Pedagogical Ecosystems: A Symposium Reflection
by Josh Rust
On February 25th, Stetson’s College of Law hosted the 4th Inclusive Excellence in Teaching Symposium, an all-day event in which instructors shared teaching strategies and projects.
This year’s theme was “pedagogical ecosystems,” built around the thought that just as students adapt to classrooms, classrooms need to be thought as spaces which can be adapted to students. How might the physical space and teaching techniques that constitute the classroom be modified to encourage sensitivity to individual difference, active engagement with diverse perspectives, co-operative learning, intrinsically motivated participation, and connectedness across various areas of knowledge?
Tim Kaye started off the discussion by introducing participants to his e-book platform, Webby Books. He walked us through they way in which the platform was designed for universal access. Features include standardized keyboard navigation, screen-reader friendly text, optimized and customizable color schemes, and support for dyslexia-friendly fonts. Information can be found here: https://webby-books.com/
Shawnrece Campbell, Patrick Coggins, and Rajni Shankar-Brown discussed strategies for working with adult learners, especially as Stetson closes in on the launch of the Degree Completion Program. We discussed, in particular, how the non-academic accomplishments of many such learners could be incorporated into the curriculum, setting the stage for mutual respect.
Becky Morgan and Roberta Flowers introduced us to the features of the Eleazer Courtroom, where the conference took place. The Eleazer Courtroom is the first courtroom in the nation designed specifically with the needs of elderly people and the disabled in mind, and it serves as a national model for improving courtroom access. They had us engage in disability simulations to better understand some of the room’s features.
Charlie Rose, Stephanie Vaughan, and Catherine Cameron talked about “simulated experiential learning opportunities” as an effective learning modality. There are many aspects of the legal profession which can only be shown, and simulated trials give students a relatively low-stakes picture of how, for example, attorneys should and should not interface with a judge.
Ann Piccard and Kristen Adams discussed the hiddenness of poverty among many of our students. They asked us to reimagine poverty, less in terms of a lack monetary power, and more in terms of a opportunity deficit, and drew our attention to the ways in which the hidden rules of class, as articulated in Bridges out of Poverty, might constrain a student ability to recognize or take advantage of opportunities.
Gregory Sapp and Tammy Briant walked us through a photographic tour of their storied Civil Rights Travel Course. They talked about the positive effects the course has had, not just on the instructors and students, but also on some of the Freedom Riders and other civil rights advocates with whom they conversed.
Finally, Pamela Cappas-Toro, Andy Eisen, Melinda Hall, and Joshua Rust relayed their experiences teaching students in the Tomoka correctional Institution, near the DeLand campus. Since Pamela, Andy, and Jelena Petrovic organized the Community Education Project two years ago, the program has grown to the point that it can provide three classes a week to the students, each of which is supported by volunteers – see Facebook group for more information.
I’m grateful to those who presented in and helped organize the Symposium. This couldn’t have happened without the generous support of the Brown Center for Faculty Innovation and Excellence and the College of Law, and, without the efforts of Kimberly Flint-Hamilton, Joe Morrissey, Dean Pietruszkiewicz, Rosalie Richards, and Julia Metzker.
I took away several ideas that will, hopefully, make a difference to the way I construct my classroom space.