Hi! I’m Dr. Jessica J Appleby, and my pronouns are she/her or elle in French. I’m currently serving as Assistant Professor of French in the Department of Modern Languages at the University of Central Oklahoma. I have a PhD from the University of Colorado at Boulder, with a dissertation entitled Politics and Poetics of Epic in the French Renaissance: Ronsard, Du Bellay, d’Aubigné. Additionally, I hold an MA in French from CU Boulder, and an MA in English from Université Paris 3, Sorbonne-Nouvelle.
My research interests include Renaissance poetics, epic poetry through the ages, the French Wars of Religion, conceptions of national sentiment, the French BD, and pop culture and fantasy (particularly applied to the classroom as a pedagogical tool). My article on Biphobia in Bleu est une couleur chaude, published 2018 in The Central Dissent, the only journal of gender and sexuality studies in the state of Oklahoma, is available here. My forthcoming article “Addressing the Future of Gender in the Language Classroom: A Guide for Teachers” discusses the importance of including neologistic pronouns and non-binary grammar in the world language classroom at all levels. My chapter in the MLA volume Approaches to Teaching Arthurian Tradition entitled “A (Pop) Cultural Studies Approach to Medieval French Arthuriana” is also forthcoming.
I serve as faculty sponsor for two student organizations, French Club and the UCO Medieval Society. French Club aims to connect students to Francophone culture through film, activities, discussion groups, food, and games. Medieval Society encourages students to connect to living history of the Middle Ages through experimental archeology. You can find both groups on Instagram @frenchclubuco and @medievaluco.
At UCO, I receive ongoing training from the Center for Transformative Learning, the Center for eLearning and Connected Environments, the 21st Century Pedagogy Institute, and the STLR (Student Transformative Learning Record) program.
At CU Boulder, I served as Lead for the Graduate Teacher Program to the Department of French and Italian. As Lead, I gave workshops on teaching strategies and professional development both in my department and for the campus-wide GTP workshop series. I offer confidential videotape consultations and consultative microteaching sessions for graduate teachers. My pedagogical research interests include classroom community-building, alternative assessment, and inclusive teaching practices.
My teaching experience is varied, including whitewater rafting, phonemic awareness, French language and culture, medieval and early modern literature, Game of Thrones, phonetics (both French and English), Italian culture, and English language. I have taught as instructor of record at CU Boulder, Université François Rabelais in Tours, and Université Paris 13 Nord in Villetaneuse.
(Additionally, I’m a fibre artist @stitchyprof, practicing subversive contemporary needlework and historical crafts like nålbinding and tablet weaving. I also love photography, and all the pictures on the site are my own.)
I hope this site offers a resource to fellow teachers and students alike!
Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness 2017
Professional Development Portfolio 2017
Jessica J Appleby 