Teaching

My teaching and research practice is rooted in a core element of maker pedagogy, which positions the teacher as a designer of learning experiences, facilitator, and coach that fosters a culture of collaboration and inquiry. Through my experiences teaching in diverse contexts, I have grounded my practices from the position as a guide and co-learner as students collectively engage in dialogue and pursue interest-driven projects. As a former secondary science student and Black woman, I was discouraged by classroom cultures steeped in competition, individualism, and whiteness. As we reimagine our futures together, I am dedicated to designing and teaching university level courses that positions education as a form of world-making, in which students and I create a learning community that honors students’ heterogeneous ways of knowing and doing as we co-construct knowledge about equitable, transformative education. 

New York University

Spring 2024- Games and Play in Education

This course will prepare students to design learning experiences that include games or their main characteristics. For this, students will explore how theories of game and play intersect with learning theories, how to successfully use game-like activities to improve face-to-face and online learning, and what place new approaches, such as playful learning or gamification, have in modern curriculum design.

Fall 2023 - Foundations of the Learning Sciences

This course focuses on the social and cultural issues of learning as they relate to individual and group cognition in the context of media-rich technology learning environments. The course delves deeply into constructivism/constructionism, scaffolding, apprenticeship, distributed cognition, computer-supported collaborative learning, knowledge-building communities, the learning sciences, perspectivity and identity formation as they relate to the creation of successful and equitable learning environments for diverse populations of learners.

TeenSHARP

Summer 2020 - Fall 2020 - Making for Better Futures: Restorying through Video Game Design

Since we were capable of doing so, people have told stories as a way to pass down experiences, norms, and culture. However, some stories hold more power than others, not only shaping how we remember history but also impacting how we perceive our present reality and possible futures. Throughout the course, students will analyze and critique the dominant stories or “narratives” that have influenced how we understand the world, as well as reflect on their own personal experiences related to the dominant narrative. From there, students will use Scratch, a block-based programming language and online community, to design and create video games where they reimagine or “restory” those dominant narratives.  

Fall 2019 - Spring 2020 - Exploring and Reimagining Science Through the Lens of Race

Science is the systematic way we come to understand our world, from building and organizing knowledge to the utilization of such knowledge for our own purposes. However, when issues of power are taken into account, we are forced to ask several questions: Who gets to consider what is deemed science? Who gets to participate in or “do” science? What are the consequences when science and scientific innovations are utilized to dehumanize and marginalize communities? This course will provide students the opportunity to explore the intersection of science and race by drawing on the perspectives of history, sociology, and design. In this semester of the course, students will learn the socio-historical context of race and science, including historical controversies and debates surrounding the gatekeepers of scientific fields and the (mis)use of communities of color for scientific advancement (e.g., The Tuskegee Syphilis Study). 

Student course evaluations

  • I'm so glad I got to take this class with Dr. Shaw. Although it was online, I don't feel like I missed out on getting to know my classmates. She fostered a really great Zoom community with various in–class activities. I really appreciate how accessible she was outside of class, and also her feedback on our assignments was incredibly helpful and not just surface–level. Thank you! (Foundations of the Learning Sciences, Fall 2023)

  • Dr Shaw was an excellent professor and honestly a great model for how you can teach in an equitable manner. It felt like a lot of punitive aspects of the traditional classroom setting were relaxed and that gave us as students more room to explore the material and dive deep into our projects. I’ve never felt more seen or safe in a classroom setting and I want to say thank you to Dr Shaw for providing me with that experience. (Foundations of the Learning Sciences, Fall 2023)

  • Dr.Shaw is a five star educator, knows what she's doing and does it with grace. Truly supportive, knows the importance of following up with her students and making sure that they are supported every step of the way. If I could write more I would but there isn't enough space on this feedback page. It was an honor to be instructed by Dr.Shaw, she showed up every class and delivered. Truly a blessing to cross paths with such a respectful woman. Thank you Dr.Shaw for an amazing semester and for being an example of what it is to be an educator, instructor and genuine human being. (Foundations of the Learning Sciences, Fall 2023)

  • LOVE MIA!!! best professor i've had so far, wish she taught all my classes hahaha (Games & Play in Education, Spring 2024)

  • The instructor brought a lot of positive energy and enthusiasm to every class meeting and made each lesson a pleasure to participate in. I also felt that the instructor did well to incorporate topics that generated a lot of engagement in Persuall comments into the lectures for interesting class discussions. Furthermore, the instructor did a great job of facilitating the various jousts/games throughout the term so students could enjoy the activities, but not lose sight of the learning objectives. BravoThank you so much Dr. Shaw! I think you do a wonderful job creating an inclusive environment where it is easy and fun to learn. (Games & Play in Education, Spring 2024)

  • Mia Shaw was a wonderful instructor; she was approachable and understanding, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. You can tell that she enjoys the work and wanting the students to learn and understand learning with games and play. (Games & Play in Education, Spring 2024)