EDC Training Schedule – Fall 2016
Training Outside of Carleton Central
The following types of training do not require registration in Carleton Central but should be kept in mind as they are often better suited for the development of particular skills. Individuals interested in participating in these forms of training should consult with their TA Mentor, their department, or the EDC.
- Peer Feedback: After the reviewer and reviewer have completed the necessary steps and made arrangements, a peer attends an in-class teaching session to observe and provide feedback on areas of strength and areas for growth.
- NOTE: anyone wishing to conduct an observation for Peer Feedback must first complete the 1-hour online workshop “Conducting Peer Feedback.” No credit for hours is given until both the online and live components have been completed.
- Read the full description of this training option here.
- Peer Mentor: New teaching assistants are matched with experienced teaching assistants to help advise them in their new roles, as well acclimatize them to the university. (Only available in participating departments; max. 3 hours of paid training credit per year.)
- Read the full description of this training option here.
- TA Articles: Teaching assistants research and submit a brief 1–2-page article on a teaching methodology from their faculty or department, or a piece of wisdom they wish to share with other teaching assistants at the university. Max. 2 per academic year.
- NOTE: The final day to submit the first draft of aS TA Article is February 17th, 2017.
- Read the full description of this training option here.
- Microteaching: This inclusive environment format of training seeks to improve the teaching and presentation skills of teaching assistants and graduate students. Sessions are 3 hours long, max., and can accommodate 4 (min.) to 6 (max.) individuals.
- NOTE: Before a live microteaching session, participants must first form a microteaching group, settle on a timeline for completion (include your host!), and then complete the online “Participating in a Microteach” session. No credit for hours is given until both the online and live components have been completed.
- Live Sessions: Live microteaching sessions are scheduled on demand. If you are hoping to have the EDC host the session, be sure to contact well in advance. TAs are credited hours for the time it takes to run the live microteach. Usually, it takes approximately 30 minutes to go through the cycle with each participant.
- Read the full description of this training option here.
- Online Workshops: The EDC now offers both blended workshops (i.e., workshops that have an online and a face-to-face component) as well as fully online workshops. These tend to be 1.0-1.5 hours long, max.
- Read the full description of this training option here.
Workshops
The following sessions are traditional workshops ranging in length from 1–2 hours that involve a limited amount of presentation and a variety of activities, including discussion, presentations, games, worksheets, and so on.
Registration: Teaching assistants register for these sessions in Carleton Central.
1. Art of Conversation: Facilitating a Discussion Group (1.5 hrs)
Dr. Chris Brown, Public Affairs
This interactive workshop will focus on facilitating live, in-person discussion groups.Why hold discussion groups in the first place?How should you prepare for them?What are some common problems encountered?What are some strategies for addressing these problems?The workshop is intended for TAs who are currently leading in-person discussion groups, especially those who are relatively new to the role.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Facilitating a discussion, managing a classroom
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations: All FASS & FPA TAs, max. enrolment of 20
Scheduling:
●Tuesday, September 13th, 1-2:30pm
●Location: 422 DT
2. Developing a Framework for Teaching (1.5 hrs)
Dr. Anthony Marini, Educational Development Centre
This session presents participants with a framework to help design their presentations. The model assists the instructor in identifying key learning objectives, enhance student participation, and explore strategies for embedding assessment techniques in their presentations designed to inform both the instructor and the student as to the impact of the instruction. The benefits of the model to focus instruction and help instructors become more efficient in their teaching preparation will also be highlighted.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Engaging students, planning lessons
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations: All TAs, max. enrolment of 20
Scheduling:
●Wednesday, September 14th, 9:30-11am
●Location: 481 MacOdrum Library (The “Learning Lab” in the Discovery Centre)
3. Facilitating Online Discussions (1.5 hrs)
Dr. Morgan Rooney, Educational Development Centre
Creating a safe, engaging, productive classroom environment is already a big challenge for live teaching, so how do you do it if you’re asked to teach in an online environment where online discussion forums are often your main point of contact with students? In this session, we’ll discuss strategies for facilitating online discussions and consider just how much overlap there is between best practices for live and online teaching.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Engaging students, teaching online
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations:All TAs, max. enrolment of 25
Scheduling:
●Wednesday, September 14th, 1-2:30pm
●Location: 3174 Mackenzie Building
4. Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment (1.5 hrs)
Rosella Ingriselli, Educational Development Centre
"The contrast is low."
"This font’s hard to read."
"I don’t know what is this image is."
"How will I succeed?"
PowerPoint, Word and articles too
Creating an inclusive environment, there are things you can do!
