Part three of our online content from the Teaching Seminar focuses on how we use technology in the classroom and for teaching. We focused primarily on how English teachers can use this technology, and we discussed a range from basics about Blackboard to incorporating digital humanities.
1) Blackboard - Many of us wish that we had an alternative to blackboard because it is a challenging system to use effectively for teaching. However most students expect teachers to rely on this tool to some degree. Check with your school's IT department and see if they are offering workshops on Blackboard. They can teach you tricks and tools that would be hard to learn on your own. If you intend to use blackboard in your course, make sure your students are, in fact, familiar with the system. It may be useful to set an initial discussion board assignment or a class writing submission in the first week so that you can be sure they know how to use these blackboard functions. Familiarize yourself with the Grade Center! This can be one of the most helpful tools in blackboard because it gives your students a clear idea of their current grade all term and helps clear up grade confusion. Use the Course Documents tab to post all handouts and assignment sheets that you give out in class. This allows students to find copies of them if they lose the hard copy, and takes away the excuse if they miss a class. Finally, try out the External Links function - this can be extremely useful if you want to keep links to the Writing Center or Library on your campus, or if you want students to view a youtube video or author website before class.
2) Dropbox - many of you may be familiar with this tool, but let us reiterate how amazing this file system is. Dropbox allows you to store files on a server that you can access on any computer. You can also download the "box" on any computer that you use regularly so that saving and accessing files is as easy as pie. No more keeping track of a USB drive or emailing files to yourself. It also allows you to share files easily with your colleagues or students. Watch the tutorial here and sign up asap!
3) Powerpoint or Prezi - We often wonder if using powerpoint presentations would be useful for lectures, especially for literary lectures. Can they really be useful in this context? Well an interview with one of our speakers made me a believer. This faculty member uses powerpoint presentations not only to show his class useful images such as maps and historical pictures, but also to perform in-class close reading. In one example he showed me how he highlighted a passage in the powerpoint and explained the way in which his class unpacked the quote. For certain parts of the quote, he was able to flip to another slide to contextualize the word, listen to a sound clip, or see a revision of that quotation. In this, he avoids the problem of lecturing with slides and an inattentive audience. The way he uses powerpoint encourages his students to engage. We also want to mention Prezi here because it is an alternative to Microsoft's powerpoint. It is a unique program to construct presentations, and you can open a free educator's account with them. So check it out here.
4) Alternative Course Management System - You may feel that Blackboard is simply too limiting to manage your course (many of us are in agreement). So one of our speakers addressed an alternative system which allows him to use technology creatively in his classes. This particular system relies on a website called Wordpress (one of many blog/web page options, but this does not require that you know html). Setting up the course here allows him to do many of the traditional Blackboard functions such as post documents (which he grabs from his dropbox files), post external links, and moderate a discussion forum. It also allows him to use technology creatively for his course. For example, he blogs after each class what the main discussion points were, any questions for future readings, or any announcements such as changes to the syllabus or assignment deadlines. He also utilizes the blog function as a writing assignment tool - requiring his students to post in-depth blog posts (including embedded art or music and close reading), and for students to respond to each other's posts. Even though this takes a bit of work to build and maintain, it seemed to be a great alternative to blackboard course management. Check out the Chronicle for articles which detail ACM systems and how to start one of your own.
5) Social Media - We also discussed how various social media can be employed as a teaching tool. Twitter, for example, has been featured on The Chronicle as a potential tool for teaching (click here for an example of this), although it is debatable how handy it actually is. We also discussed Facebook as an option. One of our speakers uses Facebook a few ways to engage students - creating a group for the class which allows the professor to post class updates or links. Students can also create fan pages for certain authors, allowing for some creative research opportunities. Using this, as our speaker pointed out, integrates academic work into their normal lives (social networks).
6) Digital Humanities - We also briefly discussed the growing field of Digital Humanities. While this subject is too involved for this small blog post, I do want to mention the specific focus of digital archives coming out of the field of Digital Humanities. Our speaker mentioned the Mark Twain Project as a great example of how digital humanities can be useful not only in research, but in teaching text. Another example is the Global Shakespeares Project which provides open access to film adaptations of Shakespeare, as well as an opportunity to see how scholarship can develop in a Digital Humanities context. If you are interested in exploring this further, check out this text The Youtube Reader recommended by our speaker.
7) Online Presence - As professionals, we need to be aware of what is out there online for our students, colleagues, and prospective bosses to see. I regularly google myself just to see what comes up. However, it is not enough to prevent embarrassing things from ending up on the internet. One of our speakers suggested that we take some time to cultivate our online presence as part of being a professional. Join LinkedIn or Academia.edu (a professional social network for those in Academia) to collate your professional information. Create your own webpage and purchase the URL (for an example, click here).
This concludes the information from our Fall 2011 Teaching Seminar. We are contemplating a spring Teaching Seminar as well, and we want your ideas and feedback! Was there a topic not covered in this series that you would like to see in the Spring? Please email us or leave a comment below. Also, please take a minute "Like" us on Facebook to see upcoming events, advice, and links. Finally, remember that you can now subscribe to this blog via email using the bar at the right (if you have trouble with this, delete your cookies and try multiple browsers until it works). Thanks, and stay tuned for upcoming Spring professional development events, including EGSA's Symposium (February 10 - see our Facebook page for details).
Showing posts with label Teaching Seminar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teaching Seminar. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Part 2.3: Teaching while in Graduate School
One question that was on all of our minds during the "Issues in Pedagogy" session was how to balance teaching with graduate work. It certainly complicates an already complicated experience. How do you budget time for graduate work when you always have grading on your desk, syllabus revision on your mind, and student emails in your inbox?
