Possibilities and Challenges of Interdisciplinary Teaching: A decolonized approach

A project-based initiative entitled “An Affectionate Cartography of Rivers” brings together arts, language, and science instructors within an interdisciplinary curriculum. This curriculum is underpinned by the philosophical concepts of the laureate of UNESCO’s Peace Education Prize Paulo Freire, and Ailton Krenak. Freire’s philosophy is central to the project’s methodology, which emphasizes student autonomy in a humanizing approach to learning-one that is both ontologically meaningful and practically relevant to students. Krenak’s philosophy, on the other hand, introduces a decolonized perspective on the world and its current climate change-related challenges, drawing on Brazilian Indigenous culture. This webinar describes the curriculum initiative, the role these philosophies play in integrating content with pedagogy, and how the team of five collaborated to create a successful experience for approximately 40 students.