Syllabus Project -- Glad to provide feedback

The Syllabus Project is due on Nov. 17. That's a month from today.

• Syllabus -- As you would distribute to the students in the class.
  
• Class-by-class plan -- Brief description of each class meeting with learning objectives and that day's activities.
  
• Two lesson plans -- Select two classes and develop a lesson plan for each. If you are teaching in a 3-hour block, you need to develop only one lesson plan. Do not choose the first or last day of class, test days or days when you'd have a guest speaker. 
  
• Exam with answer key or project description and grading rubric

As I said today, I'd be glad to go over parts of the syllabus project with you -- to help you be sure you're on the right track and to help encourage you to be working on the project. 

The best approach is to bring the material with you to meet with me. We can go through the syllabus or lesson plan together. My office hours are:

Tuesday - 4th and 7th

Thursday - 4th

I'm available at other times if we schedule an appointment.

I find creating these materials like putting together a puzzle -- determining what to include and then determining the teaching strategies and the timing. Don't wait until the week before the project is due to begin.

Multiple Choice Testing Presentation Citations

Here are the main sources that I used for my presentation. Most of the information presented can be found within. Glad the lecture was helpful to everyone.

1) UF Handbook on Testing and Grading
2) How to Prepare Better Multiple-Choice Test Items: Guidelines for University Faculty
3) Writing Multiple Choice Questions That Demand Critical Thinking
4) Test and Item Analysis
5) Point-biserial Correlation Coefficients


-Mark

Apology and Plea

I just got back the feedback for my presentation and I was curious as to why Dr. Dodd thought the last video that I showed was wildly inappropriate.

After rewatching the video, I quickly learned that I showed everyone a video game where cars drive over people and bodies explode. I did not do this on purpose, I don't think I ever watched the entire video. This behavior on my part while not a huge shock perhaps to some is not appropriate. If I had been a professor showing this type of video, I would have been in a great deal of trouble.

Again, let me reiterate that I apologize for not being aware of what I was showing and that I hope I didn't offend anyone. That being said, if anyone could switch their presentations with me, I would truly appreciate it. I will be presenting on Dec. 1st. I have another major presentation for a different class the same day.

-Dan

Teaching Lineup

Each of you will be teaching a 50-minute class on a topic related to effective teaching. You also will be responsible for critiquing two of your classmates -- helping lead a brief discussion of their teaching immediately after they teach and then completing a written evaluation.

Here's our lineup:

Oct. 20

Mark: Multiple-choice Testing / Vanessa and Dan

Amy: Classroom Discipline Problems /Kara and Mark

* In the remaining time: the project assignment for your syllabus

Oct. 27 

Paige: Teaching with Technology / Jooyun and Vanessa

Patrick: Adjunct Faculty Teaching / Ed and Jooyun

* In the remaining time: negotiating a faculty job offer

Nov. 3

Kearston: Sexual Harassment in Higher Ed / Linda and Mark

Kara: Grading / Paige and Kearston

Nov. 10

Maria: Students with Disabilities / Linda and Wendy

Jen: Incorporating Discussion / Wendy and Dan

Nov. 17

Jooyun: Teaching Large Lecture Classes / Jen and Kearston

Linda: Teaching Writing Coruses / Maria and Kara

Nov. 24

Vanessa: Diversity in the Classroom / Patrick and Ed

Ed: Teaching Visual Courses / Patrick and Maria

Dec. 1

Dan: Academic Honesty / Paige and Amy

Wendy: Using Groups / Jen and Amy

Please be sure to meet with me prior to teaching class to discuss your lesson plan and goals for the class. 

I'm looking forward to seeing each of you in action. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance as you get ready for your teaching. Also, let me know what topics/issues you'd like for us to include in our end-of-class time each week.

Reasons for TAing

This is from phdcomics.com. If you click on it, its easier to read.

Enjoy!

Discipline Problems Classroom Experience

Hi Everyone:

I will also be presenting on Monday, not about multiple choice tests but discipline problems. According to Dr. Dodd, this topic is one of the most concerning in the class. With that in mind I'd like you all to submit to me at least one example of discipline issues you've encountered either as a teacher or as a student. You can e-mail me your examples at acmart@gmail.com by Sunday evening.

As always, please do not name names or refer to specific classes.

I have a lot of interesting things in store for Monday, but I don't want to ruin any surprises! But please come prepared to discuss these issues in greater detail.

Have a great weekend!

Multiple Choice Testing Presentation

Hi everyone,

My presentation on multiple choice testing is this Monday. I thought it would be a good activity for each of us to prepare and print out two multiple choice questions (and answers) based on the McKeachie readings to pass out in class. At the conclusion of the presentation we will swap questions and have someone else try to answer them. We can then discuss what techniques in the questions were effective and/or representative of a good multiple choice questions and where we potentially erred when drafting the questions.

