Pedagogies of Possibility

Deborah Keisch (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) and Jessica Bacal (Smith College)

Drawing from the organizers’ edited volume, Pedagogies of Possibility: Supporting Undergrads to Imagine and Build Futures of Their Own Making (West Virginia University Press), this Collaboratory will build a community of radical educators in higher education committed to exploring new ways of teaching and learning that can meet the needs of this current moment. Educators can find themselves isolated within their own institutions when it comes to evolving their pedagogy, as we often don’t talk about teaching practice in higher education, particularly if it involves our struggles. Educators who want to experiment and move beyond traditional modes of teaching may be fearful to do so because of how closely their teaching evaluations are tied to tenure and promotion. This Collaboratory will serve as a touchstone — a way for people to connect across institutions, strengthening their access to resources, to pedagogical comrades, and to possibilities for collaboration, including collaborative research.