Title:

Associate Professor of Education

Undergraduate Education:

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill – B.A. Anthropology

Graduate Education:

North Georgia College – M.Ed.

University of Georgia – Ph.D.

Subject Areas Taught at Brenau:

Social Studies Methods

Instructional Technology

Instructional Design

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.

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