Astro 300 (Fall 2009)

Class is held: Mondays 5-7 PM, 501 Campbell

Instructor: Josh Shiode (jhshiode@berkeley.edu)

Advising Professor: James Graham (jgraham@astro)

You should make sure to read the syllabus.

Quick recap of this semester, with comments on pieces of the curriculum and recommendations for future semesters.

An important resource for GSIs is the Electronic Big Red Binder and, to a lesser extent, its hard copy equivalent, the Big Red Binder (located in the seventh floor library in Campbell) . Reuse and modification of any and all of the materials in these resources is highly encouraged! So is contribution back to the EBRB of your improved materials!

Astronomy in the News - A list of interesting astro-related news articles and websites (usually with more of an emphasis on pop-culture type stuff). Everyone in the class should update this on occasion.

• Syllabus - outline of the course
• GSI Basics - getting started as a GSI (some basic ground rules)
• Assignments - required weekly assignments
  • Experienced GSI Visitation assignment - Worksheet for visit to experienced GSI's section
  • Peer Visitation assignment - worksheet to fill out for the Peer Visitation assignment
  • Designing a Demo Project - further info on the Design a Demo assignment
  • AER Article assignment - description and organizational info for AER article presentation
• Teaching Resources - quite extensive list of teaching resources
• Teaching in the Community - opportunities for teaching outside of Cal (handout and TeX source)

• Your First Section - tips and suggestions for your very first section
• TALC - information about The Astronomy Learning Center (TALC)
  • Teaching Effectiveness Essay - JohnJohn's winning Teaching Effectiveness Essay on TALC
• Academic Honesty and Cheating Policies - information regarding both the University and Department policies
• Writing Homework Assignments - tips and suggestions for writing good homework assignments from AY 300, Fall 2008.
• Writing Quizzes and Exams - tips and suggestions for writing good quizzes and exams
• Grading Student Work - guidelines and suggestions about grading homeworks, quizzes, and exams as well as calculating grades for discussion section and overall course grades

Sample syllabi and first section lesson plans can be found on this page of the EBRB.

Sample mid-semester evaluations can be found on this page of the EBRB.

• Astronomy Education Review - Awesome e-journal on astronomy education published a couple times a year; quite a few readings will be pulled from here.
• NASA's Center for Astronomy Education - NASA's portal for the teaching of introductory astronomy to nonscientists. Lots of stuff, updated frequently.
• Teaching Discussion Group - A page by Jennifer Hoffman (a former Berkeley Astro postdoc) on teaching with resources for current and future teachers.
• Reaching the Second Tier: Learning and Teaching Styles in College Science Education - Interesting essay on learning styles and how to improve teaching styles.
• Berkeley TEA Essays - UC Berkeley gives Teaching Effectiveness Awards yearly to GSIs who have implemented new teaching techniques in their classrooms. This page links to essays by the GSIs describing their innovations.
• Heavenly Errors - A list of >1700 astronomy misconceptions compiled by Neal F. Comins at the University of Maine.

1. Josh Burkart
2. Jackson Debuhr
3. Chris Griffith
4. Therese Jones
5. Bernie Lin
6. Ryan Maas
7. James McBride
8. Anna Rosen

1. Emily Chan (Head GSI)
2. Troy Mikanovich
3. Adam Zok

1. Alyssa Rhoden

• Fall 2008 (Jeffrey Silverman and Peter Williams)
• Fall 2007 (Jeffrey Silverman and Daniel Perley)
• Fall 2006 (Holly Maness)

• Astro C10, Fall 2009 (Head GSI: Aaron Lee)