Table of Contents

AY 300 - Fall 2011: Second Day Lesson Plan

Preface

Today's class will continue to discuss the previous boot camp's discussion and talk more about first-day sections.

If group organization is possible: To continue to break the ice, sit with new group members for every activity/discussion. Start with some people you didn't meet yesterday.

Since we are in B-1, just sit next to someone who was not in your group yesterday.

Homework Recap Activities: Day 1, Syllabi, and Lesson Plans (20 min)

Board Work Activity (40 min)

BREAK (few min)

Example First Day Activity (30 min)

Ay375 in general (10 min)

Resources To Use (5 min)

Other Reminders: (Last 5 min)

Homework For Day 2

Points to make sure get across about first days

More info below

Here is some more information on peer learning and board work we recommend you read.

Peer Learning

Discuss as a class how we incorporated group/peer learning into the discussion section. How would have the section run differently if we did not emphasize group work and instead just lectured? What benefits do you see to group and peer learning? What are the possible pitfalls (and how could you avoid them)?

Here is a lot of great information Josh prepared: There are three basic techniques typically used in section:

Lecture-style review (GSI → student)

Question and answer (GSI ↔ student)

Group activities (student ↔ student)

Each of them has their own advantages and disadvantages.

In general, section can and should involve all three elements.

Typically, you will deal with each in order: e.g., deliver a quick recap of lecture and highlight some confusing points. Then, open the floor to any student questions (about the key points, about other topics from lecture, or about general course questions). Finally, when the questions run dry or when you deem that it's time to move on, pass out the worksheet or handout and use the rest of the time in section for an activity.

We will refer to these three basic techniques individually and repeatedly throughout the course and we will both practice and discuss all of them during the semester. However, always keep in mind that the divisions between them are not real and that creativity can reap great rewards.

Combining the Basic Techniques

With that said, of course it is possible to mix and match styles! Examples:

Also note that section size and objectives influence the best choice of strategy:

Lecturing and Boardwork

Discuss how our boardwork ameliorated or hindered learning in the classroom. Why is it important to pay attention to boardwork. Students will copy your boardwork into their notes. Bad boardwork translates into bad notes, confusion, and misunderstanding.

* Break into groups again and come up with answers to the following questions: “What makes for good boardwork? We just discussed the benefits of peer learning over lecturing. Under what circumstances could lecturing be more important than peer learning?”

The following lists good pointers on lecturing and boardwork: * Lecturing is the old-fashioned style of teaching and has been shown to be relatively ineffective at conveying information that students will retain after the course is over (especially in college science courses for non-scientists), but sometimes you have to do it.

Never spend more than half an Ay 10 section on this, and only very rarely more than one-quarter. 5-10 minutes (out of 50) is a good goal.

Common lecturing and boardwork mistakes:

Boardwork tips and tricks:

Speaking to your students:

Use of technology (laptops, PowerPoint, etc.):

Planning Your First Section

* Your sections will probably follow a template such as:

Assessment

You must get some sort of feedback from either reflection personally on how your section went, or asking for written or oral feedback from your students (ideally, you'll do both). To aid in this, you'll be keeping a teaching log during the semester. After every section, reflect on your section. What worked? What didn't work? What would you do differently? (or, did you do something differently from previous sections? Did it work?) Bring these with you to class. We will be checking them periodically.

Closings

How to wrap up section.