THE CENTER IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE UM TEACHING COMMUNITY.
The Center for Collaborative Teaching and Learning is a Christ-centered academic community encouraging intellectual and spiritual development through academic partnerships. Our programs are research-based, focused on pedagogical and andragogical practices, and innately collaborative.
DIRECTORS
Karen Dennis
Karen Dennis, PhD, is the reading specialist and co-director of the Center for Collaborative Teaching and Learning at the University of Mobile, where she serves as an assistant professor of education.
Karen teaches early childhood and elementary education courses and draws from her 21 years of experience as an elementary classroom teacher and reading coach. She earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the University of South Alabama, her master’s degree in education from Harding University, and her PhD in cognition and instruction from Grand Canyon University. Her dissertation explored how kindergarten teachers balance a curriculum with both high academic standards and developmentally appropriate practices.
Cindy Erickson
Cindy Erickson, EdD, is the special education specialist, edTPA coordinator, and co-director for the Center for Collaborative Teaching and Learning at University of Mobile, where she serves as an assistant professor of education.
Cindy teaches courses in special education, professional development, and educational psychology. Cindy has over 27 years of teaching experience in the K-12 setting where she was a special education teacher, teaching in variety of fields from specific learning disabilities to gifted education.
She is a nationally trained scorer for the edTPA, a performance-based teacher evaluation. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, her master’s degree from the University of South Alabama, and her doctorate from the University of West Florida. Her dissertation explored preservice teachers responses to a critically reflective pedagogy.