to whiteness. Considering this, the workshop will ask, "What can we do to shift from perfomative politics — whether well-intentioned or not — towards transformative practices?"
Facilitator Bio: Shyam is a current MA student a part of the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. He is a former teacher candidate from the University of Ottawa (2018-20) and a former fellow from Teach for India (2014-17). He was one of the founding co-organizers of the Teacher Candidates of Colour (TCC) Collective and now one of the organizers of the Education Graduate Students of Colour (EGSC). For his thesis, he will focus on the experiences and stories of teacher candidates of colour (TCCs).
Day 3 — October 28, 2020: Intercultural Perspectives by Rebeca Mahadeo (she/her)
Register Here: Intercultural Perspectives from 7-8pm EST
Description: In this session, participants will learn about the Intercultural Development Continuum and understand the stages to developing one’s own intercultural and global mindset. This workshop, as such, focuses on the shift from multiculturalism to interculturality, delving into a reflection on what educators can do based on where they are on their individual (un)learning journeys. Rebeca brings a wealth of experience and will draw on that extensive portfolio to continue this important conversation about how to dismantle problematized and troubled practices to more enriching and meaningful ones. This workshop is typically packed when run at the University of Toronto, so be sure not to miss out.
Facilitator Bio: Rebeca Mahadeo is the Student Development Coordinator for Intercultural Programs at the University of Toronto-Mississauga’s International Education Centre. Rebeca’s portfolio is dedicated to bringing intercultural consciousness to the campus by supporting students, staff and faculty in their individual journeys of navigating their cultural self-identities and the understanding and appreciation for identities of “cultural others”. Additionally, Rebeca is a registered Social Worker and brings her experience with counselling, case management, and community practice to her holistic, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed work.
Description: In this session, participants will learn about the Intercultural Development Continuum and understand the stages to developing one’s own intercultural and global mindset. This workshop, as such, focuses on the shift from multiculturalism to interculturality, delving into a reflection on what educators can do based on where they are on their individual (un)learning journeys. Rebeca brings a wealth of experience and will draw on that extensive portfolio to continue this important conversation about how to dismantle problematized and troubled practices to more enriching and meaningful ones. This workshop is typically packed when run at the University of Toronto, so be sure not to miss out.
Facilitator Bio: Rebeca Mahadeo is the Student Development Coordinator for Intercultural Programs at the University of Toronto-Mississauga’s International Education Centre. Rebeca’s portfolio is dedicated to bringing intercultural consciousness to the campus by supporting students, staff and faculty in their individual journeys of navigating their cultural self-identities and the understanding and appreciation for identities of “cultural others”. Additionally, Rebeca is a registered Social Worker and brings her experience with counselling, case management, and community practice to her holistic, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed work.
Day 4 — October 29, 2020: Queering Antiracism efforts, ethical citation practice and knowledge production in the classroom by Linzey Corridon (he/him)
Register Here: Queering Antiracism from 7-8pm EST
Description: This session is preoccupied with thinking through modes of queering antiracism efforts through ethical citation practice and knowledge production in the classroom. Through conscious questioning and rethinking of how instructors cultivate and disseminate knowledge to students in the classroom, ideas of queering citation and knowledge production practices will be brought to the forefront of the discussion. This workshop is excellent for graduate students and teacher candidates interested in queering antiracism work or developing an ethical citation practice for their assignments, research, and writing.
Facilitator Bio: Linzey Corridon is a Vincentian guy, an emerging writer, teacher and activist. His critical and creative work can be found in publications such as The Puritan, Montreal Writes, Insight Journal, and Emotional Magazine. A PhD student in the department of English and Cultural Studies at McMaster university, his current research navigates literature, queer theory, cultural and policy studies, and the digital humanities to think critically about new and continually generative ways in which queer West Indian and diasporic writing may be used to reform CARICOM notions of citizenship and policy-making.
Description: This session is preoccupied with thinking through modes of queering antiracism efforts through ethical citation practice and knowledge production in the classroom. Through conscious questioning and rethinking of how instructors cultivate and disseminate knowledge to students in the classroom, ideas of queering citation and knowledge production practices will be brought to the forefront of the discussion. This workshop is excellent for graduate students and teacher candidates interested in queering antiracism work or developing an ethical citation practice for their assignments, research, and writing.
Facilitator Bio: Linzey Corridon is a Vincentian guy, an emerging writer, teacher and activist. His critical and creative work can be found in publications such as The Puritan, Montreal Writes, Insight Journal, and Emotional Magazine. A PhD student in the department of English and Cultural Studies at McMaster university, his current research navigates literature, queer theory, cultural and policy studies, and the digital humanities to think critically about new and continually generative ways in which queer West Indian and diasporic writing may be used to reform CARICOM notions of citizenship and policy-making.