1) Time Management - this sounds too simplistic for two such time-demanding activities as teaching and graduate school, but it really does help to set management parameters for yourself. When your work is never done (and as a teacher/grad student it never is) how do you maintain your sanity or accomplish anything on time? If you are like most of us, you have a "teacher" head-space and a "conference/writing" head-space. We discussed how it might be helpful to organize time for these two spaces. Granted, it is hard to allot time to writing when you have grading that you must do, but it is important. For example, one of our speakers limits looking at drafts to office hours. A few participants limit all teaching work to "business hours" so that they have time for life necessities like laundry and speaking to other adults. One piece of advice: use weekends and breaks carefully. It is extremely tempting to stop working altogether on breaks and weekends since you are so tired of work when you get to that point, but juggling two full-time jobs requires some persistence and organization, especially in Summer. This time period is important for the graduate student, and you want to make as much of it as you can. Learn your own habits. Do you work best in the morning/afternoon/evening? How many papers can you grade at one time before you go "paper blind"? For your graduate work, you also have to know what kind of student/writer you are. Some people work best with time limits, some with page/word limits per day - use this information to keep yourself on track. Also check out this helpful guide to graduate student time management.
2) Boundaries - after you have set some boundaries for yourself, put some effort into setting them with your students. It is tempting to answer student emails right away to get them off your desk, but you could unwittingly establish that you are available to your students at all hours (a hard thing when it turns out that you are not). Consider your time as valuable - work out a way to penalize no-shows to office hours and late work (if you allow it at all). Once I had a student who sent inappropriately long and chatty emails to me almost every day - eventually I had to ask the student to stop because I simply did not have the time to read those emails and dig out the important question. You certainly do not want to be unapproachable, but keep in mind that your time is valuable.
3) Goals - When teaching it is often all too easy to let your goals fall by the wayside because of the demands on your time. Try to establish solid deadlines and goals with an adviser or mentor to help with accountability. Set group goals with your colleagues if that helps (for example, I know some grad students who apply to conferences together). Remember that you do have writing to do, conferences to apply to, and other professional goals on your plate - and that these should have designated time/head-space.
4) Be Realistic - as confident and organized as you can be, you have to realize that as a teacher there will be periods where even your most careful plans will drop off (and that this is okay) - namely November and the two first weeks of December for the fall term, and the last half of April/first week of May in the spring term. Make up for these periods during the breaks if you can, but go easy on yourself - this is part of the juggle act.
1) Time Management - this sounds too simplistic for two such time-demanding activities as teaching and graduate school, but it really does help to set management parameters for yourself. When your work is never done (and as a teacher/grad student it never is) how do you maintain your sanity or accomplish anything on time? If you are like most of us, you have a "teacher" head-space and a "conference/writing" head-space. We discussed how it might be helpful to organize time for these two spaces. Granted, it is hard to allot time to writing when you have grading that you must do, but it is important. For example, one of our speakers limits looking at drafts to office hours. A few participants limit all teaching work to "business hours" so that they have time for life necessities like laundry and speaking to other adults. One piece of advice: use weekends and breaks carefully. It is extremely tempting to stop working altogether on breaks and weekends since you are so tired of work when you get to that point, but juggling two full-time jobs requires some persistence and organization, especially in Summer. This time period is important for the graduate student, and you want to make as much of it as you can. Learn your own habits. Do you work best in the morning/afternoon/evening? How many papers can you grade at one time before you go "paper blind"? For your graduate work, you also have to know what kind of student/writer you are. Some people work best with time limits, some with page/word limits per day - use this information to keep yourself on track. Also check out this helpful guide to graduate student time management.
2) Boundaries - after you have set some boundaries for yourself, put some effort into setting them with your students. It is tempting to answer student emails right away to get them off your desk, but you could unwittingly establish that you are available to your students at all hours (a hard thing when it turns out that you are not). Consider your time as valuable - work out a way to penalize no-shows to office hours and late work (if you allow it at all). Once I had a student who sent inappropriately long and chatty emails to me almost every day - eventually I had to ask the student to stop because I simply did not have the time to read those emails and dig out the important question. You certainly do not want to be unapproachable, but keep in mind that your time is valuable.
3) Goals - When teaching it is often all too easy to let your goals fall by the wayside because of the demands on your time. Try to establish solid deadlines and goals with an adviser or mentor to help with accountability. Set group goals with your colleagues if that helps (for example, I know some grad students who apply to conferences together). Remember that you do have writing to do, conferences to apply to, and other professional goals on your plate - and that these should have designated time/head-space.
4) Be Realistic - as confident and organized as you can be, you have to realize that as a teacher there will be periods where even your most careful plans will drop off (and that this is okay) - namely November and the two first weeks of December for the fall term, and the last half of April/first week of May in the spring term. Make up for these periods during the breaks if you can, but go easy on yourself - this is part of the juggle act.
Part 2.2: Issues in Pedagogy
We continue with "Issues in Pedagogy" from our Teaching Seminar with a focus on issues in teaching literature effectively, using handouts, and incorporating creative assignment design. As noted in our previous post, this session was open to issues and themes that our participants wanted to cover.
One of the themes on our minds was what techniques to use when teaching literature. How do you keep it interesting and accessible? Do you focus on larger themes or close readings of specific passages? How do you attend to the balance between writing about literature and talking/thinking about literature? These are just a few of the questions we tossed around in this session.
1) Verbal v. Textual - you may find that it is easier for your students to answer critical questions verbally than in writing, and often it is easier for them to talk about larger themes or ideas than to deal with text directly. It may be intimidating to ask a student to "show" his or her analysis with a passage, but we explored the idea of group work as a good way to allow students to gather textual evidence. In-class or pre-class writing assignments are another way to accomplish this. One teacher creates quote clusters for her students and asks them to use those quotes to build an argument about the text. Whatever approach you take, it is important to keep these issues in mind when designing your literature class.
2) Using Handouts - we discussed this tool as well in our conversation about teaching literature, especially in how to incorporate a writing component into a literature class. Handouts can be helpful in striking that balance between themes and textual evidence, but also in clarifying literary concepts for students. They can also be useful in adapting to different learning styles - for some students, visuals are more useful than lectures. And of course we discussed handouts in the context of writing assignments and rubrics (see this post for Gayle's thoughts on using rubrics). Finally, check with your peers - sometimes they come up with great handouts that can change the way your students learn.