Let's limit questions to Chapters 2 and 3 from McKeachie. We will just shuffle the questions and distribute them randomly. Do not feel compelled to put your name on them but I'm sure none of us would be embarrassed if they are critiqued so I would encourage people to also explain why they drafted a question in a certain way if doing so would be helpful to the class.

I figure we will spend about 10-15 minutes on this activity. Maybe 3-5 minutes answering and thinking about the questions you receive and then another 10-12 minutes for discussion.

See you on Monday,

Mark

References for Multiple Intelligences Theory

This are the main books about Multiple Intelligences' Theory:

•Gardner, Howard. (1983) "Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences." New York: Basic Books.
•Gardner, Howard. (1993) "Multiple Intelligences: The Theory Into Practice." New York: Basic Books.
•Gardner, Howard. (1999) "Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century." New York: Basic Books.

•For a quick look: Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_Intelligences

Discipline Problems and Troubled Students

While working on my 50 minute class experience I came across a workshop that you might be interested in. The Teaching Center hosts several workshops as a part of their "Teaching More Effectively Series" and they seem quite useful. Of particular interest were two workshops: Troubled and Disruptive Students (Thursday, Oct. 16 5-7pm) and Suicide Prevention (Wednesday, Nov. 6 5-7pm). These workshops are free for graduate assistants. All you have to do is register.

The following link will take you to the Teaching Center website.
UF Teaching Center
Follow the link that says "click here to read the workshop descriptions and register online." You have to enter your Gatorlink user name and password to see them.

While you're there you might want to take a look at UF's Teaching Handbook if you haven't already.

Textbooks ordered from McGraw-Hill

I compiled the textbook requests that I've received (from nine of you who e-mailed by today at 1 p.m.), double-checked that all the books were McGraw-Hill (and they were), and e-mailed the request to the marketing assistant. I'll let you know when the books arrive.

References for Abraham Maslow presentation

Hi all, Here are some of the websites that I referenced for my presentation about Hierarchic Theory of Needs by Abraham Maslow.

References:

• Dr. C. George Boeree - http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/maslow.html
• Honolulu Community College - http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/maslow.htm
• http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/motivation/motivate.html

Reference List for Ruth Clark

1) Clark, Nguyen & Sweller, Efficiency in Learning: Evidence-Based Guidelines to Manage Cognitive Load (Pfeiffer 2006)

2) Clark, Efficiency in Learning: Addressing Cognitive Load Theory at www.elearningguild.com/pdf/24/edc06_-_106_-_clark.pdf

3) Instructional Technology/Ruth Clark at http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Instructional_Technology/Ruth_Clark

4) Lewis, David, Cognitive Load Theory at http://knol.google.com/k/david-lewis-phd/cognitive-load-theory/3k9oibq1mbt1c/2?locale=en#

5) http://www.clarktraining.com/

Source #1 is the most comprehensive of them all. That book is available at the Education Library.

References for Jean Piaget Presentation

The translation of Piaget's original work is a little obtuse and very long, so if you're in search of just a little more info these are a few good places to start:

http://www.piaget.org/

http://www.sk.com.br/sk-piage.html

http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/piaget.html

https://www.cs.tcd.ie/crite/lpr/teaching/cognitivism.html

I had fun presenting today. Thanks for tolerating my Mommy-bragging!

References for Madeline Hunter presentation

Encyclopedia of World Biography (N.D.). Madeline Cheek Hunter. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from Web site: http://www.bookrags.com/biography/madeline-cheek-hunter

Formatting Lesson Plans: The Madeline Hunter Lesson Design Model. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from Web site: http://math-and-reading-help-for-kids.org/articles/Formatting_Lesson_Plans:_The_Madeline_Hunter_Lesson_Design_Model.html

Humboldt State University (N.D.). Some basic lesson presentation elements. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from Web site: http://www.humboldt.edu/~tha1/hunter-eei.html#eei

Hunter, M. (1989). Madeline Hunter in the english classroom. English Journal, 78(5), 16-18.

Hunter, M. (1985). What's wrong with Madeline Hunter? Educational Leadership, 42(5), 57-60.

Madeline Cheek Hunter (1916–1994). Retrieved October 1, 2008 from Web site: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2074/Hunter-Madeline-Cheek-1916-1994.html

Opportunity to order communications textbooks

An important part of designing a college course is determining the required readings. Even with all the possibility of online readings on the Web and purchasing software tutorials, a textbook can be a great learning aid for your students.

I've just heard from the McGraw-Hill textbook representative, saying that she can order examination books for use in our class. If you are interested, go to the McGraw-Hill Higher Education Web site and check possible communications textbooks.

You may order one textbook. Please send me the ordering information: name of book, name of author, copyright and ISBN number. 

The deadline to request a textbook is Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m.