Teaching Philosophy of a Life-Long Creative Learner
Teacher of Graphic Communications at OCM BOCES, McAvoy, Adjunct Associate Professor & Former Professional Digital Media and Art Tutor at Tompkins Cortland Community College, Crystal Lyon
I believe in lifelong learning. It is a crucial part of my development and growth as a creative professional and a teaching artist. I actively seek out career-building opportunities and creative challenges that foster growth and development.
I am a teaching artist and professional tutor specializing in design foundations for ART majors as well as instruction in design thinking, visual communication, and developing a creative practice for non-art/design majors. In both cases, I aim for students to acquire the foundational skills necessary for success in their studies and professional fields. I guide students while they build on this foundation, developing competency and creative confidence in their work and abilities. Higher education should be a safe learning environment, not only to develop professional capabilities but also to take risks and learn from moments of failure, persist, improve, and excel.
The learning environment that I have utilized is the flipped classroom, which nurtures, inspires, and supports students. A flipped classroom enables students to review information independently before class, preparing them for applied learning and projects during live class sessions. I believe that this is more engaging than mere in-classroom instruction alone. It allows students to take ownership of their learning, asking questions about the content of course materials that apply to exercises and projects through applied learning. I can assess the effectiveness of this teaching style through exercises that support the development and completion of core projects, with a focus on peer feedback and self-assessment through verbal and written reflections. This practice lays a foundation of creative confidence and encourages lifelong learning and overall improvement of work. I use student participation in the classroom and their independent work to assign grades.
As a Professional Tutor for the Graphic Design, New Media, Photography, and Communication programs at Tompkins Cortland CC, I have strived to alter and improve how the tutor interacts with students to increase student retention and overall support. Beginning with being more present in the classrooms on campus, I strive to inform both teaching faculty and students of the digital media and art tutoring services available to them through the Baker Center for Learning. As the COVID-19 pandemic altered our teaching and learning environments, I focused on supporting students with new challenges in the transition to the remote learning space. This experience also helped me grow as a teacher, developing and collaborating on a human-centered curriculum while also reimagining digital media and art tutoring services.
I have since developed a strong digital media and art tutoring team, comprising para-professionals and peer tutors, available both on campus and remotely. Our tutoring team is integrated into the classroom through push-in/linked tutoring, which builds student trust and confidence by engaging students and increasing their familiarity with tutoring services. This practice helps track and support student success by reviewing student progress in a course through one-on-one individualized meetings.
Currently, I apply these teaching philosophies as the teacher of Graphic Communication at OCM BOCES in Cortlandville, as well as a faculty member at Tompkins Cortland CC CollegeNow. Human-centered design and inclusive teaching are at the core of my educational practice, utilizing the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework, which focuses on enhancing student success by making learning and teaching more transparent, particularly in the design of assignments. This approach allows me to meet students where they are, develop a curriculum that meets the needs of all students, and allows them to grow and excel.
As a practicing artist, I look for and create exhibitions and artworks through my creative advocacy. I connect students with opportunities outside the classroom to build their professional experience, portfolios, and resumes. I believe it is essential to seek out learning and experience beyond academia better to prepare students for a successful career upon graduation, as well as to reinforce the idea of lifelong learning. Students must become successful and confident professionals, continuing their careers with momentum and support from the classroom. Success can only be improved upon a solid fundamental understanding paired with real-life experience. I support and encourage students to get out of their comfort zone. To play and explore through continuous learning, as I do.
Tompkins Cortland CC Courses
Current Courses
ART 123: Exploring Artistic Techniques
Developed the curriculum for this course, created to meet the need for non-design/art majors to develop an everyday creative practice, as well as a focus on early childhood development and recreation majors. This course is asynchronous-remote.