3) Creative Projects - I know that this was one of the questions I had for the round table: Do you use creative assignments in a literature class, and, if so, how? And what are the merits of using creative projects? Well many of the participants use creative projects in their classes, and most of them had decisive opinions on the utility of creative projects. It is one way to make the text accessible and interesting to students - it can also be a unique way to get students engaged closely with the text. If you ask students to finish an unfinished poem, they need to consider the poem itself carefully for the assignment. If they have to gather and comment on modern adaptations (or create one of their own) they are honing research skills as well as analysis and comprehension. Consider pursuing some of these ideas in your course design even if you are nervous about their potential success.
4) Consult the Net - as teachers, we always think carefully about how to approach a text - both which passages to analyze and what themes to discuss. We decide what kind of biographical/historical details to include as well as publication information and anecdotes to share. One thing that we should be thinking about is what students will find when they type our reading assignments into Google - you know they do it. Even if they read the entire text on their own, most students will still look it up online. It might be useful to do this as well. Additionally, there are some great opportunities in this pre-lecture research for cultural references, artwork, and adaptations which your students may find helpful and fun in engaging with the text.
These are just some of the issues we discussed in this session, and we know that we have many more. If you have questions or suggestions, please email us or leave a comment below. The next post will wrap up our "Issues in Pedagogy" session by exploring some advice for graduate students who are also teaching.
Please remember that you can now subscribe to this blog via email using the subscribe bar on the right hand side of this page (if you experience trouble subscribing, try clearing your cookies and/or a new web browser). Also, you can "like" us on Facebook to keep track of post updates and upcoming events.
One of the themes on our minds was what techniques to use when teaching literature. How do you keep it interesting and accessible? Do you focus on larger themes or close readings of specific passages? How do you attend to the balance between writing about literature and talking/thinking about literature? These are just a few of the questions we tossed around in this session.
1) Verbal v. Textual - you may find that it is easier for your students to answer critical questions verbally than in writing, and often it is easier for them to talk about larger themes or ideas than to deal with text directly. It may be intimidating to ask a student to "show" his or her analysis with a passage, but we explored the idea of group work as a good way to allow students to gather textual evidence. In-class or pre-class writing assignments are another way to accomplish this. One teacher creates quote clusters for her students and asks them to use those quotes to build an argument about the text. Whatever approach you take, it is important to keep these issues in mind when designing your literature class.
2) Using Handouts - we discussed this tool as well in our conversation about teaching literature, especially in how to incorporate a writing component into a literature class. Handouts can be helpful in striking that balance between themes and textual evidence, but also in clarifying literary concepts for students. They can also be useful in adapting to different learning styles - for some students, visuals are more useful than lectures. And of course we discussed handouts in the context of writing assignments and rubrics (see this post for Gayle's thoughts on using rubrics). Finally, check with your peers - sometimes they come up with great handouts that can change the way your students learn.
3) Creative Projects - I know that this was one of the questions I had for the round table: Do you use creative assignments in a literature class, and, if so, how? And what are the merits of using creative projects? Well many of the participants use creative projects in their classes, and most of them had decisive opinions on the utility of creative projects. It is one way to make the text accessible and interesting to students - it can also be a unique way to get students engaged closely with the text. If you ask students to finish an unfinished poem, they need to consider the poem itself carefully for the assignment. If they have to gather and comment on modern adaptations (or create one of their own) they are honing research skills as well as analysis and comprehension. Consider pursuing some of these ideas in your course design even if you are nervous about their potential success.
4) Consult the Net - as teachers, we always think carefully about how to approach a text - both which passages to analyze and what themes to discuss. We decide what kind of biographical/historical details to include as well as publication information and anecdotes to share. One thing that we should be thinking about is what students will find when they type our reading assignments into Google - you know they do it. Even if they read the entire text on their own, most students will still look it up online. It might be useful to do this as well. Additionally, there are some great opportunities in this pre-lecture research for cultural references, artwork, and adaptations which your students may find helpful and fun in engaging with the text.
These are just some of the issues we discussed in this session, and we know that we have many more. If you have questions or suggestions, please email us or leave a comment below. The next post will wrap up our "Issues in Pedagogy" session by exploring some advice for graduate students who are also teaching.
Please remember that you can now subscribe to this blog via email using the subscribe bar on the right hand side of this page (if you experience trouble subscribing, try clearing your cookies and/or a new web browser). Also, you can "like" us on Facebook to keep track of post updates and upcoming events.
Part 2.1: Issues in Pedagogy: Discussion
We continue with part two of our online content from the Teaching Seminar with ideas on "Classroom Discussion." The second session focused on "Issues in Pedagogy" which we purposely left open to our speakers because we wanted to know what issues, challenges, and ideas were foremost on their minds. Again we had a round-table discussion of the issues and themes. However if you are interested in even more pedagogical ideals or "issues," we recommend subscribing to The Chronicle of Higher Education - many of the ideas for future posts will come from this valuable resource.
Class Discussion - How do you engage students in discussion? How do you organize/balance between discussion and lecture? How do you utilize discussion effectively in a reading/writing course? These are just some of the questions we covered in our conversation about classroom discussion.
1) One approach we discussed is to connect to each student if you can. One professor chose to conduct one-on-one meetings with her students first thing in the semester in part to get to know her students but also to break down any discomfort they had in approaching her with problems. Other teachers use writing samples from the first day or ice breakers. Still others poll students -What are they reading? What/Who are their cultural interests? Of course the most basic piece of advice everyone had was to learn their names! Nothing helps you connect more and encourage participation when you can refer to them by name.
