Teaching

Collaboration and inclusivity inform my teaching. These ideas permeate throughout my courses, in the form of the syllabi, course policies, texts read and assignments. These key principles both are informed by my research work and in turn inform my research activities.

My focus on collaboration stems from my interest in connectivism. Connectivism is a theory first put forth by Siemens (2005) and furthered by Downes (2005) that emphasizes knowledge distribution through connections within a network, especially with the use of technologies. It recognizes knowledge as “emergent, something that results from interactivity rather than being the contents of it” (Downes, 2017). Therefore, I often emphasize collaboration in my courses, whether face-to-face ones or online, to promote this interactivity.

My focus on inclusivity stems from my interest in social justice. For each of my courses, I endeavor to create a welcoming learning space for all. I emphasize diverse voices in course readings and assignments. In so doing, I strive to help students develop the necessary rhetorical and communication skills to become writers who can successfully engage with diverse audiences in today’s globalized spaces.