1] Cantastoria:
Creatively Telling Our Stories. Room 210.
Kate Thomas, Megan
Pahmier, Diane Worbec-Serratos
- Using the art form cantastoria three art
educators will perform visual storytellings and reveal the poetic and
playful nature of this ancient art form as a method of social critique.
The tradition of cantastoria originated in India as way to use visual
paintings, with song and story, to communicate a social message of
importance. The historical traditions of cantastoria make it a perfect
medium for lecturing, critiquing, and conveying complex information in a
creative format.
2]
Towards a Social-Justice Oriented Chicago Teacher’s Union. Room 214.
Facilitated by members
of the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE)
- With Teachers’ Unions
under attack nationwide, how can Unions survive against the onslaught of
negative media from outside and negative perceptions from a new
generation of teachers? Teacher’s Beyond an agenda of the “bread and
butter” issues of teachers, unions can be a democratizing and social
justice force for students and communities. Large emphasis will be
placed on changes within the Chicago Teachers’ Union.
3] Don’t Just Talk
About it, Be About It: Social Justice & Action in the US History
Classroom. Room 211.
J. Cyriac Mathew & Nathan Haines
- We will be presenting a
Freirean perspective about what it means to teach for social justice in
the US history classroom. This perspective radically differs from
traditional history classrooms and differs significantly from most
“liberal” and “progressive” history classrooms. Our contention is that
the US history classroom must make its primary focus the conditions of
oppression faced by our students, and also must build in action by
students to transform that oppression.
4] NOT Waiting for Superman: The Money Behind
the Movie and What We Should Do About It. Room 200.
Bob Peterson,
Rethinking Schools.
- This workshop will start with a presentation
and group discussion on the money and ideology behind the movie “Waiting
for ‘Superman.’” The second part of the workshop will examine the
organized response to the movie and the strategic implications this
movie has for progressive educators and teacher union activists.
5] Chain of Change:
Mobile Media Youth Responses to Violence. Room 212.
Salome Chasnoff,
Rebecca Connie and Tara Malik, of Beyondmedia Education
- Chain of Change, a
Beyondmedia Education initiative, organizes youth across community
boundaries to create and broadcast media that expose the roots of
violence. ChainofChange.com is a forum for youth-led discussion on the
many forms of violence youth face, from relationship violence and street
harassment to institutional and media violence. Through story sharing
and hands-on activities, participants in this workshop will learn how to
create and use mobile media devices, such as Flip cameras and cell
phones, for preventative and curative anti-violence activism.
6] Leaving No ELL
Behind When it Comes to Comprehension. Room 202.
Meredith Piec &
Nalleli Martinez, Cleveland Public Schools
- “I don’t get it”… “Huh?”… “Qué?” If you
find yourself hearing these all too familiar, reoccurring phrases from
your students, this workshop is for you. Our ELL students may have
learned to read, they may even be fluent readers, but it’s time we teach
them how to read for meaning. Learn how to scaffold your reading
comprehension instruction utilizing the language domains and
proficiencies of your students with culturally relevant picture books.
7] Start Building
Supportive LGBTQ Educational Spaces. Room 213.
Edith Bucio, Jenny
Weston, and Aerin Dugan
- Join us in exploring the impact that allies
have in your own life. Connect these experiences to the importance of
allies in the LGBTQA community in educational spaces. Through
interactive activities we will learn how to use these ally
characteristics in real life situations.
---------------------------
Session Two: 2:30-3:45
(Second Floor)
1] Organizing for
Radical Educational Transformation in Chicago, in a post-Daley era. Room
211.
Members
of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU)
- Public education is under attack on
many fronts. Where are these attacks coming from and why are they
occurring? How can teachers, parents, students, community and education
allies UNITE to demand a voice in education and school improvement
issues? This workshop will emphasize the many educational transformation
efforts that are occurring and engage participants to strategize on
what else can be done to defend and strengthen Public Education.
2] Teaching through Lies:
Ideological Literacy and Popular Culture. Room 212.
Patrick Camangian,
University of San Francisco
- This workshop will provide teachers with
classroom strategies to help their students analyze the ideological
structure through which ideas of race, class and gender are constructed
in the media generally, and in corporate rap music specifically.