Come and learn how to make things barrier free,
You’ll be helping lots of students, just wait and see.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Examining barriers to learning, creating inclusive learning environments
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations:All TAs, max. enrolment of 25
Scheduling:
●Thursday, September 15th, 10-11:30am
●Location: 217 Tory Building
5. Incorporating Activities in Discussion Groups (1.5 hrs)
Dr. Morgan Rooney, Educational Development Centre
After a while, even the most lively discussion group can become stagnant. At this point, it’s time to get creative! This workshop will demonstrate a number of different teaching techniques that can be customized to your discussion group, including small group activities, games, and worksheets.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Managing a classroom, facilitating a discussion, incorporating and managing activities
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations:All FASS & FPA TAs, max. enrolment of 20
Scheduling:
●Friday, September 16th, 10-11:30am
●Location: 422 DT
6. Motivating Students in Online and Blended Learning Environments (1 hr)
Maristela Petrovic-Dzerdz, Educational Development Centre
What do students report as main obstacles for success in online and blended learning environments? What can we do to improve student motivation in these new modes of learning? What is the role TA can play in this effort and how can it, in return, help TAs in their teaching assignments? In this interactive workshop, we will explore the basic motivational states and strategies for improving students’ level of confidence and satisfaction, which are the essential factors of success in learning.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Engaging students, online teaching
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations: All TAs, max. enrolment of 20
Scheduling:
●Friday, September 16th, 1-2pm
●Location: 422 DT
7. Asking Effective Questions (1.5 hrs)
Dr. Eileen Harris, Educational Development Centre
Questions serve a variety of functions: checking levels of understanding (or misunderstanding); keeping students alert; engaging students in active participation in a lesson; and allowing students to express their thoughts and ideas. The way we ask questions impacts student learning. This workshop will explore how effective questioning techniques can lead to improvement in student learning. Specifically, the workshop will focus on lower and higher order questions (Bloom’s taxonomy), divergent and convergent questions and open-ended questions. Please bring materials from your course to use as the basis for planning questions that foster student understanding.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Engaging students, facilitating a discussion, asking effective questions
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations: All TAs, max. enrolment of 25
Scheduling:
●Monday, September 19th, 10-11:30am
●Location: 422 DT
8. Transitioning from Learner to Teacher: Effective Practices for New TAs (1.5 hrs)
David Pringle, School of Public Policy and Administration
This workshop is organized around the belief that you know more about being a TA than you think you do, if only because you have already had experience as an undergrad engaging with a TA. Through “pair and share” discussions with colleagues, participants will reflect on past experiences with TAs and identify things they liked and didn’t like in their TA interactions and effective and ineffective TA performances. By the end of this workshop, you will have helped identify a set of “best practices” for being a TA.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Managing a classroom, managing your time
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions: All New TAs, max. enrolment of 25
Scheduling:
●Tuesday, September 20th, 1-2:30pm
●Location: 422 DT
9. Providing Feedback to Enhance Student Learning and Engagement(1.5 hrs)
Dr. Anthony Marini, Educational Development Centre
A critical step in the assessment process involves providing students with effective feedback which both enhances their understanding and guides their learning. The workshop will examine the various techniques for providing timely and constructive feedback across a number of assessment formats and disciplines. Techniques will focus on the “language” of effective feedback and will explore how assessment tools can address the time demands involved.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Providing effective feedback
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions: All TAs, max. enrolment of 20
Scheduling:
●Wednesday, September 21st, 10-11:30am
●Location: 422 DT
10. Improving Your Teaching through Feedback (1.5 hrs)
Dr. Morgan Rooney, Educational Development Centre
Teacher-scholars recognize the fundamental importance of timely, constructive feedback in helping their students progress and in developing their own scholarship, and yet they often overlook taking advantage of feedback for improving their teaching. In this workshop, we will explore some common misperceptions toward student and peer feedback, its many tangible benefits for both students and teachers, and the various means you can use to solicit it.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Managing a classroom, soliciting and incorporating feedback
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations:All TAs, max. enrolment of 20
Scheduling:
●Friday, September 23rd, 10-11:30am
●Location: 422 DT
11. Encouraging Active Learning and Engagement in Your Course
Alaba Agbatogun, Educational Development Centre
Active learning instructional approaches are attracting the attention of educators and researchers. Recently, research is demonstrating not only the utility, but also the efficacy of the adoption of active learning strategies in instruction. This training session explores active learning generally, why active learning strategies are instructionally important in higher education courses, and how these strategies can be incorporated effectively into a variety of teaching and learning settings.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Engaging students, using interactive teaching strategies
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations: All TAs, max. enrolment of 25
Scheduling:
●Friday, September 23rd, 1:30-3pm
●Location: 422 DT
12. Teaching New Dogs Old Tricks: Engaging Students in Library Research (1.5 hrs)
Martha Attridge Bufton, Carleton University Library
Generation Y students like search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo—so much so that googling is now a verb. So how do we get these students into the library, either in person or “on the cloud”? Martha Attridge Bufton, a subject specialist at the Carleton University Library, will share some of the teaching strategies she uses to raise awareness of the need to use library resources in order to find “good” information when delivering in-class workshops to large groups; it’s all about filter bubbles, Youtube, and peer instruction.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Engaging students, managing a classroom
