Thread by @maddymant

Thrilled to participate in today’s @PMTC2021 conference and talk about meeting students where they are at (figuratively and literally). My research ranges from #bioarchaeology to #MedHist (bones to books) and I love bringing theatre to the classroom! #PandemicMethodologies

My greatest insecurity preparing for teaching in Fall 2020 was how to create a sense of community in the classroom for a course that had never before been delivered online. Summer 2020 reading: #MOOCs! #CourseDesign! #Tech! #UniversalDesign! #Stress! #PandemicMethodologies

Reimagining “Intro to Anthro of Health” required boldness. I looked to @DanielPaulOD’s unessay (tinyurl.com/4b2uezvv): to throw out the rules of essay writing and welcome speculative work. This semester was the right one to take a risk. #PandemicMethodologies

Prompt: Consider the discovery of insulin, the individuals involved, and the history of diabetes prior to and after the discovery. Select three key events, people, objects, etc. that you think best illustrate/celebrate/explain the discovery of insulin. #PandemicMethodologies

Students wrote a one-page reflection, highlighting their intentions, rationale for the medium they selected, and overall experience. Their enthusiastic response emphasized the importance of #UniversalDesign, integrating choice, engagement, and expression. #PandemicMethodologies

I knew the projects would be grand but hadn’t predicted the unessay itself would be foundational to build community in the virtual space. Office hours were crowded, folks showed work in progress, Zoom calls ended with “I’m excited to see it! I trust you.” #PandemicMethodologies

Projects included: artwork, comic strips, infographics, films, video games, embroidery, rap songs, kids’ books, virtual museum exhibits, stop motion films, and a horror story! Student work shared with permission. More examples here: tinyurl.com/yp3djkwx #PandemicMethodologies

Students engaged with #MedHist documents from home, selecting the most appropriate, finding their own ‘way in’ to the famous #Insulin100 story. By encouraging them to experiment I gave them permission to fail. Process of equal importance to product. #PandemicMethodologies

#Insulin100 story helps students use #CuratorialThinking to make meaning out of #MedHist events. Story of #Diabetes is ongoing and interdisciplinary, helps students see the resonance of #CdnHist events in the present (and future). #PandemicMethodologies @CdnHistAssoc

2021 includes centenary of #Insulin and the largest mass vaccination program in #CdnHist: an unmissable opportunity to engage students at all levels re: individual health, access to healthcare, and health histories, transcending time and (virtual) space. #PandemicMethodologies

#Interdisciplinary learning helps students draw connections, act as curators, and feel out their role as historical actors. More unessays: tinyurl.com/w5c6vt6b, tinyurl.com/38r2n7k, tinyurl.com/ut3z3cth #PandemicMethodologies

@UofT is celebrating #Insulin100, reflecting on the work of #Banting, #Best, #Collip, and #Macleod. It’s more than a medical discovery, it’s a human story, and a Canadian story! @Moments_Canada has fantastic, free resources for your classrooms. Thank you! #PandemicMethodologies