TeachSoc Colleagues: I also teach a graduate seminar in teaching sociology and am always looking for ways to improve it.
The students in my “Teaching Sociology” course range from second year master’s with no teaching experience to those who are finishing their dissertations and applying for their first jobs. Because of this wide range, we have both group and individual objectives. Students write a contract for the particular objectives they will meet during the semester. Students with no teaching experience often focus on planning their first course, choosing teaching materials, constructing their first syllabus and beginning their teaching portfolios. More experienced students typically polish an existing course syllabus, construct learning activities, finish their teaching portfolios and write a research plan for an article they hope to publish in Teaching Sociology. The entire class spends time working on our teaching philosophies. We also all write an essay applying a sociological concept to classroom teaching. Examples of concepts students have chosen include legitimacy, alienation, and bureaucracy. We spend a lot of classroom time working on a variety of teaching techniques such as informal writing, the use of film clips, gaming and simulations, leading productive discussions and handling controversial topics. Constructing grading rubrics is also an activity students rank as especially useful. Thanks, Kathleen, for the post. I look forward to reading the replies. Maxine Maxine P. Atkinson, Ph.D. Director, N.C. State's First Year Inquiry Seminar Program Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs, and Associate Professor of Sociology North Carolina State University email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone: 919 515 9001 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Teaching Sociology" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/teachsoc -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