This course serves as an introduction to art-making and the 8 Studio Habits of Mind (develop craft, engage & persist, envision, express, observe, reflect, stretch & explore, understand art worlds). The course explores various artistic mediums, techniques, tools, and styles and how the process of art-making can aid in developing craft and attention to detail, expression, focus and persistence, critical thinking, problem-solving, and observational skills. Topics include creating two-dimensional images and three-dimensional forms from materials and techniques such as pastel, acrylic paint, graphite, ink, sun-printing, printmaking, photography, assemblage, papermaking, corrugated fiberboard, and wire. Various styles, movements, and artists/designers associated with the topics will be explored to add context to the historic and cultural significance of the mediums, with an emphasis placed on connecting the medium’s context to current professional applications. The elements and principles of design will be introduced to provide students a better understanding of how to make dynamic compositions and discuss the arts/design. Media and techniques taught may change to coordinate with current faculty expertise and interest from the community. Demonstrations, lectures, and critiques support art assignments. ART 123 fulfills the SUNY General Education requirement for The Arts (Area 8), but is not a Liberal Arts Elective. Prerequisites: None. 3 Cr. (2 Lec., 2 Lab.) Fall and spring semesters.
ART 124: Graphic Design for Non-Majors
Developed the curriculum for this course, created to meet the need for non-design/art majors to develop stronger design thinking and visual communication skills that can be applied to their major and professional career. This course is asynchronous-remote.
This is an accelerated course in graphic design and design thinking meant for non-majors to help them apply design to various circumstances in their field of study and everyday life. With a focus on visual communication and the design thinking process, this course aims to develop creative problem-solving and communication skills that are required in professional careers. ART 124 fulfills the SUNY General Education The Arts and Humanities Knowledge and Skills Areas. Prerequisites: None. 3 Cr. (2 Lec., 2 Lab.) Spring and fall semesters.
CollegeNow Concurrent Enrollment
OCM BOCES CTE - Graphic Communications
ART 117: Design Foundations I
Collaborated in building course curriculum with Graphic Design Chair and Associate Professor, Christine Shanks.
This course introduces the basic visual vocabulary of the principles and elements of two-dimensional design and provides a variety of experiences addressing the creative application of design concepts utilizing digital media in place of traditional artistic media. Projects, lectures, and critiques address the development of compositional, conceptual, and aesthetic problem-solving. Critiques, written analysis, and class discussions provide opportunities to analyze the design process, principles and elements of design, concept development, composition, color systems, the basics of typography, and designing with type and image. The use of software for the creation of vector graphics is the main application utilized in the creation of student assignments, with an emphasis on building imagery utilizing shapes, manipulating points, and paths, and both freehand and precise plotted points vector drawing. The use of software for the creation of raster graphics is also introduced. Prerequisites: Prior completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, ENGL 100 or ESL 120/121/122. 3 Cr. (2 Lec. 2 Lab.) Fall and spring semesters.
COMM 115: Introduction to Digital Video
This is a basic, practical, hands-on introduction to the creation of video material for digital presentation. Students learn the theoretical knowledge of basic production along with the tactile and artistic skills to design and produce basic video material. Composition, lighting, sound techniques, and artistic arrangement in video productions are covered. Digital equipment, including camera and non-linear editing systems, are used. Prerequisites: Prior completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, ENGL 100. 3 Cr. (2 Lec. 2 Lab.) Fall and spring semesters.
ART 106: Introduction to Photojournalism
This introductory-level photography course emphasizes photojournalism and digital workflow. Students explore the full potential of the digital camera and master a variety of techniques in Adobe Photoshop. Photojournalistic skills, such as people pictures and action photography, writing effective captions, writing copy, editing, and layout are covered, along with historical and contemporary approaches to photojournalism. While students are encouraged to use their personal digital still camera (provided that it has an adjustable aperture and shutter speeds), a limited number of cameras will be available for class use. Prerequisites: Prior completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, ENGL 100 if required by placement. 3 Cr. (2 Lec., 2 Lab.) Occasionally.
