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!

TAC Member: Kelly Neil

Hello! I'm thrilled to begin work as a TA Consultant this year, and I look forward to collaborating with you in UCD's vibrant and innovative teaching community! I am a doctoral candidate in the English Department working on a dissertation that focuses on law, gender, and identity in sixteenth and seventeenth century drama. I am currently teaching Enl 3: Survey of English Literature, and before coming to UCD 5 years ago, I taught composition at a community college in North Carolina.

In the early modern period that I study, English men and women were deeply concerned about how to articulate and define the concept of self-hood, particularly in regards to how one defined him or herself in relation to others. This drive to analyze the "self," in all its various forms, is something I find useful and productive when thinking about how students can produce their own learning, how instructors facilitate that learning by appreciating and encouraging diversity, and how to navigate the often complex but rewarding relationship between students and instructors in the classroom. I'm excited to work with fellow grad students to think through these and other questions about teaching effectively.

When I'm not reading early modern plays or teaching, I'm usually spending time with my dog, Lucy, who is a Huskie/Greyhound/Border Collie mix, experimenting with a new recipe in the kitchen, or exploring the amazing hikes, trails, and wineries that Northern California offers.

TAC Member: Nicholas Hall

Hello everyone.  I'm a new TA Consultant this year.  I'm very excited to be a part of the program and especially for the opportunities I will have to interact with graduate students and postdoctoral scholars across many different disciplines.  I look forward to working with you to grow in our understanding of how to teach effectively and to help improve our teaching in the many different classroom environments on campus.  

I'm a fifth year Ph.D. student in the Physics Department.  I do cosmology research (not to be confused with cosmetology research, though I'm sure that's an exciting field as well) and physics education research.  My physics education research has thus far focused on how the student experience (e.g., confidence, interest, anxiety, etc.) depends on how in tune the instructor is with what the students are experiencing.  I love teaching and I enjoy having opportunities to teach in a variety of settings.

I really like to try new things.  My hobbies include classical guitar, wake boarding, surfing, soccer, hiking and cooking.  I would say that my favorite thing to do is travel, especially in East Asia over the last couple years.

TAC Member: Robert Lynch

       Aloha!  My name's Robert and I'm a TAC.  I am honored and enthused to be part of this community.  I am a 4th year Physics Education Research [PER] Ph.D. student. I began my graduate work in pure physics before deciding that I was more interested in how to teach and learn physics.  To that end I transferred from UC San Diego up to Davis. I have found a supportive research home here in UC Davis Physics Education Research Group, creatively names I know. In PER my interests are broad, including the effects of gender in the classroom, though I am currently studying the effects of taking physics in the first year of college over later.
       This is my first year as a TAC, though I have participated in other CETL activities.  Currently I am co-coordinating the Graduate Teaching Community, where we are offering a certificate series on teaching and technology.

TAC Member: Henry Yeung

Hi Everyone,

It's great to be back and working with the previous and new TA consultants!
Over spring break, I got trained to be a rescue swimmer and a white water rafting guide with the UC Davis Recreation Department - Outdoor adventures. I've learned a great deal about team work, when to be authoritative, and my own physical and mental limits. The educational frame work and method of learning and teaching swift water rescue and white water guiding will be one of my many new contributions to share with the other TA consultants in this up coming year.

STACC: Ann T. Chang

Hello again UCD TA Consultants' blog readers. I'm so happy to be part of the TAC for yet another quarter! This quarter I'm taking an even more behind-the-scenes role as the Senior TA Consultant Coordinator as Heather and Jamiella take the reins as Coordinators. For those of you that regularly follow the blog, that means you'll be hearing a lot less from me and a whole lot more from other TACs. I'm happy to say I'm leaving you in immensely capable hands.


For those of you who don't know me, I am a finishing ecology Ph.D. student (6th year) and have been with the TAC since April 2010. My time in the TAC has changed my teaching in so many positive ways and I know with the new cohort of TACs and consultations I will be learning so much more this quarter. I hope to meet you in your classroom and consultation room soon!


When I'm not thinking about teaching, consulting, and my thesis, I'm knitting, crafting, or experimenting in the kitchen. I also enjoy taking my dog (and my husband) on long walks and coming home to a good glass of red wine.

TAC Member: Miki Mori

Hello everyone. My name is Miki and I am one of this year’s incoming TA Consultants. I am looking forward to working with all of you fellow graduate students and postdoctoral scholars on your endeavors and adventures in the classroom. I hope to not only enhance your teaching experience through consultations, workshops, and the TA orientation but also learn from you and grow myself as an instructor and graduate student. More importantly, I hope to make some meaningful connections with other students at UC Davis. 

