Convenors: Hannah Cobb (UK), Karina Croucher (UK), Kathleen Sterling (USA)
Teaching and Learning is transformational, it is powerful and it is empowering. In the words of bell hooks:
The classroom … [is] a location of possibility. In that field of possibility we have the opportunity to labor for freedom, to demand of ourselves and our comrades, an openness of mind and heart that allows us to face reality even as we collectively imagine ways to move beyond boundaries, to transgress. This is education as the practice of freedom. (hooks 1994, 207).
In this theme we invite contributions of sessions and papers which explore the transformational power of teaching and learning and examine its value for the future of our discipline. Through teaching and learning, issues can be addressed that will ensure sustainability of archaeology and heritage. For instance, teaching and learning plays a fundamental role in the movement to decolonise the discipline, and our pedagogy can inform broader intersectional efforts to embed equity, diversity and inclusion in archaeology. These impacts can and should go beyond the discipline, helping build a society that values and protects the full richness of our archaeological heritage. Submissions may also wish to consider other challenges facing the discipline in the world today, for instance, around the introduction of Artificial Intelligence, or the role of teaching and learning in addressing climate crisis, sustainability and environmental needs. Some challenges are not so new, such as how we teach beyond the classroom, and the value of hands on, experimental and experiential learning – what progress has been made in these areas? Have we increased accessibility for teachers and learners in the field, and broadened what is considered expertise and legitimate knowledge? In all of this, students are recognised as active rather than passive, and should be empowered to co-create learning; we therefore invite student-led and collaborative submissions. Finally, this theme breaks down barriers between teaching, research and practice, and we particularly invite research-informed approaches, themes and papers.
Reference: hooks, b. (2014) Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.
Contacts:
Hannah Cobb
University of Manchester, UK
Hannah.Cobb@Manchester.ac.uk
Karina Croucher
University of Bradford, UK
K.Croucher@bradford.ac.uk
Kathleen Sterling
Binghamton University, USA
sterling@binghamton.edu
THEME 09 SESSIONS
T09/Session 03: Archaeology and Outdoor Learning: Global Perspectives
T09/Session 05: Students’ Perspectives on the Teaching and Learning of Archaeological Theory
T09/Session 06: The New Age (of Teaching, Learning and Research): To Whom it May Concern