The Importance of Practical Pedagogical Approaches to Using Primary Sources in Curriculum

SSSL 2022 Post-Conference Seminar

Date:

Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at 2:30-5:30pm

Location:

TBA

Facilitators: 

Tiffany Atwater Lee and Martina Dodd

Bios:

A native of Jonesboro, Georgia, Tiffany Atwater Lee attended South Carolina State University where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in History, and a Master’s in Archival Studies from Clayton State University. Currently, she serves as the Assistant Head of the Archives at the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library’s Archives Research Center; there she is responsible for the management and administration of the department’s public services through the promotion of archival collections via course instruction, programming and curation of exhibits and reference services. Tiffany is a member of the Society of Georgia Archivist, the Academy of Certified Archivist, Society of American Archivist and a founding member of Atlanta Black Archives Alliance (ABAA). Tiffany is especially passionate about collecting the histories of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities and sharing the achievements and contributions of these intuitions of higher education. She is co-author of two upcoming book chapters “Loving Blackness” as a First-Year Composition Student Learning Outcome in the Archives in Teaching through the Archives Text, Collaboration, and Activism (Southern Illinois University Press Spring 2022), and Improving Representation on Wikipedia A Collaboration with Librarians and Faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Ethnic Studies in Academic and Research Libraries (ACRL publication)

Martina Dodd is an Atlanta based art historian and curator. Her concept driven shows have touched on topics relating to race, gender, and power dynamics. Dodd holds a MA in the Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas from the University of East Anglia and a BA in Anthropology and International Studies from Johns Hopkins University.  She is currently the Program Director of Curation and Object Based Learning at the Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center and a founding editor of DIRT, an online independent platform and resource for accessible critical arts discourse within the DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area.

She has presented research, spoken on panels and curated exhibitions at the Urban Institute of Contemporary Art, Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, American Studies Association, Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural center, DC Arts Center, Transformer, Flux Factory and Common Field Convening.  She has published articles, exhibition reviews, and catalogue essays with DIRT, BmoreArts, Common Field’s Field Perspectives, and Morton Fine Art.

Call for Papers:

The archive has traditionally been a place that is slow to respond to change and oftentimes viewed as an intimidating institution with old stuff on a shelf. In this seminar, will share ways the Atlanta University Center Woodruff Library’s Archives Research Center has started to look past just the walls of the archive and build collaborations with other professions, departments, and institutions of cultural heritage to challenge the notion of what an archive is, how collections can be used, and how we can shift traditional archival theory to develop new collecting models and incorporate archives into the classroom. Within the seminar the facilitators will demonstrate the educational potential of object-based teaching and learning to enhance curriculum through pedagogical case studies. We will give a brief overview of our outreach initiatives, including how we formed partnerships across disciplines not only to create what we hope is a different feel to what an archive can be, but also to encourage researchers, creators, educators, and innovators to see the archive as a place to create new works of art and scholarship. We will discuss some of the practical ways of incorporating objects from Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums [GLAM] into curriculum course work and share with you some of the challenges that may arise. Prior to the seminar, we will have participants share via a survey the skills they hope to gain during the seminar, any pedagogical questions they may have regarding teaching with primary sources and objects, and any broader questions they may have to foster deeper discussion during the session including ideas for assignments/projects. The AUC Woodruff Library is the academic hub of the largest consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCUs], and its archives focuses on documenting the contributions and achievement of African Americans and the African diaspora with special emphasis on the American South.

To Apply:

Please apply to only one seminar by the deadline below. The application process is simple: send a paragraph to [email protected] describing how this seminar will be of benefit to your professional goals. (If the seminar description asks for additional materials, please also provide these documents.) In selecting participants, seminar leaders will strive for a diversity of different institutions, academic ranks, and intellectual backgrounds. Graduate students, non-tenure track faculty, and independent scholars are strongly encouraged to apply. There is no additional conference fee for seminar participation. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by June 10, 2022.

Contact Info:

Please contact Tiffany Atwater Lee ([email protected]) and Martina Dodd ([email protected]) if you have questions.

Extended Deadline: June 1, 2022