Philosophy
Learning is challenging work on the part of both student and instructor. Although I expect my students to engage in the hard work that it takes to learn, I believe my role as instructor is to ultimately guide their learning. That is, I see myself as an organizer and facilitator of learning opportunities. I strive to ensure key concepts are made meaningful and relevant. Education in community health should meet students where they are and critically challenge them to examine ways to advance public health knowledge and practice. My goals as instructor are three-fold: (1) facilitate foundational knowledge of concepts and issues, (2) guide students in practicing and enhancing collaborative learning, and (3) integrate research with teaching to help broaden students’ perspectives.
Facilitate Foundational Knowledge
I believe that courses should be situated within a learner-centered classroom in which significant, active learning through meaningful activities are emphasized. In my Personal Health course, I engaged students in applications of course concepts in their own lives (e.g., photo elicitation assignment of substance use around campus) and explorations through varied learning styles (e.g., collaborative group drawings of the social-ecological model). The majority of class time was devoted to interactive activities and discussions, whereas concept learning was completed outside of class through readings, explorations of websites, and video clips. The inclusion of a variety of interactive activities accommodates diverse learning styles while promoting creativity and critical thinking. My interactive approach to teaching was highlighted by one student: “I really loved how interactive the class was.”
Practice and Enhance Collaborative Learning
To practice and enhance collaborative learning, one strategy I use is scaffolding. For example, in my Personal Health course, students completed a group paper on a self-chosen health topic that required them to complete different sections of their paper throughout the semester (i.e., Why Should We Care? Paper). Their paper was then used to inform their final group presentations, in which students creatively debated or educated the class on their health topic (i.e., Debate or Educate Project). Scaffolding ensured students’ final products systematically built upon their knowledge and incorporated critical skills, such as researching and disseminating data.
Integrate Research with Teaching
Above all, I strive to create meaning and relevance of health ideas to students. I aim to move beyond, yet still integrate, the individual/personal with the evidence-based within an inclusive, positive learning environment. In Personal Health, I connected course concepts with real-world research and local efforts through guest lectures and my own work (e.g., using the social-ecological model to understand factors affecting adolescent pregnancy in Baltimore, MD [Tanner et al., 2013]). I hope to instill my passion for this field in my students, even if just creating a spark of curiosity for a semester. I hope students leave my class with a similar takeaway as this student: “I learned so many new things about health I might want to research!”
Facilitate Foundational Knowledge
I believe that courses should be situated within a learner-centered classroom in which significant, active learning through meaningful activities are emphasized. In my Personal Health course, I engaged students in applications of course concepts in their own lives (e.g., photo elicitation assignment of substance use around campus) and explorations through varied learning styles (e.g., collaborative group drawings of the social-ecological model). The majority of class time was devoted to interactive activities and discussions, whereas concept learning was completed outside of class through readings, explorations of websites, and video clips. The inclusion of a variety of interactive activities accommodates diverse learning styles while promoting creativity and critical thinking. My interactive approach to teaching was highlighted by one student: “I really loved how interactive the class was.”
Practice and Enhance Collaborative Learning
To practice and enhance collaborative learning, one strategy I use is scaffolding. For example, in my Personal Health course, students completed a group paper on a self-chosen health topic that required them to complete different sections of their paper throughout the semester (i.e., Why Should We Care? Paper). Their paper was then used to inform their final group presentations, in which students creatively debated or educated the class on their health topic (i.e., Debate or Educate Project). Scaffolding ensured students’ final products systematically built upon their knowledge and incorporated critical skills, such as researching and disseminating data.
Integrate Research with Teaching
Above all, I strive to create meaning and relevance of health ideas to students. I aim to move beyond, yet still integrate, the individual/personal with the evidence-based within an inclusive, positive learning environment. In Personal Health, I connected course concepts with real-world research and local efforts through guest lectures and my own work (e.g., using the social-ecological model to understand factors affecting adolescent pregnancy in Baltimore, MD [Tanner et al., 2013]). I hope to instill my passion for this field in my students, even if just creating a spark of curiosity for a semester. I hope students leave my class with a similar takeaway as this student: “I learned so many new things about health I might want to research!”
Reflections on the Instructor's Role
To promote a learner-centered classroom, my role as instructor emphasizes facilitation and guidance, placing much of the responsibility of learning and thinking on the students. However, I must also provide the inclusive, safe environment as a prerequisite to this ideal.
I ensure that my expectations and instructions are clear, my lesson plans are organized, and my rationale for activities and assignments are expressed. Once students know where I come from and what I expect of them, then I will be better able to learn where they come from and where they stand. I do not see myself as a gate-keeper of knowledge but rather an organizer of (significant, active) learning opportunities in which I strive to ensure that the concepts they learn can be made meaningful and relevant to them and to allow them to think critically. This means that online tools and technology are used to share and expand their learning and that real world applications of their classroom-situated learning is included. Moreover, I strive to ensure that regular, appropriate feedback is provided for their work to identify progress and gaps in learning, and that cumulative knowledge is gained throughout the class about the concepts in a broader perspective and through piecemeal assessments of their learning. This way, students can know where they stand, and concepts are not siloed but woven together. |
Reflections on Student LearningOne of the things I have learned is that "the one who does the work does the learning." That is, students must ultimately be responsible for their learning!
Almost every class will involve an assignment that they must complete prior to class related to what they have read, watched, or written/reflected upon about that day's topic. Not only will this allow students to come better prepared for class, but it enhances engagement with the material in an active role and conveys my expectations of their learning. In addition, prior to each Unit Quiz, each student has an opportunity to express remaining gaps in their knowledge about concepts, allowing them to reflect and take ownership of their learning. This "doing" of learning also carries over to the classroom, in which interactive activities are emphasized in which they are discussing, watching, or sharing applications of the concepts read prior to class. I also believe that learning is life-long. My aim is that aspects of what students learn in my classes can be carried over in other aspects of their lives - whether related to concepts or skills - so that they may apply concepts and foundational skills they learn or practice in class to other areas of their lives as students and beyond. |