2) Have a clear vision for your course. We all agreed that alerting your students to the course vision along the way is helpful to them in general, but also specifically with class discussion. For example, one teacher likes to outline what they will try to cover in each class, and to take a few minutes to remind the students of discussions from other classes to help contextualize the readings for the day. It may also be useful to remind students that these discussions are fodder for future assignments. One last suggestion is to create a "master lesson plan" at the start of each term - which is basically an expanded, annotated syllabus just for you - and it explains and details your vision for your text/assignment decisions. At the same time, we have to be adaptable - sometimes you need to throw out the notes and let the discussion go where it may. Chances are, you have sat in a class with a professor who excels in encouraging and shaping discussion - take a tip from him or her!
3) Explain clearly what you mean by "participation" to your class - especially if it is a part of their overall grade. More specifically, explain the difference between "showing up" and "participating." Half the battle is setting out clear expectations. Another suggestion is to send warning emails both for attendance and participation.
4) Another part of class participation - student presentations. Should you have them or not? If so, what should the requirements be? Again, be clear about your expectations - give them an example handout if they will be required to provide one. Give them a definite time limit/minimum, and, if possible, require that they meet with you to discuss their presentations in advance. Another suggestion is to encourage the students to lead discussion for a certain number of questions as a way to encourage more peer-to-peer discussion.
5) Consider having them write short responses before launching into discussion. This may help get them focused and engaged before asking questions about the text. Another option is beginning with a mini-lecture to, again, help contextualize so that your questions seem more organic.
6) Check in on how you are doing with a mid-term evaluation. Design the evaluation form to get genuine feedback about discussion and comprehension in the class. This gesture will not only help you course-correct if it is needed, it will also show your students that you are focused on their progress in your class.
7) One final thought on classroom discussion - how should you respond to student comments? While you do not want to discourage comments and conversation, you may want to shape discussion by re-emphasizing a particularly good point, or steering a comment toward a larger idea.
Do you have any other ideas to contribute? Please email us or leave a comment below. Up next - a continuation of "Issues in Pedagogy" with a focus on teaching literature effectively, using handouts, and incorporating creative assignments.
Class Discussion - How do you engage students in discussion? How do you organize/balance between discussion and lecture? How do you utilize discussion effectively in a reading/writing course? These are just some of the questions we covered in our conversation about classroom discussion.
1) One approach we discussed is to connect to each student if you can. One professor chose to conduct one-on-one meetings with her students first thing in the semester in part to get to know her students but also to break down any discomfort they had in approaching her with problems. Other teachers use writing samples from the first day or ice breakers. Still others poll students -What are they reading? What/Who are their cultural interests? Of course the most basic piece of advice everyone had was to learn their names! Nothing helps you connect more and encourage participation when you can refer to them by name.
2) Have a clear vision for your course. We all agreed that alerting your students to the course vision along the way is helpful to them in general, but also specifically with class discussion. For example, one teacher likes to outline what they will try to cover in each class, and to take a few minutes to remind the students of discussions from other classes to help contextualize the readings for the day. It may also be useful to remind students that these discussions are fodder for future assignments. One last suggestion is to create a "master lesson plan" at the start of each term - which is basically an expanded, annotated syllabus just for you - and it explains and details your vision for your text/assignment decisions. At the same time, we have to be adaptable - sometimes you need to throw out the notes and let the discussion go where it may. Chances are, you have sat in a class with a professor who excels in encouraging and shaping discussion - take a tip from him or her!
3) Explain clearly what you mean by "participation" to your class - especially if it is a part of their overall grade. More specifically, explain the difference between "showing up" and "participating." Half the battle is setting out clear expectations. Another suggestion is to send warning emails both for attendance and participation.
4) Another part of class participation - student presentations. Should you have them or not? If so, what should the requirements be? Again, be clear about your expectations - give them an example handout if they will be required to provide one. Give them a definite time limit/minimum, and, if possible, require that they meet with you to discuss their presentations in advance. Another suggestion is to encourage the students to lead discussion for a certain number of questions as a way to encourage more peer-to-peer discussion.
5) Consider having them write short responses before launching into discussion. This may help get them focused and engaged before asking questions about the text. Another option is beginning with a mini-lecture to, again, help contextualize so that your questions seem more organic.
6) Check in on how you are doing with a mid-term evaluation. Design the evaluation form to get genuine feedback about discussion and comprehension in the class. This gesture will not only help you course-correct if it is needed, it will also show your students that you are focused on their progress in your class.
7) One final thought on classroom discussion - how should you respond to student comments? While you do not want to discourage comments and conversation, you may want to shape discussion by re-emphasizing a particularly good point, or steering a comment toward a larger idea.
Do you have any other ideas to contribute? Please email us or leave a comment below. Up next - a continuation of "Issues in Pedagogy" with a focus on teaching literature effectively, using handouts, and incorporating creative assignments.
Part 1: Teaching Composition
We return with information from last semester's Seminar on Teaching. The first session covered Teaching Composition, and we explored methods for teaching a writing component in a literature class, traditional composition classes, and business writing classes. This session ended up being more of a round-table where we exchanged ideas and went over previous teaching experiences. Much of this advice will depend on your individual campus, department, and course goals.
Some Starting Points:
1) Familiarize yourself with the course descriptions of the classes that you will teach as well as any department policies regarding those courses.
2) Familiarize yourself with the requirements and standards of the prerequisite classes for your courses - it is helpful to know what your students may have covered before coming to your class (but this is not a guarantee).
3) Examine available resources. For example, we have posted a long list of teaching/writing resources here. Additionally, ask around - your fellow graduate students and faculty most likely have helpful resources saved that they would love to share with you. Finally, look to your campus - what resources does it offer? Get to know your writing center director (how can you encourage your students to utilize this valuable resource?); check out the library for applicable workshops or library introduction programs; check with your campus writing program to see if they offer workshops for writing teachers or if they can give you access to their databases. If you are a GWU teacher and would like a copy of a very useful writing handbook (with helpful handouts and advice on teaching writing, please email us and we will pass it along).
Two of the biggest questions that our participants had were - How do you balance teaching "big picture" (structure, argument) writing skills with "small picture" (grammar, MLA) writing skills? How do you incorporate teaching a writing component in a literature class effectively?
