WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
As facilitators of discussion sections, STEM TAs are frequently concerned that they will spend sections solving problems at the board for passive students. This workshop will go over the principles of active learning and how to implement active learning strategies in STEM classrooms. You will learn strategies for asking effective questions, engaging students in problem solving, encouraging deductive reasoning, and eliciting participation from reluctant students.
SPRING TA TRAINING WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Week 1
Tuesday, 3/31 (12:30–2:00 PM): The Nuts and Bolts of Lesson Planning*
Wednesday, 4/1 (2:30–4:00 PM): Arts-Integrated Pedagogy for the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Friday, 4/3 (12:30–2:00 PM): Assessment and Grading*
Week 2
Monday, 4/6 (3:30–5:00 PM): Creating Inclusive Classrooms*
Wednesday, 4/8 (10:30 AM–12:00 PM): Active Learning Strategies for STEM Discussion Sections
Thursday, 4/9 (4:00–5:30 PM): How Students Learn*
Week 3
Monday, 4/13 (3:30–5:00 PM): Interrupting Bias to Cultivate Inclusivity
Tuesday, 4/14 (12:30–2:00 PM): Active Learning Strategies for STEM Discussion Sections*
Wednesday, 4/15 (12:30–2:00 PM): How Students Learn*
Week 4
Tuesday, 4/21 (4:00–5:30 PM): Assessment & Grading: Measuring Student Achievement in the Classroom*
Thursday, 4/23 (10:00–11:30 AM): Creating Inclusive Classrooms*
Friday, 4/24 (10:30 AM–12:00 PM): The Nuts and Bolts of Lesson Planning*
CAT will not hold workshops weeks 5–6 of the Spring Quarter (during midterms). Please check back to see workshops added for weeks 7-9!
*THE FOUNDATIONS SERIES
This series of five 90-minute workshops is designed with the novice teacher in mind. Each workshop provides an introduction into key concepts and strategies for developing an evidence-based teaching practice. All first-time teachers are encouraged to attend this series.
The five workshops that comprise the series are:
- How Students Learn
- Creating Inclusive Classrooms
- The Nuts and Bolts of Lesson Planning
- Active Learning Strategies (choose one of the three versions below)
- for Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (focuses on text-based discussion strategies)
- for Labs (focuses on strategies specific to the laboratory setting)
- for STEM discussion sections (focuses on problem-based discussion strategies)
- Assessment and Grading
While each workshop is a self-contained unit and it is not necessary to attend the workshops in any particular order, the order above is suggested in order to provide the most support to novice teachers’ learning. Full descriptions for each of these workshops can be found on the TA Training Program website.
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