I am Nita Leighton-Graham. I have a B.A. in Fine Arts from UC Irvine, and a B.S. in Interior Design from Woodbury University. I received a certificate in Graphic Design from UC Riverside Extension. I have a strong background in design, and have been involved in the creative arts my entire life. I own my own Inland Empire design firm. For years, I taught interior designers how to study for a six-part national qualifying exam to acquire their professional standing. This led to team teaching with my husband. I then went back to school, to redirect my efforts, to teach college classes. I acquired an A.S. degree in Electronics Technology that opened the door for getting my M.S. STEM-Ed, CTE at CSUSB. I continued on for six designated subject teaching credentials in CTE, they are: Arts, Media and Entertainment; Building and Construction Trades; Business and Finance; Engineering and Architecture; Fashion and Interior Design; Manufacturing and Product Development. I obtained my eLearning certificate while in the Instructional Technology program. I teach Architecture, Electronics and OSHA community college courses. I am also a corporate trainer. My goal is to teach both hybrid and online courses for both colleges and corporations. The Instructional Technology program here a CSUSB has given me the knowledge and tools to be able to teach those modes of instruction. I wish to be a part of that ever expanding global educational experience. In the future, I plan to create educational materials with my husband, and hope to be team teaching with him, which is filled with energy and variety that makes this instructional mode effective and rewarding.
My Teaching Philosophy As a child, I was taught the importance of learning something new every day. This philosophy has stayed with me, and made me a lifetime learner. I have conveyed this message to my students in each class that I have taught. As a Career and Technical Education instructor at my college, it is vital to know my students’ backgrounds, and their basic understanding of the materials that will be covered in these classes. As a kinesthetic learner myself, I understand the importance of varying my teaching methods to reach as many of my students as possible. Most of my classes are interactive guided learning experiences, with hands-on activities. The Constructivist theory of learning guides my approach to education within my classes. The learner is constructing knowledge from artifacts and rules I give them. They take that information and use it to solve problems by employing critical thinking. It has been demonstrated that this style of learning becomes more interesting and effective than other forms. The students drive the class by being engaged in different aspects of the assignments, projects and activities. I usually take on the role of a facilitator, and am there to guide them when necessary. I create rotating teams with two or three students per group, especially in the beginning, so the students will have opportunities to get to know one another. Having students interacting with each other helps to even the playing field, and gives all a more balanced advantage, rather than letting some teams excel over others, who may have learning or physical disadvantages. I have the activities designed to be done, anywhere from a few minutes to several weeks. I discovered when the students are actively involved, they take ownership of, and pride in their projects, upon which they have been working. All activities are presented by the students, to the instructor and to the class-at-large, with an interactive discussion that follows. At the end of the course, students voice their opinions of the term they just completed. During the class discussions, the students are able to enrich us all by sharing their unique experiences through their diverse cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. These classes are comprised of students from many nations, with English not their native language. Therefore, some students understand quickly, while others must translate the information to their own language first, to grasp the true meaning. Usually, the majority of students yearn for more interactive classroom opportunities. They say that they are learning and retaining more from these classes than from the traditional lecture style environments in college.