Some thoughts:
1) Whatever class you are teaching, approach writing with your students as a "process" and not an end goal. Some ways to do this is to design your course so that your writing assignments build off of each other or toward a larger writing project. For example, you could assign a shorter close reading paper that they must revise and expand into a research paper.
2) Get to know your students' writing strengths and weaknesses - some teachers like to evaluate them right away with a writing sample on the first day.
3) Be clear about your expectations - for example some teachers draw up a list of their "zero tolerance" writing mistakes and then graduate to more complex writing concepts as the semester continues. One professor uses the first formal assignment as a "test drive" wherein all errors are highlighted and students have an option to revise and resubmit to avoid a grade penalty. Whatever you end up doing, consider carefully both your expectations for students and their current writing skills.
4) Drafts - Should you have rough drafts? How many? Should you do peer review? Some of these questions can be answered by the policies and course goals of your particular class, but you still must decide on the most effective way to deal with these questions. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish by allowing rough drafts or by mandating peer review. A few of us considered how to use peer review without sacrificing a whole class - using blackboard is one option here. One teacher offers an unlimited draft option up to the due date - the idea being that if students plan ahead, they can revise until they are satisfied with the final product. Consider these questions carefully, and trial and error will help you shape your draft/revision policy.
5) Peer Review - What makes an effective peer review session? How should you incorporate it into your class? If it is a literature class, should you sacrifice one whole session for peer review? All of our speakers had different approaches to peer review, and most of them agreed that it can be a helpful exercise. However, most of us have had trial and error experiences with using peer review because each group of students is different, and each approach produces different results. One suggestion was to create "stations" in the classroom for revision - students go from station to station to focus on specific aspects of the writing process. If you do a more traditional peer review session, you could match two students together or create small groups. You could have them focus on "large picture" issues or "small picture" issues. Another approach is to save the class period and perform the peer review over blackboard - pairing students up to review each other's work. Some inevitable difficulties arise: students give "incorrect" feedback on a student's paper, a student feels the review is useless because they are not paired up with a student who can help them, and/or students bring incomplete drafts. There are different ways to handle these, but keep them in mind as you design your peer review approach.
A few closing thoughts on composition-based classes:
1) Be clear with your students about the applicability of their writing skills and assignments. They will take it more seriously if they know they can use these skills in their majors or these documents in their academic careers.
2) Consider your primary texts - what textbooks does your school want you to use for these comp classes? How useful are they? While you should always consider the expectations of your department carefully, do not feel like you are trapped in a bad textbook either. You may have to do some research to find alternate materials or come up with them on your own, but do not feel bound by one single text.
3) Take advantage of networking opportunities. As a new teacher or a teacher new to composition, it can be tough making these decisions without support. Sometimes you just need to vent or ask for an example handout - find out what opportunities for networking your campus offers. Some campuses have teacher brown-bag presentations (try to attend!), some have social events or happy hours (try to participate!). At the very least cultivate a relationship with a mentor or colleague - they can be life-savers.
If you have additional advice for composition classes, please email us or leave a comment below - this is just a starting point, and we would love to learn from your experiences as well.
Some Starting Points:
1) Familiarize yourself with the course descriptions of the classes that you will teach as well as any department policies regarding those courses.
2) Familiarize yourself with the requirements and standards of the prerequisite classes for your courses - it is helpful to know what your students may have covered before coming to your class (but this is not a guarantee).
3) Examine available resources. For example, we have posted a long list of teaching/writing resources here. Additionally, ask around - your fellow graduate students and faculty most likely have helpful resources saved that they would love to share with you. Finally, look to your campus - what resources does it offer? Get to know your writing center director (how can you encourage your students to utilize this valuable resource?); check out the library for applicable workshops or library introduction programs; check with your campus writing program to see if they offer workshops for writing teachers or if they can give you access to their databases. If you are a GWU teacher and would like a copy of a very useful writing handbook (with helpful handouts and advice on teaching writing, please email us and we will pass it along).
Two of the biggest questions that our participants had were - How do you balance teaching "big picture" (structure, argument) writing skills with "small picture" (grammar, MLA) writing skills? How do you incorporate teaching a writing component in a literature class effectively?
Some thoughts:
1) Whatever class you are teaching, approach writing with your students as a "process" and not an end goal. Some ways to do this is to design your course so that your writing assignments build off of each other or toward a larger writing project. For example, you could assign a shorter close reading paper that they must revise and expand into a research paper.
2) Get to know your students' writing strengths and weaknesses - some teachers like to evaluate them right away with a writing sample on the first day.
3) Be clear about your expectations - for example some teachers draw up a list of their "zero tolerance" writing mistakes and then graduate to more complex writing concepts as the semester continues. One professor uses the first formal assignment as a "test drive" wherein all errors are highlighted and students have an option to revise and resubmit to avoid a grade penalty. Whatever you end up doing, consider carefully both your expectations for students and their current writing skills.
4) Drafts - Should you have rough drafts? How many? Should you do peer review? Some of these questions can be answered by the policies and course goals of your particular class, but you still must decide on the most effective way to deal with these questions. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish by allowing rough drafts or by mandating peer review. A few of us considered how to use peer review without sacrificing a whole class - using blackboard is one option here. One teacher offers an unlimited draft option up to the due date - the idea being that if students plan ahead, they can revise until they are satisfied with the final product. Consider these questions carefully, and trial and error will help you shape your draft/revision policy.
5) Peer Review - What makes an effective peer review session? How should you incorporate it into your class? If it is a literature class, should you sacrifice one whole session for peer review? All of our speakers had different approaches to peer review, and most of them agreed that it can be a helpful exercise. However, most of us have had trial and error experiences with using peer review because each group of students is different, and each approach produces different results. One suggestion was to create "stations" in the classroom for revision - students go from station to station to focus on specific aspects of the writing process. If you do a more traditional peer review session, you could match two students together or create small groups. You could have them focus on "large picture" issues or "small picture" issues. Another approach is to save the class period and perform the peer review over blackboard - pairing students up to review each other's work. Some inevitable difficulties arise: students give "incorrect" feedback on a student's paper, a student feels the review is useless because they are not paired up with a student who can help them, and/or students bring incomplete drafts. There are different ways to handle these, but keep them in mind as you design your peer review approach.
