Pedagogy

Putting Students First

I teach one of my favorite content areas, namely, Intercultural Communication.  Passion for the content being taught coupled with the competence to bring that content alive for learners are two dynamics that interact to distinguish my approach to the dynamic of teaching. You might ask, “Yes, this is her approach, but is the learner “getting it?”

As an academician in the modern age, I take pride in my well-honed strengths and broad-based knowledge of all forms of educational technology, together with its impact on human communication.  I purposefully and effectively integrate the wealth of resources available through diverse media and technologies into classroom activities, thereby enriching and expanding learners understanding and engagement with the social and cultural dynamics of communication. I adopt the perspective to technology-in-learning as advocated by Jackson and Wallin (2009), who argue that the back-and-forth nature of online communication provokes and sustains a more engaged public deliberation, which, indeed, can and must be brought into the classroom to help students connect to communication processes in a more meaningful and diversified way. Although I recognize the value of technology to enhance aspects of student learning, I am mindful that technology cannot and should not replace the special relationship that must be fostered between the committed teacher and the engaged learner.