Suzanne+Choo,+Deb+Sawch,+Alison+Villanueva


 * CS8.Suzanne Choo, Deb Sawch, Alison Villanueva **– //Fluid Pedagogy: Teaching for Hybrid Forms of Critical, Creative, and Perceptual Thinking //

May 28 Saturday 11:30-12:15 PM HM 148

In this presentation, we begin by making distinctions among three main forms of thought– rational-critical thinking, imaginative-creative thinking, and sensory-perceptual thinking. Through an interactive workshop, we explore a pedagogical approach we call “fluid pedagogy” in which the teacher deconstructs and reconstructs ideas and learning experiences that allow students to flexibly engage in these multiple forms of thought.

Affiliation/Bio: Teachers College, PhD Candidate in English Ed, ssc2146@columbia.edu. For more info on Suzanne, please refer to the Conference Committee page of the program. Co-presenter: Deb Sawch is Associate Director of New Initiatives for the Student Press Initiative/Teachers College, a professional development program that helps teachers design inquiry-based writing curricula that culminates in student publication. Deb is also Co-Founder and Researcher for Studies in Educational Innovations (SEI), a branch of the Center for the Professional Education of Teachers (CPET) in the Department of Arts and Humanities at Teachers College where she is engaged in field research around the world on 21st Century teaching and learning. She is a candidate in the Ed.D program in English Education at TC. A former high school English teacher in Westport, CT, Deb received her MA in English Education at Teachers College. Her article “Asking and Arguing with the Text: Using Critical Inquiry and Non-Fiction to Make Sense of Literature in the World” is in press with English Journal. Prior to her career in education, Deb was a marketing executive, most recently the Director of Strategic Alliances at Kraft Foods where she was selected as Marketer of the Year by both Promotion Magazine and Kidscreen Magazine and one of the top ten people to watch in marketing by Brandweek Magazine. She is currently Vice Chair of the board of Teach for America/CT. She received her BA magna cum laude from the University of Connecticut, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Co-presenter: Alison Villanueva is completing her Ph.D. in English Education in the Department of Arts and Humanities at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is an Adjunct Instructor and Supervisor in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching where she teaches courses in Inclusive Education. Alison is also Co-Founder and Researcher for Studies in Educational Innovations (SEI), a branch of the Center for the Professional Education of Teachers (CPET) in the Department of Arts and Humanities. She works with partner schools in NYC and Connecticut and has recently cultivated International partnerships with a number of schools from around the world. Her research interests include assessment, digital literacy, post colonial literature, and multiliteracies in the classroom. Before coming to Teachers College, she was a Literacy Specialist and teacher at both the elementary and secondary level. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she completed an Honors Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from York University, and a Master of Arts in Literacy Education from New York University.