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B599 - Teaching in Computer Science

CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

Discussion Questions

McKeachie Chapters

Purpose:
Each week that chapters from McKeachie have been assigned for reading, you are to submit one discussion question for each chapter. The discussion question should focus on the issue of teaching from a computer science perspective. The pedagogical literature today is lacking in the area of teaching in the hard sciences. When reading a chapter, submerge yourself into the main points of the chapter and think how each point applies to computer science and to the course you teach. This will help you focus your question for the class discussion.

When submitting your question(s) follow the following guidelines:

1. Include "B599 - McKeachie Ch x Discussion Question" in the subject line
2. CC yourself to serve as proof of your submission
3. Questions must be received by 12 noon on Mondays

• Submit one question per email
• Replace the x with the chapter number
• Questions received after 12 noon on Monday will not earn full credit

Articles

Purpose:
Each week that articles have been assigned for reading, you are to submit one discussion question for each article. The discussion question should focus on the issue of teaching from a computer science perspective. The pedagogical literature today is lacking in the area of teaching in the hard sciences. When reading an article, submerge yourself into the main points and think how each point applies to computer science and to the course you teach. This will help you focus your question for the class discussion. I will try to use articles that discuss issues that are affecting the field today. Some topic areas are:

• Technological divide
• Gender issues
• Falling majors

When submitting your question(s) follow the following guidelines:

1. Include "B599 - Article title Discussion Question" in the subject line
2. CC yourself to serve as proof of your submission
3. Questions must be received by 12 noon on Mondays

• Submit one question per email
• Replace the title with the article title
• Questions received after 12 noon on Monday will not earn full credit

Personal Experiences in the Classroom

Purpose:
Each week you will find that you experience a unique time of teaching. Your students may behave oddly, ask for personal favors, the technology may break, etc, but at these times you may have no idea of how to proceed. Write this experience down and send a discussion question to me any week by Monday, 12 noon. Five questions of this type are required from each participant in B599.

When submitting your question(s) follow the following guidelines:

1. Include "B599 - Personal Experience in the Classroom Discussion Question" in the subject line
2. CC yourself to serve as proof of your submission
3. Questions must be received by 12 noon on Mondays

• Submit one question per email
• You must submit five questions of this type during the semester
• Only one question of this type will be accepted per week

Micro-Teaching Assignment

Directions For Micro Teaching

Evaluation of Teaching Techniques
Getting feedback about your teaching can be an important step toward improving it. For that reason, a micro-teaching workshop is part of the TRC College Teaching Workshop series. Workshop participants are divided into groups of four to seven. Each member of the group prepares and presents a five minute lesson. The presentations are critiqued by members of the small group using the evaluation form labeled Micro-Teaching Evaluation Form.

• Select a topic that you can cover in five minutes. It is not necessary to develop an entirely new presentation, but do consider carefully what would be an appropriate chunk of content to cover in five minutes.
• Be sure your objectives are clear.
• Analyze your audience - the members of the class that you teach. In this case, the other members of the small group will role-play the parts of your students.
• Practice your presentation.

• Arrange the classroom facilities for your lesson before you begin.
• Before your presentation, briefly describe the audience for which it was designed (i.e. sophomore non-majors).

Three Top Mistakes Doing Micro-Teaching

1. You do not give an overview of what will be taught to the audience. Tell us where you are going and what we are going to learn.
2. Trying to cover too much. Be sure to practice your teaching prior to delivering it. Practice, Practice, Practice.
3. Not using an analogy or using an inappropriate analogy.

Pedagogy Research Paper

Paper Requirements

• 12 point font;
• Double spaced;
• 1 inch margins;
• Center headings;
• Side headings;
• Title Page; and
• References Page