College Teaching
CTCH 602–001 | Spring 2009 | 3 Credits
Wednesdays, 7-20 pm to 10-00 pm | Research 1, Room 201
Instructor: Lesley Smith
Office: Enterprise 431
Telephone: 703-993-4586
Cell: 646-257-9349
E-Mail:
IM: truffaut015
Web Site: http://mason.gmu.edu/~lsmithg
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Welcome to CTCH 602-001: College Teaching. In this course, we will explore key issues in teaching and learning and analyze ways in which we can translate research on teaching and learning, and the exemplary experiences of active scholar-teachers, into rewarding learning for our students. In pursuit of this outcome, participants will develop teaching philosophies, plan a course and compose an effective syllabus, as well as learn to choose appropriate assessment techniques. We will also investigate how students' backgrounds affect their learning, and how we might promote learning among the variety and diversity of contemporary students. Throughout, we shall focus on the development of fluent research, writing and presentation capacities and probe the possibilities of collaboration opened by newer information and communication technologies.
In a global society where change snaps relentlessly at our heels, we need every scrap of our capacity to learn, especially when we have chosen teaching as our vocation. Fortunately, few boundaries limit our learning as human beings. We learn all the time, and everywhere. I hope College Teaching will help you to capitalize on your own learning to teach confidently, imaginatively and creatively, now and in the future.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Ken Bain, What the Best Teachers Do, Harvard University Press: Cambridge and London
Peter Filene, The Joy of Teaching, University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill and London
Subscription to Tomorrow’s Professor listserv (http://tinyurl.com/ay4rb3)
Subscription to Inside Higher Ed (http://www.insidehighered.com/)
SUPPLIES
Electronic storage medium (CD, DVD or flash drive, for example) for your teaching portfolio
CLASS PARTICIPATION
As out-of-class preparation significantly enhances the quality of in-class participation, both the quality of preparation for class, and participation in class contribute to the success of our weekly meetings. This class supports participation of many different kinds. If you are uncomfortable speaking in a large group, you can share your ideas through writing or within a small group of peers. If you think best as you speak, you can demonstrate your capabilities in full-class discussions or presentations. Whatever your learning style, whatever your intellectual and practical strengths, you should find several ways to demonstrate your excellence and contribute to our collaborative exploration of college teaching.
Also, do remember that I am on campus several days a week, and I am always available and eager to discuss readings, suggest additional sources of information and talk about assignments. Just let me know whenever you would like to meet. I’m also happy to discuss our work online or by ‘phone.
ACADEMIC POLICIES
Attendance
Class attendance is mandatory (except for medical reasons or religious holidays). If you are absent, inform me of the circumstances as soon as possible and remember that it is your responsibility to research and make up what you have missed.
Learning Differences
If you have a learning or physical difference that may affect your academic work, you should furnish appropriate documentation to the Office of Disability Services (http://www.gmu.edu/student/drc/). If you qualify for accommodation, the DRC staff will give you a form detailing appropriate accommodations for your instructor. In addition to providing your professors with the appropriate form, please take the initiative to discuss accommodations with them at the beginning of the semester and as needed during the term. Faculty learn from you the most effective ways in which they can assist you. If you have contacted the Disability Resource Center and are waiting to hear from a counselor, please let me know.
Medical Emergencies
If you encounter a genuine medical emergency, such as illness or hospitalization of yourself or a close family member, or a family crisis, please contact me as soon as possible. To insure you are not penalized for medical absences, please submit supporting documentation when you return to class (doctor's certificate, hospital discharge forms, etc.).
Late Work
As late work impinges not only on your own learning, but also on that of all your colleagues in this collaborative community, assignments will lose one grade fraction (B to B-, C- to D, for example) for each day they are late.
E-Mail
As faculty, we are allowed to communicate with you only via your George Mason e-mail account. As a means of protecting your privacy and academic confidentiality, we also urge you to communicate with each other only via your George Mason e-mail accounts. If you wish to forward mail from your George Mason account to another account (for example, a gmail account), go to the bottom of the Accessing Your E-mail page of the University's Student Technology Guide.
