Communication Instructor Aspirations and Goals

My educational, career, and civic/community engagement has ignited my desire to become a community college or undergraduate professor where I can apply my experiences and knowledge into creating a community/learner centered environment which embraces and cultivates a sense of belonging, a culture of respect, and diverse learning experiences to promote social and economic mobility for students through community/civic engagement.

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I aspire to serve students from diverse backgrounds by transforming their own educational and life experiences through the analysis of the historical and contemporary meanings of symbols and systems. I aim to facilitate student learning opportunities enriched with the reciprocal and co-construction of knowledge; stimulates the cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of learning; and challenges students to develop critical thinking skills. Students will identify and develop an awareness and understanding of the "relational process of creating and interpreting messages that elicit a response,” (Griffin, et al. (2023, p.3.) and how those messages shape social, political, economic, organizational, and cultural structures.

 

The course content will be examined through a multi-disciplinary approach incorporating psychology, sociology, and humanities disciplines. Students will become familiar with theories such as Bourdieu’s Cultural Capital Theory, Herbert Mead’s Symbolic Interactionism Theory, Koerner and Fitzpatrick’s Family Communications Patterns Theory, Stuart Hall’s Cultural Studies, Social Constructionist Theories, McCombs and Shaw’s Agenda Setting Theory and as well as other intercultural and media theories and research.

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Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is grounded in elements that promote co-construction of knowledge, learner-centered, systemic change, diversity, equity, and inclusion and opportunities for cultural, social, and economic mobility for all students. My teaching philosophy is grounded in a few pedagogies.  I am drawn to the Ignatian pedagogy, a human centered pedagogy where the teacher creates a teaching environment where students channel their own lived experiences, facts, values, and feelings through reflective techniques to understand a phenomenon. Students are then challenged to act, and last to evaluate what is still missing for them. The action could lend to social activism, civic engagement type projects, campaigns, or individual growth and development as it relates to interaction with others and promotes continued self-development and learning. The constructivist pedagogy introduces culture as an essential element to the exploration of cultural experiences, shared or diverging values and systems. The pedagogy still takes a learner center approach and focuses on the “…use [of] culture to create knowledge that is historically and contextually bound and built on prior knowledge,” (Fernback, p 18). Students would be encouraged to re-examine value systems in context of historical and contemporary media and communication to develop a shared meaning through participatory type classroom setting. To continue to encourage an inclusive environment that respects diversity, I would lean into the “multicultural pedagogy…[which] emphasizes diverse perspectives, negotiated meanings and citizenship,” (Fernback, p. 20.) This element may lend to a small group or class social or community engagement type project grounded in social change or awareness campaigns. Students will be empowered through life skills and meaningful learning experiences to create individual or systemic change in social, political, academic, economic, and other systems.

 

Methodology

Topics around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging can be politically charged topics in today’s media and political environments. I am committed to student learning and facilitating discourse around such topics. To mitigate behaviors that may detract from the learning experience, it is important to communicate in a transparent fashion. One way to be transparent is to lead students through review of the syllabus which will outline the course content, share and speak to my teaching pedagogy, and encourage students to approach the coursework with an open-mind and community/learner centered approach. Second, I would promote inclusivity by facilitating the development of classroom norms which will serve as our reminder and framework for how we will engage with the topics and each other. Third, I would promote a sense-of-belonging and inclusion by integrating activities that promote developing relationships and understanding one’s potential which would incorporate exploration of value systems, goals/aspirations, heritage, and strengths, etc. Fourth, to promote co-constructed and shared knowledge and meanings, I will incorporate opportunities for reflection and discussion.

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Dependent on the course objectives, the class will offer the opportunity for individual text readings, review and analysis of historical and contemporary media and influences from family and culture systems, interactive small and large activities, course discussions, individual and group projects, and a final project with a civic or service learning project based on research and analysis of community needs or a final research project promoting use of communication platform of choice such as a blog, video, podcast, Ted talk, research  paper, etc. around select or prescribed topic.

 

Assessing Student Learning

Assessment of student learning must match the activity and topic. For gauging student learning from text and/or exploration of a new topics, I would rely on formative assessments in small groups or discussions to gauge students’ prior knowledge and new understanding of topics. Second, I would also use a criterion-based approach to assess group work and project-based work which may include self, peer, and/or professor assessment based on developed rubrics and learning objectives. A third way I would assess student learning is by a pre- and post- assessment that gauges how students assessed their competencies and knowledge of a subject and skills when they begin the class versus where they see themselves at the end of the class. Learning is an ongoing process, so it is important to continue to observe, review and grade student responses, provide feedback at least on a weekly basis so students can understand and adjust where needed, and to make myself available to offer additional support or respond to questions. I also am committed to responding within 48 hours to emails or calls from students, to promote continued course progress.  

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Professional Development and Course Analysis

As a professor, I would use a multi-faceted approach to ensure that I am creating meaningful learning and assessing my teaching and coursework. First, I would analyze the student assessment results to gauge student learning, any gaps, and areas for improvement. Second, I would continue my education, attend conferences, subscribe to communication and education journals and publications, and/or commit to continued self-guided exploration and research. Third, I would connect with my colleagues and mentors to examine where there is continuity and divergences in teaching, and I would adjust the course objectives or assignments where needed. In my years of experience offering multiple training and workshops, it is important to note that the various data sources should be utilized to triangulated and validate findings and/or prioritize the need for changes.

 

Conclusion

To be an effective teacher it is important to not only understand one’s own teaching philosophy, academic content, and strategies for teaching; but it is just as important to understand the institutional guidelines and minimum non-negotiable learning objectives and standards. My teaching philosophy is a guide or compass, and it will be tailored to align to the institution. Overall, my teaching philosophy is to “create life-long and meaningful learning opportunities that promote social, class, and economic mobility for all students.” 

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References

Carolyn M. Cunningham (2018) Academic labor and two-year institutions, Review of Communication, 18:2, 98-111, DOI: 10.1080/15358593.2018.1438643

 

Fernback, J. (2015). Teaching communication and media studies: Pedagogy and practice. Routledge. 

 

Griffin, E., Ledbetter, A., & Sparks, G. (2023). Communication: A First Look at Communication Theory (7th Edition).  McGraw Hill Companies, LLC. https://platform.virdocs.com/read/2155114/3/#/4/2[data-uuid-f8d014d3987647d3af22ef5874464e45]/2[Page_iv],/1:0,/1:0 

 

(2004). Ignation pedagogy: An abridged version. Jesuit Institute.