SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2024: Sullivan – Kathena DeGrassi

Kathena Hasbrouck DeGrassi is an Associate Professor of English at Sullivan County Community College, where, apart from teaching in a traditional brick-and-mortar classroom, she also teaches in hybrid and fully remote formats. Kathena first began her adventures with online teaching in 2008 with a women’s literature summer course at SUNY New Paltz. Since then, she has grown from relying on asynchronous discussion boards and quizzes to utilizing as many resources as she can, from wikis to blogs to social annotation tools, and more. Now, in her second year as a full-time faculty member at SCCC, she is an active member of the Online Advisory Committee, and dedicated to discovering new and innovative ways to connect with her students for the sake of access, equity, and empowerment

One of my biggest concerns as an educator is ensuring that my students know they matter. Whether I’m teaching a developmental writing class, or a literature class focusing on contemporary issues, I work to raise my students’ voices out of the bubble of the classroom (a request some aren’t used to, and a task some aren’t comfortable with). This not only builds their confidence, but encourages them to own their education, and to appreciate that what they’re doing matters beyond the gradebook.

In particular, a favorite assignment is the digital zine, a project that showcases student voices, allowing them to explore topics that are important to them, and which they long to talk about at length (a boon to otherwise resistant writers). Zines have always been a platform for those who might typically identify as marginalized or silenced. In particular, digital zines as part of the learning experience allow for critical thinking, creative expression, widespread sharing, and ultimately, empowerment. It is my pleasure to mentor students as they work on these projects, helping them as they develop not only their voice, but also their style and insight, on a topic they love.