The faculty, staff, and students of Pratt's Film/Video department are engaged in a conversation about how we can improve student learning on the departmental level by incorporating intercultural pedagogy across the curriculum in small, manageable ways. Together we will work on researching best practices, as well as developing and implementing strategies on multiple levels that could positively impact student learning. The project is a work in progress and we intend to implement as many strategies as possible to see what works and what doesn't. We encourage input and dialogue with other departments working on similar fronts (please get in touch with Kara Hearn khearn@pratt.edu). We will keep an update of our efforts and plans here.
INCLUSIVE PEDAGOGY WORKING GROUP- We will hold monthly meetings for faculty and staff to discuss readings and brainstorm strategies to improving student learning through inclusive pedagogy and other community and skill building efforts. We will also discuss and unpack difficult or uncomfortable moments that are coming up in the classroom so everyone can learn how to better manage such moments together.
PEER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM- We have started a straightforward peer mentorship program to help connect students across grades for advice, guidance, and crewing connections. The idea is that students in their first and second year will have an older student they can go to with questions about the film major experience, and that junior and senior students will be able to recruit PAs or other crew members for film projects through the younger students. We are assigning first years to juniors and sophomores to seniors. The hope is that it will leave everyone feeling more supported and engaged while connecting folks who would otherwise never meet.
EXPANDING THE FRAME FILM SERIES- As an extension of his Fiction II course, professor Matías Piñeiro is organizing a screening series on Wednesday evenings in Film/Video's Katherine L. McKenna Screening Room. The selection of films will reflect contemporary international cinema with an emphasis on filmmakers outside the western white male canon. These screenings are open to all Pratt students, faculty and staff and will be followed by conversations. Dates and film titles will be published here when available.
Wed., September 19, 7pm, THE KILLER OF SHEEP by Charles Burnett
Wed., September 25, 7pm, LOVE UNDER THE CRUCIFIX by Kinuyo Tanaka
SETTING THE STAGE TEMPLATE- Before the start of the semester, a template was shared with faculty to use as a starting point on the first day of class to establish a safe and supportive classroom where productive discomfort and cultural humility are accepted and encouraged. It also encouraged the sharing of pronouns and learning to pronounce student's names as strategies to encourage student engagement and learning.
CREW BOARDS- New physical and online crew boards will be put in place to facilitate communication and opportunities for skill building between students.
INITIAL MEETINGS/ CONVERSATIONS- We met with core group of students and faculty to discuss where the department is in relation to it's statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The information collected from these meetings, senior exit surveys, and tech department evaluations informed the work we are doing this fall.