Call for Teachers: Curatorial Thinking Summer Writing Project

May 31, 2021

Defining Moments Canada is seeking Canadian educators to collaborate with our team on a pedagogical summer writing project.

The goal of the project is to create a series of lesson resources and plans which use the curatorial thinking framework in a variety of transdisciplinary applications. These resources would be adaptable for use in synchronous, hybrid, or face-to-face classrooms. The Curatorial Thinking framework has been developed by Defining Moments Canada as a way to structure best practices that teachers have already been using. Curatorial Thinking helps to make sense of digital information, create meaningful stories, and build social responsibility and awareness while empowering students to take ownership of their own learning. It also creates more accessible opportunities to achieve transdisciplinary perspectives in the classroom, creating connections between different subjects, skills, and curricula. Curatorial Thinking is already being applied successfully in ongoing Defining Moments Canada projects such as Juno75, VEDay75, and Insulin100.

The project participants will meet regularly to collaboratively draft a series of 6-8 thematic lessons which effectively utilize the principles of curatorial thinking. They should include varied prompts, inquiry tasks designed with multiple entry points, and differentiated instruction and assessment tools. The lessons will be supported by a rich array of digital resources (provided by Defining Moments Canada or partners). The lessons and resources will be made available for free and in both official languages on the Defining Moments Canada website.

Participants will be compensated with an honorarium and offered professional development opportunities via Esri Canada. Credit for their work will be maintained as long as the resources are available.

Interested applicants must be a certified teacher with relevant teaching experience at the intermediate or senior level (Grade 5-12), must be willing to participate in regular meetings (every 1-2 weeks) and must be able to dedicate approximate 50-60 hours to the project between 30 June and 31 August 2021. Project work will be conducted primarily in English.

To be considered for this opportunity, please write to jterry@canhist.ca with the subject line “Curatorial Thinking Project – Your Name” expressing your interest in this project and explaining any relevant experience. Please include an up-to-date CV or resume. The deadline for an expression of interest is 16 June 2021.

The Defining Moments Canada team looks forward to collaborating with teachers from across Canada on this project.