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“Critical pedagogy is a teaching philosophy that invites educators to encourage students to critique structures of power and oppression.” (Lynch, 2019). 2020 has been an intense year. It feels as if decades or hundreds of years of oppression and suffering are approaching a time where people will no longer let their voices be diminished. I personally believe …

Continue reading “Blog Post 5 – Critical Pedagogy”

Upon completing my master’s coursework in December of 2015, I accepted a job offer with Tetra Tech, a large consulting engineering firm, and started work the first week of January 2016. At Tetra Tech I was fortunate to be involved

I always thought that teaching was an inherently performative activity. Therefore, I assumed that to be considered a good teacher you must conform to be an actor and entertainer in the classroom. These assumptions were built by watching both teachers a…

Group post by Chris Clements, Austin Garren, Jazmin Jurkiewicz, Andrew Knight, Malle Schilling, and Brittany Shaughnessy What do we mean by digital pedagogy? Digital pedagogy presents a unique set of issues that one may not think of when first stepping foot in the classroom. Digital pedagogy hosts a myriad of definitions for different people. AsContinue reading “The Trial and Error of Digital Pedagogy”

Yes. This Tina Turner classic and all time hit in playing in my ears as I am, ironically, reading Darder’s Teaching As An Act of Love and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to start my blog off this way! And yet… all humor aside, the song and readings pose an imperative question that isContinue reading “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”

After having read a number of my peers’ posts and having read several different perspectives on Critical Pedagogy, I thought I wanted to spend my writing time this week thinking through a concrete application for Critical Pedagogical theory. I generally find that I’m unhappy with the work I am doing when I don’t have a […]

I began discovering my authentic teaching self during the first semester of my Ph.D. program, Fall 2019. I had no prior experience teaching in an academic setting. There I was, in my GTA assignment, in front of 60 materials science and engineering students to teach them about technical writing. My experience up until then was …

Continue reading “Discovering My Authentic Teaching Self”

I believe we all have filters through which we interpret and make sense of the world. But sometimes — these filters fail us and when that happens, we fail to make positive, meaningful connections with others. When writing about interpersonal experiences, I like to position my sociocultural identities. What I mean by position is, I …

Continue reading “How Are Humans “Programmed to Learn” Microaggressions?”

As a current graduate student and undergraduate teacher, I find myself oscillating between the two poles of student and teacher. I find myself constantly wondering how to approach the classroom and what I consider to be the most valuable aspects of teaching. I often ask myself what worked in my classes and how can I …

Continue reading “Discovering My Authentic Teaching Self”

Based on the definition, active learning is “an approach to education that does not consider students the passive recipients of knowledge transmitted from an expert, but rather, active agents in their own learning.” The approach of active learning offers two … Continue reading →

The greatest enemy in teaching is boredom. Sitting and listening, sitting and reading, sitting and pretty much anything – these are all generally boring activities. And when you’re bored, your mind wanders away from what it’s supposed to be learning. Yet this is the most common and certainly the easiest way to teach. I’m no …

Continue reading “Discovering your teaching self”

This week in Contemporary Pedagogy, we were tasked to investigate case/problem-based learning. I was curious to learn about the similarities and differences of case-based and problem-based learning.  I discovered case-based learning (CBL); students develop analytical thinking and reflective judgment by reading and discussing complex, real-life scenarios (Foran, 2001).  This methodology is used in counselor education. Continue reading “A Real-World Problem: The Impacts of COVID-19 on Mental Health in College Students”

While I was reading the article of Ladson-Billings about culturally responsive teaching, the reaction of teachers to her advice made me think: what is good teaching? Culturally responsible teaching is good teaching, but is it “just good teaching”? Is good teaching equivalent to culturally relevant teaching? Does culturally relevant teaching require more than “just good teaching”? […]

If not all educators are called to be pedagogues, then how do we hold (or expect to hold) educator’s accountable for sound pedagogical practices in a global environment where everyone is barely treading water? On the flip side of this coin (as if it’s really a coin), is the question of where the collaboration exists […]

Reading about teaching voice made me reflect on the years I’ve spent so far as a student. There have been a few teachers that stand out in my memory– each one unique not only in the subjects they taught but in how they taught. After reading the pieces from Deel and Fowler, I realize thatContinue reading “Discovering My Authentic Teaching Self”

 According to The Teaching Commons, “inclusive pedagogy is a is a method of teaching in which instructors and classmates work together to create a supportive environment that gives each student equal access to learning” (The Teaching Commons, 2020…

Over my years of teaching, one thing has always been a pet peeve of mine: laptops, phones, smart watches… etc. As someone who doesn’t necessarily believe that controlling every little thing students do is necessary for a good learning environment, … Continue reading →