A few closing thoughts on composition-based classes:
1) Be clear with your students about the applicability of their writing skills and assignments. They will take it more seriously if they know they can use these skills in their majors or these documents in their academic careers.
2) Consider your primary texts - what textbooks does your school want you to use for these comp classes? How useful are they? While you should always consider the expectations of your department carefully, do not feel like you are trapped in a bad textbook either. You may have to do some research to find alternate materials or come up with them on your own, but do not feel bound by one single text.
3) Take advantage of networking opportunities. As a new teacher or a teacher new to composition, it can be tough making these decisions without support. Sometimes you just need to vent or ask for an example handout - find out what opportunities for networking your campus offers. Some campuses have teacher brown-bag presentations (try to attend!), some have social events or happy hours (try to participate!). At the very least cultivate a relationship with a mentor or colleague - they can be life-savers.
If you have additional advice for composition classes, please email us or leave a comment below - this is just a starting point, and we would love to learn from your experiences as well.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Teaching Resources
Here is part of our online content from the recent Teaching Seminar. If you have additional resources, please share them with us! Also, take a minute to follow this blog, or subscribe via email - we have many more exciting posts planned.
Teaching
Resources
Learn about our school's Writing in the Discipline Program, and use the new WID Board to find helpful writing resources:
GW WID Program - http://widstudio.wordpress.com/
WID Board (find handouts, advice, hot topics in teaching writing) – http://widboard.proboards.com/index.cgi?
Consider encouraging your students to use these campus resources:
GW Writing Center - http://www.gwu.edu/~gwriter/
GW Gelman Library - http://www.library.gwu.edu/
General Writing Resources for Students and Faculty:
List of Writing Resources for Students - http://www.nvcc.edu/annandale/lrc/writing/links.htm
Dr. McClennen’s Close Reading Guide - http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/s/a/sam50/closeread.htm
Even if you do not teach an online class, this site can offer guidance in using course management and incorporating technology into your curriculum:
Online Teaching Resource - http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm
Good Resources to list on your syllabus:
MLA Resources – www.mla.org and http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
and http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/DocMLA.html
Teaching Students with Disabilities - http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/disabilities.html
GW Disability Support Services (Faculty Resources) -
http://gwired.gwu.edu/dss/faculty/
GW English Department (Undergraduate Information) - http://departments.columbian.gwu.edu/english/undergraduate
Explore the possibilities for digital humanities, using technology for teaching, and alternative course management systems:
Digital Humanities - http://www.judaica-europeana.eu/digital-resources.html
and www.digitalhumanities.org
Dr. Alex Huang Projects and Resources - http://alexanderhuang.org/
Dr. Jonathan Hsy's Course Management Blog: http://eng3420.wordpress.com
For ideas, developments, and issues in pedagogy, subscribe to news updates at the Chronicle:
The Chronicle of Higher Education – http://chronicle.com/section/Home/5
Friday, November 18, 2011
TGIF - Teaching Advice and November Happy Hour
Please join us for the EGSA Teaching Seminar today from 12:30-4:30pm in Rome 771. We have three interesting sessions with an exciting group of speakers. For more details, check out Facebook or this blog post. We would also like to invite you to join us after the event for a November Happy Hour at TGI Fridays right near main campus (see the location and map to the right of this post). We will meet up from 4:30-6:30, and we hope you can take a study break and join us!We also want to begin the online content from the Teaching Seminar today, knowing that many of you will not be able to join us. Throughout this process we have come across many interesting articles, resources, and teaching suggestions that will appear on this blog over the next few weeks. To begin with, we polled some faculty and graduate students about their top advice for new or beginning teachers. Our department chair, Dr. Gayle Wald, kindly offered the following advice:
1. Plan well but don't over-plan. Unless you're lecturing, scripted classes will inevitably disappoint.
2. Try using rubrics for grading. I'm using them for the first time this semester, and it's going very well. I never thought I'd say that, but it's true.
3. Students today are accustomed to multimedia. It's nice to be able to give students various ways in to material: visual, oral, tactile, etc. Try using video, reading aloud, incorporating handouts, having students compile notes which someone writes on the board.
4. Try at least one experimental assignment each time you teach--you never know what will work.
5. Approach each class with a set of objectives. What do you want your students to LEARN? (This is different from what you want to get through.)
6. Be VERY clear about your expectations on the first day and on the syllabus. After that, don't be afraid of enforcing them.
7. Do not get involved in students' dramas. This is especially important when you are a grad student and (often) closer to undergrads in age. Be friendly and supportive, of course, but draw the line clearly. Refer students to other resources (deans, counselors, etc.) when necessary.
8. Don't forget to use your Chair! (Not the one you sit on--me!) If you need back-up or want an opinion about how to handle a situation, please ask. Often there are department policies that can guide you challenging situations. If a student is every disruptive, let the chair of the department know.
Do you have any suggestions or advice? Please leave a comment or email us - and don't forget to check back often (or subscribe with our new email service) because we will continue to post online content from today's sessions.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
EGSA Teaching Seminar Schedule and Sessions
Many of you probably saw the schedule for the Teaching Seminar (this Friday November 18) in your email box, but we would like to elaborate on the schedule here so that you know what to expect. This seminar is designed for all graduate students who have been teaching or are thinking about teaching writing and/or literature courses. We are lucky to have such experienced and interested faculty and grad students available to speak in these three sessions. We know that some of you will not be able to attend all of the sessions, so we will be posting online content following the seminar. However, we encourage you to attend as many sessions as you can. These will be unique opportunities to ask questions, get feedback on your ideas, and learn from the personal experiences of our distinguished colleagues. All of these sessions will take place in Rome 771.
