Academic Samples

A 1,081-word textual analysis of the single word "melancholy" as it appears in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. The goal of this assignment was to better understand some aspect of the novel through a deeper understanding of my chosen word (Looser, Canvas assignment English 535).  This assignment increased my close reading skills, advanced my research skills through the use of the Oxford English Dictionary, and encouraged me to perfect my argument by supporting my claims with evidence from the text.

Fostering Empathy with Young Adult Literature is a Pecha Kucha-style presentation (narrated PowerPoint slides) that describes the merits of a 16-week university literature course. This thematic unit uses Young Adult Literature to increase empathy and increase cultural awareness for interested students. This assignment tested me by introducing a new presentation method. With only 20 slides timed at 20 seconds each I had to be selective and concise without sacrificing my message. 

This final project was meant to be a thorough investigation of a specific writing technology or medium. My purpose in selecting blogs was to research a technology that would inspire reflective learning for my composition students at Utah Tech University. This paper outlines the value blogs have as a tool for solidifying students' retention rate of a subject if they create regular blog posts. As a result of this project, I have incorporated blogs as a voluntary assignment for my students. I even created my own, so I can blog for reflection with them. (See the link on the right.)