MT 890, Graduate Teaching Seminar I

MT890 Graduate Teaching Seminar I

Fall Semester 2009-2010

Professors Solomon Friedberg and G. Robert Meyerhoff

Fridays from 3-4:15 p.m. in Carney Hall 309

Welcome to the MT890 course website. This website is the primary way for you to get information about our course.

Course description: This seminar is directed at building the teaching skills of beginning graduate students, who will typically be serving as Teaching Assistants. Topics include: use of blackboard, explaining problems, assigning points in grading exams and homework, classroom management. Towards the end of the semester, we will also include some material on teaching one's own class, in preparation for MT891. The seminar will include both practice and case-studies based discussion.

This is one of two teaching seminars being offered by the department. The other is MT891, Graduate Teaching Seminar II. Sometimes we will meet together, and on those days we will cover common topics. On other days we will break up into separate groups and pursue aspects of teaching that are relevant to more beginning graduate students.

Text: Teaching Mathematics in Colleges and Universities: Case Studies for Today's Classroom (Graduate Student Edition) by Solomon Friedberg et al. Issues in Mathematics Education Vol. 10, American Mathematical Society, 2001. Available from the American Mathematical Society bookstore. More information about case studies and reviews of this book are available here.

Course Schedule:

Friday, September 12: Discussion of examination grading. Case Study: Making the Grade, Calculus I version.

Friday, September 19: Board work and lecturing. Students are asked to come to class ready to present a five-ten minute explanation of the solution to a problem that arises in their work as a Teaching Assistant. We will analyze and critique these explanations.

Friday, September 26: We will continue to watch and critique graduate student presentations.

Friday, October 2: Discussion of running a recitation section. Case Study: The Quicksand of Problem Four.

Friday, October 9: Discussion of possible academic dishonesty and how to deal with it. Case Study: Emily's Test.

Friday, October 16: Discussion of pedagogy related to the derivative. Case Study: Seeking Points.

Friday, October 23: Discussion of mathematical and classroom management issues related to the case Seeking Points.

Friday, October 30: Discussion of making a course syllabus and preparing a course schedule. Please look at the syllabus for the course you are associated with and bring it to our seminar.

Friday, November 6 & 13: Board work and lecturing, II. Students are asked to come to class ready to present a ten-minute solution to a problem or a ten-minute piece of a lecture. Please be sure to emphasize the mathematics that is important and not just the answer, and to think about what the students will take away from your discussion.

Friday, November 20: TBA

Friday, December 4: TBA

Friday, December 11: TBA

This section will be updated each week as the seminar progresses.

SOME MATH LINKS

1. The American Mathematical Society is the primary professional organization concerned with research in theoretical mathematics. The Mathematical Association of America is concerned with this and also with university teaching.

2. The Association for Women in Mathematics supports women in mathematics at all levels of study. The "AWM Resources" link connects you to many other sites with useful information. They also sponsor an annual biography contest concerning contemporary women mathematicians. See the website for details.