Brenau University

Subject Areas Taught at Brenau

• Social Studies Methods
• Instructional Technology
• Instructional Design

Academic and Research Interests

• Instructional Technology
• Educational Policy
• Philosophy of Education

Academic Affiliation and Leadership Positions Held

• American Educational Research Association
• Association for Middle Level Education
• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
• National Council for Social Studies
• Professors of Middle Level Education
• Society for Information Technology in Education

Teaching Philosophy

My philosophy of teaching is based on several principles. First, the classroom environment must be open and conducive to respectful and thoughtful communication and participation. Second, the student must be challenged by the subject matter, but must also be helped at all times to contextualize within their own lives the knowledge and skills being learned, understanding the connections and implications of what they are learning to other areas of study and to the larger world. Third, the student must be encouraged and, if necessary, pushed to question and evaluate the quality and veracity of the information they are using. Developing the students’ ability to think critically about course material and utilize it to address problems and issues encountered in their studies and in their chosen fields is one of the most important responsibilities of the good teacher. Finally, I believe it is an integral part of my job to practice and model the principles and ethics I want my students to display. If a student leaves my class unchanged intellectually and personally from the way they entered, I have not done my job effectively as a teacher.