EDC Credit: Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations: FASS and FPA TAs only, max. enrolment of 25
Scheduling:
●Monday, September 26th, 10-11:30am
●Location: 422 DT
13. Helping Students Ask Effective Questions (1.5 hrs)
Dr. Eileen Harris, Educational Development Centre
The ability to think is based on the capacity to ask and consider important questions. Therefore, in order to improve thinking skills, we need to develop the questioning abilities of students. This workshop will explore ways to help students develop the ability to ask deep, challenging, and meaningful questions. The focus of this workshop will be on strategies to help students ask important questions. The importance of questions for self-reflection will also be discussed. Please bring materials from your course to use as the basis for workshop activities.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Fostering critical thinking
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations: All TAs, max. enrolment of 25
Scheduling:
●Wednesday, September 28th, 10-11:30am
●Location: 422 DT
14. Giving Effective Presentations: The Experience of Two Nerds (1.5 hrs)
Matt Sorley & Chris Motz, Department of Psychology
We all end up giving presentations, but these do not have to be bad nor do they have to cause us undue anxiety. This interactive workshop will examine good and bad presentation techniques in a variety of contexts, and will offer guidance for making this a rewarding experience for both theclass or audience as well as the presenter.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Giving presentations
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations:All TAs, max. enrolment of 20
Scheduling:
●Tuesday, September 27th, 1-2:30pm
●Location: 422 DT
15.Art of Conversation: Facilitating a Discussion Group (1.5 hrs)
Dr. Chris Brown, Public Affairs
This interactive workshop will focus on facilitating live, in-person discussion groups.Why hold discussion groups in the first place?How should you prepare for them?What are some common problems encountered?What are some strategies for addressing these problems?The workshop is intended for TAs who are currently leading in-person discussion groups, especially those who are relatively new to the role.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Facilitating a discussion, managing a classroom
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations: All FASS & FPA TAs, max. enrolment of 20
Scheduling:
●Thursday, September 29th, 10-11:30am
●Location: 422 DT
16.Sexual Assault: Impacts and Implications for Your Classroom (1.5 hrs)
Carrolyn Johnston, Equity Services
This workshop will discuss the individual impacts of sexual assault as well as its implications for students’ academic success and how you can assist and support them in classroom. The workshop will be interactive and feature many opportunities for discussion.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Managing a classroom, creating an inclusive classroom
EDC Credit: Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations: All TAs, max. enrolment of 25
Scheduling:
●Thursday, September 29th, 1-2:30pm
●Location: 422 DT
17.Supporting and Accommodating Students with Disabilities (1.5 hrs)
Boris Vukovic , Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities
This workshop will provide an overview of the services available through the Paul Menton Centre (PMC) for Students with Disabilities at Carleton. PMC coordinators will cover the basics of the accommodation process, including a background on relevant legislations, disability statistics, documentation standards and requirements, accommodation procedures, and available resources. The second part of the workshop will be open for discussion of issues specific to the work of TAs, and you will be invited to present cases, questions, or scenarios to the PMC coordinators for feedback and advice.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Managing a classroom, adopting institutional standards and procedures
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations: All TAs, max. enrolment of 25
Scheduling:
●Monday, October 3rd, 10-11:30am
●Location: 422 DT
18.Engineering TAs and Writing: Strategies for Helping Your Students with Their Writing-Related Issues (1.5 hrs)
Samantha Shortt, Writing Tutorial Service; Joshua Woods (TA Mentor), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Jointly offered by an Engineering TA(s)and Writing Tutorial Services (WTS), this workshop provides TAs with an overview of the writing process and common errors students make, as well as the technical aspects of writing within the discipline of engineering. TAs will learn what to look for when grading engineering papers and other writing assignments as well as better assist their students with writing-related questions.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Teaching and marking writing
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations: Engineering TAs only, max. enrolment of 25
Scheduling:
● Monday, October 3rd, 1:00-2:30pm
●Location: 422 DT
19.Dealing with Emergencies in the Classroom (1.5 hrs)
Richard Sabourin, Department of University Safety
In this session, you will be provided with basic information on what to do in response to a variety of emergency situations that could occur in your classroom. You will receive some tips on how to be better prepared for a classroom emergency and what to do in the event of one, and you will have an opportunity to ask questions about any safety-related concerns you may have. In addition, information will also be provided on the various services and programs offered by the Department of University Safety.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Managing a classroom
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations:All TAs, max. enrolment of 25
Scheduling:
●Tuesday, October 4th, 1-2:30pm
●Location: 422 DT
20. Dealing with Emergencies in the Classroom (1.5 hrs)
Richard Sabourin, Department of University Safety
In this session, you will be provided with basic information on what to do in response to a variety of emergency situations that could occur in your classroom. You will receive some tips on how to be better prepared for a classroom emergency and what to do in the event of one, and you will have an opportunity to ask questions about any safety-related concerns you may have. In addition, information will also be provided on the various services and programs offered by the Department of University Safety.
Skills/Knowledge Developed: Managing a classroom
EDC Credit?:Yes.
Restrictions/Limitations:All TAs, max. enrolment of 25
Scheduling:
●Wednesday, October 5th, 9-10:30am
●Location: 422 DT
21.Equity and Human Rights (1.5 hrs)