BIO

Sharon De La Cruz is a storyteller, educator, and activist from NYC. Her research and practice are rooted at the intersection of STEM pedagogy, art, and social justice.  Thanks to comic storytelling, she landed in the Tin House Summer Workshop and created her first graphic novel memoir, “I’m a Wild Seed” (Street Noise, April 2021). Kirkus Reviews called the work a “potent graphic memoir about the forming of one woman’s queer identity… [that] effectively portrays both the fears and joys of discovering one’s marginalized identity” and Publisher’s Weekly wrote, “the wit and exuberance found here marks her as a worthy new artist [in her] limber, playful debut collection.” De La Cruz received her master’s from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, is the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship, Processing Foundation Fellowship, a TED Residency, and a 2021-22 Red Burns Teaching Fellow at ITP-NYU. She is currently an Assistant Arts Professor at ITP-NYU.

Teaching philosophy

Being creative in an academic environment has inspired my love for culturally relevant pedagogy and has cemented the teaching philosophy that a person learns most deeply through play.  Learning through tinkering and making has allowed me to bask in the joy of discovery and encourages a “fail fast” approach that is not fixated on measuring intelligence but rather on how resilient you are. Teaching is political, and so is learning. Inspired by both Seymour Papert and Paulo Freire, my teaching philosophy borrows from constructivist learning theory and the critical pedagogy movement. My classroom goals include expanding learning outside of the classroom and developing a diverse curriculum in voice, culture, and discourse. My curriculum is developed with the intention that the content moves fluidly in and out of university walls. I hope to shape students toward creating work that generates movement, action, and discussion.

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