Teaching Beyond the Curriculum

Abstract

Expanding upon our previous research results (see Darbes & Smolarski, 2022), in which we used media making, and oral history methodologies as a pedagogical vehicle fostering critical media literacy, and facilitating language acquisition in multilingual student-bodies experiencing displacement, isolation and fear during the Covid-19 pandemic, we propose to build on our findings to further understand the pivotal role creativity and culturally and linguistically responsive curricula play in enhancing socio-emotional wellbeing of multilingual youth. For the next stage of our research we will develop a model that addresses the challenges of schools and the asylum-seeking/immigrant youth they serve. The model emphasizes the integration of creative media making and community building to support the socio-emotional needs of youth. The core components of this model include: a) translanguaging practices which create inclusive spaces for students to leverage their multiple linguistic and cultural repertoires to engage with and derive meaning from the curriculum b) participatory approaches that offer learners opportunities to co-create with each other and identify, analyze and document local issues c) cultivating a culture of creativity and embodied learning geared towards socio-emotional wellbeing through creative media production and meaning making, digital skills workshops, and actively promoting community engagement. This adaptable model of interdisciplinary education can be applied across a variety of globalized and multilingual contexts that straddle boundaries. Our collaborative initiative builds on prior research and a commitment to empowering youth to face unprecedented challenges in increasingly complex geo-political systems.