Ken has taught at Fordham University, Springfield College, American International College, and Bay Path College, besides invited lectures at the Higgins Armory Museum and UMass-Amherst, numerous academic conferences, and other public education. His areas of expertise include medieval cultural, intellectual, and social history; medieval technology; exploration, conquest, and colonization; the history of sex and sexuality; and military history.
Courses he has taught, or is scheduled to teach, include:
- World History I: Bay Path College, Fall 2010, Winter 2011
- World History II: American International College, Spring 2010/11, Summer 2010
- Western Civilization I: American International College, Fall 2009, Fall 2010; Springfield College Fall 2011
- Western Civilization II: Fordham University, Fall/Spring 2005/06, 2006/07; American International College, Spring 2011
- Ancient History: Springfield College, Fall 2011
- Introduction to Medieval History: Fordham University, Spring 2007; American International College, Fall 2009, Fall 2011
- European Expansion 800–1650: Charlemagne, Crusades, and Columbus: American International College, Spring 2010
- Medieval and Early Modern Warfare and Culture: Springfield College, Spring 2012
Ken's teaching philosophy, whether in the classroom or on the fencing piste, is geared towards the individual student. Each person is unique, bringing unique gifts, experiences, and insights with them, and learning in a different way. The pedagogical experience must, in turn, be tuned to each person's pitch. The best education is not accomplished through mechanical repetition of facts or by rote drill, but by awakening the student to the power of his or her own intelligence to see patterns in the world, and thus inspiring him or her to further their knowledge and so deepen their understanding of the underlying causes of these patterns.
This approach is eminently well-suited to the teaching of history, for history is all around us. The world we live is the product of a historical dialectic, and behind the most seemingly obvious social conventions and cultural artifacts lie centuries and millennia of development. Some of these are atavistic remains of past socioeconomic-historical realities and are ultimately doomed to extinction. Yet, this process of change itself, played out in the arenas of art, politics, religion, and elsewhere, is of inherent interest to the vast majority of people. By uncovering the causes behind the effects, we gain a superior understanding of our world.
Finally, by investigating the patterns behind these processes of change, we can uncover the universal principles underpinning our world and empower ourselves to change it.