This page does not represent the most current semester of this course; it is present merely as an archive.
The main time commitment of this course is being a TA. Three hours per week of your TAship this semester is unpaid and counts as the principle assignment of this course. If you are enrolled for two or more credits of 2910, you need to work (credits × 3) hours per week unpaid for this course. There will also be some meetings and other activities, as outlined below.
Some sessions will be mandatory (topics like ethics and diversity) and others optional (topics like learning theories and TPEGS). You will be required to attend a subset of the optional sessions. Attending additional instances of the same session does not count toward your minimum optional session count.
To vote on which optional sessions we should offer, use this form
Each week will have one session, repeated four times as noted below. You only need to come to one session per week.
| Day | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 1:30–2:15 | Rice 536 On 17 Oct, in Rice 242 instead |
| Monday | 5:00–5:45 | Rice 536 On 17 Oct, in MEC 214 instead |
| Wednesday | 3:30–4:15 (not meeting 12 Oct) | Thorton D222 |
| Friday | 3:00–3:45 | Olsson 005 |
- Nov 28, 30; Dec 2
- Ask Luther Tychonievich Anything
This session is not for credit, and does not even count as being one of the optional sessions.
In which Luther Tychonievich will do his best to answer any question on any topic. Past sessions have included expositions on how to force pedestrians to bump in to you and then apologize for doing so, brief tutorials on transfinite numbers, discussions of how philosophy intersects with computing, discussions of building a computer using macroscopic parts, reflections on the department organization, discussions of department finances, etc. Whatever you ask, I will attempt to answer.
Topics that lost the vote.
- Not yet scheduled
- TPEGS
This session is optional.
A tutorial on the Tablet Paper Exam Grading System, used in many of our CS classes.
- Not yet scheduled
- So you want to be a teacher…
This session is optional.
Observations about teaching CS in public and private gradeschool.Upon request, information about being faculty at 2- and 4-year colleges and as research- or teaching-focussed university faculty may be added.
- Not yet scheduled
- CS education research: an overview
This session is optional.
What is CS education research, what does it tell us, and how could you do it? This session will be a survey of the field.
- Sep 5, 7, and 9
- Welcome, and ethics of TAing.
This session is required.
Please read the advice from previous TAs on professionalism, amount of work (including “when there are too many students”), TAing your friends, and ask questions before this week’s 2910 meeting.
My lecture notes outline is available.
- Sep 12, 14, and 18
- Teaching, tutoring, mentoring, and learning.
This session is required.
Please skim the advice from previous TAs on preparation, failed explanations, listening, and answering questions before this week’s 2910 meeting.
My lecture notes outline is available.
- Sep 19, 21, and 23
- Diversity.
This session is required.
My lecture notes outline is available.
- Sep 26, 28, and 30
- Tutoring Difficult Students
This session is required.
What should you do with grade-grabbers? With leeches who won’t leave until you tell them the answer? With students so stressed they start crying? With people who have such a thick accent you can’t understand what they are saying? Etc.
Please skim the advice from previous TAs on frustrated students and needy students before this week’s 2910 meeting.
My lecture notes outline is av
- Oct 5, 7; Nov 21
- Course (re)Design
This session is optional.
A discussion of course design principles and a brief experiencing (re)designing a single course.
- Oct 10,
12, 14- TA Panels.
This session is optional.
Experienced TAs will sit on a Q&A Panel.
Monday 1:30: Michael Cooper, Kamile Foster, Caroline Nichols
Monday 5:00: Lily Zamanali, Leila Kouame, Summer Thompson, Kathleen Ross
Wednesday: no panelists available; class not held
Friday 3:00: John Melloy, Emily Zhou, Devon YiCome with questions!
- Oct 17, 19, 21
- Structuring a lecture
This session is optional.
Tips and ideas for organizing thoughts into a classroom presentation.
- Oct 24, 26, 28
- Curriculum Blue-Sky
This session is optional.
A brainstorming group on how to redesign the entire CS curriculum
- Oct 31; Nov 2, 4
- Course design: Engagement
This session is optional.
Discussions of gamification and other techniques to changing engagement in a course
- Nov 7, 9, 11
- Grading, theory and practice
This session is optional.
Grades… not fun to give, not fun to get, so why do we have them? Do they really mean that much? How could we make them better? How do we know what the right grade is? Are we rewarding the behaviors we want to see?
Probably a larger focus on theory than practice, but if you have an example practical situation bring it and we’ll talk about it too.
- Nov 14, 16, 18
- Professor’s teaching philosophy
This session is optional.
In which various faculty present whatever they wish about their approach to teaching.
Monday 1:30: Mark Sherriff
Monday 5:00: Luther Tychonievich
Wednesday 3:30: Mark Floryan
Friday 3:00: Wes Weimer