Page 7 - Thinking through Diversity with Art

written from a synthesis of the participants’ everyday experiences. The artwork aim to provide the impetus for teachers and students to engage in dialogues that touch upon their own experiences necessary for bringing about change. It is hoped that using creative methods to share ideas can help promote a supportive learning environment for addressing sensitive topics.
Participating in performance and story sharing in class can make teachers and students feel exposed and so it is important to establish a set of ground rules. Mutual respect and understanding are
especially important when and if conflicts arise and an acknowledgement that people may not share similar viewpoints.
This teaching resource is to be used in supplement to students’ prior knowledge in their theoretical backgrounds and literatures related to the learning objectives. Teachers may need to first of all introduce to students how knowledge is always partial and every individual brings their own experiences as legitimate knowledge according to their own contexts. This safe setting is fundamental if deeper learning, thinking and emotion is to be experienced within both teachers and students, for possible changes.
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