Current Assignment
- Lead Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Philosophy Department, 2013-2014 Academic Year
Position Description: As the LGTA, my responsibilities include designing and facilitating discipline-specific teaching development workshops for new and experienced TAs; developing resources; developing and promoting curriculum innovation; hosting discussion groups; and providing peer consultation and feedback to TAs throughout the year
Previous Courses
- Philosophy 1200: Critical Thinking, with Profs. David Bourget (Fall) and Eric Desjardins (Winter)
Tutorial Leader, 2012-2013 Academic Year
Course Description: This course is an introduction to critical thinking. Students who complete this course should find that their ability to evaluate arguments and produce cogent arguments of their own is greatly improved, since it provides students with a procedure by which they can systematically read and evaluate complex arguments in both informal and academic contexts. These same techniques can be applied to their own writing, making the course an excellent foundation for virtually all intellectual work in any discipline. Students who plan to seek entry to professional schools will find the training given in this course particularly useful when they write standardized tests like MCAT, LSAT, GMAT, etc. The course covers four broad areas of critical thinking: determining argument structure and argument evaluation, classical syllogistic logic, the calculus of propositions, and probabilistic reasoning. (2 lecture hours, 1 tutorial hour). - Philosophy 2032: Einstein for Everyone, with Prof. Chris Smeenk
Grader, Winter 2012
Course Description: This course considers the work of Albert Einstein, focusing on the theories of relativity. We will look at the historical context of his work, showing how it related to 19th century physics. We will develop the background needed to understand this concept and the other basic ideas of the theory, and consider consequences of the theory related to cosmology and black hole physics. We will also consider Einstein’s innovative path to general relativity as exemplifying an effective critical analysis of a physical theory. The course will close with a brief discussion of Einstein’s important contributions to the development of quantum theory and his later criticisms of it. - Philosophy 2730: Media Ethics, with Prof. Katharina Paxman
Grader, Fall 2011
Course Description: We live in a time of unprecedented media presence and influence. Much of human communication and interaction is facilitated, and even guided by, various forms of media. If we assume that humans have moral duties and responsibilities toward one another, this kind of interaction must be given thorough ethical analysis. This course provides an introduction to some important ethical issues that arise when we take a philosophical look at various forms of media, from journalism and freedom of speech to entertainment and advertising.