Issue #202 - The Spaces in Between
Subtle Commotion
It’s been a wintery week, the snow came a few nights ago and although it was pleasant, and the boys even took a sled out, the temperature fell, and the cold crept in, and now it looks like it’s here to stay at least for a bit. I enjoy those mornings shovelling snow, clearing the pavement before people have walked by.
I’ve learned how taking the layer off, even when it’s still snowing, will keep your driveway and paths clear. We spread salt on the steps, and it reacts almost immediately, breaking down the hardest of compacted ice, it’s something that I’m used to now. The whole place looks magical, and life just carries on pretty much as normal, roads are clear, busses run, kids head off to school.
This week I’ve been preparing, getting my courses ready for the start of the semester. I still have so much to sort out, and I’ll need time over the weekend to catch up a bit. It’s okay though, it’s staying in weather, and I might as well be working.
Stephan
Teaching & Learning
I’ll be teaching two courses, 82.284 Multicultural Pittsburgh: Relating your world in VR and 82.265 Whispers & Echoes: Third Cinema, People, Language and Culture in Documentary Storytelling. The first is a mini, which means it will last six weeks and the second a full semester course. In the second half, MCP will followed by 82.288 Everyday Learning: Designing Learning Experiences in Times of Unrest an Uncertainty, which is one of my favourite courses to teach. As readers to this publication will know, it explores concepts of community learning, informal learning, and extends into critical pedagogies, and the idea of play in teaching & learning.
I’m going to revamp all the courses, or at least modify some parts. The documentary course is co-taught, and my wonderful colleague and I have already talked about tweaks, changes, and moving things around a bit. We thought hard about how aspects of the course were received last time, and it’s only fair that we address particular concerns and issues we have, mostly about the direction some of the film projects took, and how to avoid particular missteps and difficulties that were encountered.
I really want to overall the Everyday Learning course, not because I think it doesn’t work, rather I want it to really fulfill the ambition that we had in setting it up. When it was first conceived, those times of unrest and uncertainty were connected to the pandemic, and to the political climate that saw first a move towards more inclusive teaching and learning, then the backlash against it, which has continued on the right. I need to think about unrest and uncertainty in the present, and perhaps even if I know what I think it is, it may be different for the students, and I’ll want to interrogate that. I want to talk about book bans, the consequences of potentially shutting down the department of education, and how learning, especially informal learning becomes a form of resistance.
Life Lessons
My thoughts are with friends and colleagues in Los Angeles, where parts of the city are burning, entire communities devastated by brush fires, flames fanned by strong winds, while firefighters combat disinformation while trying to save peoples’ homes. The climate emergency is happening now, and while last year was the hottest on record, it seems fires are caused just as much by racism, and inequality, as wind and heat, we only have to look back at the terrible scenes in Hawaii, or learn of people trying to hire private firefighters to save their homes.
I’m also thinking about last year’s flooding in North Carolina, hearing stories of people’s livelihoods, businesses buried in the mud. Sometimes artists and craftspeople, those with studios and workshops that will need to be rebuilt, if ever they can be. It will be the same in LA, while we see those fires overhead from the lens of a helicopter, there are people furiously trying to get out, save a few things, make their way to safety. There are so many desperate people, maybe I can buy some artist work, or support a studio. I’m overwhelmed with appeals to help and send money, I almost don’t know where to start. Maybe, if you can, you’ll find someone in one of those communities who does the same job as you, or lives in similar circumstances, and you might find a way to help.
Lost and Found
It’s looking more likely that TikTok will be banned, this is real and it is a shame I think, and although I’ll get my life back (a few hours a day scrolling social media is not good, even while drinking tea), I have to say that I’ve enjoyed watching people’s videos. There are some amazing creators on this platform, from itchyboots travels on her motorbike, JustNate giving food and help to homeless folks, academic, reader and writer Jillc.Jones, and atsuothepinappledonkey please go check him out, and many others, some of the amazing people that I’ve come across in this space.
Sure, I’ll have to track them down elsewhere, but I have honestly to say that my feed has been lovely, full of artists, (especially potters), writers, philosophers, fellow academics, and just interesting people doing interesting things, which I still think is the essence of good documentary storytelling. My hope is for a final reprieve, and this is only going to affect things in the states, but in another blow for democracy, goodbye tiktok.
Thank you
Okay, so that will do it. I’m heading off to band practice, or at least a jam with a couple of mates. We are on competing on levels of rustiness, but I suspect they are actually very good. I hope I don’t let the side down.
Things are good, if a little hectic. I’ll let you know how next week goes. In the meantime, stay safe and look after yourselves.
Just watch itchy boots on YouTube in the format she originally intended ;-)