Session 1 12:30-1:30pm Brown Bag Lunch “Teaching
Composition.” Please bring your lunch and join us for this session which will focus on the field of composition and writing. We have both Professor Reidner and Mr. Cobb speaking on the GW WID program. They will cover teaching first-year UW courses as well as WID courses and the opportunities for graduate student teachers. One of our own board members, Erin Vander Wall, will discuss her experiences with teaching composition at a community college and her current post at GW. Our EGSA Board President, Leigha McReynolds, will be speaking on her experience teaching business writing at GW in the WID program. We are excited to hear what these speakers have to say about these teaching opportunities, as well as the skills necessary to apply for these positions and, of course, to become successful teachers.
Break and Light Refreshments 1:30-2:00pm (Otherwise known as Tawnya's famous cookies)
Session 2 2:00-3:00pm “Issues in Pedagogy.” This session has a broad theme, and an equally broad range of presentations by our speakers. These speakers will address challenges, issues, and solutions that teachers face on a daily basis. Many of these subjects are not even on your radar as a new teacher and continue to be important and difficult subjects after teaching for years. Dr. Schreiber has elected to speak on a variety of pedagogical issues specific to teaching literature courses. Both Elizabeth and Nedda are going to speak to their experiences in the classroom and what they believe to be important pedagogical issues.
Break and Light Refreshments 3:00-3:30pm
Session 3 3:30pm-4:30pm “Using Technology for the Classroom.” This session will focus on using basic technology for teaching as well as more advanced, creative uses for technology in the classroom. For many new (and experienced) teachers, Blackboard is something like a dinosaur - mysterious and cumbersome. I will address the ways in which I personally use technology for my own teaching, and how I use blackboard specifically. Dr. Huang has kindly agreed to share his own innovative uses of technology for enabling students to engage more critically with online media. He may also address the importance of cultivating a professional online presence for graduate students. Dr. Hsy will be our final speaker to address his way of using technology for teaching by exploring an alternative to Blackboard for course management. He will also address the possibilities for power-point presentations in literature courses.
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Saturday, November 5, 2011
This Week and Next in EGSA
The next few weeks are brimming with academic and professional development events, so mark your calendars! Of special note is EGSA's upcoming seminar on Teaching (note the date change: now November 18). Please visit Facebook to r.s.v.p. and for more information. Additionally, we have an update on one of the CFP posts - an extension for Predicate Abstracts to November 7 - they really want to see contributions from GW grads! Visit their website for more details.So here is a list of upcoming events - and stay tuned for the second part of our online Abstract/Conference content.
November 8
Flying High Like a Disco Jalebi: Gay Bombay and Beyond, a talk and reading
Flying High Like a Disco Jalebi: Gay Bombay and Beyond, a talk and reading
Parmesh
Shahani, TED and MIT Futures of Entertainment Fellow, and author of Gay Bombay: Globalization, Love and (Be)Longing in
Contemporary India (2008)
Tuesday,
November 8, 2-3.30 pm Rome Hall 771 (801 22nd St. NW)
Parmesh Shahani is not your usual academic. He runs a newly formed corporate funded ideas lab that examines the nature of modernity in contemporary India. He also has a parallel life in which he travels all over India as Editor at Large for Verve, India’s leading fashion and lifestyle magazine, and tops lists like 2010 CNN list of “Mumbai’s coolest queers”. In his talk (accompanied by feature and documentary film clips), Parmesh will reflect on the changes taking place on the ground for LBGT people in India, set against the context of the larger national changes that the country is going through. Drawing on his ethnographic research within an online-offline gay community in the city of Bombay, Parmesh will mull over questions of identity, community and the national imagination. He will also read excerpts from his book.
Parmesh Shahani is not your usual academic. He runs a newly formed corporate funded ideas lab that examines the nature of modernity in contemporary India. He also has a parallel life in which he travels all over India as Editor at Large for Verve, India’s leading fashion and lifestyle magazine, and tops lists like 2010 CNN list of “Mumbai’s coolest queers”. In his talk (accompanied by feature and documentary film clips), Parmesh will reflect on the changes taking place on the ground for LBGT people in India, set against the context of the larger national changes that the country is going through. Drawing on his ethnographic research within an online-offline gay community in the city of Bombay, Parmesh will mull over questions of identity, community and the national imagination. He will also read excerpts from his book.
Co-sponsored by GW's English Department and Women's Studies Program
November 10
The George Washington University History Department Research
Colloquium presents
Professor Dagmar Herzog
Graduate Center, City University of New York
Sexuality in Europe: A Twentieth-Century History
Dagmar Herzog is Professor of History and the Daniel Rose Faculty Scholar at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. She has published widely in the history of religion in Europe and the U.S., on the Holocaust and its aftermath, and on the histories of gender and sexuality. Her presentation will be drawn from her recently completed Sexuality in Europe: A Twentieth-Century History (Cambridge 2011). She is also the author of Sex in Crisis: The New Sexual Revolution and the Future of American Politics (Basic 2008), Sex after Fascism: Memory and Morality in Twentieth-Century Germany (Princeton 2005), andIntimacy and Exclusion: Religious Politics in Pre-Revolutionary Baden (Princeton 1996).
Dagmar Herzog is Professor of History and the Daniel Rose Faculty Scholar at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. She has published widely in the history of religion in Europe and the U.S., on the Holocaust and its aftermath, and on the histories of gender and sexuality. Her presentation will be drawn from her recently completed Sexuality in Europe: A Twentieth-Century History (Cambridge 2011). She is also the author of Sex in Crisis: The New Sexual Revolution and the Future of American Politics (Basic 2008), Sex after Fascism: Memory and Morality in Twentieth-Century Germany (Princeton 2005), andIntimacy and Exclusion: Religious Politics in Pre-Revolutionary Baden (Princeton 1996).
