My teaching has been informed by a number of methods and approaches and is often enhanced by technology. I primarily employ a Communicative Approach that incorporates other teaching methods such as Jean-Pol Martin’s Learning by Teaching Method and other inquiry-based and collaborative learning models that are complemented by Power Point and Prezi presentations, music and film, discussion-oriented platforms and blogs, podcasts, interactive lecture tools and games.  Also, since I have found that learning through reading and writing helps to foster a(n) (inter)disciplinary community in the classroom, my pedagogy actively engages students of all levels in the curriculum with such practices.

The collection of class presentations (PPT) and in-class activities included in this section demonstrate my student-centered and collaborative approach to teaching and learning, which tends to privilege active (rather than passive) learning practices.  In my classrooms, students are required to think, answer and pose questions, collaborate regularly with classmates, lead classroom activities (Discussion Leader Sessions), and moderate class discussions both in the classroom and online through a class-based discussion forum.  This varied, but highly interactive approach to teaching in general creates a learning environment that promotes the “five C’s” that have greatly contributed to my success as an educator up to this point: communication, context-based learning. cross-cultural and disciplinary connections, community, and comfort – not in the warm, fuzzy way, but in the sense of creating an environment driven by active participation, mutual respect, and an easy expression of ideas.