Past Courses
ART 115: Painting I
This course introduces the methods, techniques, and process of painting through a variety of media, but primarily acrylic painting. The elements and principles of art, color theory, form, light, and composition are explored. Executing conceptual and aesthetic solutions through the creative process, ideation, and experimentation is emphasized. Students are introduced to various styles, techniques, and artists through examples of professional work, demonstrations, and class activities. Students learn the process of developing a painting from sketches and studies to building compositions for final rendering. ART 115 fulfills The Arts SUNY General Education Knowledge and Skills Area. Prerequisites: None. 3 Cr. (2 Lec., 2 Lab.) Spring semester.
ART 116: Painting II
This course is a continuation of Painting I and focuses on the creative use of both acrylics and oils with an emphasis on oil painting. Developing expressive, conceptual, and aesthetic solutions through the creative process, ideation, and experimentation are emphasized. Students will examine various styles, techniques, and artists and improve their use of the elements and principles of art, color theory, form, light, and composition in their work. Mixed media techniques are also explored. ART 116 fulfills The Arts SUNY General Education Knowledge and Skills Area. Prerequisite: ART 115. 3 Cr. (2 Lec., 2 Lab.) Spring semester.
ART 118: Design Foundations II
This course is a continuation of ART 117 Design I Foundations that builds on the foundations of visual communication through digital design and media. The design-thinking process is explored through creative and practical applications of 2D and 3D digital media in the course. Color theory is explored through digital and print media. Course projects focus on concept development and hierarchy. Vector, raster, and layout design software are explored in the course along with the output of digital and print media. ART 118 fulfills the SUNY General Education requirement for The Arts. Prerequisites: ART 117, ENGL 100 or ESL 120, 121, and 122. 3 Cr. (2 Lec., 2 Lab.) Spring semester.
ART 120: Drawing I
This course introduces the process of drawing and develops crucial observational skills required in all of the visual arts. Translating the three-dimensional world to a two-dimensional surface is explored through a variety of media. Conceptual and aesthetic solutions for drawing are explored by utilizing the creative process and analyzing light, composition, the elements and principles of art, and various styles, techniques, and media. Students are introduced to these concepts by examining examples of professional work, demonstrations, and class activities. The course also explores how observational drawing develops relevant skills that apply to other media and creative fields such as illustration, photography, animation, painting, computer graphics, and graphic design. The relationship of drawing to commercial art, fine art, and design and its integration into the creative and design process is emphasized. ART 120 fulfills The Arts SUNY General Education Knowledge and Skills Area. Prerequisites: None. 3 Cr. (2 Lec., 2 Lab.) Fall and spring semesters.
Digital Media & Art (DM/A) Tutoring
Tompkins Cortland CC
As an alum of Tompkins Cortland CC's Graphic Design program, I am excited to support students at the beginning of their professional creative journey. I utilize my professional expertise to guide students in learning how to navigate college learning management systems and other campus applications necessary for success. I also assist in specific ART courses involving traditional and digital media, providing an extra eye and outsider's perspective on projects, and help manage their time to meet project deadlines. I formally managed a small team of Digital Media and Art Para-professional and Peer Tutors.
Para-professional Tutors are typically fresh graduates from Tompkins Cortland CC and/or have one or two college degrees from another institution. They have education and are familiar with creative professional fields beyond the two-year community college experience.
Peer tutors are high-achieving and current students. They have a real-time grasp of course materials, providing students with experience from a knowledgeable peer.
Students can book appointments for one-on-one sessions or drop in to the Baker Center for Learning Tutoring Center (available both remotely and on campus) with the Digital Media and Art Tutors. Students can search for classes and view available tutoring hours on the college tutoring page. Information is updated each semester.
Digital Media and Art Tutors can assist students with:
Understanding course materials for an ART course
Being a study partner for quizzes or exams
Demo and guide students learning how to use Adobe CC (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere)
Demo and guide students learning how to use free or low-cost creative software (Krita, Inkscape, Affinity, Autodesk Sketchbook)
Understanding, developing, and maintaining time management skills to meet project deadlines
Build creative confidence