The Reacting to the Past program at UGA is hosting its fourth annual conference at UGA April 16-18. Faculty and graduate students from across the curriculum are invited to experience the pedagogy first hand.
Conference participants are being sought, especially those who would like to consider incorporating one of the 20 Reacting to the Past games in their class. At least 10 participants—but up to 20 more participants—interested in climate change, ecology, French history or art, or simply in having intellectual fun are welcome. Participants, impersonating students, play a role in one of the two conference games: “Acid Rain and the European Environment, 1979-1989” and “Modernism vs. Traditionalism: Art in Paris, 1888-1889.” The conference compresses each game into one-and-a-half days, whereas in the classroom it takes up three to four weeks.
Playing a Reacting game teaches participants how to be gamemasters for any of the 20 games or even how to invent their own. Playing teaches students how to precept for Reacting games (of which there are about 20 now taught in nine UGA units). The deadline to register is March 31, but earlier is better. For more information, contact Nancy Felson, program director, at nfelson@gmail.com, or visit the conference registration page, www.reacting.uga.edu/conference_registration10.htm.