This feature documentary by Alanis Obomsawin is a thoughtful tribute to Norman Cornett, a McGill University professor celebrated by scores of students appreciative of his unconventional yet powerful teaching methods who was controversially dismissed from his teaching duties in 2007.
This documentary can inspire research, discussion, projects and deeper learning about teaching pedagogies and the role of critical thinking in society. What is dialogic education and what place does it have in higher learning? How did learning take place within Indigenous original ways of education and what parallels can be drawn to the methods discussed in this film? What does quality education look and feel like to you? How have pedagogies of teaching shifted throughout history? Does higher education mean learning how to think critically for oneself or is it only about learning how to regurgitate information dictated by educational institutions? What is the difference between being taught how to get a life rather than being taught how to get a job? How important is creativity in learning? How do we learn to think for ourselves, to make our own decisions and to make informed decisions? What role does connection and relationship with educators play in student success? Why would promoting critical inquiry be deemed as a threat to some powers that be? Consider characteristics and methods of engagement your most memorable teachers used that made an impact on you.