I have been a graduate student in the Linguistics Department for three years now, where I focus on academic writing development, as I am also doing a Designated Emphasis in Writing, Rhetoric, and Composition through the University Writing Program. My teaching assignments are mainly teaching undergraduate and graduate ESL writing but I also TA for an introductory Linguistics course. Through being an ESL instructor over the years, I have developed a passion for teaching while also enjoying collaborating with colleagues on lesson ideas, approaches to learning, and the everyday issues of being an educator in the classroom. 

While being a graduate student consumes most of my life, when I do have free time I like to spend it outdoors, in the mountains or on the sea…and really anywhere in between. I also have a passion for being wedged into airplanes, particularly the middle seat, which I fulfill by gallivanting around the world. No, but really, I do love traveling, again pretty much anywhere.

TACC Member: Jamiella Brooks

Rebonjour! I'm excited to be back for another year with the TAC. This year I am a TAC Coordinator, which means I'll be involved with a lot of what goes on behind-the-scenes: advertising, this blog, and more. I am also a third year Ph.D student in the French department.

This year I am thrilled to be serving the graduate teachers here at UCD with a cohort of skilled TACs, new and old. Being a TAC brings forward all new kinds of creativity and innovation, and with my cohorts I get to encounter a diversity of experiences in a collaborative environment. There are so many kinds of teaching approaches and ideas out there, and each new consultation and TAC meeting is a fresh experience to rethink my ideas on teaching.

Beyond the TAC, I spend much of my time speaking French to my 3 month old daughter, Amaris, and trying to convince her dad about the wonders of cloth diapering. I am also furiously working towards a dissertation on language theory in North African Francophone literature.

TACC: Heather Dwyer

I'm so excited to start my second year with the TAC program. This cycle I will be sharing the role of TAC Coordinator with Jamiella Brooks. The TAC program has been such a rewarding experience and I'm looking forward to continuing working with the graduate student teaching community at UC Davis.

Since starting at UC Davis as a graduate student in ecology, my interest in teaching has grown stronger and stronger. I love interacting with undergraduates and am constantly looking for ways to enrich their learning experience. My goal is to have a lasting impact on students, whether that occurs at the level of truly understanding material, developing enthusiasm for the subject matter, or strengthening critical thinking skills. In the past year, working with other TAC consultants has taught me much about diversifying my approach to teaching. In the future I hope to teach undergraduates full-time at a community college or other teaching- focused institution.

My graduate research interests lie in speciation and hybridization of butterflies. When I'm not in the classroom or chasing little yellow butterflies around, I love to read, knit, explore San Francisco, and go wine-tasting.

Today is the first day of the new TAC cycle

The quarter has begun! We at the TAC are just getting to know each other here. So stay tuned for TAC profiles. 

A New TAC cycle has begun

Happy Spring Davis! Although the weather may be confused, we at the TAC are not. A few years ago we switched the start of the a TAC tenure from Fall quarter to Spring quarter. We did this for a few reasons;

Reflections: Workshop 6: Parenting, pampering, or policing? Classroom management and interacting with your students

Last week we wrapped up the workshop series with a session about classroom management. Many graduate students are concerned about how to strike a balance between authority and approachability in their classrooms, so we felt it would be worthwhile to devote a workshop to issues in this topic.

Reflections on Winter Workshop 5: The Red Pen is Mightier than the Sword

One of the comments that constantly comes up in the TAO evaluations is “I wish we’d covered more on grading.” Almost every instructor has to do it, and it can be challenging, so Matt, Ann, and I devoted our fifth workshop to grading, evaluating, and giving feedback.

Laboratory, Meet a Seminar Classroom. Seminar Classroom, Meet Laboratory. A Story of Love (Not at First Sight)

Think you can tell the difference between a traditional, seminar-style liberal arts classroom, and a laboratory learning space? Think again! In workshop #4, graduate student and post-doc participants re-imagined their lessons to include learning methods from radically different fields.

TACs have a new look!

When the TAC program started they had a logo. Unfortunately that logo was never digitalized and over the years wasn't used and then lost. But what a great idea to have a simple image that helps others to identify us as a group.

So the TACs recently, had a designing contest amongst themselves and came up with this logo. Be sure to look for it on your consultations and certificates in the future!

Workshop 6 - "Parenting, Pampering, or Policing" this Friday!

We're excited to present the last workshop of our winter workshop series this Friday. 

Workshop 6 - Parenting, Pampering or Policing? 

Classroom management and interacting with your students

Date: Friday, Feb 24 Time: 10:00am - Noon
Place: 242 Asmundson Hall (The Big Jack Hanna Room)

Description: In the classroom instructors must strike a balance between approachability and authority. Do we mentor, coddle or discipline our students? In this workshop we will discuss and share practical techniques for setting and communicating expectations. We will also analyze different ways of addressing challenging situations in classroom management. Participants will gain skills to shape their classroom dynamics, maximize student learning, and establish a positive and productive classroom environment.

