Hello Everybody.
I’m an Adjunct Assistant Professor in BMCC’s English Department, which I joined in 2016, and I also taught in BCC’s English Department form 2009 to 2020. I teach freshman composition, so I meet many students who are entering college for the first time, either coming from high school, or working for a while. As you all know, my students are very diverse in terms of languages spoken, ethnicity, and countries of origin. I’ve become very aware of the practical challenges my students face, especially during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown. Many don’t have WiFi service at home, and if they have computers, these are shared by several other family members, reducing their access at essential classes, such as virtual sessions. Before coming to higher ed, I worked in marketing communications and public relations in corporate and non-profit organizations in New York City and Jamaica, and with multilateral organizations in Jamaica (UNICEF, USAID). My research interests are mediated and mobile communication as used by Jamaican immigrants in New York City, and how they maintain their social networks and use their immigrant social and economic capital with their strong ties in Jamaica.
The principles of Open Pedagogy are approaches that I understood instinctively after I began teaching at CUNY. However I never knew there was a theoretical foundation for Open Pedagogy, nor how to articulate these approaches in concrete and measurable ways. I’m looking forward to this seminar to enrich my skills set in both areas.
Marian (her/she)
