Learning Adventures

During my formal education, my favorite teachers were the ones who shared knowledge and answered questions through personal experiences and real-life stories. Many of these stories, and the lessons behind them, I fondly remember today.

In fact, many anthropologists would agree that teaching and learning through storytelling is how knowledge was passed down in traditional human societies before recorded history.

As a professional academic, I do my best to teach through sharing personal experiences. I have also found success in developing my stories through online photo journals, video, and other multimedia.

I developed the Learning Adventures series in order to address digital transformations in education, and to visually support my university presentations and public talks. The text, photos, and videos on these pages provide an accessible multimedia platform for students to follow and explore on their mobile devices, such as laptop computers, tablets, and smart phones.

For example, when teaching a course in Eastern Civilization, I often share my personal experiences and stories from the Silk Road, Pakistan, Tibet or hiking on the Great Wall, and students can follow topics through the photos, maps, and links for each Learning Adventure. If teaching Environmental Studies, I may share personal experiences from the Amazon Rainforest, Galapagos Islands, or an environmental issue encountered at a particular international surfing destination.