Group post by Chris Clements, Austin Garren, Jazmin Jurkiewicz, Andrew Knight, Malle Schilling, and Brittany Shaughnessy What do we mean by digital pedagogy? Digital pedagogy presents a unique set of issues that one may not think of when first stepping foot in the classroom. Digital pedagogy hosts a myriad of definitions for different people. As …

Continue reading “The Trial and Error of Digital Pedagogy”

This blog post is inspired by Mindful Learning, written by Ellen J. Langer. In this article, professor Langer clarifies the myths about learning and how they relate to learning mindlessly. Mindful learning requires active engagement with the subject of study, … Continue reading →

In reading and thinking about case-based pedagogy, I found myself reading the word “case” so often that I lost all faith that I knew what it meant. What is a case, and what makes it different from an example, word problem, or open-ended question? I sometimes find it helpful to try and chase the history […]

If everybody blindly conforms to some role pushed upon them and accepts whatever narrative that is thrown their way, there would not be enough motivation for anyone to push the boundaries of science and philosophy. Living in a world that … Continue reading →

As a instructor for the undergraduates, I keep discovering my own true teaching style. Before being a instructor, I have been a TA for undergraduates and graduates. However, there are great differences between the TA and instructor. As a TA, the main job is to follow what instructor has taught and then solve problems forContinue reading “GRAD 5114 Post 1: Discover the authentic teaching style”

As a teacher, I pride myself on loving what I do. Draider’s (2002) article resonated with me, stating that some teachers find what they want to do at a young age. For most of my young life, I thought I wanted to be a journalist. However, it turns out that I was always the one …

Continue reading “Influential Figures: Educators.”

I will start off by saying how insightful and painful it was to read Decoding Digital Pedagogy. This isn’t because wither Stommel or Morris were reproachful of those generations of educators thrust into digital learning environments, but moreso their apt, yet scathing, review of the misconceptions surrounding the nuance of digital pedagogy. And I willContinue reading “The Handfasting of Education and the Digital”

I have been thinking very deeply about inclusive pedagogy throughout my Ph.D. degree program in Rhetoric and Writing.  My views of inclusive pedagogy is not just understanding that we have implicit biases or that we are complicit in the system that we aim to deconstruct. I was hoping to understand how I have implicit biases …

Continue reading “Approaches to Inclusive Pedagogy”

  Being a subject matter expert does not guarantee that the person can successfully transfer that knowledge to someone else and is no benchmark for being a great teacher. Great teachers have the ability to impart knowledge to their students in a manner that leaves an impression on their hearts and minds for life. My …

Continue reading “Voice of Enlightenment: Reflections On My Inner Teaching Self”

I wanted to start this post by addressing a video I just saw: ‘How microaggressions are like mosquito bites‘. Too often, I find that discussions of ‘sensitive topics’ (or insert your other favorite euphemism) happen in this uncomfortable sort of somber monotone. As if the very nature of these topics somehow necessitates a level of …

Continue reading “Inclusive Pedagogy feat. Offensive Language”

Paulo Freire’s vision for education is certainly compelling. Freire writes that too many teachers try to put themselves on a pedestal of invincibility from which they gaze arrogantly down on students. Many teachers assume that their job is to pass down information to students in a purely replicatory, rather than critical way. In this view,Continue reading “Critical Pedagogy”

In reading about critical pedagogy this week, it was interesting to see many things related to teaching that I had heard anecdotally take place in a scholarly format. Freire seems to be somewhat of a trailblazer on this topic! One of the things that he said that stuck out to me most was that we […]

Case-based and problem-based learning are instructional approaches that encourage active learning and promote for a mindful teaching experience to be used in higher education. The motivation behind both methods is to challenge students with open-ended problems or real-life cases  to promote critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. By being exposed to new scenarios, student work in … Continue reading Active learning Strategies

While reading on problem based learning, the idea of real world problem solving within the classroom is incredibly valuable to students. Sure, these are just college kids right now, but the end goal is for them to enter the workforce with abilities that would allow for a more informed decision making process based off of …

Continue reading “Problem Based Learning & Case Pedagogy”

I was interested in John Warner’s article in Inside Higher Ed which argues that instructors should not ban laptops in the classroom because learning how to deal with distractions from technology is an important skill that students need to learn, one way or another. Perhaps it is counterintuitive to posit that learning how to dealContinue reading “Digital Pedagogy”

Reading about “Discovering your teaching self” highlights the importance of the way or style of teaching. The concept of still learning and writing about this proves that there is really no right or wrong way to teach, or else it would be that simple and taught as a rule in graduate school. This means no … Continue reading GRAD 5114: Discovering your authentic teaching self

