ESM 501: Teaching and Mentoring Methods


Wed.: 3:50 - 6:50 p.m.
Engineering, room 236A
Class will be held weeks 3 through 9
Instructor: Prof. Gary Halada
phone: 2-8526
Office Hours: Mon: 1:00 to 2:30 p.m., Tues. 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Required Book: "University Teaching: A Guide for Graduate Students" edited by Leo Lambert, Stacey lane Tice and Patricia Featherstone
Additional materials will be handed out in class

Course Outline


Introduction to basic pedagogical technique. Discussion of the various phases of teaching, including preparation, classroom technique, student evaluation. Problems and pitfalls and how to avoid them. Fall, 1 credit
  1. Weeks 3 - 5: Discussion of teaching methods, the role of the T.A. in courses, philosophy of learning methods, motivating students, ethics of teaching, and elimination of bias in the classroom.
  2. Week 6: Panel and round table discussion on mentoring
  3. Weeks 7 - 9: Videotaped presentations by graduate students.

Grading:


Students will receive a grade of "S" (satisfactory) or "U" (unsatisfactory) based upon completion of a videotaped presentation of a lesson on how to teach and review of their presentaion with the instructor.

Teaching Resources at Stony Brook


The following links and resources can help you in developing your teaching skills, enriching the education of your students, and setting up your teaching environment and schedule. In addition, a nuber of links are provided which can help you mentor those students who are interested in further participation in research as part of their educational experience.
  1. The Writing Center, Program in Writing and Rhetoric, offers one-on-one tutoring for students staff and faculty in helping you to develop your writing skills.
  2. The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) has the primary aim of fostering the development, use and assessment of new learning environments, new curricula, new pedagogical approaches and new tools that will develop students who can excel in a stimulating and challenging academic environment. They offer a Fall TA orientation and workshops throguhout the semester.
  3. URECA, Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities, an office for the specific purpose of promoting undergraduate research and creative activity, offering many programs that support undergraduate research efforts. It also offers useful support services for undergraduates on writing abstracts, giving presentations, and finding appropriate research mentors.
  4. The Reinvention Center at Stony Brook is a national center focusing on undergraduate education at research universities.

Links to Outside Teaching Resources


The following links provide access to teaching and learning enrichment programs at other institutions:
  1. University of Michigan, College of Engineering resources for improving education by graduate students. Provides information on feedback, portfolios, teaching techniques, etc.
  2. Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at University of Alabany, resources for graduate student teaching assistants.
  3. Self-help for graduate teaching assistants at University of Chicago,Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
  4. "Advisor, Teacher, Role Model, Friend",an excellent guide (available on-line in its entirety) on being a mentor to students in science and engineering. produced by the National Academy of Science, the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine. It includes a section on mentoring undergraduates.

08/30/2004