Join us for an exciting local professional development opportunity!
TCI presents an ideal program for diversity staff, chaplains, religious studies and humanities teachers
Fostering Religious Diversity in Independent Schools
New Date: April 8th, 2010
8:30am-2:30pm
Roland Park Country School
Religion shapes events around the world and influences the thinking of countless people, including many of those who teach and learn at independent schools. This unique program will provide participants a forum to consider the impact of globalization and demographic changes on independent school communities and to explore ways of effectively managing religious diversity, regardless of schools’ religious affiliation or lack thereof.
Should diversity programming help students from underrepresented religio-cultural groups on campus to feel comfortable? Do schools have a broader responsibility to teach all students about global religions as part of a competitive, modern education? This day-long professional development program will provide an opportunity for you to explore these questions and will prepare you to more effectively contribute to your school’s work in this area.
Engaging Texts and Each Other through the Hevruta Method
Hevruta is an ancient method of Jewish text study with origins in the Talmud, a sixth century compendium of Jewish oral law, rabbinic discussion and analysis. The approach involves two people grappling together with a text and the ideas and issues it raises. In this session, we will engage in this methodology of paired study and explore how it can create open and respectful dialogue, deepen and personalize students’ understandings of a text, promote religious diversity, and build community in the classroom.
The Immigrant Experience and its Impact on Religious Diversity
America was founded on religious freedom and our legislature has passed laws protecting that freedom. Yet challenges have arisen as immigrants from around the world have brought diverse religious and cultural traditions to the U.S. Using primary sources, we will examine key moments in the history American immigration and discuss the larger implications for our society and for schools today.
Conflict and Consensus: The Next Steps for our Schools
Using case studies, participants will explore their own schools’ current response to challenges of religious diversity. During this session we will also discuss key questions that school administrators should be asking themselves when approaching these challenges and share methods for enriching school culture.
Schedule:
8:30 - 8:45 Registration and Refreshments
8:45 - 9:30 Introduction and Framing
9:30 – 11:30 Engaging Texts and Each Other through Hevruta Methodology
11:30 -12:15 Lunch
12:15 - 1:15 Breakout Sessions
The Immigrant Experience and its Impact on Religious Diversity
Conflict and Consensus: The Next Steps in our Schools
1:15 – 2:15 Taking it Home
2:15 – 2:30 Evaluation and Closing
We’re delighted to welcome the following workshop facilitators:
Dr. Christopher Leighton, Executive Director, Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies
Adam Gaynor, Executive Director, The Curriculum Initiative (TCI)
Participants will gain powerful teaching methodologies and tools to help enrich classrooms and schools as places of mutual support and intellectual inquiry
Registration $40 (by check or credit card)
Click here to download a registration form and instructions
Payments can be made by check to:
The Curriculum Initiative
5708 Park Heights Ave
Baltimore, MD 21215
or by credit card through PayPal (PayPal will send you a confirmation e-mail):
