Posts Tagged ‘workshops’
Response To COVID Incidence at The Academy for Fall 2023
Guided by Toronto Public Health, the Academy’s primary concern is the well-being of our members.
The Board continues to monitor the incidence of COVID including plans to deal with COVID increased incidence.
Read MoreJoin an Academy Book Club!
There are now two Book Clubs as well as Special Interest Groups that are running in the Fall and Winter (these groups run monthly online via Zoom and are available to all members).
Read MoreWorkshop Dates, Changes and Space Availability
Week 1 workshops are starting the week of September 11 and Week 2 workshops are starting the week of September 18. You can still register for workshops or join a waiting list!
Read MoreOpinions
Bi-weekly; Week Two; Thursday; 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
WINTER TERM ONLY – Hybrid **NEW Format**
Participants select a presentation topic from a curated list of articles under Workshop Materials below. The articles typically have appeared in well-known Canadian and US monthly journals or the Opinion/Editorial pages (Globe & Mail, New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian, etc) covering a wide range of current interests- from abortion rights to xenophobia in society. Anything is fair game except “no Trump”. There is “tech”, pop culture, arts, business, politics, international affairs, health & religion. You may also propose an article not on the list to the Facilitators. There will be two 25-minute presentations / workshop session.
This workshop will have a new delivery format, called “Hybrid mode” where some participants can be remote on Zoom, while others are simultaneously in-person in the classroom. Total attendance is limited to 25 participants with any combination of remote and up to 12 in-class. NOTE: Please indicate your preference when registering, however you are free to decide the day before each workshop by notifying a facilitator.
Read MoreThe Persian Empire
Bi-weekly; Week One; Friday; 12:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
In-person **NEW**
This workshop offers every member the exciting opportunity to actively participate in exploring the history and culture of the Persians. Far from being the barbarians of the Greek imagination, the Persian Empire was sophisticated, powerful, economically strong, and intellectually gifted. We will examine the rise and spread of this Empire from its modest beginnings to the time it dominated as history’s first great superpower, ruling the largest of all ancient world empires. We will meet the Great Kings of Persia, the queens, the tax-collectors, the soldiers, the eunuchs and the concubines; discuss their religious ideas, their politics, where they lived, and why they are so absent in Western histories.
Every participant will be expected to participate in discussions and provide a presentation on topics chosen from ‘THE PERSIANS’ by L. L. Jones, (Basic Books 2022) using whatever accompanying research they have discovered.
The main idea of this workshop is that we will all have fun learning from each other about a brilliant, complex and influential civilization. Come join us!
Read More10 Benefits of Lifelong Learning
Experience the Benefits of Lifelong Learning! When we reach “retirement age”, we have also gained a lot of wisdom to share with others. If we can all integrate lifelong learning into our lives, we will reap many benefits. The following are ten specific benefits that lifelong learning brings to our lives.
Read MoreEvents Of The Fortnight
Bi-weekly; Week One; Friday; 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
In-person
This workshop is focused on discussions of current events. Members suggest topics of interest; they are expected to be aware of events reported in the various media and to come prepared to discuss them. Each session will begin with a listing of the proposed events of interest, followed by a short introduction of each event by the member who suggested it, and then by discussion.
Read MoreThe History Of Women
Bi-weekly; Week Two; Thursday; 12:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
In-person **NEW**
We will discuss the role women played in society throughout the ages from hunter-gatherers to modern times. While women are over half the population, standard history and anthropology texts say little about women and what they accomplished. And though it is a story often left untold, assumptions about women’s roles abound. However, current scholarship is changing those assumptions and the findings may surprise you.
We will examine many similar findings about women that demolish the myth of the ‘weaker sex’. We will shine a light on the little-known history of women, and to do so we will enlist the work of modern historians, archeologists, anthropologists, biologists, economists, and sociologists. In disentangling the past, we will learn about the stellar accomplishments of little-known female artists, writers, and scientists as well as ground-breaking discoveries by women that were credited to men.
Participants may choose to present from a wide range of topics.
Read MoreExploring the World of Podcasts
Bi-weekly; Week One; Wednesday; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
In-person **NEW**
Podcasts are a relatively new use of technology to share information, expand our understanding of the world as well as to entertain us while we go about our active lives. There is a topic for every interest. This workshop aims to explore the world of podcasts by examining those that tackle a variety of topics (example: The Daily by New York Times journalists) to ones that delve deeply into specific subjects (Science Friday) to ones that tell a story (The Memory Palace). We will examine how to choose podcasts that are both reliable and enjoyable. Workshop participants will select a topic, and explore up to three podcasts on that topic. Each presenter will recommend that fellow participants listen to one of their chosen podcasts prior to the presentation and discussion which the presenter will lead. Presentation topics may include the biographical sketch of the podcast host(s) and guests, format and style, and quality of the information.
Read MoreObject Lessons
Bi-weekly; Week Two; Monday; 12:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
In-person **NEW**
Object Lessons utilises the growing field of material culture studies to examine the hidden lives of ordinary objects. We will create a critical framework based on the series of concise books, essays, and a blog by the same name – a joint effort of Bloomsbury Press and The Atlantic magazine. There are many titles in the series, which continues to expand. Participants can choose a book or an essay to share. Examples of recent titles are Veil, Cell Tower, and Coffee. They can also bring a personal item to analyze with the group. To glimpse the intrigue that the analysis of objects can bring to the fore, you can consult the series website:
http://objectsobjectsobjects.com/
Read More