I am a trained university teacher. I am available to deliver courses and guest lectures on a range of topics including in international development and globalization, education, health and social protection; children's rights and childhood studies; and human rights and protection/security issues (child soldiers, children and armed conflict, child labour). I hold an MA (Journalism) and BA (Anthropology - Liberal Arts program).
In 2021, I completed the Certificate in University Teaching for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows at the University of Ottawa. This training program includes 400 hours of course work including on the theory, practice and technology related to teaching, and a practicum under supervision of a mentor.
My approach to university teaching is influenced by three themes: developing integrated course designs; creating learner-centered teaching; and supporting social learning systems. Key learning concepts underlying my teaching philosophy are social constructivism (Vygotsky, 1978) and community of practice (Wenger, 2010), which are concepts that recognize that learning and development benefits from guidance and collaboration with others. For instance, as a specialist at Global Affairs Canada who was responsible to provide training to development practitioners, I used a community of practice model to lead a working group on child protection. When I piloted this approach in Honduras, through three offerings of a training course, it enabled working group members to share information and learn from each other. It also enabled me to learn more along with them. A community of practice approach enabled us to focus with deliberation on producing best practice and lessons learned guidance on child protection, which was subsequently targeted to a larger audience of development practitioners who could integrate this guidance into their health, education or governance programming.
My current teaching objectives include to develop better precision to blend the knowledge contained in academic readings with the lessons I learned from addressing real-life problems (and dilemmas) in international development policy and practice. All the courses, guest lectures and training modules that I developed are under constant revision based on new research and policy developments, teaching and student feedback in the classroom. For example, I have integrated “backward design” (Fink, 2003) into my teaching materials so that courses are better integrated to enhance learning outcomes.
Here is a list of some of my teaching experiences:
a. Courses Taught
b. Guest Lectures Delivered
c. Teaching Assistant Positions
d. Training Courses Delivered
Global Issues and Development Branch, Global Affairs Canada. 2010-2016
As the department's lead specialist on Child protection (July 2008 – August 2018), I was responsible for training, coaching and mentoring of Government of Canada staff and partners, including on child rights and a system’s approach to child protection to scale up programming in South Sudan/Sudan, Ghana, Tanzania, Colombia, Honduras, Colombia and the Inter-American program. Training courses and workshops included:
In 2021, I completed the Certificate in University Teaching for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows at the University of Ottawa. This training program includes 400 hours of course work including on the theory, practice and technology related to teaching, and a practicum under supervision of a mentor.
My approach to university teaching is influenced by three themes: developing integrated course designs; creating learner-centered teaching; and supporting social learning systems. Key learning concepts underlying my teaching philosophy are social constructivism (Vygotsky, 1978) and community of practice (Wenger, 2010), which are concepts that recognize that learning and development benefits from guidance and collaboration with others. For instance, as a specialist at Global Affairs Canada who was responsible to provide training to development practitioners, I used a community of practice model to lead a working group on child protection. When I piloted this approach in Honduras, through three offerings of a training course, it enabled working group members to share information and learn from each other. It also enabled me to learn more along with them. A community of practice approach enabled us to focus with deliberation on producing best practice and lessons learned guidance on child protection, which was subsequently targeted to a larger audience of development practitioners who could integrate this guidance into their health, education or governance programming.
My current teaching objectives include to develop better precision to blend the knowledge contained in academic readings with the lessons I learned from addressing real-life problems (and dilemmas) in international development policy and practice. All the courses, guest lectures and training modules that I developed are under constant revision based on new research and policy developments, teaching and student feedback in the classroom. For example, I have integrated “backward design” (Fink, 2003) into my teaching materials so that courses are better integrated to enhance learning outcomes.
Here is a list of some of my teaching experiences:
a. Courses Taught
- Instructor, EMCP 136: Youth Thinking Globally, Acting Locally - An Introduction to Sustainable Development and Child Rights (Typical enrolment: 20)
Professional Development Institute, University of Ottawa. 2019 Summer.
Designed and delivered a course for grade 8 to 11 students from Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec, who are part of the Enrichment Mini-Courses Program (EMCP). ** This webpage provides students with links to course materials and outputs. - Instructor, EMCP 139: Youth Thinking Globally, Acting Locally - An Introduction to Sustainable Development and Child Rights (Typical enrolment: 20)
Professional Development Institute, University of Ottawa. 2018 Summer.
b. Guest Lectures Delivered
- Developed and gave a three-hour lecture on “Child Labour in Consumer Goods”.
Faculty of Law – Common Law Section, University of Ottawa. Winter 2020.
Course: Children’s Rights - An Interdisciplinary Approach (DCL 5131). - Co-developed and co-taught a class on “Human Capital”.
Faculty of Social Sciences, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa. Winter 2020.
Course: Public and International Affairs: International Economics and Developing Countries (API 6351). - Developed and gave a seminar on “Accountability Measures for Children And Armed Conflict”.
Faculty of Law – Common Law Section, University of Ottawa. Winter 2018.
Course : Common Law - Protection of Civilians in International Law (DCL 4117). - Developed and gave a seminar on “Child Rights in The Marketplace – Child Labour”.
Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Criminology, University of Ottawa. Fall 2017.
Course: Children’s Rights – An Interdisciplinary Approach (DCL 5131 | CRM 5531).
c. Teaching Assistant Positions
- Course: Research Methods in Political Science (POL 6101 A&B).
School of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa. September – December 2020.
Responsibilities: Updating the course outline, preparing two sessions of the course in Brightspace along with assignments, discussion topics and a survey. - Course: Introduction to Political Economy (POL 3103)
School of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa. September – December 2020.
Responsibilities: Marking research essays (2000 words), moderating online discussion groups, designing a survey, reading and responding the students’ emailscalculating, recording and tabulating grades (approximately 50 students). - Course: Introduction to International Development - Historical Perspectives (DVM 2015)
School of International Development and Globalization, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa. August 2020.
Responsibilities: Building the course in Brightspace, including an overview, table of contents, assignments, exams (including a bank of questions) and group-work. Providing strategic advice on polling software and proctoring options. - Course: Introduction to International Development (DVM 2015)
School of International Development and Globalization, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa. September – December 2017.
Responsibilities: Teaching/facilitating four discussion group sessions, assisting the course professor in assignment revisions, student assistance, student evaluation (approximately 45 students). - Course: Introduction to Canadian Studies (CDN 1100). May – July 2017.
Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa.
Responsibilities: Assisting the course professor in online assignment revisions, student assistance, student evaluation (approximately 80 students).
d. Training Courses Delivered
Global Issues and Development Branch, Global Affairs Canada. 2010-2016
As the department's lead specialist on Child protection (July 2008 – August 2018), I was responsible for training, coaching and mentoring of Government of Canada staff and partners, including on child rights and a system’s approach to child protection to scale up programming in South Sudan/Sudan, Ghana, Tanzania, Colombia, Honduras, Colombia and the Inter-American program. Training courses and workshops included:
- Developed and gave a seminar on “Children and Armed Conflict”, 18 April 2018.
Course: The Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict and Other Situations of Violence, by Global Affairs Canada and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). - Designed and delivered a two-day child rights and protection training to Embassy staff and Non-Governmental Organizations in Honduras, February 2016.
- Responsible for the department’s course on “Children's Rights” from 2010-2014, including co-facilitating the course and developing terms of reference for its redesign in 2013.
- Co-facilitator of a two-day workshop on “Child and Youth Protection” designed and delivered with the department’s Continuous Learning Division, November 2013.
- Supported development of a training on “Child Rights and Business Principles” for the Asia Branch, September 2013.