About
I started the Teaching & Learning in Social Blog back in 2013 as a way to share my teaching practices and to improve my writing. At the time, I was working at a public, liberal arts college in Alabama as the Director of a small, undergraduate Social Work Educational Program. I wanted to share what I was doing in the classroom because I knew how hard it was for other faculty teaching in undergraduate social work programs around the United States – always moving from one class to the next and hustling to bring the best quality resources to students. My goals were modest, and I quickly learned to partner with colleagues doing great work in the classroom by inviting them to write guest educator posts. Later, I realized this blog was also a great space to share information from my conference presentations, such as slides and handouts. Today, the purpose of this blog is to write about my work with social work students, creating a record of different pedagogical approaches, success stories (and failures), and new ideas. I frequently publish about how digital and social technologies can be leveraged for good in social work education. You can review previous blog posts in the following ways:
- Archive – a list of all blog posts by year
- Assignments – a list of blog posts by different types of assignments
- Conference Presentations – a list of all my conference presentations by year
About Me
I’m a Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. From 1998 – 2004, my time in social work practice was spent working with, supervising, and training case managers and social workers. I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), Associate Certified Coach (ACC), and hold degrees in psychology (BA, University of Wisconsin – Madison), public health (MPH, University of Alabama at Birmingham), and social work (MSW and PhD, University of Alabama).
As a social work educator, I work with undergraduate social work students and believe in the value and contribution of generalist-trained social workers to our communities and social service agencies. I strive to prepare social work students for contemporary and ethical social work practice and advocate for equity and accessibility in education.
My scholarly interests include social work education (interprofessional education and other high-impact pedagogies such as service learning, simulation, and study abroad), technology and social work, social welfare history, and public health social work. With over a decade of practice experience in healthcare and community mental health, I’m committed to enhancing social work education through innovative teaching methods and technology-enhanced learning experiences.
I am the author of over 40 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and scholarly works, and regularly present my work at national and international conferences. In 2012, I received the SAGE/CSWE Award for Innovative Teaching for incorporating social media into social work pedagogy. Here is a link to my Google Scholar profile. You can connect with me on LinkedIn.
I am also a consultant and coach, supporting social work practitioners and educators in navigating professional challenges with clarity and confidence, emphasizing ethical decision-making, resilience, and self-care. For more information about my consulting and coaching services, please visit my website: https://laureliversonhitchcockconsulting.com/.
Before my career in social work, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal, West Africa (1991-1993), and as an AmeriCorps Volunteer with the Jefferson County Department of Public Health’s Healthy Start Program in Birmingham, AL (1994-1995).
All opinions and thoughts expressed here are my own and do not reflect opinions held by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