Workshop 5 on Grading this Friday!

The Teaching Assistant Consulting Program is having the 5th of a 6-workshop series this Friday on how to create your own course. Scroll down for descriptions of that workshop and our final workshop! 

Workshop 5 - Grading:The red pen is mightier than the sword 

Date: Friday, Feb 17 
Time: 10:00am - Noon
Place: 242 Asmundson Hall (The Big Jack Hanna Room) 


Description: 
In most students’ and instructors’ minds, grades loom large. In this workshop, we will ask how grades influence learning. Come to this workshop to discuss practical techniques for grading and specific methods for evaluating written work. Learn tips on how to grade quickly, give useful feedback, and elicit critical thinking when you return assignments to students. 

Workshop 6 - Parenting, Pampering or Policing? Classroom management and interacting with your students 

Date: Friday, Feb 24 
Time: 10:00am - Noon 
Place: 242 Asmundson Hall (The Big Jack Hanna Room) 


Description: 
In the classroom instructors must strike a balance between approachability and authority. Do we mentor, coddle or discipline our students? In this workshop we will discuss and share practical techniques for setting and communicating expectations. We will also analyze different ways of addressing challenging situations in classroom management. Participants will gain skills to shape their classroom dynamics, maximize student learning, and establish a positive and productive classroom environment.

Reflections: Workshop 3--The Benefits of Problems: Using Problem-Based Learning and Problem Solving to Promote Critical Thinking

Since I first joined the TA consultants last spring, I have been hoping to have the opportunity to delve more deeply into non-traditional pedagogies. When my fellow TAC Jeff Anderson proposed developing workshop on problem-solving, I jumped at the chance. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn more about problem-solving and Problem-Based Learning (PBL).

Reflections on Workshop 2, Going Critical: Creating Activities that Promote Critical Thinking

Our goal for this workshop was to start thinking about critical thinking and to help participants develop some strategies for incorporating critical thinking into their assignments, exams, quizzes, and other course activities. Like the previous workshop group, we were lucky enough to have lively and dedicated participants. We got to hear from TAs and Instructors from all across the university.

Become a TAC! Ann Chang's Testimonial

The call is out for new TACs!


The Teaching Assistant Consulting Program is looking for it's next cohort of TACs. It's a year long position starting in Spring Quarter and going till Winter Quarter. Having been a TAC for two years (the max you can do) I wanted to share with the UCD community my reason for loving the TAC.

Workshop 3 - Explore another teaching tool!

Feb 3 - The Benefits of Problems: How to use Problem-based Learning and Problem Solving to Promote Critical Thinking

242 Asmundson Hall (Big Jack Hanna Room)

Description: 

“This class taught me how to think.” Are you interested in getting feedback like this on your course evaluations? Interested in helping your students move beyond knowing course material to developing deep critical thinking skills? This workshop will introduce you to techniques you can use to help students assimilate information at a deeper level through problem-solving and problem-based learning. We’ll cover what problem-based learning is, how to use it, and provide examples of how problem-solving can be used in all types of classes–from the humanities to social sciences to STEM courses.

How to Make a Syllabus Reflections

Today is the one week anniversary of the beginning of the 2012 edition of the TAC Winter Workshop Series. In celebration, here is a tribute to the first workshop: How to Make a Syllabus. On Friday January 20, Mara Evans, Henry Yeung and Jeff Anderson led a group of 40 dedicated UC Davis graduate students and post-docs through the topic of course syllabuses. The enthusiastic educators who attended this workshop represented 24 different graduate programs at UC Davis. Participants worked collaboratively to develop an outline of the elements of a strong syllabus, to identify of the purpose of a syllabus, and to construct an outline for a personal syllabus to be used in future UC Davis classrooms.

Following the TA Consultant philosophy, participants learned by doing. The workshop began with a think-pair share exercise, discussing in groups of four: What is the purpose of a syllabus? These small group discussions coalesced into a collective brainstorming session. Below are some of the highlights of the discussion:

The Purpose of a Syllabus:

• Sets the tone for the course
• Communicates expectations to the students
• Aids in organization of the course for the Instructor
• Used as a reference for policies in case of dispute
• Acts as a contract between the instructor and the students
  

After this group discussion, the workshop shifted into a quick write, an activity aimed at encouraging individual reflection via silent writing. Participants responded to the prompt: Think of a course you teach or want to teach. What information will be included on your syllabus? Using this writing exercise as a base for a second group discussion, the audience generated the following list of course content to be included in their individual syllabuses:

