TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
My primary goal as a teacher is to help students cultivate critical habits and practices that allow them to succeed in academic, personal, and professional settings. This goal stems from my belief that formal education should not be approached as a series of academic exercises, but as an opportunity to expand students’ individual capacities so they may live intellectually and creatively fulfilling lives.
My courses require students to analyze and produce compositions that make use of a variety of different modes—including text, web-authoring languages, images, sound, and video. I work hard to make my classroom a space where students can explore and experiment with the possibilities and limitations of these modes in fun, thoughtful ways. Through producing projects like interactive sound maps, video remixes, narrative films, and original podcasts, my students develop an extensive range of compositional practices in conjunction with and in addition to textual writing.
Featured Courses
[the full list of courses I have taught can be found on my CV]
How do humans learn? When and where does learning occur? Why are we better at learning some things than others? What does it mean to really learn something? This first-year seminar is a collective inquiry into the experience of learning. Students read and write about a range of topics related to learning, such as curiosity, motivation, failure, boredom, attention and distraction, uncertainty, and more. In addition, students’ own histories of and investments in learning serve as key course texts. Play and experimentation are also core principles of this class. Alongside more traditional writing assignments, students create a mini video documentary about learning something new and participate in various “learning experiments” throughout the semester.
This upper-level undergraduate course explores podcasting as a dynamic form of storytelling. Students learn to script, design, edit, and produce a range of compelling audio compositions. In addition to reading about and practicing professional audio storytelling techniques (e.g. interviewing, writing for the ear, sound and music design), each student works with a team to develop an original episode for a podcast. The topic of the class podcast, which is chosen by the students, changes each semester.
Student work
[shared with permission]
SPECIAL TOPICS: WRITING WITH SOUND
U OK UVA?
In Fall 2022, 2023, and 2024, students in my “Writing with Sound” course collaboratively produced three seasons of “U OK UVA?”—a podcast about student mental health and well-being at UVA. You can listen to all seasons of the podcast by clicking HERE. “U OK UVA?” is also available via The Virginia Audio Collective (WTJU), and you can stream it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcasting platforms.
MEMORY MARKS
In Fall 2021, students in my “Writing with Sound” course collaboratively produced a four episode podcast series about the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers and the legacy of slavery at UVA. You can listen to their podcast, “Memory Marks,” by clicking HERE. The podcast is also available via The Virginia Audio Collective (WTJU), and you can stream it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcasting platforms.
EXAMPLE GROUP PROJECTS: WRITING WITH SOUND
"Refugee Realities"
A podcast series by Amanda Patton, Ahmad Frahmand, Melvin Mora rangel, and Brad Joseph
Audio Trailer
Episode 1: Charlottesville, A Safe Haven
This episode discusses the refugee crisis in America and zooms in specifically on Charlottesville, VA. We interview a UVA student from Western China and the head of a local non-profit organization dedicated to helping refugees. Listen below or read the transcript.
Episode 2: Stuck Between Two Identities
This episode compares and contrasts the experiences of first and second generation refugees. We explore questions such as: Is it easier to assimilate as a second generation refugee? What are some of the challenges that refugee parents and their children face when coming to America? Listen below or read the transcript.
Episode 3: A Better Future
This episode features an interview with a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and provides perspective about the global nature of the refugee crisis. We discuss resources and opportunities for refugees and people interested in volunteering in the Charlottesville community. Listen below or read the transcript.
"Monumentality"
A podcast series by Gabby Carper, Tricia O'Donnell, EJ Oliverio, and Cassidy Peregoy
Audio Trailer
Episode 1: Lee Park
This episode explores Civil War memory in Charlottesville, including citizens' reactions to the statue of Robert E. Lee in a prominent city park. Professor Gary Gallagher discusses the relevance of historical memory while citizens at a Charlottesville City Council Meeting voice their opinions about the potential removal of the Lee monument. Listen below or read the transcript.
Episode 2: The Academical Village
This episode focuses on the University of Virginia. We take listeners on a tour of the lawn and uncover its troubling history. We also examine UVA's history with slavery and how current students—especially minorities—grapple with inhabiting a space built by Thomas Jefferson's slaves. Listen below or read the transcript.
Episode 3: Vinegar Hill
This episode digs into the history of Vinegar Hill, a thriving African American neighborhood in Charlottesville that was completely bulldozed in the 1960s. We talk with Professor Frank Dukes about how to make sense of what happened and discuss efforts to re-write this forgotten story into the city’s historical narrative. Listen below or read the transcript.