Project Based Learning
A significant component of my teaching involves project-based and experiential learning practices.
The Language of Comics
Campus-wide event where students research and construct a museum-style exhibit about comics. Recent themes have included "The Comics of Alabama," "Comics Around the World," and "The Origins of Comics." In addition to freestanding display walls, exhibits have included interactive digital installations, as well as workshops and roundtables with comic artists and writers.
American Transcendentalism Course and Walden Studio
A team-taught course in English and philosophy in which students engage in experiential learning to explore the ideas and experiences of the 19th Century American transcendentalists. Activities include outdoor excursions emulating the contemplative practices of Ralph Waldo Emerson, visits to cultural centers such as Birmingham museum of art, and urban people watching inspired by Walt Whitman's flânerie.
Our efforts in this course led to the funding and construction of the Walden Studio, an outdoor campus space designed based on the floor plan of Henry David Thoreau's cabin and designated for creative projects and quiet reflection in nature.
Artful Deceptions
A website devoted to deception and illusionism in American literature and culture. Students promote the site by perpetrating a playful act of deception such as staging the "Montevallo Moon Landing" or the arrival of the mysterious character "Monsieur Mangin" on campus. Check out the screenshots from past sites and promotions in the gallery.
The Conspiracy Narratives Project
An ongoing collaborative blog about the aesthetics and cultural history of conspiracy narratives in the United States. Students choose conspiracy narratives and then utilize close reading methods and historical analysis to understand their enduring appeal and larger cultural implications.
How to Draw Comics (for People Who Can't Draw)
An all-ages workshop on creating comics for the absolute beginner. I offer versions of this session both as part of my "Introduction to Comics" course and as a public program for the FORTE festival.