A new year for the TAC program!

Another spring quarter means the start of a new year for the TAC program.  The newest Teaching Assistant Consultants join four returning members as we prep for a year filled with consultations, workshops, and the TA Orientation.  We are proud to announce the newest cohort of TAC's.

   TAC Coordinators (TACC):

• Heather Dwyer  (Ecology)
• Philip Matern  (Physiology)

   Returning TACs:

• Robert Lynch  (Physics)
• Miki Mori  (Linguistics)
• Kelly Neil  (English)
• Leilani Serafin  (English)

   New TACs:

• Patrick Grof-Tisza  (Ecology)
• Henry Hao  (Economics)
• Tracy Quan  (Spanish)
• Mai Thai  (Sociology)

Congratulations to the newest members joining our group.  

We look forward to serving the UC Davis campus community from Spring Quarter 2013 through Winter Quarter 2014. 

Winter Workshop 3: Motivating Students

In this week’s workshop we explored student motivation. Our main goals for the workshop included discovering what motivates students, learning how different factors affect and are affected by motivation, and exploring techniques to increase motivation. We began with a discussion of why motivation is important for student learning and then brainstormed what motivates students. To better understand what factors impact student motivation, we explored a model compiled by Ambrose et al. (“How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching”). In this model, the goal values, student expectation for success, and learning environment all affect motivation levels, which in turn impact a student’s behavior and ultimate achievement of a learning goal (see diagram). In the culminating section of the workshop, participants generated lists of techniques for establishing values, encouraging expectancies (expectations for success) and building positive classroom environments. In these lists, several participants said that connecting activities and assignments to "real world" concerns and issues could be motivating for students. Others said that by giving students positive feedback, and setting clear expectations for their work, they could help foster a positive attitude toward the class. 

Student motivation model, modified from Ambrose et al. (2010)

While formulating this workshop, we first tried to generate our own list about what might motivate students, which included grades, job prospects, interest in the subject matter, etc. However, as we got deeper into the research surrounding student motivation, we started noticing that there are so many (sometimes conflicting) factors that influence student motivation, some of which instructors can control, and some of which they can’t. We hoped we emphasized the specific things that instructors could control, like cultivating a collaborative classroom environment and setting clear expectations, but in future iterations of this workshop, we might try to get even more specific about what strategies instructors can use to motivate students in the classroom. For now, though, we think this group of workshop participants came up with a thorough, helpful list!

Making the Most of Memory and Rethinking Retention: a workshop on Desirable Difficulties

Synopsis
This workshop presented material based on research by cognitive psychologists Robert Bjork, Kelli Taylor, Harold Pashler and others. The fundamental idea behind all of the desirable difficulties is that slowing down learning, forcing students to pay attention and work harder to learn consistently has two results. First, it improves students learning in the long run, not necessarily immediately. And second, it routinely causes those facing the desirable difficulties to feel like they are less successful. The types of desirable difficulties discussed were threefold: changing the environment, multimodal learning, and interleaving.

Reflection
We and the participants learned a great deal through the workshop. Parts of the content were well received and other parts were more challenging, especially when it came time to convey the information in a manner that was directly relevant and accessible to the participants. The best received aspect was the notion of the “myth” of learning styles. Participants knew about learning styles--e.g. learning auditorily, visually, linguistically, mathematically/logically, and kinesthetically--as a way to reach students. In our workshop we discussed how cornering ourselves into one teaching or learning style is actually detrimental to students, and it is often the case that a blended approach to learning styles is more effective.

We had a lively discussion of how these desirable difficulties can be applied on an individual and discipline-specific basis. Participants asked how the process of “interleaving” could be applied to different disciplines. What is interleaving? True to this concept, we held off on giving away a solid definition (although we gave hints) until the end. This process, characterized by giving students information in small chunks rather than all at once, has been shown to be highly effective, but seemed limited by the kinds of disciplines it has been applied to in research.

We encourage participants to use research databases at their disposal to look up research done on interleaving and education in their fields. Furthermore, as TAs and AIs, now is the perfect time to “experiment” with your students, to give lessons in innovative ways, and to reach beyond our comfort zones as future professors. It is a common argument that one discipline is more suited for one kind of teaching approach, and it is rare--if not outright inexistent--that this is actually true for most pedagogical approaches.

Winter Workshop 1: Active Learning

This year’s winter workshop series focuses on ways to teach effectively, and we started off with a fun and productive workshop about the benefits of active learning.  After a brief overview of the series, we began by defining active learning in small groups and compiling each group’s definition into one presentation for all to see.  After this great opening discussion, we compared active learning to traditional passive lectures as participants generated a list of the pros and cons of each.  Following this discussion, we presented a few compelling studies demonstrating how active learning methods improve learning outcomes. Using the information participants had learned so far, they then took time to create active learning activities to use in their own classrooms and then critiqued them in small groups.  We finished up by discussing both the participants’ activities as well as a list of additional activities provided to participants.

