My experience interning with the Fayette County Cultural Trust has been most fruitful, and I accomplished more than I could have imagined while also taking on a load of 18-credits. I managed my time and completed various projects in timely and organized fashions. A list of the projects I worked on and completed is: Created…
Author: Edwin Coffman
Teaching as Learning: Patchworked Aspirations
Pieces of work aren’t always about perfection—sometimes, they’re about practice, problem-solving, and learning the processes. Before this experience, I understood teaching as something instructors did to convey information. My previous understanding was two-dimensional and lackluster. After spending more time analyzing Dr. Lotz’s teaching style, diagnosing my own, and putting together a lesson plan for a…
FCCT Internship: Current and Next Steps
The first half of my internship with the Fayette County Cultural Trust has been enjoyable. It offers me a different type of work compared to my other projects. I’m embedded within the community with the Trust, researching and planning for real-life scenarios that will eventually impact peoples’ lives. Instead of looking at how the past…
Learning Truth Through Teaching Myth
Through my classes with Dr. Andrew Lotz, I progressively began connecting more and more with him. I’ve taken a handful of his classes—each captivating me more than the last. The content of his courses is calculated and wonderfully planned. Supplemental to his course materials, though, Dr. Lotz’s teaching style and gripping vocal lectures left marks…
FCCT Internship: Taking Initiative and Producing Work
Hello. I am Edwin Coffman, senior Political Science and English Literature double-major at the University of Pittsburgh, and I am interning for the Fayette County Cultural Trust (FCCT). The FCCT aims to revitalize the area by recognizing preestablished and natural assets and creating partnerships with local individuals. I’m working alongside two other interns, and we’re…
CUTF Blog Post #1: Navigating a Packed Plate
Hello—my name is Edwin Coffman, and this is my first blog post for the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Teaching Fellowship. I am mentoring under Dr. Andrew Lotz of Pitt’s Political Science Department in his Myth, Propaganda, and the State analysis course. In my project, I am an undergraduate teaching assistant. Here, I will connect with students and…
ATP Reflection: Find What You Love.
The first installation of the Appalachian Teaching Project has reached its conclusion at Pitt. In the end, our group met our primary goal! We created a working asset map to fuel and encourage further community development work in Connellsville and the larger Fayette county area. We made a series of deliverables—specific presentations, data tables, and…
Community Ties and Assets in Connellsville, PA.
On our last visit to Connellsville, PA, the team encountered several community assets, ranging from glass producers to tourism encouragers. Rather than put the businesses in any old pecking order, I’ll array the assets in the order I encountered them. Other groups visited varied locations, so, hopefully, in the end, each person’s list will appear…
Appalachian Teaching Project Introduction
Hello! My name is Edwin Coffman, and I am in my third and final year at Pitt. I am double majoring in political science and English literature. I’m originally from a tiny town in southern West Virginia, and my roots will always be there. I’m fortunate to still live in a town that my ancestors…