General Teaching Philosophy 

I believe my role as a teacher of geospatial technology and geology is to facilitate a meaningful learning environment, one in which students are encouraged to grow intellectually and develop confidence thinking critically. Although the word “engaging” is popular in science education, I truly insist on putting “the science” in student hands, encouraging them to make meaning of the material. While conceptually simple, this is difficult to do, as students use different learning styles, and many students understand science based on misconceptions and false ideas. Thus, teaching is dynamic- and this is why I cherish my time interacting with students in the field, classroom, and laboratory. Not only can I share my enthusiasm for science, but I am frequently a witness to those special “eureka” moments when students finally “get it” (which results in a meaningful experience and an incurable enthusiasm for learning)! 

I was honored to receive the 2011 Distinguished Teaching Award at the University of Michigan - Dearborn. See Detailed Teaching Philosophy at bottom of page. 

Outreach Instruction

• The Geoscience Research Institute (National Science Foundation) 

• Fostering Interest in Information Technology (National Science Foundation) 

• Middle East and North Africa Women in Science and Technology Program (U.S. State Department) 

Although my Fulbright award was for research, I managed to get into the classroom and into the field to teach elementary and middle school lessons on map making (1st grade), land use and land cover (4th grade), rock identification (6th), and plate tectonics in Cyprus (8th grade).  The sixth grade students, eighth grade students, and AIS were kind enough to acknowledge my participation, but I am the one who truly enjoyed sharing my knowledge and time and am grateful for being a temporary contributor to AIS! 

Practice Based Learning (PBL) 101 Course

Field Methods

Detailed Teaching Philosophy

I aim to create an environment that stimulates discovery and scientific inquiry, while fostering critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity. There are many factors that influence a student’s conceptual framework, including their life experiences, developmental stages, inherent intelligences, and learning styles. An effective teacher must consider these factors in the development and presentation of course materials. Yet, conceptual and procedural knowledge is only one part of science education; an effective teacher engages students in the social construction of meaning, encourages students to think about thinking, facilitates creativity and critical judgment, and fosters self-awareness. Students need flexible, diverse, and challenging learning environments that stimulate curiosity and reinforce key concepts. In my classes, these learning moments include concept mapping, analyzing case studies, solving complex problems, inquiry strategies, field techniques, research projects, and assessment tools such as authentic assessment and even reflective self or peer assessment. 

While learning content and knowledge is certainly critical in the classroom, laboratory, and field, it is especially rewarding when student views, beliefs, and behaviors are altered due to the learning process, which usually indicates a deeper understanding of the material has occurred (and thus a higher level of learning). To stimulate a deeper understanding of course material, I (1) apply factual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge to solve complex problems in science (e.g. distinguish relationships/patterns in disparate information/data); (2) foster “critical competencies”, such as communication, problem-solving, and team-orientated skills so students can better contribute to society; and (3) develop “intentional learners” who show self-awareness (e.g. metacognition) for their role as a learner and for their chosen discipline. I believe faculty and teachers should instill in each student the ability to learn on one’s own, which empowers students, such that even after graduation, they are able to grow intellectually as a scientist or, at minimum, become a scientifically-literate citizen.  

These goals shape the design and implementation of the geology and technology courses that I teach at the University of Michigan- Dearborn. By building on students’ knowledge base and expanding their skills to include applications of course content to practical situations, my courses prepare students for a range of postgraduate opportunities. The courses incorporate a variety of learning methods and environments to encourage students to view the subject matter from different perspectives and to emphasize critical thinking. Traditional lectures and lab activities are enhanced with inquiry-based projects and collaborative learning experiences (i.e. concept maps, peer teaching). Collaborative learning is not only a more realistic reflection of “real world” experiences that the students are likely to encounter, but knowledge sharing can also increase student achievement and understanding.  My goal is to help transition student thinking from the lower level of knowledge learning (e.g. recollection) to the higher levels of application, synthesis, and analysis.  In addition, a course structured to extend beyond traditional lecture has the advantage of teaching to a broader spectrum of student learning styles and abilities. For example,most of my courses utilize sequences of activities and projects that rely on repetitive learning, which is then used as a foundation to build upon (i.e. scaffolding). The activities provide students an opportunity to learn at varying tempos, to appreciate and learn a range of material and content (based on their input and pre-existing knowledge), and to work on real world problems that are typically lacking from traditional textbooks. Moreover, these in-class activities provide an “on-the-fly” assessment tool, allowing me to evaluate student understanding of content, and an assessment of student participation,which constitutes a small percent of the final grade.

Furthermore, my courses are designed to address core communication and quantitative skills, such as comprehending, interpreting, and analyzing data and concepts, solving problems that are quantitative in nature, and making efficient use of information resources and technology for personal and professional needs. In particular, my upper level and graduate courses stress critical thinking, including analyzing complex issues and making informed decisions, synthesizing information to arrive at logical conclusions and using knowledge and understanding to generate and explore new questions. Finally, I aim to extend learning beyond the classroom, which provides students an opportunity to connect with prospective employers, to learn from faculty and researchers from other institutions, and to practice the transference of classroom concepts and skills to real world situations.