DIGITAL PORTFOLIO FILE
NOTES
My entire teaching portfolio is available for download in Interactive PDF format.
Below are a few highlights.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
INTERESTS
WHY I TEACH...
It’s who’s important, not what’s important.
During my time as a practicing designer, I gained experience and perspective. I not only learned what is important in design, but particularly who is important; my colleagues, the client and ultimately the end-users. I was able to develop my technical skills to a level at which I was entrusted with managing the BIM content and procedures for the Interiors Department within the firm, training my coworkers on Revit software, and later, to manage my own projects.
It was my time spent with my coworkers on Revit that were the most rewarding to me. I worked with several experienced designers that were familiar with AutoCAD but were struggling with the concepts and capabilities of BIM software. It was such fun when we had a break-through! The excitement on their face and in their voice made all the hard work worth the effort. I was able to improve their Revit skills and thus their productivity and value on projects. These experiences ultimately drove me back to the world of academia and teaching.
Design Technology (BIM)
Concept Design
Design Psychology
Fundamentals of Design
Materials & Specifications
WHAT I TEACH...
To be valued rather than just a success.
My main objective is to prepare my students for professional practice. They will go on to be responsible for the safety of the public. I find it important to instill in our students a strong sense of integrity and a firm understanding of how our designs go on to affect the quality of life for the end-users.
Through the utilization of new and emerging technologies, we are better able to ensure the quality and efficiency of the spaces we design. I believe to be considered a well equipped and valuable designer, one must know and have the ability to understand and implement the tools and equipment used in the development of interior spaces. A design is pointless if the designer is unable to express it in a meaningful way. By teaching our students how to properly and effectively employ the tools available to them, we can provide them yet another way to strengthen their value in the workplace.
Life-long learning is another important aspect in the development of a valuable professional designer. I emphasize the importance of continuing education to my students and how to distinguish the reputable sources. This same value is represented in the requirements for certifications and licensure with the yearly minimum completion of continuing education units. A valued designer never stops learning and growing.
HOW I TEACH...
“The way you learn to play loud, is by playing loud.”
Much of my understanding of learning comes from my many years as a musician. Learning the basics, exploring different genres of music and techniques, and endless hours of practice prepared me well for the world of design. During one lesson, while working to improve my dynamic range, my teacher turned to me and said, “the way you
learn to play loud, is by playing loud.” She then added, “… and by learning to play loud you also learn how to play softly; they use the same principles.” I apply that same approach to my own teaching; students learn how to design by designing. By instilling the basics, offering real-world examples and scenarios, and guiding thoughtful repetition, they too can begin to “play loud.” I now understand this framework to be the epitome of active learning.
Acknowledging the Student
As design educators, we do not teach information, we teach students. I believe it is essential to not only cover the necessary information but to guide our students through the design process and counsel them on how to become a valued professional designer. In that regard, I believe emphasizing a student’s strengths is an important part of their education.
During my time as an instructor of record and a teaching assistant, I often heard students dwelling on their weaknesses, and in turn, losing sight of their strengths. I found, while in professional practice, that it was my strengths that set me apart from my peers. It’s a given that educators will work to improve their students’ inadequacies, but it’s also important to guide the development of their natural strengths. By getting to know my students’ strengths as well as their unique backgrounds and learning preferences, I have seen my students become more motivated, active, and invested in their education.
Transparency
Another important aspect of my teaching is transparency. I believe in modeling the behaviors and attitude I wish to cultivate amongst my students. My aim is that they know why they are doing what they are doing. And by connecting those reasons to their own goals and aspirations, I can increase their motivation and interest within their courses. If they know where I am going with the information and why, they are more willing and able to
follow me.
Mental & Behavioral Health Facility Design
Design Technology
Design Pedagogy
My experiences in life and professional practice have led me to the areas of research that I am currently pursuing, although I hold interests in many areas including design technology, design pedagogy, healthcare and healing environments, universal design, and the types of thinking involved in the design process of interiors. Here’s what I’ve been researching:
Mental Health Facility Design
Schizophrenia
My research has and will continue to primarily focus on developing guidelines for mental health facilities to support the treatment of serious mental illness. My approach to developing these guidelines is to address the different symptom types and diagnoses. Through the literature review, it is apparent that the current guidelines address mental illness as whole but do not distinguish whether certain guidelines should apply to one illness or the other, except for a handful of side notes pertaining to schizophrenia. It is also apparent that different illnesses manifest different symptoms which leads to the conclusion that an approach by diagnosis and type of symptom is warranted.
At the conclusion of my MFA experience, I will have a seven chapter thesis discussing the ideas and contents mentioned above. There is a strong possibility of turning these chapters in publications, which is my intent. I also hope to present my research in the near future at conferences. I see publication to be the one of the main points of research; conducting research without sharing the findings with others is futile.
My next research venture will be to identify the specific environmental stresses that induce or aggravate the symptoms associated with schizophrenia. Evidence in the literature indicates that the stresses in the built-environment may be undermining the effectiveness of psychological treatments received by the patient. People experiencing symptoms of psychosis from schizophrenia are characterized by a lack of concentration, paranoia, hallucinations, and reduced cognitive functions. It is not out of the question that spaces with high or low stressors may be diverting their attention to their symptoms instead of being able to focus on their treatments. I also plan on extending this same approach for research to other serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, and severe major depression.
INTERESTS
NATURE OF RESEARCH
The Act of Teaching & Learning Critical Thinking
Divergent and Convergent Strategies: Teaching design thinking
The science and art of design: Where critical thinking and design thinking meet.
One of my interests is in the types of learning involved in the design process and what the best practices are to teach ideas and theories in a systematic way without being restrictive. What types of teaching strategies are best when discussing the intersection of design thinking and critical thinking? I hope to share my findings through publications and possibly a series of design thinking workshops for teachers, practitioners, and students.