The first workshop seemed to go over really well and we had lots of positive feedback.  We were pleased with a big turnout of over fifty participants, and even with a large group the discussions made it possible for many individuals to contribute their ideas.  Given the nature of our workshop on research supported techniques, one of our goals was to discuss literature surrounding the use of active learning.  We found many studies pointing toward its benefits, but did not find any showing that it doesn’t work.  One of our participants brought this up during our discussions, but no one was aware of any contradicting studies.  Also, we knew going into the workshop that fitting active learning into a single, specific definition would be difficult. However, by relying on a few pre-selected definitions from educational professionals, we showed participants how their own definitions shared common themes with the definitions created by professionals. Ultimately, even though some participants preferred to see one definitive definition for active learning and even though common themes in the definitions were important, we believe that active learning is a complex, multi-faceted concept that can be defined in various ways. Using the powerpoint and polling technology was very helpful in this defining process because we were able to quickly compare participants’ definitions side by side for all to see.  The participants seemed to enjoy the use of technology in our workshop and we hope they are looking forward to the future workshop on teaching technologies.  Altogether, we had a great time preparing and giving this workshop on active learning.

Call for 2013-2014 TA Consultants

Are you considering a career in college teaching?

Do you want to share your enthusiasm for teaching with others?

Enhance your qualifications by participating in the TA Consultant Program!

TA Consultants work as coaches and consultants to their fellow Teaching Assistants on campus. TA Consultants:

• Participate in regular training and professional development sessions;
• Learn more about teaching and learning in the college classroom;
• Plan and deliver workshops and special programs on teaching and learning topics of interest; and
• Provide individualized consultations on teaching and teaching improvement.

Requirements

Successful applicants:

• Have at least three quarters of TA experience;
• Are able to participate throughout Spring Quarter 2013, September 2013 (note: only September, not the rest of the summer break), Fall Quarter 2013, and Winter Quarter 2014;
• Are able to invest approximately six to seven hours per week in the program, including from 3-5 pm each Wednesday throughout the fellowship period;
• Are regularly enrolled as a graduate student (master’s or doctoral level) all three quarters of the fellowship (Spring 2013, Fall 2013, and Winter 2014).

Fellowship Award

TA Consultants receive a TA Training Graduate Fellowship of $1000 per quarter during Spring 2013, Fall 2013, and Winter 2014.

The TAC fellowship does not affect TA eligibility, so it is possible to hold either a TAship or GSRship during these quarters.

Contacts

Questions about the TAC Program? Contact Jamiella Brooks and Heather Dwyer, TA Consultant Coordinators, hedwyer@ucdavis.edu.

Questions about submitting your application? Contact Danielle McAlister, CETL Receptionist, dmcalister@ucdavis.edu.

Applications

To apply:

1. Download TAC Application (requires Microsoft Word).
2. Submit all completed materials via email to Danielle McAlister (cetl@ucdavis.edu) with the subject “TAC application – applicant last name."  Letters of recommendation (2) should be emailed directly from the recommender to the same email address with the subject “TAC letter of recommendation – applicant last name."

Completed applications should be received no later than January 14th, 2013 by 5:00pm. 

Fall 2012 Workshop 3: SoTP II

On November 8, 2012, the Teaching Assistant Consultants Kelly Neil, Miki Mori, and Philip Matern ran a second Statement of Teaching Philosophy workshop. Approximately 15 graduate students and postdocs from a wide variety of disciplines such as engineering, psychology, history, chemistry, geography, and physics attended and spent two hours together brainstorming, discussing, and collaborating on what makes a strong Statement. We started our workshop with a discussion about the purpose of the Statement and some of the nuts and bolts about this genre of writing. Next, participants worked through a step-by-step worksheet that invited them to reflect on their goals and beliefs about teaching as well as how they assess learning. We also took time to read through sample statements and sample introductions, reflecting on issues of content, organization, audience, and style. Finally, we situated the Statement in a broader conversation about teaching portfolios and job applications.

Even though some participants were not really sure what a Statement consisted of and others had polished drafts, the open dialogue and interaction between everyone proved to be stimulating and productive. As a group we talked through some challenging questions: how do we know if the search committee wants to see technical language in our Statements? How discipline-specific will your audience be? If you begin your Statement with an anecdote about a teaching experience you’ve had, does that spark readers’ interest or does that get in the way of the Statement’s ultimate purpose? What are the benefits and drawbacks of electronic teaching portfolios? Though these questions don’t have easy answers, we had a great time laughing, grimacing, and thinking our way through this puzzling part of the academic job application. In the end, even if the job application process remains a daunting task, participants, and the facilitators, left with a clearer of just what makes our individual Statements of Teaching Philosophy represent who we are as instructors.

Fall 2012 workshop 2: Exploring the Diversity Statement

On November 2, TA Consultants Leilani Serafin, Robert Lynch, and Heather Dwyer conducted a workshop on diversity statements. We began the workshop by clarifying the prevalence of diversity statements as part of the teaching job application. Currently, some, but not all institutions require one, and the types of institutions that do range from community colleges to Research I universities. We then had a discussion about the presence and importance of diversity in our own fields of study, followed by a group brainstorm of the types of diversity that exist in the classroom. After defining "diversity statement" and its purpose, participants started working on foundations for diversity statements of their own by answering the following questions:

1. What are your past experiences with diversity?
2. How would/do you create an environment inclusive of diversity in your classroom?
3. What are the benefits of your aforementioned actions?

