I am an assistant professor of history at the University of Texas at Dallas. I teach courses in American history, the history of race and ethnicity, the Atlantic World, and the history of religion. My courses require students to perform as historians: analyzing primary documents, crafting arguments based on these documents, and evaluating the arguments of other historians. Students of history become careful readers, creative thinkers, and clear communicators—all essential skills for success in contemporary life.
My research explores how Americans have understood social injustice, particularly around issues of race and ethnicity. I have been able to integrate this research into my teaching in several ways. In the spring of 2013, I taught an experimental digital history course on the rise and fall of Atlantic slavery. For this course, my students produced a collaborative website, viewable at riseandfallofslavery.wordpress.com. I built upon this course model in another course on world religions, focusing on global apocalypticism, viewable at historyoftheend.wordpress.com.
I have a particular interest in the teaching opportunities and democratizing potential of digital technology. I am the co-editor of The American Yawp, a free and online American history textbook (americanyawp.com). I am also the coeditor of abolitionseminar.org, a NEH-funded resource for K-12 teachers. My interest in critical pedagogy has led me to take the reins from Kevin Schultz and Ed Blum and serve as managing editor of Teaching United States History. Borrowing ideas from this community has injected new life into all of my courses. I hope you find our website as useful as I have.
I am an assistant professor of history at the University of Texas at Dallas. I teach courses in American history, the history of race and ethnicity, the Atlantic World, and the history of religion. My courses require students to perform as historians: analyzing primary documents, crafting arguments based on these documents, and evaluating the arguments of other historians. Students of history become careful readers, creative thinkers, and clear communicators—all essential skills for success in contemporary life.
My research explores how Americans have understood social injustice, particularly around issues of race and ethnicity. I have been able to integrate this research into my teaching in several ways. In the spring of 2013, I taught an experimental digital history course on the rise and fall of Atlantic slavery. For this course, my students produced a collaborative website, viewable at riseandfallofslavery.wordpress.com. I built upon this course model in another course on world religions, focusing on global apocalypticism, viewable at historyoftheend.wordpress.com.
I have a particular interest in the teaching opportunities and democratizing potential of digital technology. I am the co-editor of The American Yawp, a free and online American history textbook (americanyawp.com). I am also the coeditor of abolitionseminar.org, a NEH-funded resource for K-12 teachers. My interest in critical pedagogy has led me to take the reins from Kevin Schultz and Ed Blum and serve as managing editor of Teaching United States History. Borrowing ideas from this community has injected new life into all of my courses. I hope you find our website as useful as I have.