June 2020
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Student Matters
Fall CCT courses still open for registration for current and non-degree students. Register by section number below – note that all course meetings will be conducted online during fall 2020 while campus remains closed, but on-campus sections are still available for those needing to register that way for administrative reasons:
- CrCrTh 601, Critical Thinking; Tuesdays, 7:00-9:45pm (on campus: #14515, online: #13474)
- CrCrTh 618, Creative Thinking, Collaboration & Organizational Change; Tuesdays, 4:00-6:45pm (on campus: #14516, online: #13476)
- CrCrTh 655, Metacognition; Mondays, 7:00-9:45pm (online only: #13470)
- CrCrTh 692, Processes of Research & Engagement; Wednesdays, 7:00-9:45pm (on campus: #14517, online: #13473)
The application deadline for fall 2020 admission has been extended to August 3rd, 2020. Please see the application requirements here and contact cct@umb.edu with any questions.
UMass Boston has confirmed that courses will continue online-only in fall 2020. CCT students can see weekly meeting times in WISER; meetings will be held in Zoom or Blackboard.
UMass Boston has now published some additional information on financial resources for students during COVID-19. Also, see the full UMass Boston plan for COVID-19.
CCT Community
Congratulations to all spring 2020 Critical and Creative Thinking and Science in a Changing World graduates: Ali Orsi Davis, Alex Domenikos, Nadjia Edwards, Margarita Gonzalez-Giraldo, Kyle Lemstrom, Caitlin Quarrington, Timizay Ruiz Pineda, and Cara Tuttle.
Congratulations also to CCT students recognized for spring 2020 convocation awards:
Caitlyn Quarrington, Critical and Creative Thinking Award for Personal and Professional Development
Cara Tuttle, Delores Gallo Award for Creative Development and Outreach
Ali Orsi Davis, Science in a Changing World Award
CCT Events
Collaborative Exploration: Sustaining Reflective Practice for Social Justice
4 Thursdays: 12:00-1:00pm ET July 9, 16, 23, 30
RSVP here to register and to receive Zoom conference link.Free, non-credit informal seminar offered by the CCT program, open to all. The Collaborative Exploration (CE), inspired by a problem-based learning approach, consists of hour-long structured dialogues in Zoom for 4 weeks in a row with an emphasis on making space for inquiry and curiosity around various themes connected to critical and creative thinking. In between online meetings, participants explore the topic according to their own interests and curiosities, and then the meetings serve to promote learning through sharing of diverse perspectives on the topic.
Description of theme: Sustaining Reflective Practice for Social Justice
Reflective Practice involves the process of reflecting on our assumptions and experiences and understanding how they support our ongoing practices in teaching, leadership, artistry, activism, and other professional and personal areas. Ongoing social movements challenge us not only to think and talk, but to act. In this CE, we consider how our individual practices connect to issues of social justice and systemic change and identify opportunities for development. We might consider questions such as: How can we align individual practices with wider movements that confront racism, bigotry, and xenophobia, and what makes those practices sustainable? What are the opportunities for collaborative learning and reflection to support solidarity? How does recognizing our blind spots and biases bring change to our practices and those of our institutions? Where are our opportunities take risks, make mistakes, develop empathy, and examine privilege in our practices? And what other questions should we be asking? Participants explore their own directions within this theme and share ongoing insights and questions to support of the learning of the group.
Alum and CCT Associates Notes
CCT graduates are invited to complete our brief Alum Survey in support of forming vision for the upcoming years of the CCT program.
Events
Webinar: Mobilizing Learning Labs to Respond to Community Challenges
Hosted by BridgeInnovate
Wednesday, July 29, 2020, 11:30am-12:00pm, EDT, Online
This moment of crisis demands that we all become more nimble in order to effectively and rapidly respond to the needs of our communities. This requires us to design inclusive and community-centered spaces. Join Wael Altali, Project Manager for TSNE’s Learning Lab and an experienced innovation educator, to learn how he’s effectively co-designed solutions with various community-based coalitions, movements, and other nonprofit groups. He will also discuss how his personal journey as a Syrian immigrant influenced and shaped how he uses human-centered designs to better meet communities’ needs. To register, see the web site.
Creative Mornings: now offering a range of virtual events for the world’s creative community. See the web site for upcoming free events.
Opportunities and Resources
Applicants are still being accepted for the UMass Boston Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Early Childhood Project, a non-licensure MEd offered through the Early Intervention and School Psychology programs at UMass Boston. Those interested are invited to see the project description for more information and contact details.
(A few of the) compilations of extensive resources for action, learning, and reflection around racial equity and justice in the time of COVID-19 across the US:
MoMA | Racial Equity Tools | Kellogg Foundation | Highlander Research and Education Center | Greater Good Science Center | Greater Good Resources for Educators | Greenpeace | Transition US | Standing Up for Racial Justice
Food for Thought
Video:
How This Woman Makes People Look 2D with Body Paint (Youtube)
The Art of Creativity | Taika Waititi | TEDxDoha (Youtube)
Octopus Escape Room Challenge (Youtube)
Building the Perfect Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder (Youtube)
Articles:
Can Coronavirus Be a Catalyst for Thinking Globally? (KZOO)
The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies (Cult of Pedagogy)
Hope, Cynicism, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves (Brain Pickings)
An Adult’s Guide to Social Skills, for Those Who Were Never Taught (New York Times)
Defining and Denouncing Student Shaming: A Teacher’s Reflection (Faculty Focus)
What Howard Zinn Got Wrong (In These Times)
Comfort, comedy, and creativity: TikTok in quarantine (KQW)
Creativity: Artists find it both abundant and scarce during crisis (Christian Science Monitor)
Compassion And Creativity In Times Of Crisis (Forbes)
The Importance of Critical Thinking in the Age of Fake News (School Library Journal)
The Art of the New Deal: Why the Federal Government Funded the Arts During the Great Depression (Open Culture)
Igniting The Creative Spark, Digitally, When Everybody Works At Home (Forbes)
Poets for Science Online Exhibit (Poets for Science)
Where in the brain does creativity come from? Evidence from jazz musicians (National Science Foundation)
Humor
Curb Stumpers: Diaperman Edition (Conan on TBS)
Subjects I Wish My High School Had Offered to Prepare Me for Adulthood (New Yorker)
Teacher’s song about feelings during the pandemic (TikTok)
