Plenary Sessions
Teaching in the College Classroom During Polarizing Times
Thursday, Oct 22 | 10:15-11:15 AM CT
We know well the importance of relationship- and community-building for effective teaching. But in extraordinarily divisive times, how do you actually do the hard work of cultivating community when you’re constantly talking about “live” issues among individuals who hold radically different worldviews?
In this plenary, Nimisha Barton draws on the knowledge and experience that organizers—and especially organizers of color—have to offer. For decades, organizers have undertaken the challenging work of bringing a wide group of people together in pursuit of a single aim. But organizers don’t speak in the accents of diversity and inclusion, as we do in the academy. Rather, they employ a framework that centers on solidarity- and community-building. These concepts offer us a productive new way in which we can navigate, not just the college classroom, but potentially, a wider world on fire.
Nimisha Barton, PhD
Shifting Our Lens: Neurodiversity Affirming Practice
Thursday, Oct 22 | 1:30 - 2:30 pm CT
This talk invites participants to rethink traditional deficit based lens and adopt a neurodiversity-affirming lens. Grounded in lived experience and practical examples, this plenary explores how reframing expectations, challenging neuronormativity, and prioritizing autonomy over compliance transforms how we support and understand neurodivergent people.
Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of neurodiversity affirming principles, the impact of language and the lens we use, and concrete ways to create environments where neurodivergent people are respected and supported.
Sonny Jane Wise