Statement of Teaching Philosophy
I emphasize student learning of skills and critical thinking, emphasizing theory as a tool for thinking that can extend outside of academic work. Particularly the emphasis on engaged problem solving and skill building is intended to provide students with an ability to move outside of traditional disciplinary bounds and develop creative solutions. While inspiration from Freire and others emphasizes ethical and social value to this form of pedagogy, I consider it primarily a response to realities of contemporary labor demands including decreasing stability and ever higher likelihood of movement between different professional domains over a lifetime of work. The realities of the modern "post-industrial" / "knowledge" economy suggest that those who are more adaptable (in part through the development of observational and critical skills) maintain better flexibility in work choices. While I am a fundamental believer in the traditional liberal arts model of breadth of learning, I consider emphases of technical and scientific materials in examples to be particularly valuable due to the privileging of these domains in our culture and contemporary forms of work. I generally include critical reading, project based work, and intensive writing, as fundamental skill areas that have been successful in the courses with which I have been involved.
I have an expanded document regarding pedagogy available.
An Expanded Document is linked here.
I have an expanded document regarding pedagogy available.
An Expanded Document is linked here.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
Co-Teaching Opportunities:
Programs in Design and Innovation Studio One: Introduction to Design Innovation and Society (DIS) (STS,RPI) Aug- Dec 2011
Professor: Burt Swersey (Department of Engineering, RPI)
Audrey Bennett (Dept of Language Literature and Communications, RPI
This course traditionally co-taught by an STS faculty member, allowed me to lecture and assist with the
inclusion of social theory, and critical perspectives in a course on design. I participated in grading, student advising, and providing framing within the courses divided focus on Visualization and "User-
Centered Design" / "social entrepreneurship". I included sociological framing of "social problems" and
"needs assessment" as well as methodological discussions of interview technique and research
ethics. Studio 1 is the inaugural course for double majors participating in the DIS/PDI at RPI
drawing students from the Schools of Architecture, Engineering, and the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
I am attaching a PDF document, containing the complete scans of the evaluations for my teaching
submitted by the undergraduates in the class, linked here.
Poverty and Affluence ( Department of Urban Studies, Queens College, CUNY) Feb - May 2006
Professor: Candace Kim Edel (Department of Urban Studies, Queens College, CUNY)
Prior to entry into graduate school, I assisted my mother in the final semester before her
retirement with grading, course preparation and lectures. My contribution focused on sociological
definitions of race and class, as well as historically situating theories of marginality in expert
discourse and policy. Discussions included relations of social stratification in urban spaces as a result and
contributing factors to a) theories of public health and b) urban development. Poverty and Affluence was
a core course for majors and minors in Urban Studies, and cross listed as an elective in the sociology
program.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships:
Information Technology and Society (STS,RPI) - Atsushi Akera ( Syllabus of current version)
Politics and Economics of Information Technology (STS,RPI) - Atsushi Akera (previous version of the above)
Introduction to Science and Technology Studies (STS,RPI) - Edward Woodhouse
Professional Development II: Leadership (STS,RPI) - Lauren Montgomery Rhinehart
Undergraduate Teaching Assistantships:
Prof: Lynn Miller
Ever Since Darwin
New Guinea Tape Worms and Jewish Grandmother: The Natural History of Infectious Disease
Proceed With Caution
Prof. Pamela K Stone
Bioarchaeology of Women
Ethical Dilemmas in Biological Anthropology
Anthropology of Reproduction
SAMPLE SYLLABI:
Complete Syllabi for two Science and Technology Studies Course, one a general introduction and the other and an upper division or graduate course that focuses on Biomedicine and the Social Studies of Medicine. (I have not included boilerplate requirements for academic honesty, ADA compliance, and other formalities that would need to reflect the institutional demands on Syllabus form and style.)
Introduction to Science and Technology Studies
Biomedicine Today
I also consider myself prepared to teach a variety of discipline specific courses at the introductory level including Sociology of Medicine, Cultural Anthropology with an emphasis on ethnographic methodology, and Development Studies. I've listed a number of courses and key textbooks usable in the courses here : Other Courses
I also would love to one day run a graduate level seminar on the social studies of public health in which discussion focuses on the Foucauldian concept of Population and the turn towards the Biomedical; a sketch of that potential course is linked as a word document here.
Programs in Design and Innovation Studio One: Introduction to Design Innovation and Society (DIS) (STS,RPI) Aug- Dec 2011
Professor: Burt Swersey (Department of Engineering, RPI)
Audrey Bennett (Dept of Language Literature and Communications, RPI
This course traditionally co-taught by an STS faculty member, allowed me to lecture and assist with the
inclusion of social theory, and critical perspectives in a course on design. I participated in grading, student advising, and providing framing within the courses divided focus on Visualization and "User-
Centered Design" / "social entrepreneurship". I included sociological framing of "social problems" and
"needs assessment" as well as methodological discussions of interview technique and research
ethics. Studio 1 is the inaugural course for double majors participating in the DIS/PDI at RPI
drawing students from the Schools of Architecture, Engineering, and the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
I am attaching a PDF document, containing the complete scans of the evaluations for my teaching
submitted by the undergraduates in the class, linked here.
Poverty and Affluence ( Department of Urban Studies, Queens College, CUNY) Feb - May 2006
Professor: Candace Kim Edel (Department of Urban Studies, Queens College, CUNY)
Prior to entry into graduate school, I assisted my mother in the final semester before her
retirement with grading, course preparation and lectures. My contribution focused on sociological
definitions of race and class, as well as historically situating theories of marginality in expert
discourse and policy. Discussions included relations of social stratification in urban spaces as a result and
contributing factors to a) theories of public health and b) urban development. Poverty and Affluence was
a core course for majors and minors in Urban Studies, and cross listed as an elective in the sociology
program.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships:
Information Technology and Society (STS,RPI) - Atsushi Akera ( Syllabus of current version)
Politics and Economics of Information Technology (STS,RPI) - Atsushi Akera (previous version of the above)
Introduction to Science and Technology Studies (STS,RPI) - Edward Woodhouse
Professional Development II: Leadership (STS,RPI) - Lauren Montgomery Rhinehart
Undergraduate Teaching Assistantships:
Prof: Lynn Miller
Ever Since Darwin
New Guinea Tape Worms and Jewish Grandmother: The Natural History of Infectious Disease
Proceed With Caution
Prof. Pamela K Stone
Bioarchaeology of Women
Ethical Dilemmas in Biological Anthropology
Anthropology of Reproduction
SAMPLE SYLLABI:
Complete Syllabi for two Science and Technology Studies Course, one a general introduction and the other and an upper division or graduate course that focuses on Biomedicine and the Social Studies of Medicine. (I have not included boilerplate requirements for academic honesty, ADA compliance, and other formalities that would need to reflect the institutional demands on Syllabus form and style.)
Introduction to Science and Technology Studies
Biomedicine Today
I also consider myself prepared to teach a variety of discipline specific courses at the introductory level including Sociology of Medicine, Cultural Anthropology with an emphasis on ethnographic methodology, and Development Studies. I've listed a number of courses and key textbooks usable in the courses here : Other Courses
I also would love to one day run a graduate level seminar on the social studies of public health in which discussion focuses on the Foucauldian concept of Population and the turn towards the Biomedical; a sketch of that potential course is linked as a word document here.
