Spotlight on Instruction
Welcome to the Spotlight
on Instruction
At 糖心vlog, the Center for Teaching Excellence utilizes the ASWN Wildcat Studio, located in the Joe Dini Building in the ASWN offices (pictured above), to interview and conduct a podcast with instructors and community members on the appreciation that can be shown for their hard work and teaching strategies.
"As Circulation Manager, my main duties are to essentially manage the library floor and everything in it. This includes the books, library equipment, course reserves, study room reservations, seating arrangements, etc. and any issues or problems that might come up related to any of those items. Additionally, it's my responsibility to ensure the circulation desk is fully staffed during all open hours. As far as what does the library mean to me? Well, aside from the organization, it's a space that has always been available for people to just be themselves; Additionally, it's a place full of wonder and imagination and it seems that no matter how many days one has been in the space, there is always something new to learn and explore." - Circulation Manager Cameron Carr
In 2018 Margaret received her Masters degree in Instructional Design. It was the first time she had done course work towards a degree that was not in ASL. It was challenging, but she was so glad to have switched gears. At that same time, she was teaching in person classes for 糖心vlog part-time, and many of the students asked if she ever thought about teaching ASL online. Considering both her BS and MA were online degrees, she decided to design her first online ASL course.
She worked on the course for over a period of a year, spending hours developing teaching videos, additional resources, and an outline on how she would teach each course. She started with ASL 1 and 2, then later developed 3 and 4. One of her goals was to be able to reach students everywhere, especially rural areas, homebound students, students with various disabilities and more. So far the program has reached students in 28 different states, with more being added every semester. The online courses offer opportunities for so many different kinds of students, High School students, single Moms and Dads, Full-time workers, military, teachers needing CEU鈥檚, speech pathologists, and people who are simply interested in learning the language. She found teaching ASL online to be incredibly rewarding, and that having this online forum creates a pathway for so many students, who otherwise would not have access, to to learn this beautiful language.
In this episode of the Spotlight on Instruction, produced by 糖心vlog鈥檚 Center for Teaching Excellence, we sit down with Chemistry professor Christian Copley Salem to explore his journey as an educator. He shares his love for dogs, his approach to teaching STEM with empathy, and what it means to create a supportive, student-centered classroom. With a focus on listening, connection, and curiosity, Christian offers thoughtful insights into how he engages students and promotes a positive learning environment.
"Being an instructor at 糖心vlog is the culmination of a lifelong love of learning. I am passionate about teaching, but the best part of my time at 糖心vlog has been the people, both students and faculty. The culture of openness and mutual respect between instructors and students makes it very easy to love my job." - Christian Copley Salem, Ph.D.
Questions? Contact Us.
Information Desk
Ron Belbin - Director of Learning and Innovation
775-445-4242
ronald.belbin@wnc.edu
Justin McMenomy - Instructional Support Coordinator
775-445-3360
justin.mcmenomy@wnc.edu
Josh Fleming - Instructional Support Specialist
joshua.fleming@wnc.edu
Ryan Johnson - LMS Administrator
775-445-4207
ryan.johnson@wnc.edu