TEACHING
ISLT 2467 Graduate Teaching Assistant
(Supervisor: Dr. Jane Howland)
From Summer 2019 to Spring 2022 I will serve as one of the graduate teaching assistants for ISLT 2467. This course is a 100% online class for the undergraduate major in Education Studies.
ISLT 2222 Course Developer
(Supervisor: Dr. Jenny Bossaller)
ISLT 2222 is a three credit hour information literacy course designed for Educational Studies majors. In summer 2019, I assisted in developing the curriculum and course materials. I used Canvas to develop a draft course that could be copied and modified by instructors. Much of the course was adapted from ISLT 1111. However, I added additional course activities to elevate the rigor and develop a course that met the requirements of a three credit hour course. I also added module quizzes, as well as "Check Your Learning" assessments.
ISLT 1111 Graduate Teaching Assistant
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1111_course_packet_digital_version.pdf |
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
The Purpose of Education
It is difficult to teach any subject in an age when many students are able to use a device that fits in their pockets to search the internet for nearly any fact imaginable. It is clear higher education’s purpose must be to endeavor to foster students’ learning not only in subject matter, but in essential life skills. Critical and analytical thinking, risk management, leadership, team building, responsibility and other competencies are necessary to navigate the workplace and to be a functional member of society. Through the lenses of general education, co-curricular activities, and the academic major, the college campus is the ideal environment for individuals to establish, practice, and master these skills. Simultaneously, students develop specialized expertise in a domain. Instructors are key players in the academic enterprise. We must approach education with a learner-centered mindset, pedagogical strategies, and a passion for teaching students at the undergraduate and graduate level.
My Motivation to Teach
I am motivated to teach because at nearly every level of my own education, I experienced an instructor who was not motivated or not passionate about teaching. In retrospect, I realized there is almost nothing more effective at squashing the love of learning than an instructor who fails to foster a student’s growing mind and quest for knowledge, skills, and values. Upon entering a graduate program and gaining more experience in academia, I realized I enjoyed teaching others and relished the moment when a student learned something new. This was especially pertinent when I was a statistics tutor and needed to learn how to explain statistical concepts and techniques in ways other than the student’s textbook or instructor had previously explained. I realized I was developing skills in teaching, and not just in a particular content area. I soon discovered there was an entire field of research dedicated to the scholarship of teaching and learning, as well as academic degrees in pedagogy. I knew at that point I had discovered how I wanted to direct my career and sought opportunities to improve my skillset and become an instructor well-versed in best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment.
Teaching Style
When it comes to teaching, I subscribe to the pragmatic-constructivist paradigm, and the theories and methods of John Dewey and Mortimer Adler. Although Dewey and Adler were professional adversaries, both figures have had a significant influence on my understanding of learning and best practices for teaching. I aim to be a facilitator of learning, rather than a lecturer or instructor. I allow students to explore the subject matter in ways that interest them, then facilitate an active learning environment to develop knowledge and skills through topics that are most relevant to them. For example, in my Information Use and Student Success course I allowed students to choose their topic for their final research paper. I informed them that they may choose anything they like to research and no topic is off limits. Once they selected one, I guided their research process from developing a research question, searching for scholarly sources, and ultimately writing a final paper. I have found that because the paper is on the topic of their choosing, they are more likely to engage with it and learn basic research skills. I believe an approach that includes a variety of instructional methods such as class discussion, debates, and relevant applied projects result in deeper and more holistic learning than lecture alone. Therefore, I try to incorporate activities that break up the class time, encourage collaboration, and stimulate reflection.
Methods
For my online courses, my students do not meet with me in a regular classroom. Therefore, I strive to develop a curriculum that supports the self-directed learner, as well as encourages those who are not self-directed to develop necessary skills to succeed in online learning environments. I incorporate a number of discussion boards and often include several higher-order thinking prompts that require a deep level of reflection. The goal is to inspire students to consider the issues before developing a response, rather than view the discussion board as an item on a to-do list. I also believe constructive criticism and analysis are crucial skills for students to master, especially in an information literacy course. Therefore, I designed the rubric element for the students’ replies to their peers to be worth more points than the initial post. I believe this is a useful method to encourage students to write both substantive initial posts, as well as responses that go beyond statements such as “I agree” and “Great post!” to seriously consider what others say. For my face-to-face courses, I do not award participation credit for attendance. I do not believe credit for engagement is earned by walking through the door. Most jobs students wish to have after graduation do not pay employees for simply showing up in the morning, they need to work for their paychecks. I operate with a similar mindset. I tell my undergraduate students that they are adults, and they are able to make the choice as to whether or not they need to come to class that day. I discovered by establishing this philosophy at the beginning of the semester resulted in more fruitful class discussions than in the semesters when I took attendance. I believe effort is a major factor in a student’s ability to learn. Those who are only in the classroom to receive a minimal amount of points that contribute to the final grade are not prepared to learn, and may be more successful if allowed to work on their own time outside of class.
