Learning Environments & Educational Studies

Anne is currently seeking her PhD in Education with a concentration in Learning Environments and Educational Studies. Originally from Annadale, Virginia she received her MA in History at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and came to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2012. We asked her to reflect on some of her past and current experiences. Read her responses below.

Accomplishments

• Lead GTA, Educational Psychology 401 Instructional Team

Presentations

• Yamagata-Lynch, L.C., Skutnik, A. and Do, J. (2015). Addressing Epistemological and Methodological Tensions in Qualitative Inquiry with Mediated Action. Paper presented at the International Congress for Qualitative Inquiry, Urbana-Champagne, IL.
• Yamagata-Lynch, L.C., Do, J., and Skutnik, A. (2015). Qualitative Data Interpretation and Storytelling with Activity Systems Analysis. Paper presented at the International Congress for Qualitative Inquiry, Urbana-Champagne, IL.
• Franklin, K., Dellard, T., Murphy, B., Plaas, K., Skutnik, A., Sohn, B., Williams, M., Greenberg, K., Greenberg, N., Pollio, H., and Thomas, S. (2014). A Transformational Twist on Learner-Centered Teaching: Experience and Existential Phenomenology. Paper presented at the Sixth Annual Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research, Blacksburg, VA.

Poster Sessions

• Redesigning Engineering Distance Education
  Association for Educational Communication and Technology
  Jacksonville, Florida November 5-8, 2014.
• Listening to Students 1-2-3
  Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy
  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  Blacksburg, Virginia February 5-7, 2014.

Refer to Curriculum Vita for more details

Current Occupation

Lead Graduate Teaching Associate
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

I am the lead Graduate Teaching Associate of the Educational Psychology 401 instructional team. Educational Psychology 401 is a course required of preservice teachers prior to their practicum year and focuses on the application of learning theories to the K-12 classroom.

Personal Interests

Outside of school, I try to garden, hike, and work on home improvement projects with my husband. I just became a mom to an adorable son named Joseph, which is very exciting and just a bit scary.

Future/Vocational Goals

I enjoy teaching at the university level and have found the experience to be very rewarding, and so I’d like to consider continuing on that path. I’m also pursuing my MS in Instructional Technology. The LEEDS program’s interdisciplinary nature has given me the freedom to pursue many different paths.

What sold you on this program?

Because most of my previous educational pursuits were in fields outside of education, I wanted a program that embraced those roots. The LEEDS program and its blend of educational psychology, instructional design, and cultural studies in education appealed to me because of it’s interdisciplinary nature. All of the faculty in the program bring a wealth of knowledge about their disciplines, and the overlap between the three core areas means that students are able to look deeper at current educational issues. I know I will be a very well-rounded scholar once I graduate from this program.

What would you tell an incoming student who joins the program/department?

You’re in a good place 🙂 All of my interactions with faculty members within the department have been positive, even if I’m not within their program. Everyone is very encouraging of graduate students. The LEEDS faculty is great, and very invested in our success as future scholars. And I would be lost without the support of my peers within the program – their encouragement and enthusiasm (even at the end of the semester when things go pear-shaped) keeps me going.