Having a wide perspective of education is an important part of my approach to teaching: every discussion I have with another person is a chance for me to teach, be it about my discipline, about new experiences I’ve had, or suggestions or advice about professional development. This applies most directly to my interactions with students in and outside of class. My teaching philosophy focuses on what I call engaged learning: a learner-centered approach that incorporates practical skills and their application through experience-based learning, community engagement, and critical thinking. The emphasis on engagement comes from the expectation that students will be critically involved in the process of learning, engaged with real-world experiences and applications of knowledge, and will work with communities outside the university.
My primary objective is to provide students with practical skills that will allow them to be able to acquire new knowledge on their own, process it critically, and apply it effectively. My focus, therefore, is not on teaching content, but on teaching the student how to acquire, analyze, and draw conclusions about content. I find this approach necessary considering how much and how easily available information is to everybody: to not understand how to filter and critically examine information is a dangerous place for people to be in this day and age.
A second goal is more specific to my discipline: I aim to teach students about the importance and application of cultural heritage development through community engagement. This objective includes traditional research methods, but also emphasizes understandings of culture, a respect for the past, and how these elements intersect and inform the cultures of today. It also emphasizes the importance of engaging the community in the process of development. My teaching seeks to both help students understand this importance, but also to take part in its application through engaged learning.
A third goal includes teaching technological literacy. As the world becomes increasingly smaller due to technological innovation, I want to make sure that my students are prepared to use and adopt technology in creative and exciting ways. Using technology will aid in their community engagement, and provide them with basic skills in online proficiency and etiquette. It is my goal to make sure that students leave my classes with these basic principles at hand.
I am still building a teaching portfolio, derived through the Certification for College Teaching provided by the Graduate School at Michigan State University. This certification includes a two-day Teaching Institute which covered topics such as Adult Students as Learners, Discipline-Related Teaching Strategies, Assessment, and Technology, as well as a semester long course on Pedagogy (EAD 866). Additionally, a mentored teaching experience and teaching a course are part of this certification. I have completed all of the required elements except for the last. You can learn more about my Certification by visiting my online portfolio (currently under construction).
Courses Taught:
ANP 201 Introduction to Archaeology, Online Section, Summer 2011
ANP 464 Archaeological Field School, Summer 2010
Presentations:
Teaching with Blogs presented at Society for American Archaeology Meeting, Sacramento, California, 2011.
Seminars and Workshops:
University Graduate Certification in College Teaching Institute
