An Inkling of the Educator
perspectives on teaching and learning
I have taught composition and writing courses with a focus on “multimedia literacy.” I prefer this phrase to “digital literacy” because I address compositions that might not be delivered digitally. The term “multimedia” is associated with technology, but I want students to consider all communication technologies. My goal is to guide students towards being critical consumers of data, from works of fiction to government reports (assuming there is a difference).
I have asked students to create portfolios in many of my classes. Though I also try to maintain various portfolios, it is a challenge to develop an online teaching portfolio. I have assembled four primary pages to give some indication of my views on teaching.
- Experience: A narrative overview
of my teaching experiences within both academic and business settings.
- Teaching Experience section of full CV
- Statement of Purpose: An explanation of my motivations and goals as an instructor.
- Personal Pedagogy: The theoretical groundings behind my instructional strategies.
- Literacy Autobiography: An example exercise on literacy, including my personal reflection on critical literacy.
- Teaching Portfolio: Example course materials from classes I have taught.
Always More to Be
In addition to the teaching-specific Web pages, I have attempted to present a bit about my interests in creative writing and computers. My experiences are definitely eclectic, but they also provide me with unique insights on writing and technology.
As an instructor, I have used my technical skills to maintain online courses in Blackboard and Moodle learning management systems. My students often work on digital compositions, from podcasts to video productions. I believe digital literacy is an important element within writing instruction.
Writing is and always will be my primary interest; that technology is linked intrinsically to writing is somewhat obvious. From the development of paper and ink to the modern e-book readers, technology has shaped how we convert the spoken word to something that exists apart from the author. Therefore, I am more than a writer — yet, my skills are always related to words in some form.
I hope that students realize that learning a bit about many things is important in a quickly changing world.