Courses at Oklahoma State University
Introduction to Natural History [NREM 1014] Spring 2021-current
Rangeland Resource Planning [NREM 4613] Spring 2021-current
Wildlife Management Application and Planning [NREM 4522] Fall 2021-current
Co-taught with Dr. Colter Chitwood
Advanced Community Ecology [NREM 5030] Fall 2022
Co-taught with Dr. Lindsey Bruckerhoff
Guest Lectures
Oklahoma State University 9/2021,10/2022
NREM 1012: Introduction to NREM
University of Wyoming 8/2016 - 11/2019
Wildlife Habitat Management, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
Science for Non-Majors, Department of Zoology and Physiology
Principles of Rangeland Management, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
Wyoming Wildlands Stewardship, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
Introduction to Natural History [NREM 1014] Spring 2021-current
Rangeland Resource Planning [NREM 4613] Spring 2021-current
Wildlife Management Application and Planning [NREM 4522] Fall 2021-current
Co-taught with Dr. Colter Chitwood
Advanced Community Ecology [NREM 5030] Fall 2022
Co-taught with Dr. Lindsey Bruckerhoff
Guest Lectures
Oklahoma State University 9/2021,10/2022
NREM 1012: Introduction to NREM
University of Wyoming 8/2016 - 11/2019
Wildlife Habitat Management, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
Science for Non-Majors, Department of Zoology and Physiology
Principles of Rangeland Management, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
Wyoming Wildlands Stewardship, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
Teaching Philosophy
Aldo Leopold once questioned if education was merely a “process of trading awareness for things of lesser worth”, implying that rote memorization and exemplary test scores are often achieved at the cost of a student’s deeper awareness and engagement with learning. While an all-too common tradeoff, I do not believe it to be a necessary one, especially in the instruction of the natural sciences. Instilling a sense of curiosity and wonder in students is extremely important to me. I am passionate about the natural world, and one of my priorities as both a scientist and an educator is sharing that passion with others. However, passion is only one part of the equation for successful pedagogy. To avoid Leopold’s exchange of awareness for education, I employ a two-pronged approach, prioritizing open inquiry and critical thinking through translation in courses I teach. A feeling of safety is necessary before higher-level learning can be achieved (Maslow 1943); I therefore aim to create a safe space for students to explore ideas, destigmatizing wrong answers by admitting my own ignorance when necessary, but working with students to seek out answers. In reality, we are wrong quite often in the sciences, but fields move forward through searching for why we were wrong – this is a technique I encourage in my students. I reinforce this safe space by periodically asking students to submit questions or comments about class anonymously, as well as modeling kindness and respect in the classroom. I typically use polleverywhere software to allow students to do this with complete anonymity. Further, I try (emphasis on try) to address student feedback in class, acknowledging areas where I could improve while also addressing any expectations that may not be realistic. Similarly, I try to employ activities that replicate real-world ecological scenarios where students can approach problems in multiple ways, and multiple correct answers may be possible. Even in cases where students did not like a particular class, I almost always receive feedback indicating that students feel supported in my classroom. While encouraging open inquiry is the first step in teaching the natural sciences, without critical thinking skills it will be of little use to most students. Critical thinking is often poorly addressed at the undergraduate level (DeHaan 2011) and is a skill that requires constant practice to establish and hone (Van Gelder 2005). There is a wide array of active learning activities meant to enhance critical thinking, but I have had encouraging results teaching critical thinking by translation. Critical thinking by translation relates to frameworks of both associative and convergent thinking (Yang et al. 2016), focusing on drawing connections both within and between disciplines. This ability to draw connections is in itself important, given it is often a substantial stumbling block for students (van Gelder 2005), but also serves to enhance overall critical thinking. I have applied this framework in multiple ways. One example includes perspective-shifting within the sciences by having students reconstruct abstracts after reading scientific papers, which focuses on basic skills (e.g., identifying important content, concise writing) while also encouraging students to place themselves in the role of scientist as writer. I have also found activities that translate across disciplines and learning types to be especially fruitful, such as encouraging students to study using science-term Pictionary, charades, and madlibs. This practice of drawing connections (pun optional) is useful to any student, but is especially salient to the budding ecologist, who will continue to study connections throughout their career. More broadly, I like to remind students that school, and science, can be fun. I view learning and education as practice for the real-world… in the animal world, this is done through play. Bobcat kittens will pounce and wrestle with one another to practice their hunting techniques, and magpies will slide and roll in the snow, practicing their balance and reflexes. We see this as “playing” (and it certainly appears these animals enjoy the activities!), but this practice is critical to survival in their adult lives. We are often tempted to see play as something relegated to elementary schools, but there is evidence that lifelong play enhances creativity and problem-solving (Whitman 2022). A paradigm shift towards learning as play can be hugely rewarding to many students, as it can somewhat relieve the social burdens and fears of speaking up in class or interacting with professors, as well as the disappointment often associated with challenging content. I have toyed with this paradigm in multiple ways: First, I employ levity in all my courses (where appropriate), and this is made easier since the internet is full of animal memes! Second, I employ a number of open-ended activities that allow students to think in different directions, encouraging students to think outside the box. Third, I often directly highlight the ‘play’ that is sometimes hidden even in the most mundane activities– in one example, as I taught R coding language to undergraduates I showed them how to change colors of figures. This resulted in a ten-minute detour exploring color schemes that matched outfits or school colors, but it was worth it to see the coding process de-mystified for these students. When we play, we forget to be afraid. As such, through open inquiry and critical thinking, with a sprinkling of play, I believe it more than possible for instructors to avoid Leopold’s exchange. Even if the classroom is indoors, awareness need not be traded, but instead can be enhanced by an educational framework that nourishes creativity and engages students in critical thought. This is the philosophy that guides my teaching. Citations DeHann RL. 2011. Teaching Critical Thinking. Science 334:1499-1500 Maslow, A. H. 1943. A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4):370-96. van Gelder T. 2005. Teaching Critical Thinking: Some Lessons From Cognitive Science. Coll Teach 53:41-48 Whitman, N. 2022. Play and Learning in Adulthood: Reimagining Pedagogy and the Politics of Education Palgrave-Macmillan Press. Yang, K-K, L. Lee, Z. Hong, H.Lin. 2016. Investigation of effective strategies for developing creative science thinking. International Journal of Science Education. 38(13):2133-2151 |
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