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Teaching Statement

I believe students learn best when actively engaging in the learning environments. Guided discovery is an important teaching style and effective tool for learning. Teaching lessons that do not explicitly demonstrate the lesson, but rather engage the student to realize the lesson on his/her own is a technique I utilize frequently. As an artist, the students have to find their style. Where is their niche in the art world? Do they realize
the multiple directions of visual culture? As an educator I strive to help them on this journey by using various technical tools and theoretical approaches.

Visual culture is a term introduced to me in graduate school and continues in my curricula.  Visual culture can be used for all art forms:  photography, fine art, graphic design, pottery, visual communications, and architecture. By consistent demonstrating the concept of visual culture; students view the surrounding world with their eyes wide open.

Interdisciplinary is one very important aspect to my teaching. Having the students make connections with other subjects and references will not only augment their interest level but also make a more comprehensive connection. Art history, music and literature have always been included in my teaching. For example, if we are studying surrealism, I might discuss Joan Miro and Man Ray. Then, while the students work in class, I will play surreal music to explore the notion that surrealism was not only involved in art but also music and literature. These small, but necessary, additions to my curriculum have helped students
not only to retain the concepts in the future but to expand upon them.

Technology is one of the greatest impacts upon education in the last century. As an educator and student, I have had extensive experience with technology in many teaching environments. Technology assists educators and students by presenting additional
perspectives on concepts being taught in the classroom. In the past, educators have used the blackboard and overhead projectors to visually instruct the students, later students used Blackboard and PowerPoint. Today, I use blogs, online communities and video tutorials to help my students learn.

As an educator, it is my job to stay on top of the latest technology and help keep my students aware of the constantly changing culture around them. They must know how this technology affects their current work and the future of art.

When students email me after a class is over and express how they can never look at typography the same way after my class, I know I have made a small difference. When students start blogging their art regularly and have followers who wait for updates, I
realize the change that the technology has done for them.

I cannot express the sense of happiness and satisfaction that teaching creates for me. It is stimulating to watch students learn and excel at graphic design but it also motivates me to learn more, create more and teach better.