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andrea.rector@smwc.edu
EDUCATION:
Butler University Indianapolis, Indiana
Applied Educational Neuroscience Certification, May 2019
Non-Degree Graduate Program
Indiana State University Terre Haute, Indiana
Doctorate of Philosophy in Curriculum & Instruction, May 2019.
Major Field: Historical Empathy Education.
Dissertation (In-Progress): Potential of Historical Empathy Education Integrated with Critical Affective Literacy to Foster Meaningful Cognitive Learning
Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana
Master of Arts in History, July 2010.
Major Field: Modern Germany (1789-1989).
Minor Field: Ante-Bellum America.
MA Thesis: Quest for Legitimacy: German-American Relations during the Revolutions of 1848
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Bachelor of Arts, December 2007. Major: History / Minor: English. Senior Thesis: Thucydides Use of Biography
The beautiful complexity of every human being defines my philosophy of teaching. It is fluid and adjusts to daily discoveries within the fields of education, sociology, psychology, and neuroscience. My philosophy adheres to the tenets of meaningful cognitive learning with a focus on constructivism,
emotional intelligence, and existentialism.
Ten years ago, I believed that curriculum molded the student. Teaching mainly historical lessons, I thought the students depended upon my instruction to comprehend the significance. Today, I realize my philosophy was inverted. Learning is subjective to each student. I now adhere to Universal Design for
Learning (UDL). The three major principles of the UDL framework, which includes engagement, representation, and action & expression, correlate with my philosophy of inclusive learning. My instruction and curriculum design are now focused on the students’ individual strengths and weaknesses.
As a whole, the classroom becomes a community where academic and emotional support is available.
My philosophy of teaching does not adhere to pull-out programs as the first solution to academic challenges. Educators must define the central cause of the issue. I believe that all behavior in the classroom is a form of communication to the instructor. For instance, insecurity due to the inability to comprehend a concept may cause students to distract from the lesson to avoid embarrassment. To handle these situations, I adhere to Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) rather than isolating the seemingly disruptive student. This approach melds my focus of constructivism and emotional intelligence together. Though society will never provide a perfect atmosphere for healthy cognitive development, the classroom serves as a safe place for students to resolve misunderstandings involving diversity, mental
health, and disabilities.
Community in the classroom provides support students may not receive within their families or neighborhoods. Emotional intelligence, diversity, and empathy education is necessary for modern society. Knowledge and a thorough understanding of the culture and history of one’s counterpart diminishes
divisions and reveals human continuity. Through personal observations of students and society, I am astonished at the lack of connection younger generations possess with real tragedy.
Before his execution in 1942 by the Nazis, Marc Bloch announced his concerns with historical education. He stated, “What is the use of history, when the values of the past are being ruthlessly discarded.”
Unfortunately, the importance of the tragedy that occurred during Bloch’s life is already fading. I observed a group of students watching a short clip concerning the Holocaust mock women sorting through thousands of items stolen from the Jews. How could these students not relate on a human level to
the victims in the video? In order to approach these difficult topics in the classroom, the final aspect of my philosophy of teaching, existentialism, is crucial. Students need a meaningful professional relationship with their instructor to feel comfortable enough to discuss topics involved with critical
pedagogy.
In conclusion, I am fully aware that I still have many techniques and methods to learn; however, my confidence in humanity and the passion that comes from my fiancée’s life that was cut short is never-ending. I know as an educator I will continue to fall and rise-up. My enthusiasm and commitment to the
betterment of society ultimately defines my overall philosophy of life. No matter how many challenges I face, I will continue to find an institution ready for me and my philosophy of education. And since someone has already concisely stated my beliefs, I will end with his comment: To educate a man in
mind and not morals, is to educate a menace to society – Theodore Roosevelt
(x) Minimal Participation
This is the minimal amount of participation required to take part in a design team.
(x) Participate as a sample workshop attendee, show up every week and do the exercises (2 hour weekly team meetings)
(x) Do Homework: Read book and other material, some prep for meetings, dialog on email list, etc. (2 hours)
Co-Design Empathy Training
According to your time availability, interest level and abilities, you can select how else you would like to take part in designing and building the training.
(x) Time Commitment.
(x) Numbers of hours per week can I can contribute?_8_
(x) Minimal time commitment is 6 weeks. (chapters 1 to 6)
(x) I can commit to extending to a full book series. 16 weeks, (chapters 1 to 16)
Comments?: I am juggling a lot of projects at the moment and my availability might be week to week; however, if given advanced notice, I can take up to eight hours per week towards this project in terms of designing, editing, reading, writing, and discussing.
(x) I Have These Skills To Contribute
Curriculum & Instructional Design (PhD, May 2019)
Taught college for eight years
Interpersonal Skills
Applied Education Neuroscience Certification (Butler University, May 2019)
Historical Empathy Education
Training MOOC Design and Facilitation
(x) 1. Design/Facilitate an Activity
A two hour meeting lesson consists of a series of activities, like, Intention setting, On Arrival Question, Mirroring Activity, Basic Empathy Circle, Book Try It activities, etc, etc. These short activities are listed as separate pages in the TOOL KIT section. You can take one of these existing activities and refine it, prototype it, create new ones, and facilitate it during a lesson.
