ABOUT ME
Hi, and welcome to you
all. My name is Ms.Papia Bawa and I am your instructor for this course. I know
that we will have a wonderful time, interacting and learning through the
semester so that we can blossom as effective communicators. Let me tell you a
little about me. Running neck to neck with writing is
my passion for teaching. I started my teaching 'career' in High School in India
where I spend my weekends, and some of my free time to volunteer as
a tutor for children who were financially unable to afford education. I did not
get any monetary remuneration for my time, but what I got as compensation was
far more satisfying. I consider creating web
based courses as my specialty. I have experience in developing and delivering
fully online, hybrid, and conventional classes. However, my favorite pastime is
creative writing. Besides compilations of short stories and creative essays I
also published two anthologies of poems in India. I also love to travel ( I
have been to France, Belgium, Holland, Norway, Iceland, Italy, Spain, Scotland,
Ireland, Portugal, Greece, Morocco, Poland, Russia, Finland, Estonia, Croatia,
Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Denmark,
Uruguay, Falkland Islands, Cape Horn, United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia,
Australia, Egypt, Turkey, Malta, Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Japan, Cayman Islands, St.
Thomas, St. Kitts, Nassau, most of the Caribbean islands, Belize, Guatemala,
Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Chile, China, Honduras, Argentina, Canada, Nepal, as
well as 90% of USA). I also love to paint, read, and above all, be creative with
computers.
My name is obviously not indigenous to this part of the globe. It originated in
India, where my parents named me after a singing bird called 'Papiha'. I guess,
they thought of this name due my chatterbox nature. I just would not stop
talking. Well, many years have passed, and I still love to talk, which is great,
considering my profession as a teacher.
Writing has been my first passion, and I published my very first poem when I was
13 years old. I won the Inter-School Poetry Contest with this poem, and guess
what I got as a reward? A shiny, new book teaching readers how to write poetry!
Now that is pure irony and also one of the stuffs creative writing is made of.
Then, my life took a 180 degrees turn, when I met this tall, handsome, charming,
man from Cincinnati, USA. Well, the rest is history! I came to USA after my
marriage, and joined Purdue University as a lecturer in 1999. I started as an
introductory composition teacher, and then moved on to professional writing.
During the past eleven years I have designed and/or taught several writing
courses including Introductory Composition, Advanced Composition, Business
Writing, Technical Writing, Introduction to World Fiction, Creative Writing and
Online Certification Training Courses for
instructors who wish to venture into Distance
Education instructions.
Presently, I teach English 106 at Purdue as well as several online courses for
Ivy Tech State College.
My third anthology of poems was recently published in USA and can be previewed
at
http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/BookHome.aspx using BAWA as the keyword
in search. I am working on my next book, which is a collection of creative
descriptions of 'life's moments', like little snippets off the fabric of time.
As for what kind of teacher I am: you are invited to be my students and find out
first hand.