I am writing to apply for the tenure-track position of Associate Professor of Special Education in the College of Education at Baldwin Wallace University (BWU). My Ph.D. is from Kent State University in Special Education. My work focuses on legal and social-behavioral issues in special education with broader implications for special educational policy and integrative services.
As a classroom teacher I provided services for students with and without disabilities in private and public school PK-12 urban and suburban settings. As a professor, I bring this life experience to each course and provide teacher candidates with practical applications related to course content—bridging the theory-to-practice gap. I also incorporate practices based on the needs of the adult learner including the use of evidence-based techniques; engaged learning activities; and multiple methods of assessment. Overall, I establish clear expectations, high standards, and provide ongoing feedback as a means to facilitate the success of preservice teachers which is consistent with the BWU mission to provide a “rigorous academic program… within a challenging, supportive environment” and specifically the College of Education vision to “to provide a rigorous, relevant and transformative experience for every student.”
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I make use of proprietary technology (e.g., Blackboard, Taskstream, IRIS etc.) to provide feedback, encourage inter-student discussions, evaluate assignments, and facilitate independent learning. In addition, I am continually evaluating my own use of technology to support student success. For example, I recently completed a study to investigate student preferences for online courses to improve the online “classroom”