This is the new blog/website that I’ve established to discuss education and chart my professional development.
My name is Aaron Schwartz, and I’m a Professor of Instruction for the Ohio Program of Intensive English at Ohio University. I teach English to International Students who are preparing to enter the university. This includes courses in writing, speaking, grammar, and advanced reading skills. I also regularly teach a unique public speaking course where Japanese students visiting from Chubu University are included in a Public Speaking class with American students and everybody works on developing confidence in public speaking. Prior to working at Ohio University, I taught English (EFL and ESL) in various situations, including private language schools in Japan and California, Community ESL courses in Ohio, and a special Intensive Academic English summer institute at a university in China.
I’ve always been interested in language, culture, education, and technology, and they places where these ideas connect. I’m a strong believer in learning through experience, and I try to tailor learning experiences for my learners. I’m influenced by Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Experiential Learning, and Problem/Project-Based Learning (PBL).
I see games as an important part of culture, and something that we can use to help develop our minds. In my life, I have been an avid game-player, learning card games from my grandparents, playing board games and tabletop role playing games as a teenager, and PC and mobile based digital games. Some games I’ve been playing recently are Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, Civilization VI, Baldur’s Gate III, and Timberborn. I also am the Game Master for a Dungeons and Dragons campaign that meets semi-regularly and have a daily habit of playing Wordle and other games on the New York Times Games App, and practicing Portuguese in Duolingo. I believe that regularly engaging with games keeps my mind fresh and helps me react to new situations in life. I’m excited about learning about the research that has been done in recent years that shows in what ways learners benefit from having games as part of their studies.
More to come — Aaron
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