David Raymond Carlson

Source: UC Libraries

Below are some of my thoughts and experiences with teaching and pedagogy. When it comes to instruction, I favor the practices of active learning and "flipped classrooms". Here, the goal is to actively engage the students in their own learning, through activities designed to make learning a more interesting and fun experience while simultaneously shifting the responsibility for basic content acquisition to the students. Lecture time in-class is minimized in favor of review, problem-based learning, and critical thinking exercises. Overall, my three primary concerns when designing and implementing college-level courses are:

1. Developing and maintaining and active and dynamic learning environment.
2. Teaching and practicing critical thinking and critical reading skills.
3. Implementing pedagogies that are socially just and responsive to student needs.

Below are brief notes and reflections on courses I have taught. If you are a graduate student or professor in the UW Department of Anthropology, you can access all of my course material (lectures, slides, readings, activities) on the Anthropology server. If you are not a member of this department, feel free to contact me for more information on anything you see here! My email is davidrcn [at] u.washington.edu.