Ay 300 - Fall 2009: Weekly Assignments

In at least one paragraph, but not more than one page, describe the best/most memorable (in a good way) teacher you've ever had and why they had such an impact on you. Be prepared to briefly discuss what made them such a great teacher at the beginning of the next class.

Read Section 1.3 of Goals for "Astro 101": Report on Workshops for Department Leaders and A Society for College Science Teachers Position Statement on Introductory College-Level Science Courses and be prepared to discuss the readings as a class.

1. Read “Collaborative Learning 101”, distributed in class. At least skim pp. 7-12 (“Types of Groups” through “Theory and Research on Collaborative Learning”) and definitely read pp. 19-26 (“Lessons of Experience: Tips from Teachers”); the other parts of the handout can be skimmed or skipped (i.e., ignore the extended river metaphor…).
   • Be prepared to discuss next time.
   • Consider the following questions in prep for the discussion (perhaps jot down a few notes):
     • Are you convinced that collaborative learning is always superior to lecture learning?
     • What kinds of further evidence would you like to see about the efficacy of collaborative learning?
     • Do any of the guidelines in the second portion of the required reading seem especially appropriate or especially inappropriate to your section(s)?
     • Do the claims in this article jibe with your experience leading section so far?
2. Also read “Six Ways to Discourage Learning”, at http://aas.org/education/Six_Ways_to_Discourage_Learning.php. This is an awesome reading!
   • Again, be prepared to discuss next time
   • Harken back to your days as an undergraduate and consider which rules your professors violated, and how that may (or may not) have affected your learning in that class.
3. In preparation for our discussion of quizzes, please write 1 short-answer and 1 numerical quiz question. The questions should be targeted for the Ay 10 level, and can cover any topic in astronomy or relevant physics. (We will – anonymously if you'd like – critique each other's example questions in class next time.)

• Next week, we will discuss how to write good exam questions. In preparation, write at least one multiple choice exam question and at least one free response exam question, using your best efforts. Feel free to be creative! The questions should be targeted for the Ay 10 level and can cover any topic in astronomy or relevant physics. We will anonymously critique each other's example questions in class next time.

• An optional reading that's relevant to the writing assignment is in Learner-Centered Astronomy Teaching: Strategies for Teaching Astro 101 (aka the Orange Book) by Slater & Adams. (There's a copy of this book in the seventh floor Astronomy Library in the bookshelf to the right of the door as you walk in. The book is thin and its spine is orange. Also, Josh, Jeff Silverman and Peter Williams have copies that you can borrow for a day or two – as do a few other astro grads.) Again, reading the following chapters may be interesting but is not required:
  • Chapter 7: Strategies for Writing Effective Multiple-Choice Test Items
  • Chapter 8: Alternatives to Multiple-Choice Tests (especially pages 71-77, 82-84)

• Read the handout on Encouraging Participation.
• Write a paragraph or two commenting on
  1. which techniques (if any) you have tried and how they've gone, and
  2. which technique or techniques you might try in your next section and how you will implement them, specifically.
• This will be collected in class

• Compile a short summary report from your mid-semester evals that includes:
  1. consistent comments
  2. averages/standard deviations/histograms for any quantitative questions
  3. any hilarious, unfairly mean, or really thoughtful comments
  4. a personal assessment of what you've learned and what you'll change (and when)

• Choose Design-A-Demo team by next time.
• Next week we will have guest speaker GSIs who are currently teaching or have previously taught for advanced classes (7A, stars).
  • In anticipation, please come up with two questions you would like to have answered about teaching for advanced classes.
  • These can be about whatever you want, e.g., student differences, professor differences, section structures, whatever.

• In prep for visits from the professors of each AY 10, please do the following:

1. Attend the lecture of the professor you are NOT teaching for. Take notes about ways this professor’s style is similar to, and different from, that of the professor you are teaching for. At the end, write a couple sentences summarizing any particularly interesting differences you noticed, and what you think the effects of those differences might be on how students learn the material.
2. Think of a couple questions to ask either professor (related to teaching or their class).

Also, read Chapters 2 & 3 of Slater & Adams, Learner-Centered Astronomy Teaching: Strategies for ASTRO 101, Pearson Education, Inc., 2003.

• Consider the following questions as you read, which may help you come up with questions for the profs visit
  • Comment on the “levels of understanding” from Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Goals and Objectives. Which levels do we want Ay 10 students to reach? Which do we test them on or push them towards in homeworks, section, or exams?
  • If you were designing your own Ay 10 course from scratch, how much math and/or arithmetic would you include?
  • What, if any, would your goals be regarding your students' mathematical skills? Other skills?
  • What are some common astronomy misconceptions that aren't listed in Box 3.1? Have you already witnessed them in Ay 10? Have you witnessed them in other contexts?