Two years ago, when I heard the words “diversity,” “equality,” or “inclusion,” my mind immediately went to including people of minority backgrounds on the table, or reaching the “number” that would “solve” underrepresentation in any fields or settings, or focusing on accommodating minority to help them succeed. Only after I started reading about critical paradigms …

Continue reading “The Inherent Intentions behind Inclusive Pedagogies”

Photo from pixabay.com I have this vision in my head of the teacher I want to be. I want to have the courage to love my students, as Darder encourages. I want to be a role model and a create … Continue reading →

Kozma and Clark’s debate was about whether media affects the learning process or media is just a vehicle for instructions. Since I’m an instructional designer I know well about the debate between Kozma and Clark about the media and if its ability to help students learn better or not. The basic idea of Clark’s argument …

Continue reading “Blog Post #4: Kozma and Clark’s Debate before Three Decades is still Relevant”

If not all educators are called to be pedagogues, then how do we hold (or expect to hold) educator’s accountable for sound pedagogical practices in a global environment where everyone is barely treading water? On the flip side of this coin (as if it’s really a coin), is the question of where the collaboration existsContinue reading “Digital Pedagogy”

I was assigned some readings on ‘connected learning’ for class the other day, and I am happy to report that they were not only worthwhile reads, but also short and to the point. This post is focused on one of these readings, a blog post by Tim Hitchcock, Professor of Digital History at the University …

Continue reading “Telling My Story”

It was interesting, both through the readings and through class discussion, to consider the usage of laptops/cell phones in class. During undergrad, I used both laptops and cell phones for both helpful (i.e. looking up things, taking notes) and hurtful

While I believe that Case-Based or Problem-Based learning can be a valuable way to engage students in the classroom, it also seems that there are some challenges that instructors must be prepared to navigate if they intend to implement this learning style. My initial reaction to some of the readings was to wonder how peopleContinue reading “Case-Based Pedagogy”

This week, a group of students from the Contemporary Pedagogy class at VT got together to discuss digital pedagogy. In this blog post we are going to address the use of technology in the class, be it digital devices or educational tools. A thorough analysis of the pros and cons of different technologies will be […]

I am addicted to my smartphone. And it’s making me depressed, destroying my creativity, ruining my attention span, and straining my in-person relationships. I’d venture to say that you are probably addicted to your smartphone, too. How do you feel about that? Is it negatively impacting your life? Recently, I’ve been trying to work on […]

I want to believe myself as a champion of diversity, inclusivity and equity. The struggles I’ve overcome as a human, derived of society’s response to my own identities,  have built a deep empathy for others. As a member of an under-invited group that has been marginalized by my culture, I have seen first hand how …

Continue reading “My biggest challenge in inclusive pedagogy”

It was interesting to me that the article “On Banning Things in Classrooms” by Jon Warner was part of the reading materials for this week on Digital Pedagogy. Although I think that this discussion is more related to traditional pedagogical

The post by Sarah Deel resonated well with me. I felt like she was talking about me while reading her first 3 paragraphs. My first experience with teaching came in my second semester during my Masters program at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. I was the teaching assistant in one of the Civil Engineering […]

Inclusive Pedagogy is a new trend based on the increased diversity happening in the classroom. Nowadays, differences in races, origins, sexual preferences, and backgrounds enrich learning experiences and developments in the arts and sciences. However, although being beneficial for learning, the problem remains that these differences remain not clearly addressed in pedagogical approaches. Because ofContinue reading “Inclusive Pedagogy as a result of Increased Diversity”

This week in Contemporary Pedagogy, I dedicated time to reading through the articles assigned to us regarding Digital Pedagogy. Honestly, I found the readings to be rather interesting seeing as we are currently in a purely online format, or at least I am. From here, I was not necessarily sure what to make of the …

Continue reading “Digital Pedagogy”

I compare myself a lot to other people. That was the environment I grew up in. In Malaysia,  rankings of students after a big strings of exams were posted on the board for all to see. You, your friends, your peers, your teachers, your parents, and everyone in the school WILL know where you rank …

Continue reading “Not to Compare, I Remind Myself”

Anaid Shaver, KJ Chew, Rifat Sabbir Mansur, Sam Salous, Zhenyu Yao (in alphabetical order) “We did not know it was different from online teaching. We are not sure what digital pedagogy is.” These were some of the opening statements we had in the group. Our discussion revolved around interpreting what “digital pedagogy” is.  For some … Continue reading What is Digital Pedagogy? →

If not all educators are called to be pedagogues, then how do we hold (or expect to hold) educator’s accountable for sound pedagogical practices in a global environment where everyone is barely treading water? On the flip side of this coin (as if it’s really a coin), is the question of where the collaboration existsContinue reading “Digital Pedagogy Group Post”