This web page describes an activity within the Department of Mathematics at Ohio University, but is not an official university web page.
If you have difficulty accessing these materials due to visual impairment, please email me at mohlenka@ohio.edu; an alternative format may be available.

MATH 5120 (8629-100), Fall 2013

College Mathematics Teaching for New Teaching Assistants

Catalog Description:

This course prepares new mathematics teaching assistants for undergraduate-level mathematics instruction. Students will investigate the technical, pedagogical, ethical, and other professional dimensions of undergraduate mathematics instruction.

Desired Learning Outcomes:

A successful participant is able to:

Articulate specific teaching strategies that support students' mastery of content.
Identify and use a variety of resources (technologies, texts, experts...) to support teaching and learning.
Plan and implement a lesson.
Design assessments/evaluations that provide appropriate feedback and then analyze and respond effectively to the results.
Understands interpersonal and diversity issues and their relevance to effective teaching of all students.
Strike a balance between the demands of teaching and the demands of being a successful graduate student.
Write a complete and useful syllabus for a course, subject to guidelines issued by a coordinator.
Articulate an educational philosophy of teaching, learning, assessment, etc.

Requisites:

Permission. Mathematics Department teaching assistants will be enrolled automatically; others should contact the instructor.

Credits:

2 (This course counts toward your minimum enrollment but does not count toward the masters program.)

Instructor:

Martin J. Mohlenkamp, mohlenka@ohio.edu, (740)593-1259, 315B Morton Hall.
Office hours: Monday 3:05-4pm, Wednesday 3:05-4pm, and Friday 12:55-1:50pm, or by appointment.

Web page:

http://www.ohiouniversityfaculty.com/mohlenka/20141/5120.

Class hours/ location:

Wednesday 6:20-8:10pm in 326 Morton Hall.

Text:

None; materials will be provided. You should read the MAA's A Handbook for Mathematics Teaching Assistants.

Homework:

Each week an assignment of some type is due. You also need to read/view the materials in preparation for class.

Final Exam:

The final exam is scheduled on Monday, December 9, at 7:00 pm. We may substitute a final report/project.

Attendance:

Attendance is required and is counted as a percentage of your grade. Missed classes may be made up by doing additional course-related work.

Participation

Participation is counted as a percentage of your grade. Being prepared for class by having read/viewed the materials in advance is a major portion of participation. You participation grade can be no higher than your attendance grade.

Grade:

Your grade is based on attendance at 10%, participation at 10%, homework at 60%, and the final exam/report/project at 20%. An average of 90% guarantees you at least an A-, 80% a B-, 70% a C-, and 60% a D-. Grades are not the point.

Academic Dishonesty:

Unless otherwise specified, you may use any help that you can find, but you must acknowledge in writing what help you received and from whom or where. Representing others' work as your own is plagiarism and is prohibited. Dishonesty will result in a zero on that work, and possible failure in the class and a report to the university judiciaries.

Special Needs:

If you have specific physical, psychiatric, or learning disabilities and require accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible so that your learning needs may be appropriately met.

Learning Resources:

Your classmates are your best resource. Use them!

MAA's A Handbook for Mathematics Teaching Assistants.

Tools for Teaching eBook (on-campus access).

Tomorrow's Professor mailing list.

Good Problems writing program.

LaTeX, Python, and Matlab resources.

OHIO Center for Teaching and Learning

Guide for Teaching Assistants at Ohio University

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Teaching Programs, Tools, and Resources

MIT Teaching and Learning Laboratory

Open course materials for Teaching College-Level Science and Engineering

Schedule

Subject to change. Materials should be read/viewed before the day they are listed since our in-class activities will be based on them. Homework is due on the day listed.

