Teaching philosophy series: Navigating my path to university

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In the “Navigating my path to university” section, I describe my unconventional journey into the world of academia and university life. As the first student in my family to attend university, I broke the mold and took a less conventional route. This experience has influenced my teaching philosophy by emphasizing the importance of understanding the needs and interests of both students and faculty, fostering critical thinking, and helping new university students acclimate to the academic environment.

Teaching philosophy series: An introduction

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Explore a librarian’s growth from a Carleton University library technician, overcoming challenges to develop an inclusive teaching philosophy. Witness the evolution towards dynamic, collaborative instructional sessions that foster critical thinking. Delve into the personal journey of overcoming obstacles, guiding students to become discerning information consumers and adapt to the academic environment.

Why is front-page news so disheartening? Teaching historical newspaper searching

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Okay, so maybe ALL front-page news isn’t disheartening… but let me give you some context. As the Communication and Journalism Librarian, I am preparing for a first-year workshop. In first-year journalism courses, I typically cover the following: Basic library instruction This workshop will cover the basics of library instruction (webpage, … Read more

Blogs are raw…

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A 16-bit style header image for a blog post, featuring a pixelated geode at the center, split open to reveal vibrant, colorful crystals inside, symbolizing the depth and richness of thoughts. Surrounding the geode are icons representing the act of writing and metacognition, including a pixelated brain, thought bubbles, a pen, and a keyboard, all set against a digital, textured background that evokes a sense of openness and introspection. The overall design celebrates the raw, unpolished beauty of sharing one's personal reflections and ideas with the world in a classic video game aesthetic.

When someone I know stumbles upon my blog I’m really embarrassed. I don’t claim to be a good writer, in fact, I don’t think I am. One of my research interests lies in metacognition, which Seth Godin (2009) describes as “thinking about what you are going to say”. I’ve written … Read more

Ask Me button, a reflective exercise

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As the new fall term starts, it might be a bit early to start on the work we do. However, I think it’s the perfect time to do so. The other day a colleague of mine saw me wearing our institution’s Ask Me pin, part of an initiative to make the campus … Read more

Mastering the art of teaching in oddly configured spaces

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Teaching is a challenging skill that demands adaptability and resourcefulness. I’m always interested in developing my teaching and one of the most memorable and impactful was reflecting on my physical teaching spaces. As educators and library instructors, we often find ourselves in situations where we have to teach in oddly … Read more

How wrong can it be? Analysis of ChatGPT’s capabilities in producing a scholarly reading list

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I’ve just returned from the remarkable Workshop for Instruction in Library Use 2023 (WILU). These types of workshops never fail to ignite my enthusiasm and inspire my work in libraries. This year’s WILU was no exception. One session, in particular, stood out as the crowd favourite: “Imagining Instructional Practices in … Read more