US 197B • DAVID G. KAY • UC IRVINE • WINTER 2018

Assignments

 

Week 1: Five-minute Presentations: Everyone on the first day of class (January 10)

Present to the group the first five minutes of your seminar, which is presumably an overview and introduction to your course. Treat the group as if we are the students who have come to your first class meeting. The goal is to make us all want to take your course (or to help some students determine that it's not the course for them; that's valuable, too).

But there's one exception: If you plan to do class introductions or some ice-breaker activity at the beginning of your actual class, skip those in your five-minute presentation here in US 197B so you can focus on describing your course’s content.

If the introduction you contemplate doesn't fit into exactly five minutes, that's okay. The alarm will ring after five minutes so we have time for everyone to speak, but if it stops you before you've reached your planned ending point, that's also okay. We'll have enough of an idea of your course by then; it isn't necessary that you fit everything you want to say into five minutes, beginning/middle/end, just for this first presentation.

After each presentation, there will be a little time for questions, comments, and observations. If you have further questions, comments, or observations (on anyone's presentation including your own), post them to the US 197B Piazza site.

Week 4/5: Ten-minute Presentations: Six people on January 31; five people on February 7. There will be a sign-up sheet on EEE (go to your MyEEE page) so you can reserve a day and time.

Pick one of your class meetings (not necessarily the first) and present TEN minutes of it. (Please keep to the time limit so we have time for feedback.) Treat the group as if we are the students enrolled in your course. This is an opportunity for you to “class-test” a topic or approach, so we suggest that you pick a class session or topic that you’re not that sure about or want to explore.

If you will expect your students to be prepared by having read or done something in advance, you can ask us to do the same preparation (within reason) by posting the request on Piazza at least two days in advance.

Weeks 7/8/9: Thirty-minute Presentations: Four people each on February 21, February 28, and three on March 7. There will be a sign-up sheet at EEE so you can reserve a date and time. You may invite your faculty mentor to view your presentation, so you may wish to determine their availability before you sign up.

Pick one of your class meetings (different from the one you presented before) and present thirty minutes of it. This presentation should include at least one active-learning activity; thirty minutes of straight lecturing is enough to put anyone to sleep. Treat the group as if we are the students enrolled in your course.

Again, if you wish us to prepare, post the request on Piazza at least two days in advance.

Syllabus for students: Due in EEE dropbox at the end of Week 7 (February 23) and again if necessary Week 10 (March 16)

This is the document you will distribute to students in your seminar. It should include, at a minimum, a week-by-week schedule with meeting place and times, readings, and other assignments; a description of assignments and of attendance and grading policies; and your contact information. You may pattern your syllabus after the US 198B syllabus or other models we will provide.

Detailed course plan: Due in EEE dropbox at the end of Week 7 (February 23)

Your detailed course plan should give an overview and rationale for the seminar, describe the seminar materials, list the student learning objectives (what students should be able to do at the end of the seminar), provide a detailed week-by-week description of class topics, activities, and assignments, and describe policies for attendance and grading.

This is much more information than you will be giving your students in the syllabus. Be sure to describe your plans and strategies for active learning and promoting discussion. You should be sure to address any issues we commented on in previous reviews.


David G. Kay, kay@uci.edu
Wednesday, January 3, 2018 8:08 AM