Teaching
As a teacher and mentor for nearly two decades, my teaching philosophy has evolved to center a commitment to social justice. From teaching stained glass classes to put myself through community college, to supporting undergraduate and graduate students as an academic advisor, to information literacy instruction, to now teaching rhetoric and writing, my experiences have deeply instilled in me a commitment to student-centeredness. I have unfortunately witnessed first-hand the effects of oppressive systems on my students and been galvanized to work toward change. My goal is to foster students learning to engage in a world of ever-present writing through critical thinking and engaging diverse perspectives. I try to make visible the invisible daily activities of writing so that students and I can collaboratively study what writing is, what it does in the world, and how we might participate in and/or resist broader academic, workplace, social and cultural conversations. Three principles guide my work toward inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in my teaching, whether online, in person, or a blend: anchoring writing in rhetoric; enacting a just class space; and centering students.
Below you will find brief descriptions of courses I have taught recently. Please contact me if you would like more information.
Courses Taught
Principles of visual communication
Arizona State University
Combined graduate/advanced undergraduate course on using design principles, rhetorical knowledge, and tools of visual communication in print and electronic media, with an emphasis on document design, including typography and color, as well as basic web design and accessibility/usability concerns.
Visualizing data &
information
Arizona State University
Combined graduate/advanced undergraduate course on data management and use of software tools to communicate patterns and tell visual stories, as well as how to make ethical choices in visualization design and delivery in ways that will assist an audience to effectively access and process the information.
social media
in the workplace
Arizona State University
Combined graduate/advanced undergraduate course exploring rhetorical strategies for using social media in workplace situations, including understanding how different social media meets the needs of different audiences and communities, as well as consideration of intellectual property, copyright, justice, and ethics.
Rhetoric, Technology,
& the Internet
University of Minnesota
Advanced undergraduate course examining the visible and invisible influences that technology and the internet have in the world and our lives, using rhetoric as a framework for interrogating how people communicate with, through, and about digital, internet technologies. Considers how interfaces we use daily exist within social, political, economic, and cultural systems, and how positionality, privilege, and power are embedded within conceptions of technology and technology use.
Technical & professional
writing
University of Minnesota
Advanced writing-intensive undergraduate course covering the fundamentals of workplace writing, including composing common genres, explaining complex technical information to different audiences, rhetorical analysis and strategies, designing visual and verbal information, and considering ethical implications and the ways knowledge, power, and human activity impact writing.
business & professional
writing
University of Minnesota
Undergraduate course exploring communication within and among organizations to promote business, including persuasive communication that supports new proposals, products, or grants. Approaches business writing as grounded in the rhetorical situation, or an understanding of audience, purpose, context, and ethical implications of communication.
university (first year)
writing
University of Minnesota
Intensive first-year course on the fundamentals of academic writing. Approaches writing as a flexible and fluid revision-based process anchored in understanding and responding to rhetorical situations. Considers how we might participate in and/or resist broader academic, workplace, social and cultural conversations. Prepares students with a set of flexible skills that will help them approach each writing situation prepared to assess and address the unique aspects of that scenario.