Teaching

Course syllabi
Inspired by Lee Shulman, I believe in the scholarship of teaching—sharing my ideas and citing those of others in my own teaching so that we all do better work. Below, I’ve provided syllabi for all the courses I taught at the University of Illinois. Please feel free to use them. If you do, let me know how things go, or how they could be improved. If you use substantial portions, or otherwise feel inspired to share that I was an inspiration for your own course, that would be great!

At present, I teach at the University of Florida, and the syllabi for the courses I collaboratively teach are not public.

Courses are a pleasure to design and teach and was honored through inclusion on the UIUC List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students 70% of the time during my time there: 2007 (fall), 2008 (fall), 2009 (spring, summer), 2011 (summer, fall), and 2012 (spring, fall). [on leave spring 2010 and spring 2013].

Introduction to Technology in Music Education (MUS 243, fall 2010). A course I taught and then oversaw as TAs taught it.

Designing Musical Experiences (MUS 438 fall 2013 or see fall 2012 or  fall 2011). This was the course I’m best known for, the “ukulele class.” The syllabus does not fully the course—for that consider visiting the Homebrew Ukulele Union or the media page on this site for articles about this course written by others.

Intermediate Music Education Technology (MUS 447, summer 2013, or see the older summer 2010)—A mix of theoretical ideas and practical projects.

Introduction to Research in Music Education (MUS 533) fall 2011 or summer 2012—A review of outstanding research and the development of critical reading and writing skills, including drafting a research proposal or writing a scholarly paper.

The General Music Program (MUS 538, summer 2011)—A doctoral-level course for summer students, largely practicing teachers working on their MA.

Advanced Technology in Music Education (MUS 542, fall 2013, or spring 2012)—My doctoral-level course on music education from a media and technology standpoint, and is predominantly theoretical and philosophical.

Doctoral Seminar in Music Education (MUS 544 A, spring 2012) I led this seminar in spring 2012. The focus was on developing habits of thought conducive to good research through reading dissertations and Howard Becker’s Tricks of the Trade, and we also invited two ODA-winning dissertation authors to visit us to discuss their work via Skype.

Recommendation letters and references
Here’s my policies:

1. I always need at least two weeks to guarantee I can complete a solid letter.
2. Include with your request: the description of the job/scholarship, complete contact information so I can mail/email the letter, and the letter deadline.
3. Share as much of your application as you feel I should see (but please do not share any financial or private information). I will often be able to amplify or supplement what you supply, and will avoid redundancies.

Finally, you agree to the following after I’ve agreed to write a letter:

1. If I provide you with a digital copy of the letter, you agree to send it only after checking with me. If I receive an inquiry from a job I haven’t agreed to recommend you for, it would be awkward to say the least!
2. You agree to check in with me before submitting my name for each and every online recommendation (just send an email saying, “I’ll be using your name for the following jobs…”).
3. You will let me know before you provide my name for an online evaluation (to get a request out of the blue could be an attempt to get information without your knowledge—I never fill those out).
4. You will let me know the outcome. Good or bad, I’ve made a commitment to you, and I want to known what you’ll be doing as well as be able to keep track of letters associated with positive outcomes. Think of this as the gift in return for my time (and it does mean a lot to me).

Thanks for understanding!