Thursday, November 10, 4-5:30, 1957 E Street, Room 211
November 10
The Office of Graduate
Student Assistantships and Fellowships Office is hosting an information session
for the IAF Fellowship onThursday, November 10th at 3:30 PM in Rice
Hall Conference Room 304. A representative from IAF will be presenting at
the session.
This session would be of interest to PhD
students who need support for dissertation research in Latin America and
the Caribbean. The deadline to apply for this fellowship is January 17th, 2012.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or citizens of the independent Latin American
countries.
Students interested in attending this event
should RSVP to gradfell@gwu.edu.
November 11
Carla Peterson will be discussing her acclaimed new book, Black
Gotham. November 11th, 2:30
pm, 771 Rome Hall. The Africana Studies Cities Series
and The Department of English are pleased to host Carla Peterson for a
discussion and signing of her acclaimed new book, Black Gotham: A Family History of Nineteenth Century
New York
“Part detective
tale, part social and cultural narrative, Black Gotham is Carla Peterson's
riveting account of her quest to reconstruct the lives of her
nineteenth-century ancestors. As she shares their stories and those of their
friends, neighbors, and business associates, she illuminates the greater
history of African-American elites in New York City…Black Gotham challenges
many of the accepted ‘truths’ about African-American history, including the
assumption that the phrase ‘nineteenth-century black Americans’ means enslaved
people, that "New York state before the Civil War" refers to a place
of freedom, and that a black elite did not exist until the twentieth
century. ”
Peterson is Professor of English at the
University of Maryland and author of Doers of the Word: African
American Speakers and Writers in the North (1830-1880) (Oxford
UP).
November 16
"Funding
Your Dissertation Research," on Wednesday, November 16th from 4:00pm to
5:00pm in Marvin Center 302. This information session is for PhD candidates
focused on funding for doctoral research at the dissertation phase. The
session will also touch on general funding opportunities for PhD candidates.
November 18 (Friday) Teaching and Pedagogy Seminar – Please join us for this EGSA professional development seminar. 12:30-1:30 - brown bag session on "Teaching Composition." 2:00-3:00 - Session on "Issues in Pedagogy" which will focus on pedagogy questions for literature and writing courses. 3:30-4:30 - Session on "Using Technology in the Classroom" which will cover basic teaching technology, creative and innovative use of blogs, twitter, and other social media, and recent news in digital humanities. Please visit our event on Facebook to r.s.v.p. In the coming weeks we will also post more detailed information about speakers and the schedule.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
This Week with EGSA
First, thank you for joining us at the October Happy Hour last Friday! As part of our continuing Abstract/Conference online content, we have provided some information below on upcoming Conferences. These are recommended by your fellow grads and faculty. We also have many exciting campus events approaching, including some special seminars and professional development opportunities. We hope to see you at some or all of these events. Stay tuned for more online content from our Abstract/Conference Workshop
Upcoming Conferences:
November 3-4, 2011 University of Maryland “Rethinking World Literatures/ Other World
Literatures”
February 17-18, 2012 British Commonwealth Planning
Committee, Savannah Georgia. “21st Annual British
Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies Conference.”
March 21-25, 2012 The 33rd International
Conference on the Fantastic in Arts “The Monstrous
Fantastic” in Orlando, FL.
Upcoming GW English Events:
October 27 Thursday 4pm (1957 E St NW Rm 213) Please join MEMSI members for a panel on "What Monsters Mean" with Asa Simon Mittman and Jeffrey Weinstock
October 28 Friday 12:15pm (slight change in time!) Please join us for a seminar on "Monster Theory" co-sponsored by GW MEMSI and EGSA. Lunch will be served, so you should r.s.v.p. for this event by October 25 (today!): lduckert@gwu.edu. Many of your EGSA Board members will be in attendance, so we hope to see you there!
November 1 Tuesday 5pm Marvin Center 307 The GW Career Center is hosting: Graduate Students: Resume vs. CV. What
are the differences between résumés and CVs? Develop a better understanding of
these two primary career and job search documents, including appropriate
content, format and length. Learn more about how to utilize these two important
self marketing materials to advance your career. Co-sponsored by the Office of Graduate Student
Enrollment Management. RSVP through the GWork Workshop calendar.
November 3-4 Composing Disability: Writing, Communication,
Culture George Washington University, Washington DC. Organized by one of our favorite faculty, Robert McRuer, this event promises to be a unique opportunity to discover how Disability Studies and Disability Culture are transforming higher education. “Composing Disability” brings together Disability and Deaf Studies,
Writing Studies, Education, and Global Cultural Studies for spirited,
collegial dialogue, about the production of disability culture,
disability writing, and disability representation in and beyond academia
today. Please click on the link for the program schedule, information about the keynote speakers, and to register for the event. Even if you are only able to attend part of the seminar, please take time to register.
November 4 4pm Join GW MEMSI for Master Oh Tae Suk's screening of the film of his production, The Tempest. The audience will have an opportunity to interact with the director at a presentation on November 5. Both events at the Harry Harding Auditorium, 1957 E Street. The events are part of this year's Hahn Moo-Sook Colloquium in the Korean Humanities. This event is co-sponsored by MEMSI and co-organized by Professor Alex Huang.
November 11 2:00-3:30pm Rome 771 Carla Peterson will be discussing her
acclaimed new book, Black Gotham, a cultural history of free black
elites living in antebellum New York. Hosted by the English Dept.
November 18 2:30-4:30 Rome 771 EGSA Teaching and Pedagogy Seminar. Mark your calendars for this final 2011 Professional Development event. Chances are you will be spending some part of your career as an English graduate student teaching in the classroom. We want to provide you with all the tools you need, including information on teaching composition (and how to convince a future employer that you can), information on the latest issues in English pedagogy, and how to use technology in the classroom. This seminar is designed for all English grads, even those that have been teaching for a while. Stay tuned to this blog for more information, and please direct any questions to Tawnya Ravy (tcravy@gwu.edu).
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