My teaching philosophy is grounded in the integration of theory and practice, with an emphasis on cultivating critical inquiry, media literacy, and intercultural understanding. Across both higher education and secondary contexts, I design learning experiences that invite students to interrogate the cultural, technological, and communicative forces shaping contemporary life. Through interdisciplinary coursework and applied projects, I aim to foster intellectual curiosity, rhetorical competence, and socially engaged scholarship.
Ramapo College of New Jersey
COMM 204 – Media Literacy
Media Literacy is the study of the language, technology and economic structure involved in the creation of messages in different mediums. This course is designed to acquaint students with the following areas: (1) the features and forms of mediated influence most commonly observable today, (2) the relationships between structural hierarchies and representations in the media, and (3) the key and current controversial issues related to mass media. Finally, students are expected to cultivate the ability to critically evaluate the media and develop media literacy.
COMM 221 – Speech for Communication Arts
This course is intended to introduce students in the Communication Arts major to the various contexts in which they will give speeches and presentations, including pitches, position statements, individual speeches, and collaborative group presentations. Special emphasis will be placed on the process of speech making: from conceptualizing an idea, to researching the topic, to organizing the message, to effective delivery.
COMM 234 – Intercultural Communication
The primary intent of this course is to use a critical lens to examine culture as it influences ourselves, our relations, and our understanding of society. In this post-global world, it is necessary to become familiar with issues such as what constitutes culture, whose culture counts and for what reasons, and the ways in which media constructs our readings of culture. This course explores cultural experience and meaning across a variety of cultural groups, including national cultures, ethnic groups, racial groups, economic classes, and subcultures. We will centralize communication by emphasizing several issues: (1) how communication creates cultures; (2) communication within a variety of cultures; and (3) our own communication about others.
Hawthorne Christian Academy
HS MEDIA – Media Literacy & Production
This foundational media course is designed to prepare students to engage and interact with digital
media from a biblical worldview. Emphasis is placed on how to analyze, interpret, and criticize mass
media messages. To achieve this, students will have several opportunities to produce media works
that will evaluate their ability to create quality media messages in a responsible manner. Students
will work on video projects, web design, graphic design, journalism, and other media projects.
Students will finish this course with a portfolio of the projects they worked on throughout the term.
HS MEDIA – Broadcast Production
This course emphasizes improving students’ visual arts and communication skills through the media.
Students in this course will study the television industry as an art and specialized mode of mass
communication. Students will learn the individualized vocabulary and technology of the industry and
use writing, along with artistic visual filming and creative editing to communicate truth to their
audience through the production of video broadcasts. Students will also explore the ethics of
broadcasting and study the impact of the television industry on our society and how it functions as a
persuasive art form.
HS MEDIA – Directing the Documentary
This course emphasizes the process of creating a short documentary. Students will learn all
the steps of production including but not limited to writing a treatment, direction, production,
camera work, sound and lighting techniques, editing, and designing promotional materials.
Workshop discussions and critique of proposals and work-in-progress is a central feature of
the course. The culminating result is a finished short documentary film that will be distributed
online for student portfolio.
HS MEDIA – Intro to Cinema Studies
This course emphasizes the process of creating a short documentary. Students will learn all
the steps of production including but not limited to writing a treatment, direction, production,
camera work, sound and lighting techniques, editing, and designing promotional materials.
Workshop discussions and critique of proposals and work-in-progress is a central feature of
the course. The culminating result is a finished short documentary film that will be distributed
online for student portfolio.
HS MEDIA – Fundamentals of Media Communication
This foundational course is a prerequisite for all advanced media courses. The course begins with a media literacy module, which will teach students how to analyze, interpret, and criticize mass media messages. After learning media literacy, students will begin applied activities in media production – which will provide them hands-on work. Students will work on video projects, web design, graphic design, journalism, and other production projects. Students will finish this course with a full portfolio of all the projects they worked on throughout the year
