Idea Transcript
TA Conference Conference schedule Materials & resources
This page provides brief descriptions of workshops offered at the 2017 TA Conference. Types of TA assignments Effective teaching Assessing student work Learning Technologies workshops International TA Program workshops Note: Most workshops are offered at least twice during the TA Conference. So, if you would like to attend two workshops that meet at the same time, you should be able to find the same workshop offered at another time.
Session 2 (Tues. 10:45-12:00) • Session 5 (Wed. 9:00-10:15) • Session 8 (Wed. 2:45-4:00) This workshop offers ways to help students learn in science and engineering lab settings. We will identify goals of lab instruction, ways to plan and facilitate effective lab sessions, and strategies for a successful first day of class.
Session 2 (Tues. 10:45-12:00) • Session 5 (Wed. 9:00-10:15) • Session 6 (Wed. 10:30-11:45) During “quiz” sections, TAs are typically responsible for helping students understand and apply concepts learned in large lecture classes. This workshop will include: setting frameworks and expectations for the section on the first day of class, an overview of TA roles in quantitative problem-solving quiz sections, aligning section content with lecture and strategies for fostering active student learning.
Session 2 (Tues. 10:45-12:00) In this session, we will discuss feedback from UW students on the teaching methods they find helpful for learning languages. Our discussion will include different approaches to common language learning issues, as well as ways to help resolve possible differences between student perceptions of what they need and instructors’ understanding of effective language learning approaches.
Session 2 (Tues. 10:45-12:00) • Session 5 (Wed. 9:00-10:15) • Session 7 (Wed. 1:15-2:30) Teaching students in one-to-one situations offers excellent opportunities for student learning. In this workshop we will examine ways to: encourage student use of office hours and study centers; use one-to-one teaching opportunities to promote student ability to work independently; and anticipate and prepare for a variety of questions, issues and challenges which may arise in office hour and study center situations.
Session 2 (Tues. 10:45-12:00) • Session 6 (Wed. 10:30-11:45) During “quiz” sections, TAs are typically responsible for helping students understand and apply concepts learned in large lecture classes. This workshop will include: setting frameworks and expectations for students for the section on the first day of class; an overview of TA roles in discussion-based quiz sections; aligning section content with lecture; and strategies for fostering stimulating student discussions.
Session 2 (Tues. 10:45-12:00) • Session 8 (Wed. 2:45-4:00) This workshop is designed to help TAs who are assuming primary responsibility for a class as part of their transition into leadership roles. We will touch on the many practical issues TAs face when they run their own class: conveying expectations and establishing authority/rapport on the first day, reserving equipment, making arrangements for students with disabilities, dealing with difficult classroom situations, grading and where to go for information on related University policies. Although we will not address course design in detail in this workshop, we will provide a list of resources to help you through this process. Note: You need not be designing a class from scratch to find this workshop helpful.
Session 3 (Tues. 1:15-2:30) • Session 4 (Tues. 2:45-4:00) • Session 7 (Wed. 1:15-2:30) • Session 8 (Wed. 2:45-4:00) This workshop will emphasize approaches for designing, leading, and assessing activities that help engage students in the learning process. We’ll discuss a range of activities — such as ungraded quizzes, “minute papers,” and group work. The workshop will focus on activities that can be used in a variety of instructional settings. Note: Using whole-class discussions to engage students will be discussed in the “Planning and Facilitating Discussions” workshop.
Session 3 (Tues. 1:15-2:30) • Session 4 (Tues. 2:45-4:00) • Session 6 (Wed. 10:30-12:00) • Session 8 (Wed. 2:45-4:00) This session addresses some challenging situations that TAs might face in the classroom. You will learn about strategies to prevent and/or respond to issues such as disruptive student behavior, cheating and plagiarism, or student challenges to grades.
Session 3 (Tues. 1:15-2:30) • Session 4 (Tues. 2:45-4:00) • Session 7 (Wed. 1:15-2:30) • Session 8 (Wed. 2:45-4:00) The research on teaching and learning tells us that inclusive teaching contributes to greater student engagement and more effective learning overall. Inclusive teaching in higher education refers to the ways in which all aspects of teaching and learning are designed and implemented to engage students in learning that is meaningful, relevant and accessible to all regardless of social differences such as race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, class, sexuality, disability/ability, religion, nationality, age and military status (Hockings, 2010). Participants in this workshop will learn about inclusive teaching, including specific strategies to effectively engage all students.
Session 3 (Tues. 1:15-2:30) • Session 4 (Tues. 2:45-4:00) • Session 5 (Wed. 9:00-10:15) • Session 7 (Wed. 1:15-2:30) The first step in designing teaching strategies that make coursework doable, meaningful, and enjoyable for students is to understand what helps them learn. In this workshop, we will discuss teaching strategies that are grounded in research on how students learn. Relevant for teaching in all settings.
Session 4 (Tues. 2:45-4:00) • Session 6 (Wed. 10:30-12:00) • Session 8 (Wed. 2:45-4:00) Classroom discussions can be the most exciting — and challenging — part of teaching a class. In this workshop we will be addressing strategies for planning different types of discussions and for developing effective questions and follow-ups that provoke students’ interest. Note: Small group work is covered in “Activities to Engage Your Students in Learning” and problem-solving sessions are addressed in “Teaching Math, Science and Engineering Quiz Sections”
Session 3 (Tues. 1:15-2:30) • Session 5 (Wed. 9:00-10:15) • Session 7 (Wed. 1:15-2:30) In this workshop, we will examine aspects of effective presentations such as: organization, examples, visuals, pacing and delivery. We will discuss ways to overcome the fear of public speaking and to assess the effectiveness of presentations. Although our primary focus will be on presenting information in the classroom, these skills can also be useful in other presentation formats.
