Teaching

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching connects critical inquiry with hands-on engagement in digital media, games, AI, and language learning. Across university classrooms, multilingual learning environments, and public conservation education, I help learners connect unfamiliar ideas to their own experiences.

I adapt explanations and activities to learners’ language proficiency, cultural backgrounds, and learning needs. Practical communication, active participation, individualized feedback, and formative assessment guide my approach. I also encourage learners to question how digital systems shape communication, culture, and creativity.

University Teaching

Instructor, Introduction to Digital Media

University of Central Florida · Nicholson School of Communication and Media
Orlando, Florida · August 2026–present

I teach an undergraduate introductory course examining the historical development, foundational concepts, and social implications of digital media and computing. I guide students in critically evaluating emerging technologies and media practices and assess their learning outcomes.

Course topics include analog and digital media, compression, copyright, social media, video games, immersive media, and generative AI.

Academic appointment: Graduate Teaching Assistantship, Nicholson School of Communication and Media, UCF, August 2026–present.

Conservation and Public Education

Conservation Education Presenter

The Walt Disney Company · Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Orlando, Florida · June 2026–present

I communicate scientific and conservation concepts through accessible, audience-centered experiences for diverse guest audiences. I adapt my communication to audience demographics, engagement levels, and real-time feedback.

Through guest-centered conversations, I encourage curiosity, environmental awareness, and responsible engagement with wildlife and conservation. This work extends my interest in learning beyond the classroom to informal, public-facing educational settings.

Language Teaching and Tutoring

Language Tutor / Instructor

Panda Languages and MandarinSK
Shanghai, China, and Seoul, South Korea · 2019–2021

I taught English and Chinese to learners from Japanese and Korean linguistic backgrounds in individualized and small-group settings.

These experiences continue to inform my research in intercultural communication, multilingual learning, and game-based language education.

Critical AI Literacy and Curriculum Development

In summer 2026, I participated in Building a Digital Humanities Generative AI Learning Community at UCF, led by Dr. Anastasia Salter and Dr. Mel Stanfill and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The biweekly community focused on integrating critical AI literacy into the Digital Humanities minor curriculum. I contributed to course redesign or development involving generative AI, machine-learning tools, and discussions of copyright, labor, environmental impact, and ethics.

Sample Teaching Materials

Teaching Content Analysis Through OwlKitty

This sample undergraduate lesson introduces content analysis through cat-centered YouTube parody. Students distinguish manifest and latent content, consider sampling decisions, and apply a two-dimensional codebook to community-building language and anthropomorphization.

A worked example, paired coding exercise, and guided debrief invite students to explain their interpretations, compare decisions, and identify where coding definitions need clarification. The lesson reflects my approach to connecting familiar digital culture with research methods and collaborative inquiry.

Topics: Content analysis, digital communities, media interpretation.
Teaching approaches: Worked examples, paired practice, formative assessment.

View the sample lesson (PDF) · Download the PowerPoint

The practice comments are illustrative examples, not a verified research sample. The revised lesson distinguishes classroom interpretation from empirical findings and includes references and AI-assistance acknowledgments.

Introduction to Technical Communication — Sample Lesson Plan

Developed for UCF’s Preparing Tomorrow’s Faculty program, this three-hour undergraduate lesson plan introduces technical communication through document analysis, audience evaluation, and collaborative activities. Guided by Keller’s ARCS motivational design model, it connects professional communication scenarios with structured practice and formative feedback.

The plan illustrates my approach to aligning learning objectives, classroom activities, and assessment. It includes accessible participation alternatives, an objective-aligned exit task, and criteria for formative feedback.

Topics: Technical communication, audience analysis, document usability.
Teaching approaches: Small-group analysis, scenario-based practice, accessible gallery walk, formative assessment.

View the lesson plan

Designed for an intended class of 25 undergraduate students as part of teaching training; presented as a sample instructional design.

Educational Design Projects

My design projects explore how interaction and storytelling can support learning. Flamingo Journey connects conservation decisions with optional English–Spanish practice and provides a case study in AI-assisted game design. My research on games and language learning examines learner experiences across VR and desktop environments.

Teaching Preparation and Professional Development