Week	Date	Topic/Materials	Homework
0	See the orientation page.
1	Wed Aug 28	Venting and troubleshooting. 101 Things You Can Do in the First Three Weeks of Class	orientation evaluation
2	Wed Sep 4	Who are your students? Teaching Teaching & Understanding Understanding. Aarhus: Aarhus University Press, 2006. Short Film. VARK learning styles test Initial Placement into Mathematics Courses Math section (pages 10-15) in the ACT College Readiness Standard Math section (pages 4-6) in the Ohio Uniform Statewide Standards for Remediation-Free Status Perceived Inhibitors to Mathematics Success (on campus-access) Are any of your students struggling already? What should you do about it?	Peer observation (.tex)
3	Wed Sep 11	Grading and assessment MAA Handbook advice on Grading Issues. How can you make sure the grading is consistent for different students in your class? for students in different classes? What are the advantages and disadvantages of different course grading policies, such as dropping the lowest test or giving extra credit? MAA handbook on Making up Exams and Quizzes Should the test be easy problems, hard problems, or a mix? (template) Biggs, J. "Aligning Teaching for Constructing Learning." (PDF) Higher Education Academy, 2005. MATH 1200 learning outcomes (1, 2, 3).	Mathematical and pedagogical autobiography (.pdf .tex)
4	Wed Sep 18	Intervening: Tips for retention: If someone gets below a C on anything, tell them they have to come see you in their office hours. If a student misses more than one class period, call their cell phone (?or email first) and ask them if they are OK. Develop a buddy system for attendance -- have students introduce themselves to each other on the first day, and then when someone is gone ask their buddy where they are and why they are missing and to try to track the person down if they haven't heard from them. The Ohio University Academic Advancement Center offers Supplemental Instruction and a Math Center. The Allen Student Help Center can help students who are academically adrift. If a student disappears from your class or is beyond your ability to help, submit an Academic Alert. If you think a student may need accomodation due to a disability, refer them to Student Accessibility Services. If you think a student may be a danger to themselves or others, report them. If you observe sexual misconduct you are required to report it; further guidance.	Peer observation (.tex)
5	Wed Sep 25	Classroom Craft Board skills: Write large, work left-to-right and top-to-bottom, use the whole board, use colors, write objectives/ outline, organize. Projector skills: Preload, do not switch back and forth, use a pointer. Voice: Vocal Techniques for Actors, avoid sore throats, stretch your mouth; shut the doors. Body language: Be aware; varies by culture and gender. Arrange the space. Enthusiasm: If you are not enthusiastic about the topic, act like you are. Spice things up (a little).	Design a test (.tex)
6	Wed Oct 2	Active learning Why do it? Calculus Concept Inventory Designing College More Like a Video Game Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses (on campus access) Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education How to do it: Alternative Strategies and Active Learning The Interactive Lecture: Reconciling Group and Active Learning Strategies with Traditional Instructional Formats The Many Faces of Inductive Teaching and Learning." (PDF) MATH 2301 guide on Giving Group Work Formulator Tarsia	Faculty observation (.tex)
7	Wed Oct 9	Writing mathematics with LaTeX LaTeX Wikibook MiKTeK portable proTeXt Sample test in .tex and .pdf Master's study plan in .tex and required graphic (.eps or .jpg). Doctoral dissertation template Other samples and resources	Design an active-learning activity (.tex).
8	Wed Oct 16	Active learning activities.	Make your test from week 5 in LaTeX. Submit by email the source (.tex, any graphics) and the resulting .pdf file.
9	Wed Oct 23	Teaching Portfolios (Tim Vickers) presentation slides Teaching Portfolio Links of Interest Writing Your Teaching Philosophy Example teaching section of a promotion and tenure dossier.	Implement and report on your active-learning activity (.tex).
10	Wed Oct 30	Syllabus preparation: University rules are in section IV.A.3. of the Faculty Handbook. MAA handbook on What should be on a Syllabus?. Example from my 2301 class What would you do? (dilemmas) Disruptive students: talking, texting, over-participation, arguing,...	Critique a teaching philosophy (.tex)
11	Wed Nov 6	Mathematical software: Matlab: Official Homepage, tutorial, demos, file exchange, and documentation Ohio University Mathematics Matlab page MATH 3600 Sage: MATH 2301 example usage; Sage Cloud Wolfram Alpha Python documentation	Critique a syllabus (.tex)
12	Tues Nov 12	Keith Devlin-Fest: 2-3pm Question and Answer session in Baker 239 7:30pm Kennedy Lecture Series on Leonardo and Steve: The Young genius who Beat Apple to Market by 800 years.	Prepare for the fest
13	Wed Nov 20	Using the web: Instructions for setting up your university space; on the 314 Morton computers, make sure Filezilla and Notepad++ are installed. Homepage template and associated style file and logo html school video collections: Just Math Tutorials, Khan Academy	Make a syllabus for one of the Spring semester MATH classes here, pretending you will be the instructor. Clearly label this syllabus as an exercise and not real.
14	Wed Nov 27	Thanksgiving holiday, no meeting
15	Wed Dec 4	Odds and ends: Learning from your evaluations. MAA handbook on What Does an Evaluator Evaluate? Fall 2012 MATH 1200 aggregate scores My Fall 2012 MATH 5600 evaluation End of semester tasks: Submit grades via the online grading system; stick to the MATH 1200 grading scale Print a copy of your submitted grades and turn it in to the office. Print a copy of your grades spreadsheet and turn it in to the office. Turn the students' final exams in to the office. If you will not teach the same course next semester, turn in your textbook. Others Blackboard login, support MAA Handbook on What was that question again?; wait 8 seconds Motivation: Twenty Tips on Motivating Students Self-critique example	Make your webpage
16	Mon Dec 9	7:00 pm Final Exam (virtual; your physical presence is not required)	Substitute summative activity

Martin J. Mohlenkamp

Last modified: Wed Dec 4 08:37:36 EST 2013