Finally, participants had an opportunity to read sample prompts and statements before revisiting their own diversity statement foundations.

In conducting the workshop, there were a many interesting things that came up in regard to diversity statements. One was that we (the workshop leaders) were under the impression that diversity statements are primarily a part of a teaching job application package, which is untrue: a few participants said they were required to submit similar statements for certain fellowship or grant applications. Another unexpected issue arose during our discussion of WHY institutions might ask for a diversity statement. A few participants expressed some level of anxiety or self-admitted cynicism over this topic, guessing that some institutions might require a diversity statement as a method of weeding or even discrimination. However, it seems that most institutions use diversity statements to ensure that applicants will address their educational missions, which often include their own diversity statements. Also, on a practical level, diversity statements give applicants another page or two in which to “sell themselves.” 

If you're interested in the workshop materials or the lists and notes we generated during this workshop, please feel free to visit the Diversity Statement Wiki we created:  http://tacdiversitystatement.wikispaces.com/ 

Fall 2012 Workshop 1: The ABCs of SoTPs

On Tuesday, October 23rd, Jamiella Brooks and Nicholas Hall presented the first of a series of Fall Workshops on writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy (SoTP). About 20 people from various disciplines across the humanities and sciences attended, bringing a variety of experiences—some having already written their statements, others just getting started. One interesting facet came up when we learned that some attendees were in fact writing a statement for a fellowship application, opening up another reason why a Statement of Teaching Philosophy is such an essential document to have.

Nicholas designed and modified a table called “Organizing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy” that participants found very useful in hammering out ideas for their statement. Throughout the workshop, participants filled this table to the brim with ideas for their statements. Whether you are just getting started on your SoTP or have already written one, this is a good document to fill out to make sure all your bases are covered.

Some of the questions attendees asked:
“How can we talk about our shortcomings as instructors without being too negative?”
“How can we sell ourselves as teachers if we only just started getting interested in teaching?”
“Should we talk about ‘pedagogy’? To what extent?”
“Should we talk about our research in our statement? If so, how?”

If you are interested in these questions, we encourage you to attend our next SoTP workshop in Winter 2013--be on the lookout for advertisements as to when and where. 

A Summer of Teaching: Lessons Learned

This Summer I taught in two different environments that broadened my perspective on teaching.  I spent the early summer working with fourteen middle-schoolers, aged ten to twelve for about seven hours a day five days a week for three weeks.  It was both amazing and exhausting to work with some many energetic students for such an intensive period. The late summer I spent teaching physics in Vietnam to two sections of twenty five students cramming a ten week quarter into just over three weeks of instruction.

Docendo Discimus: Teach in order to learn

Teaching Newsletter!

This summer two of our summer session teaching consultants, Cutcha Risling-Baldy and Jamiella Brooks, are working hard at creating a teaching newsletter for your reading pleasure. Download the newsletter in PDF format by going to their webpage (click the image below).

The newsletter features articles about teaching-related subjects, links to useful teaching resources, and games that you could use in your classroom.

TAC Member: Leilani Serafin

 Hello!  I'm a new TA Consultant, and am very excited to continue my teaching education.  I'm a third-year Ph.D student in the English department, and have started work on my dissertation prospectus, which will focus on theatrical adaptations of sensation novels.  For the rest of this year, I will be teaching UWP 1: Expository Writing, before moving on to teaching English 3 next year.  Before coming to UC Davis, I taught various levels of introductory writing at Cal State Los Angeles, where I also worked in a Writing Center.  While I was there, I loved interacting with students from a wide variety of academic disciplines, and I look forward to continuing that exchange now, as a TA Consultant!

As a teacher, I'm currently interested in student motivation, and in designing assignments that will help students learn critical thinking skills while also inspiring them to think more deeply about their own interests.  My students have taught me a lot interesting things so far, so I'm looking forward to another fun and educational year!

TAC Member: Philip Matern

I am very excited for the opportunity to assist the graduate teaching community in evaluating and improving teaching techniques.  As a TA consultant, I hope to share the insights and strategies I’ve developed through my teaching experiences while continuing to learn and develop new teaching approaches across a variety of disciplines.  I'm a proponent of incorporating active learning strategies in the classroom to get students engaged in constructing knowledge, and look forward to improving my understanding and use of active learning techniques throughout my time with the TAC program.

I'm a Ph.D. student in the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology (MCIP) department currently studying the regulation of skeletal and cardiac muscle mass and the role specific E3 ligases play in atrophy and hypertrophy.

Outside of work I love playing with my daughter and enjoying family time.  I also love growing a beard and being barefoot.  I'm a big fan of barefoot shoes and you should be too.  We aren't meant to walk on thick wedges.  Free your feet!