Teaching Experience Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH English 1550 Writing 1 English 1551 Writing 2 English 3740 Advanced Writing/Nonfiction Narrative English 6907 Teaching of Writing for Graduate Students The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS English 100E Expanded Composition English 101 Composition 1 English 102 Composition 2 English 335 Collaborative Learning and Tutoring Writing-- Developed new course English 430 Grant Writing The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ English 101A Studio Writing English 101 Introduction to College Writing English 102 Rhetorical Analysis and Research English 107 Foundations Writing for International Students English 109H Honors Composition English 308 Technical Writing Kent State University, Kent, OH English 11011 Introduction to College Writing (3 sections) English 21011 Research and Multimodal Communication (3 sections) Philosophy At the core of my pedagogical approach is a profound respect for the personal and professional challenges students navigate in college. I want students to recognize their experiential resources as valuable and to understand how to leverage institutional resources for their success. Three principles have emerged from my classroom experiences and from my work as a scholar: honor students’ prior knowledge, develop rhetorical flexibility, and engage in self-reflexivity. Honor Students’ Prior Knowledge My courses provide opportunities for students to reflect on their prior knowledge while making connections to the ways of knowledge sharing and making in academia. Diverse student populations have areas of expertise such as linguistic diversity and cultural knowledge that are not often recognized in higher education. This concept, “funds of knowledge,” originates from anthropologists and education researchers who explored Mexican-American households to discover the reservoirs of knowledge that students bring to the classroom (González, Moll, and Amanti). I incorporate funds of knowledge by asking students to communicate an insight, belief, or value about language or literacy using their lived experiences. I create a platform for students to meaningfully engage with course material and to recognize their prior knowledge in terms of assets, instead of deficits. This shift is key to student retention, especially in the first year. Develop Rhetorical Flexibility I emphasize how rhetorical concepts and multiple literacies can translate to the writing tasks students face within and beyond the university in their civic, social, and professional lives. When students learn how to tailor their writing to a specific audience, purpose, and context, they can more effectively respond to different rhetorical situations. My courses also emphasize the value of multimodal communication in a variety of contexts. In a composition course themed on public arguments for social change, students first rhetorically analyzed and then created research-based digital multimodal communications such as TED talks, videos, infographics, and websites. Students specify the rhetorical situation for which they have designed the communication, which allows me to assess their metacognitive engagement with multiple literacies and genres. Engage in Self-Reflexivity Beyond course evaluations, I ask for student feedback throughout my courses and at the end with a survey of my own design. I take the input of students seriously and use it to guide course revisions. This is one reason why students find my courses to be effective and engaging. Students regularly provide positive feedback:
González, Norma, Luis C. Moll, and Cathy Amanti, editors. Funds of Knowledge: Theorizing Practices in Households, Communities, and Classrooms. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2005. Teaching Awards and Grants Julie Christakis DeFazio Award, The University of Arizona, 2017 Barry Briggs Award, The University of Arizona, 2017 Student/Faculty Interaction Grant, The University of Arizona, 2015 Teacher of the Month, Huntington Learning Center, 2013 Academic Success Center Award (2 awards), Kent State University, 2012 |
Teaching Class on Halloween
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