For more than ten years, I have worked as an adjunct instructor of both communications and history, offering both in-class and online instruction for more than 600 students at Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Courses I have taught include:
I have taught the following courses at Penn State Scranton:
In addition, I am working with Adelphi University to develop their Business Communication course as part of their College of Continuing and Professional Studies.
Keep scrolling to learn more about my educational philosophy, as well as to see sample syllabi and assignments.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me, and I learn.” To me, this quote perfectly encapsulates my teaching philosophy.
I believe in student-centered instruction with a reciprocal learning environment. Students today are often on the cutting edge of new and emerging digital media, which means that as an instructor, I have the unique opportunity to learn from my students just as much as they learn from me, allowing for a collaborative experience that might not happen elsewhere.
In today’s world, diversity and inclusion are key. Through my work at Lackawanna College, I have had experience teaching in ethnically and racially diverse classrooms. By fostering an environment where curiosity reigns, I try to encourage my students to tell their stories in their own words, through their own lens, versus trying to impose a worldview on them that may or may not be their own. My classroom is a safe environment, where all viewpoints are considered and accepted.
As a student of communication, my main interests include intercultural communication, as I believe this is a necessary skill since increased globalization thanks to the digitization of society shrinks physical borders and brings people closer together. We need to know how to interact with each other, especially when dealing with people from other cultures. I experienced this first-hand in my professional career as an American of Italian descent working with Italians who immigrated to this country from various parts of Italy. While there were commonalities thanks to my family of origin, there were still nuances that needed to be learned for effective communication to take place.
Finally, my goal as an instructor is to act as a guide. My hope is that my passion for communication and digital media comes through in my teaching and that I foster a love for this field in each student that comes into my classroom. I believe in giving my students as many “real-world” activities as possible so they can apply the skills they’ve learned in my classroom in their professional careers.
This course explores the many aspects of social media communication, including the history of social media and its current hold on communication throughout the world. Students will write for social media and create their own digital communication using the latest social media platforms.
This course provides students with the basic concepts to effectively deliver speeches in the public arena, addressing key issues in public speaking such as: audience awareness, effective use of language, body language, listening skills, fear of public speaking, and various presentation methods.
Writing for Social Media:
• This was probably one of my favorite classes/professors to date. I got so much out of this class that will help me when I open my own business. My only wish was that it would have lasted a little longer.
• Professor Longo was awesome, and I hope to have her as a teacher again!
• I learned a lot of new skills and essential topics that I know will be applicable in the job field one day.
• This was, by far, my favorite class that I've ever taken. It was fun, engaging, and very interesting. I also really appreciated the instructor's input with our discussions and assignments. I've had previous instructors who did not give a lot of feedback or engage in discussions much, and while that was OK with me, I really appreciated the different approach our instructor had with this class. I also really enjoyed the LinkedIn project. I felt it was not only productive as a class project but also a useful skill to learn for real-world application. I've been wanting to update my profile for a while now and this project was incredibly helpful. I did struggle with a couple of assignments, but the instructor was always very quick to answer my questions and clarify anything that I was having trouble with. Overall, this was a great class, and I would take another one like it with the same instructor in an instant!
Effective Speaking:
• By taking the Effective Speaking course, I have learned to expand my horizons and to be comfortable and confident when presenting a speech. I can’t thank Professor Longo enough for her professional guidance as I utilize the knowledge I have gained to navigate through this course that leads me to the path of my healthcare profession.
• I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this course and instructor. I am very thankful for Prof. Longo and her knowledge as well as her willingness to help, giving me other avenues and options when I was stuck on something.
• The instructor was wonderful! Helped me when I needed it the most! Best instructor so far!!
• This was a great course to take. Professor Longo did a wonderful job pushing us to our abilities and providing us with the tools we needed to do so. This is a fantastic course, and I would recommend Prof. Longo time and time again to anyone needing to take this!
• I would highly recommend this professor for anyone taking Effective Speaking. She made the assignments both meaningful and fun. I am walking away from this class with so many tools to communicate more effectively thanks to her!
• Professor Longo's class was by far my favorite this year. I was very nervous about taking this because public speaking gives me anxiety. She helped me overcome the issue and communicated superbly throughout the entire subterm II semester. She truly made this class a joy to be in!
• The professor was professional, yet fun, and provided unique opportunities for students to engage in public speaking and improve skills.
United States History to 1865:
• Professor Longo was very engaged and knowledgeable. She gave students every opportunity to participate and provided helpful information throughout the course.
• The instructor was very active in the course material and kept opinions and personal feelings separate from the facts, which I feel is important in a history course. Very satisfied with the course.
• I like how she included all classmates in the class discussion, which allowed us all to be able to bounce questions and ideas off one another.
• Professor Longo is wonderful! She made this class so much fun and was so kind and resourceful!
American Presidents:
• I overall really enjoyed this class, and I am thankful for all the knowledge I obtained in this class. Thank you for challenging us and pushing us to become better humans in society!
• I loved learning from Professor Longo. She was very nice and understanding if something didn't submit right. She is very patient. All her assignments were clear and easy to understand. I took this class as an elective. I am very glad I did. I would love to take another class from her. All the weekly assignments "forced" me to learn so much about our presidents that I never learned before.
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