Honor Code and Plagiarism
According to the University catalog, plagiarism includes the following:
Presenting as one's own the words, the work, or the opinions of someone else without proper acknowledgment. Borrowing the sequence of ideas, the arrangement of material, or the pattern of thought of someone else without proper acknowledgment
If you decide to use another person's ideas you must either quote the idea verbatim or completely rephrase the ideas in your own words and voice. But you must still cite the original source of the information (in-text and in your list of works cited, for example) for both types of reference.
In academic work, follow a standardized format for your in-text citations and lists of works cited or references. These standards apply to all your work, including your portfolio and its contents. As you select samples of work to include in the portfolio, you may wish to present collaborative work. If you do so, you must acknowledge the collaboration and identify clearly your own role within it.
Remember: please read carefully the University's Honor Policy. It is your responsibility to understand it, and abide by its provisions.
GRADING BREAKDOWN
Class Participation / 20%
Teaching Journal Research / 10%
Syllabus Archive and Annotation / 10%
Teaching Philosophy / 15%
Syllabus Creation / 15%
Teaching Assignment / 15%
Teaching Portfolio / 15%
IMPORTANT DATES
Last Day to Add / 4 February
Last Day to Drop (33% tuition penalty) / 10 February
Last day to Drop (67% tuition penalty) / 20 February
Last Day to Drop / 20 February
Elective Withdrawal Period (undergraduates only) / 23 February – 27 March
Spring Break / 9 – 15 March
Incomplete Work from Fall 2008 due / 20 March
Last Day of Classes / 5 May
Exam. Period / 6 – 13 May
LEARNING AND ACADEMIC SUPPORT RESOURCES
University Writing Center (703-993-1200, Robinson A, Room 114)
The University Writing Center provides, at no charge, tutors who will help you to brainstorm, structure, revise and edit written work. You may not need the Writing Center as a graduate student but do acquaint yourself with its services on behalf of your current and future students. If you do want to use the Writing Center, it may sometimes accommodate walk-in appointments, but you are more likely to see a tutor at a time convenient to you, and your assignment deadline, if you telephone in advance for an appointment. You may also consult the Writing Center online. For further information, e-mail
Counseling Services (703-993-2380, SUB I, Room 364)
Professional counselors provide individual and group sessions for personal development and assistance with emotional and relational issues. In addition, the Learning Services Program (703-993-2999) offers academic skill-building workshops and a tutor referral service.
Office of Disability Services (703-993-2474, SUB I, Room 222)
The staff of DRC assist students with learning differences or physical conditions which may impact their academic work. The office also offers excellent guidance to teachers on helping students with conditions that may impact their academic work achieve their full potential.
Center for Teaching Excellence (702-993-8652, Johnson Center, Room 241)
The Center offers a range of support and learning opportunities for instructors across Mason's campuses. On its website you will find information specific to teaching at Mason as well as numerous resources to sustain and enhance your teaching and learning practices, whether you are just getting started or have years of experience.
Women and Gender Studies Research and Resource Center (703-993-2896, Johnson Center, Room 240K)
The Center promotes student outreach, provides academic programs in women’s and gender issues, and supports gender-related research. It also houses a resource library.
Multicultural Research and Resource Center (703-993-4003, SUB 1, Room 225)
The Multicultural Research and Resource Center (MRRC) is devoted to research on intercultural and cross-cultural inclusion and the development of curriculum that reflects the multicultural society within our local, regional, national and international community.
The Student Technology Assistance and Resource Center (STAR) (703- 993-8990, Johnson Center, Room 229)
STAR mentors help students to learn new software packages and improve their command of familiar software. Web*STAR (703-993-3766, Johnson Center, Room 311) helps students create, revise and enhance web pages. STAR*T training (703-993-1385, Johnson Center, Room 344) offers free multimedia application (Dreamweaver, Flash, Photoshop, etc.) workshops throughout the semester.
Center for Leadership and Community Engagement (703-993-2900, Enterprise Hall, Room 442)
The Center for Service and Leadership promotes positive change and civic responsibility by combining academic study, leadership development and direct community service. CLSL is your resource at GMU for leadership development and service-learning initiatives.
Weekly Schedule, Spring 2009Week One
21 January / Introduction to College Teaching
· Why are we here?