(x) Develop and Refine an Existing Activity
(x) Design an Activity
( ) Facilitate an Activity
( ) 2. Design/Lead/Facilitate a (2 hr) Lesson
( ) Plan, organise and facilitate a full Empathy Lesson
( ) Comments?:
( ) 3. Design/Lead/Facilitate a (16 Week) Lesson Training Series.
( ) Lead/Facilitate an Empathy Lesson
( ) Lead/Facilitate a 16 lesson Training Series.
( ) Comments?:
( ) 4. Design/Lead/Facilitate a (16 Week) Design Team Series.
We now have 4 of these teams. Once you have gone through the series you can start, organize and lead a Design Team.
( ) Lead/Facilitate a 16 lesson Training Series.
( ) Comments?:
Other
(x) Visioning the Culture of Empathy
(x) Help articulate the Culture of Empathy vision. Here is a link for more about this project.
(x) Write copy. I write well and can help write content and copy..
( ) Comments? Writing is a natural talent for me. It is a hobby and I love developing/wordsmithing all things involved with writing :)
(x) Technical Production
( ) Do Web design
(x) Create video clips
( ) etc
( ) Comments?:
(x) Empathy Activism
One of the unique qualities of our training is we encourage and support participants in becoming activists in helping build a culture of empathy. You can graduate into this at any level the feels comfortable.
(x) Offer Empathic Listening to people
( ) Facilitate Empathy Circles between people online
(x) Facilitate Empathy Circles with in-groups to build trust
( ) Facilitate Empathy Circles between people online - inter-group conflict oriented
( ) Take part in an Empathy Tent Pop-Up. You attend and support a team hosting an empathy tent out in the public space.
(x) Start an Empathy Tent in my Area
Comments?:
(x) Add Any Other Ideas, Comments, Questions:
Pretty open to contributing in many different ways.
I believe everyone associated with this project should watch this short TedTalk to start to understand the multiple layers of empathy:
What questions do you have about the empathy training project and MOOC?
At the risk of contributing ideas already discussed, I am going to answer this question without first reading other responses. I do not want to be influenced.
Anything associated with the abstract is sticky as in the results are more difficult to predict when compared to a more quantitative subject (i.e. mathematics). Neuroscience is providing research to back up the importance of empathy through the existence of mirror neurons; however,despite the 90’s being described as the decade of the brain, studies are still in their infancy.
Where does this leave curriculum designers who seek to assist those who wish to develop empathy in others? I believe that the content is what drives the design. Let us first think about the idea of a MOOC - Massive Open Online Course. This type of course allows, as it is labeled, massive amounts of individuals to interact. It would hinder the integrity of the course to suggest that the content is concrete. When I approach a qualitative course that attempts to structure the content rather than provide fluidity, I start to question its validity and significance to my personal development.
Long story short, I believe empathy can be taught through a MOOC; however, a fine line exists between structure and fluidity when designing a course around the abstract. The content matter becomes personal and emotionally high risk if the proper steps are not taken to prevent psychological damage. We do not want to open up a place where internet vampires congregate (negative individuals who want to prey on vulnerable people seeking a community).
My question is how do we protect those genuinely wanting to take this course from poor design and cyberbullying?
Oh, and I think I made up the term internet vampires (not really researched whether it exists or not) :) but that is how I always visualize them when teaching online courses.
List the specific skills that you see that are part of an empathic way of being (ie. attitude - mindset - heartset - consciousness)?
Which of these skills do you most want to get better at?
To express my genuine feelings about empathy, I must take us on a journey back to Ancient Greece. I have many academic/historical crushes that will never pan out and one of those happens to be on Socrates. Now, whether this individual actually existed... who knows, but his characterization and knowledge provide relevant points for the present. While not trying to overly generalize his philosophy, Socrates believed that the wisest man was one who could admit that he did not know anything.
How does this relate to my idea of empathy? Before I start to listen to another person, first I tell myself not to automatically associate his/her experience to something that occured in my life. Thinking that I immediately understand how this person feels because I experienced the same thing would instantly distract my state of mind and subconsciously cloud my interpretation. Ultimately, I tell myself that I know nothing about this experience. Though mirror neurons provide an amazing sense of connection between humans, can we really know how it feels to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes?
For instance, if you and I sit together on a park bench feeling sad, how could we possibly know that we essentially feel the same emotion. I might feel sadness as a gut wrenching tangle of emotions weighing heavily in my abdomen. On the other hand, you might feel sadness as a stranglehold on your throat that prevents words from exiting your mouth. To assume the feeling is mutual does a disservice to empathic understanding.
I believe to truly empathize with another, one must first recognize the subjectiveness of feeling. The affective domain delights in expressing ideas through the abstract. Once one understands this truth, then we really start to listen to another’s story. Caroline Myss discusses different archetypes that each individual associates. The intellectual archetype is genuinely interested in learning about others experiences without feeling the need to share personal similarities. Individuals who associate with this archetype are not just waiting for the other person to stop speaking so that they can start their story. They are genuinely curious (stole curious from Dee-Dee’s post). I would like to improve my ability to recognize that my feelings about the speaker’s words must remain neutral. It is a time and space where I must stay objective so the speaker can attempt to fully express his/her story. I want to truly realize my archetype as the intellectual.
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