My teaching philosophy has evolved and changed as I have grown as an educator. I have been in school for most of my life. and I empathize with the challenges students are facing in obtaining a quality education in this new, ever-changing contemporary world. I have been trained and specialize in digital online learning since 2014, where I have taught online courses in settings where I have 40 students to over 20,000 people (globally). I have been Safe Zone trained since 2017 and have recently renewed my training in 2021. I have also recently been trained in Advanced Cultural Competency this past spring (2021). I am also in charge of the Geological Sciences Diversity Equity and Inclusion Task Force where I have been working with the faculty, staff, and students to create an anti-racist department that follows the practices of AJEDI in everything we do. AJEDI stands for Accessibility Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion.
I believe that field-based learning is a critical practice that engages students through hands-on experiences and active learning. Because many students do not have a strong quantitative background or lack experience collecting data in the field and in the lab, I think having students do individual data collection and subsequent analysis is an important step for undergraduate education. This process makes potentially intimidating material accessible and applicable to students in a field that has many quantitative demands in industry, research, and education.
I value and assign learning opportunities that provide practical experience and skill development broadly considered beneficial in the geoscience workforce such as fostering engaged activities encouraging the development of marketable and practical skills. It is important to note that these critical learning experiences may be exclusive to women, BIPOC students, and students with accessibility needs. Over my time at Geneseo, I made changes to remove the barriers to full inclusion. I realize the importance of clear communication, organization, delivery of information in multiple formats and modes, and fostering a support system to ensure student success. I strongly believe that all these important components are critical to the success of online courses. I believe in making my courses universally accessible within and outside of the classroom, especially involving field experiences. I am progressively working on making all of my field courses and research inclusive and avoid exclusionary practices.
List of Classes
- Invertebrate Paleontology, GSCI 361
- Basin Analysis, GSCI 355
- Sedimentation, GSCI 352
- Paleoclimatology, GSCI 235
- Environmental Geology, GSCI 200
- Our Geological Environment Labs, GSCI 121