Danielle Miller
University of Washington
Teaching Philosophy
Goals: My goals and objectives as embark on my journey to becoming a teacher are twofold: to help prepare students intellectually in the area of knowledge organization and to encourage them to become life-long learners and active information professionals. The area I am most interested in teaching, knowledge organization, encompasses both theoretical and practical components, therefore, it is essential to integrate both the theoretical, conceptual, and historical frameworks with current tools, standards, and practices. Ideally, through my teaching, I will highlight the relationships between theory and practice so that students understand both why and how information professionals do their work. My primary goal for teaching is to help students to develop as critical thinkers and approach questions and assignments from as creative a perspective as possible. It is important to me that the students connect with the material and develop their own opinions and viewpoints.
Learning Environment: It is my aim to generate excitement and enthusiasm for Library and Information Science in general and knowledge and information organization, more specifically, by creating an open and stimulating learning environment. I believe that different students have different learning styles and objectives, for that reason, I plan to design class sessions so that experiences are varied and students are actively involved in the learning process. A critical component in a student's learning environment feedback from the teaching in the form of evaluation and grading. I will make every effort to make the grading process as transparent and as objective as possible. I will strive for a friendly and collegial yet professional relationship with my students. I will encourage students to meet with me outside class to discuss issues related to the class, their studies, and the field in general.
Teaching Experience
Previous:
Teaching Assistant, LIS 531: Catalogs, Cataloging, and Classification The Information School, UW, Seattle, WA, March 2003 – June 2003.
Student Teacher, Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Geometry Finn Hill Junior High, Kirkland, WA, Oct. 1997 – March 1998.
Expected:
Teaching Assistant, LIS 530: Organization of Information and Resources The Information School, UW, Seattle, WA, Winter 2004.
Teaching Assistant, LIS 535: Classification Theory The Information School, UW, Seattle, WA, Spring 2004.
Reasearch Interests
GENERAL RESEARCH AREA
Information & Knowledge Organization
OVERARCHING RESEARCH TOPIC
Cataloging and classification in the electronic environment. Emphasis on the study, design, and evaluation of online cataloging and classification systems to improve user interaction and success.
RESEARCH DIRECTION
I am interested in drawing upon existing theory and research in knowledge organization to inform the design of user studies that will reveal how users interact with online public access catalogs (OPACs) and information storage and retrieval systems at large. Utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis, system evaluations, and user feedback will build a body of work that will generate implications for OPAC design and use processes.