GradSTEP Provides Professional Development for Graduate and Professional Students
Feb. 7, 2013—On January 26th, the CFT celebrated its 15th annual Graduate Student Teaching Event for Professional Development (gradSTEP). This year’s event, co-sponsored by the Graduate Student Council, focused on the theme, “Beyond Four Walls: Transcending the Classroom.” The day’s events dealt extensively with how participants could utilize an array of pedagogies and techniques to enrich the...
Ask Professor Pedagogy: First time teaching a 200+ Student Survey Course
Feb. 1, 2013—Ask Professor Pedagogy is a twice monthly advice column written by Center for Teaching staff. One aspect of our mission is to cultivate dialogue about teaching and learning, so we welcome questions and concerns that arise in the classroom; particularly those from Vanderbilt faculty, students, and staff. If you have a question that you’d like...
Teaching Large Classes
Jan. 31, 2013—By Cynthia J. Brame, CFT Assistant Director Teaching large classes can pose particular challenges. How do you personalize interaction in a class with more than 100—or even more than 200—students? How do you promote student engagement when it’s so easy for a student to hide in the crowd? How do you provide helpful feedback without...
gradSTEP recap: “Beyond Four Walls: Transcending the Classroom”
Jan. 31, 2013—On Saturday, January 26th, 2013 the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching celebrated its 15th annual Graduate Student Teaching Event for Professional Development (gradSTEP). This year’s event, co-sponsored by the Graduate Student Council, focused on the theme, “Beyond Four Walls: Transcending the Classroom.” The day’s events dealt extensively with how participants could utilize an array of...
Faculty: Visit the classroom of Cynthia Paschal on January 31
Jan. 29, 2013—A Teaching Visit involves a small group of faculty who observe a colleague’s class (on a selected day), followed by an hour of conversation about what was observed, particularly shared teaching challenges. The Center for Teaching has hosted Teaching Visits for many years and they have been among the most productive and helpful events we...
Reminder: gradSTEP is tomorrow!
Jan. 25, 2013—As many of you know, GradSTEP is happening this Saturday (January 26th) from 9:00am to 3:05pm in Buttrick Hall. Saturday’s schedule includes: 9:00-9:30 Check-in, Buttrick Atrium (first event begins at 9:30 AM) 9:30-9:45 Opening Remarks 9:45-10:45 Plenary Panel: “Beyond four walls: transcending the classroom” 10:55-12:00 Session I Workshops 12:00-12:45 Lunch (Free to registered participants!) 12:45-1:50 Session II Workshops...
Grading Efficiently: Finding the Time to Grade Fairly
Jan. 25, 2013—Teaching Affiliates John Martin (Graduate Student, Biomedical Engineering) and Killian Quigley (Graduate Student, English) discuss the upcoming gradSTEP session: Grading Efficiently: Finding the Time to Grade Fairly. Held in January each year, GradSTEP provides several workshops and discussions on teaching, learning, and professional development issues across the disciplines. Registration and more details about GradSTEP are...
Ask Professor Pedagogy: Teaching to an academically diverse group
Jan. 25, 2013—Ask Professor Pedagogy is a twice monthly advice column written by Center for Teaching staff. One aspect of our mission is to cultivate dialogue about teaching and learning, so we welcome questions and concerns that arise in the classroom; particularly those from Vanderbilt faculty, students, and staff. If you have a question that you’d like...
Getting to Know Coursera: Statements of Accomplishment
Jan. 21, 2013—by Katie McEwen, graduate assistant After getting started with our discussion of assessments in Coursera in our last two posts, today we’ll turn or attention to the end point of grading and evaluation: statements of accomplishment. Sometimes also called “certificates,” these statements present something of a question for all involved. What, exactly, is Coursera certifying...
High Demand for gradSTEP Session Beyond the Ivory Tower: Alternative and Non-Academic Career Choices
Jan. 19, 2013—Careers – academic and otherwise – are on the minds of many Vanderbilt graduate students this winter as they begin applying for positions, interviewing and awaiting offers. At the CFT we can tell because the career-focused session “Beyond the Ivory Tower: Alternative and Non-Academic Career Choices” at our upcoming gradSTEP event is a popular choice....