· What do we want to achieve?
· What do we need to know?
Read for next week:
· Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do, Chapter 1: Introduction and Chapter 2: What Do They Know About How We Learn?
· Joy Amulya, What is Reflective Practice? (http://tinyurl.com/9z8kdk)
Write for next week:
· An analysis (500 words minimum) on how you might apply Bain’s ideas from Chapter 1 in your own teaching practice
Week Two
28 January / Habits of the (Teaching) Mind
· Class Discussion
· Introduction of Teaching Philosophy Assignment
Read for next week:
· Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do, Chapter 3: How Do They Prepare To Teach?
· Mary Cipriano Silva, The Scholarship of Teaching as Science and Art (http://tinyurl.com/9ap78t)
Write for next week:
· Thoughts towards a Teaching Philosophy (500 words minimum)
Week Three Meet in Computer Classroom TBA
4 February / Information into Knowledge
· Tools for College Teachers
· Creative Collaboration
· Introduction of Syllabus Collection and Teaching Journal Assignments
Read for next week:
· Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do, Chapter 4: What Do They Expect of Their Students?
Write for next week:
· A (brief) description of the teaching journal you have chosen to read for the rest of the semester, and an analysis of why you have chosen this particular journal (500 words)
Week Four
11 February / Networks of Knowledge
· Debrief Journal Choices
· Class Discussion
· Introduction of Syllabus Creation Assignment and Teaching Assignment
Read for next week:
· Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do, Chapters 5: How Do They Conduct Class?
Write for next week:
· An analysis (500 words minimum) on how you might apply Bain’s ideas from Chapters 4 & 5 in your own teaching practice
Week Five
18 February / Diversity and Education
· Guest Speaker: Suzanne Scott, New Century College
Read for next week:
· Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do, Chapter 6: How Do They Treat Their Students?
· Diversity & Democracy, Volume 11, issues 1 & 3 (http://tinyurl.com/9wypky)
Write for next week:
· A complete first draft of your teaching philosophy
Week Six
25 February
Due: a complete draft of your teaching philosophy / Teaching Philosophies
· Peer-review workshop
Read for next week:
· Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do, Chapter 7: How Do They Evaluate Their Students and Themselves? & Epilogue: What Can We Learn From Them?
Write for next week:
· Revise your teaching philosophy in the light of responses from your group
Week Seven
4 March
Due: Teaching Philosophy (revised) / Mid-Semester Self-Assessment (not an examination)
plus:
· Schedule Individual Mid-Semester Conferences
Read for 25 March:
· Peter Filene, The Joy of Teaching, Chapters 1 & 2 & 3 (all very short)
Write for 25 March:
· Analyze the students for whom your are designing your syllabus
· Draft the aims and outcomes for your syllabus (begin with the questions on p. 31 of Filene)
Remember – Be Yourself
Week Eight Spring Break
11 March / Travel safely…Have fun…Be creative…Take care
Week Nine
18 March / No class this week but…
You must complete a) the two parts of your teaching observation and b) your analysis of what you learned from the teaching observation (and any teaching materials you received) and c) a discussion of how you might integrate what you have learned into your own practice
Week Ten
25 March
Due: your completed teaching observation / Learning from Peers
· Debriefing of Teaching Observations
· Teaching Assignment (1 & 2)
Read for next week:
· Peter Filene, The Joy of Teaching, Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (all very short)
Research for next week:
· Two syllabi from your collection which encapsulate, as much as possible, what you want to achieve in your teaching. Write a short introduction to each that explains the value of the syllabus
Week Eleven
1 April / Two-Way Assessment, Two-Way Learning
· Assessment & Learning
· Teaching Assignment (3 & 4)
Write for next week:
· a complete first draft of your syllabus
Week Twelve
8 April
Due: a complete first draft of your syllabus / Syllabus Workshop
· Peer-review workshop
· Teaching Assignment (5 & 6)
Write for next week:
· a 4 – 5 minute presentation on the fruits of your teaching journal explorations over the semester
· explore the Teaching Excellence Award winner portfolios in the Center for Teaching Excellence & take notes on good ideas for organization, introductions, overarching and section narratives, etc. that inspire or impress you
Week Thirteen