Drawing on critical perspectives for a teaching framework, this
workshop offers curricular examples for preparing students to examine
issues of privilege, social control, and oppression in U.S. society
while fostering their intellectual analysis, academic aptitude and
creative writing and voice.
3] Urban Renewal or Urban Removal? Draft Curriculum
Release and Practical Applications for Educators, Activists, and
Community Members. Room 200.
David Stovall, Anton Miglietta, Myrna Garcia,
Gabriel Cortez
- Participants will receive a draft of Urban Renewal or Urban
Removal?,*
the first completed unit of A People’s Chicago: Our Stories of Change
and Struggle, as well as other classroom projects and materials on
Chicago’s history and some current realities (3rd grade, 7 – 12th
grades). Everyone will get to examine key aspects of the curriculum
including historic documents and a photographic journey into Chicago
Communities 2010 – an ongoing photographic series. A classroom tour of
curriculum exhibits, topic station choices, small group work, and
chances to make practical connections are all emphasized. Please reach
out on your areas of interest to attend monthly curriculum creation
nights. *space limited to first 30
4] Empowering Parents
for a Social Justice Classroom. Room 214.
Grow Your Own Students
and Logan Square Neighborhood Association
- This workshop focuses
on the importance of including parents and community members in a social
justice classroom. Currently, the disconnection between community and
schools is thriving under policies in urban schools that uproot students
from their communities. Logan Square parents recognize the need for
school-family relationships and took it upon themselves not only to
invite but to encourage parents to be an authentic part of the
classroom. This workshop will highlight the barriers to parent
participation and invite participants to brainstorm strategies that
effectively use the assets of the community in a social justice-based
classroom.
5] Using Spoken Word
in the Classroom. Room 213.
Tim Stafford
- Using Spoken Word in the classroom- Tim
Stafford is the editor of the anthology Learn Then Burn and co-authored
its Teachers Edition. He is also a poet and Chicago Public Schools
Teacher. In this workshop Tim will show you how to use spoken word as
well as your own writing to teach poetry in a way that is both
productive and engaging.
6] Introduction to the Occupation in
Palestine/ Israel. Room 202.
Muhammad Sankari, Shira Tevah, Ruby
Thorkelson
- This
workshop gives high-school students and teachers an overview of the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict leading to current Israeli occupation of
Palestine, and the political struggles and everyday realities that are
part of the occupation. The workshop uses media including maps and music
videos to dissect the historical context of the occupation and break
down Zionism, as well as relate the situation in that part of the world
to displacement, eviction, brutality, and resistance that may look
familiar to Chicago students. Students and teachers are welcome and will
receive a workshop outline and resource list for those wanting to
replicate the workshop.
7] Roots Of Violence- Heterosexism. Room 210.
Xia, KOKUMO, Benjamin,
Nalleli, and Sam (Gender Just)
- This training is designed so that trainees
will be able to understand the ways in which everyone is impacted by
systemic violence based on sexual orientation and gender-identity, as
well as the ways that it is connected to other forms of systemic
violence such as white supremacy and imperialism. The goal is to develop
a shared recognition of systematic violence based on sexual orientation
and gender-identities.
Read the Full Story
"Part of the reason I became a teacher is to teach children about social justice, acceptance, and tolerance to improve the world we live in! If we can open the minds of children at a young age, just imagine where our country could be in terms of tolerance, love, and acceptance."
Keep an eye on our website.. we're going to attempt to web stream the keynote speakers and will be sharing video, photo & audio from the event shortly after. 
Following on the US Social
Forum in Detroit in June, the national upswing in education organizing,
the victory in Milwaukee against Mayoral takeover of their public
schools, and the recent tremendous victory by CORE for Chicago Teachers
Union leadership, we recognize the need more than ever to build the
momentum of the Education for Liberation movement. 
Last year was my first year exhibiting, and like many, I was very
apprehensive at first. However, with the encouragement of my
dear friend, Jonah, active member of TSJ, I worked up the courage.
Still a little worried about how I could possibly contribute to the
fair, I enlisted the help of my co-teacher Mary. We brainstormed
how we could or already had incorporated social justice ideals such as
anti-racist, multilingual, student-centered, etc. education in the
classroom. We realized we were implementing social justice
principles while teaching the novel, Monster by Walter Dean
Myers through our discussions of the injustices youth of color,
specifically African Americans, face with the judicial system. 
