Marni Shindleman leads the photography, Art X and AB in Interdisciplinary studies programs at UGA, which has one of the highest rates of Covid+ students in the country. They have mandated face to face classes. It is a crisis of all sorts. She told us:
“I wake up some days in tears and some days excited to see my students. How do I keep my students engaged? How do I keep my department safe? How do I mentor new and upcoming teachers? How do I concentrate my energy on change?”
While, we have been swimming in this sea for over six months now. In truth, academia has been in a sea of change for 10 years. Covid has caused a crisis in the classroom.
Marni again:
“Yet, the changes we have seen indicate a large pedagogical shift in a really good direction. We are moving at a faster rate, in the direction of flipped classrooms and active learning, than we have in the last 20 years of my career. I have not created my courses alone. I have shared with colleagues, friends and stranger. I am sharing the first unit on my Constructed Photography course here at UGA. I have used this same organization for all my courses in the past 6 months, from large Intro to Photo lecture courses, to small upper level asynchronous courses, to my current hybrid course. “
Marni has also shared her Altering Space assignment with us from this semester’s hybrid studio lighting class. She has shared the full assignment, syllabus and reading materials as well as links to her lectures and supporting videos.