Assessment
My foundational training is in student learning assessment. I understand the essential role of well-planned, substantive, and iterative assessment protocols in courses and academic programs. I believe one of the key practices in the learner-centered approach is to establish learning objectives that are student-centered and are aligned with programmatic outcomes and institutional mission statements. I believe a mixed method approach is the best practice for collecting, analyzing, and using assessment findings to improve curricula. I often utilize a combination of rubric scores, portfolios, and journal reflections to measure student learning. Rubrics are a meaningful tool to gauge where student’s fall on a set criterion, and the journal reflections typically provide supplemental evidence to explain the quantitative results. I find both are necessary to pinpoint targeted areas for improvement, as well as maximize the student learning experience.
It is difficult to teach any subject in an age when many students are able to use a device that fits in their pockets to search the internet for nearly any fact imaginable. It is clear higher education’s purpose must be to endeavor to foster students’ learning not only in subject matter, but in essential life skills. Critical and analytical thinking, risk management, leadership, team building, responsibility and other competencies are necessary to navigate the workplace and to be a functional member of society. Through the lenses of general education, co-curricular activities, and the academic major, the college campus is the ideal environment for individuals to establish, practice, and master these skills. Simultaneously, students develop specialized expertise in a domain. Instructors are key players in the academic enterprise. We must approach education with a learner-centered mindset, pedagogical strategies, and a passion for teaching students at the undergraduate and graduate level.
My Motivation to Teach
I am motivated to teach because at nearly every level of my own education, I experienced an instructor who was not motivated or not passionate about teaching. In retrospect, I realized there is almost nothing more effective at squashing the love of learning than an instructor who fails to foster a student’s growing mind and quest for knowledge, skills, and values. Upon entering a graduate program and gaining more experience in academia, I realized I enjoyed teaching others and relished the moment when a student learned something new. This was especially pertinent when I was a statistics tutor and needed to learn how to explain statistical concepts and techniques in ways other than the student’s textbook or instructor had previously explained. I realized I was developing skills in teaching, and not just in a particular content area. I soon discovered there was an entire field of research dedicated to the scholarship of teaching and learning, as well as academic degrees in pedagogy. I knew at that point I had discovered how I wanted to direct my career and sought opportunities to improve my skillset and become an instructor well-versed in best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment.
Teaching Style
When it comes to teaching, I subscribe to the pragmatic-constructivist paradigm, and the theories and methods of John Dewey and Mortimer Adler. Although Dewey and Adler were professional adversaries, both figures have had a significant influence on my understanding of learning and best practices for teaching. I aim to be a facilitator of learning, rather than a lecturer or instructor. I allow students to explore the subject matter in ways that interest them, then facilitate an active learning environment to develop knowledge and skills through topics that are most relevant to them. For example, in my Information Use and Student Success course I allowed students to choose their topic for their final research paper. I informed them that they may choose anything they like to research and no topic is off limits. Once they selected one, I guided their research process from developing a research question, searching for scholarly sources, and ultimately writing a final paper. I have found that because the paper is on the topic of their choosing, they are more likely to engage with it and learn basic research skills. I believe an approach that includes a variety of instructional methods such as class discussion, debates, and relevant applied projects result in deeper and more holistic learning than lecture alone. Therefore, I try to incorporate activities that break up the class time, encourage collaboration, and stimulate reflection.
Methods
For my online courses, my students do not meet with me in a regular classroom. Therefore, I strive to develop a curriculum that supports the self-directed learner, as well as encourages those who are not self-directed to develop necessary skills to succeed in online learning environments. I incorporate a number of discussion boards and often include several higher-order thinking prompts that require a deep level of reflection. The goal is to inspire students to consider the issues before developing a response, rather than view the discussion board as an item on a to-do list. I also believe constructive criticism and analysis are crucial skills for students to master, especially in an information literacy course. Therefore, I designed the rubric element for the students’ replies to their peers to be worth more points than the initial post. I believe this is a useful method to encourage students to write both substantive initial posts, as well as responses that go beyond statements such as “I agree” and “Great post!” to seriously consider what others say. For my face-to-face courses, I do not award participation credit for attendance. I do not believe credit for engagement is earned by walking through the door. Most jobs students wish to have after graduation do not pay employees for simply showing up in the morning, they need to work for their paychecks. I operate with a similar mindset. I tell my undergraduate students that they are adults, and they are able to make the choice as to whether or not they need to come to class that day. I discovered by establishing this philosophy at the beginning of the semester resulted in more fruitful class discussions than in the semesters when I took attendance. I believe effort is a major factor in a student’s ability to learn. Those who are only in the classroom to receive a minimal amount of points that contribute to the final grade are not prepared to learn, and may be more successful if allowed to work on their own time outside of class.
Assessment
My foundational training is in student learning assessment. I understand the essential role of well-planned, substantive, and iterative assessment protocols in courses and academic programs. I believe one of the key practices in the learner-centered approach is to establish learning objectives that are student-centered and are aligned with programmatic outcomes and institutional mission statements. I believe a mixed method approach is the best practice for collecting, analyzing, and using assessment findings to improve curricula. I often utilize a combination of rubric scores, portfolios, and journal reflections to measure student learning. Rubrics are a meaningful tool to gauge where student’s fall on a set criterion, and the journal reflections typically provide supplemental evidence to explain the quantitative results. I find both are necessary to pinpoint targeted areas for improvement, as well as maximize the student learning experience.