Session 4 (Tues. 2:45-4:00) This workshop will explore ways of assessing student work in disciplines like art, music, drama, dance, creative writing, etc. We will examine strategies for clearly communicating to students 1) how they are being evaluated before they complete assignments, and 2) why their work does or does not meet instructor expectations. We will discuss how to develop a list of expectations and evaluative criteria, assign grading value to those items, and build a grading matrix based on that information.
This self-paced online workshop introduces several ways to gather student feedback and use it to improve your teaching. Learn about end-of-quarter student evaluation forms and examine options for ongoing assessment including mid-quarter surveys. Topics include: Interpreting UW end-of-quarter course evaluations Interpreting and applying student feedback Gathering student feedback during the quarter in person and online Responding to students about their feedback Note: You will need a UW Net ID to sign-in for this workshop.
Session 3 (Tues. 1:15-2:30) • Session 6 (Wed. 10:30-12:00) • Session 7 (Wed. 1:15-2:30) This workshop presents important considerations for assessing short answers and short essays (a couple of paragraphs or less), including: grading consistently, communicating your grading criteria to students, giving constructive feedback and managing your time when grading large amounts of student work. Because grading practices vary widely, we will also discuss strategies for learning more about grading in your specific TA assignment. Note: Grading essays or other extended writing assignments is addressed in “Responding to Longer Student Essays and Assigning Grades.”
Session 3 (Tues. 1:15-2:30) • Session 5 (Wed. 9:00-10:15) • Session 6 (Wed. 10:30-12:00) TA responsibilities in many departments involve responding to lengthy written work by students. In this workshop, you will learn strategies for responding to essays and other extended writing assignments in ways that are helpful to students and time-efficient for instructors. We’ll talk about how to tailor feedback to an assignment, tips on preventing plagiarism and on-campus resources to help students hone their writing skills. Note: Grading short-answer questions and shorter essays is addressed in “Grading ShortAnswer Questions on Homework, Exams or Lab Reports.”
Session 2 (Tues. 10:45-12:00) • Session 4 (Tues. 2:45-4:00) • Session 6 (Wed. 10:30-12:00) There’s so much to learn and explore in Canvas, but you just need to get your class up and running. Give us 75 minutes, and we’ll show you the basics to get started. By the end of this session you’ll have a syllabus posted, files available for students, and your first assignment complete. Sample files will be provided, but bring your own materials and you’ll be one step closer to getting started! *This is a flipped class so there will be materials to review before the session.
Session 3 (Tues. 1:15-2:30) • Session 6 (Wed. 10:3012:00) • Session 7 (Wed. 1:15-2:30) Canvas makes grading fast and easy while helping provide rich feedback for students. Learn the ins and outs of the Gradebook, how to import and export grades, and settings to make grading more efficient. Follow the path from building an assignment to grading in Speedgrader and see how inline and audio comments can let you quickly guide students to their best work. *This is a flipped class so there will be materials to review or complete before the session.
Session 4 (Tues. 2:45-4:00) • Session 5 (Wed. 9:00-10:15) • Session 7 (Wed. 1:15-2:30) Poll Everywhere is a Bring-Your-Own-Device Classroom Response System (CRS) available for free to UW faculty, students and staff. CRS is an effective tool to engage students during lectures and help instructors assess subject matter comprehension. Acquire skills in
Workshop descriptions Registering for academic credit for the TA Conference Information for TAs who are not native speakers of English Information for facilitators Information for departments Frequently asked questions
creating and presenting your own polls. Explore effective teaching theories for Classroom Response. Learn to import Canvas rosters and export scores to the Canvas Gradebook.
Session 2 (Tues. 10:45-12:00) • Session 3 (Tues. 1:15-2:30) • Session 5 (Wed. 9:00-10:15) Curious about using technology in your class? Not sure which tool is right for you? Let’s find your technology match! We’ll introduce you to Canvas, Panopto, and Poll Everywhere… they have lots to offer. Learn how you can use these tools in your teaching, best practices, and how they can work together for efficiency.
Wednesday, 2:30 – 5:00, Odegaard Library, Room 230 Come grab a snack and meet Learning Technologies staff. We’ll have consultants to answer your burning tech questions and demos so you can get hands on with 3D printing and Arduinos. Come by to hang out, explore the space, and find out how we can help you all year long. We also provide support six days a week for Canvas, Panopto, Poll Everywhere, Zoom, and other tools.
These sessions, which will take place on the afternoon of Monday, September 18, are required for all first-year TAs who are not native speakers of English. For more information, see Information for TAs who are not native speakers of English. For additional information and resources for international TAs, see the International TA Program webpages.
This workshop will have two parts: we will discuss the make-up of the student body at the UW and implications for teaching. We will also provide an overview of the ITA Program and ways the Program can help support you as a TA.
In this question and answer session you will have the opportunity to hear from international TAs about their experiences learning to be effective teachers at the UW.