• Course title
• Personal contact information (email, office phone)
• Due dates for assignments
• Rules and expectations for classroom behavior
• Policies on late assignments
• Email etiquette and communication policies
• References and additional readings
• Grading Scheme
• On campus resources (CAPS, UWP, etc...)
• Course abstract including a summary and objectives
• List of required materials
• Personal statement
• Positive reinforcement
  
• Support for students via a welcoming tone
  

In the next exercise, participants compared and contrasted two syllabuses that had been used at UC Davis in Fall 2011. In groups of 6, the teams of educators analyzed one syllabus from ENL 3: Introduction to Literature and one syllabus from FST 3: Introduction to Brewing and Beer. Of course, each group had a chance to share their opinions with the entire congregation in the third and final group discussion.

The interactive portion of the workshop ended with a 10 minute individual brainstorming session. Each participant used a worksheet to respond to the following questions:

• What is one objective you have for your course?
• How might you asses if you have met this objective?
• What are your classroom expectations?
• What are your policies concerning grading, homework, participation, email etiquette, cheating, etc.?
• How will you grade your students work?
• What assignments will you have?
• If you have a discussion section, what is the purpose?

The conclusion of the days activities included the distribution of the Winter Workshop Series Syllabus and evaluations for the days activities. Participants were encouraged to complete a personal syllabus and submit it for credit on the smartsite page associated with this workshop series.

Overall, the level of professionalism and energy demonstrated by the workshop participants bodes well for UC Davis students. If these individuals were representative of the attitudes of Davis Teaching Assistants and Instructors, it is very clear the UC Davis students are in capable hand. These people care about teaching, look for ways to develop themselves professionally and are capable of creating interactive and provocative learning environments. To the future of UC Davis education, Go Aggies!

TAC doings & Workshop 2

It's amazing how fast time passes! We are now in the 3rd week of the quarter. That means here at the TAC we've had two meetings and we're coming up on our third. The winter is especially exciting because we have our Winter Workshop series (as I'm sure you've noticed). We spent much of last quarter planning what we'd do for the series, so our first meeting this quarter started off fast and furious with Mara, Jeff, and Henry giving us a dress rehearsal of their workshop on syllabus making, which they gave last Friday. 


Yes you heard that right! We give each other dress rehearsals before we give you the full workshop. It a great way to practice our lesson plans and that way all the TACs get to "see" all the workshops. For me, seeing all the dress rehearsals over the years as taught me so much and given me so many awesome ideas for what to do in my classrooms.


Last week, workshop 2, Erin, Henry, and Dalia, gave their dress rehearsal to us on assessment for critical thinking. We had a great conversation about Bloom's taxonomy, from which one of the TACs commented that he appreciated revisiting the technique and viewing it as a way to organize your assignments and thoughts. If you want to experience it yourself please check out their workshop this Friday! But please note the room change!

Jan 27 - Going Critical: Creating Activities that Promote Critical Thinking

242 Asmundson Hall (NOTE room change from last week)

Description: Do you want your students to think more critically? Do you want your exams to do measure more than memorization? Join our workshop to learn how to build assignments, quizzes and exams that assess student understanding of course content while improving their critical thinking. Learn to develop assessments that encourage creative, active learning and higher-order thinking--the kinds of skills that will transport student knowledge beyond the classroom. We’ll develop some guidelines for assessing critical thinking and work with examples of some of the best creative assessments.

Winter Workshop Series, Workshop 1

Welcome back to Davis! We at the TAC Program hope you all had lovely holidays. 

The TACs have been busily working on the Winter Workshop Series, from which you can earn a certificate if you attend 5 of 6 workshops. We're really excited about it. It's all about teaching your own course. To start off the series, we're going to cover the first thing most teachers hand out on the first day, a syllabus!

Check back here for more updates and reviews of workshops.

How to Make a Syllabus

Date: Friday, Jan 20
Time: 10:00am - Noon
Place: 2342 Storer Hall

Description:

Are you a first-time instructor or TA? Are you an experienced TA that would like to re-think how you teach a class? Whether you are a TA, an Associate Instructor, or anticipating your first teaching job, a syllabus serves as a framework for your class. In this workshop we will outline the elements of a syllabus and discuss its purpose. You will leave with an outline of a personal syllabus. If you are entering the job market, a fully developed syllabus is an excellent indication of your teaching abilities. Our discussion will provide a foundation for the topics covered later in this six-part series, including how to assess critical thinking, how to link the humanities and STEM, how to grade effectively and efficiently, and classroom management. 

Please see the attachment for descriptions of the full series and for more information please visit http://ucdtaconsultants.blogspot.com/ or email us atTAC@ucdavis.edu.