Joseph Lewis
Bio
Joseph Lewis is an Associate Professor of English at Delta College in University Center, Michigan and a doctoral student in the department of English at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. He holds a B.A. in English from Hampton University and an M.A. in Africana and Literary studies from the Gallatin School at NYU. His research and teaching interests include rhetoric, literature, composition, and critical theory. Joseph has taught both advanced and developmental writing courses along with courses on literary theory, American and African American literature and horror films. Joseph has also taught courses on American culture and figurative language in Harbin, China at the Harbin Institute of Technology and he has participated in conferences in cities such as Toulouse, France, El Jadida, Morocco, and London, England.Joseph believes it is crucial for educators to continue to dialogue about best teaching practices, especially in an age of sustained and emerging technologies. Even more crucial for Joseph, is a discussion on how educators use these technologies to foster equity in accessibility for all students. As global presenter, Joseph hopes to learn from other educators around the world and contribute to this ongoing dialogue. In the end, Joseph hopes to take his experiences in South Africa and use these experiences to empower his students at home in Michigan.
Locations
Johannesburg 1 Johannesburg 2 Jane Furse Singita Nelspruit Swaziland Durban East London Cape TownAs I reflect on my experiences as a student, I realize that I was the most empowered when I was encouraged to make personal connections to the learning material. Thus, as an educator, it is my passion to empower students by teaching them how to critically think about and make personal connections to the world in which they live. To forge this connection, it is essential for me to create innovative tools to foster a learning environment in which I not only teach, but also learn from my students’ experiences. To my mind, learning is not only the transmission of information; it is also a journey of self-actualization. As I facilitate this process, I hope to create and sustain an impetus for social transformation.
Workshops
Going Beyond the Classroom: Using Social Media to Help Students Learn at their Own Pace
This workshop will explore how educators can use social networking sites like YouTube and Facebook to create learning opportunities for students both within and outside of the classroom. Teachers will practice navigating these sites and learn how to create a balance between student-centered and traditional approaches to learning. In this workshop, we will not try to define an “ideal” method to teaching students but discuss how social media can provide teachers with a myriad of possibilities to create learning opportunities that can be molded to individual students.