teaching philosophy
As an instructor of digital media and contemporary fine art courses, my aim is to create safe spaces where students are engaged in discovery and knowledge generation through critical thinking and experiential learning exercises.
We live in a world that is oversaturated with imagery, moving and still. This oversaturation makes us numb to the power and influence images, image making, and image sharing have on both a personal and societal level.
I want to teach digital media and fine art studies as a way to engage with young minds, to share philosophies and practices of New Media that enable students to develop the skills and content mastery needed to be critical of the new media they consume, create, and share.
I hold two goals for the students of my courses. First, is content mastery. In his book “Outliers: The Story of Success”, Malcom Gladwell quotes the 10,000 hour rule, asserting that the key to achieving true expertise in any skill is simply a matter of practicing, albeit in the correct way, for at least 10,000 hours. That old adage rings true in contemporary art and new media studies. However, with leapfrogging advancements in technology, individuals in this field of work are never truly finished learning, practicing and developing their professional skills. Additionally, one cannot become a master of their practice if they are unable to communicate using the language of their craft. I maintain a strict emphasis on learning the language of visual communication which students exhibit through oral and written critique of project and term assignments.
The second goal I hold for my students is engaged citizenry. Through my teaching experiences, I have found that student’s personal interests often make a suitable inroad for personal-professional research. Connection to community deepens our investment in our work, enhances the authenticity of the work we’re engaged in, and also helps us become more tolerant individuals enlightened with a multitude of diverse perspectives.
For me, it is important to lead by example. To this end, I am constantly seeking to further develop my skills and craft, I am willing to adopt new information and tolerate diverse perspectives, and I seek to deepen my connection to community through communication and collaboration.