Derek,
I have a couple of questions, first:
1. How did you secure liability release from all the people in your
video clips so that they could be used in your TA training?
2. What the clip "features" may be coded in several ways. There are
some software packages out there that allow such cataloging and
multiple codings. Have you already chosen a software package (e.g.,
some QSR package)?
3. For leading discussion, my suggestion is to look at the kinds of
questions available in S. Friedberg (Ed.)(2001). Teaching mathematics
in colleges and universities: case studies for today's classroom,
American Mathematical Society. Web site for the project:
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/math/publicprojectPI/
Though there is a link to summaries of the cases on the site, there are
no sample questions.
Now, to address your questions. Things to consider to focus the efforts
of the TAs:
a. determine the types of teaching/tutoring experience of TA
participants; if no one in the room has any experience, the use of a
video-case may generate little discussion or it may result in a lot of
discussion that may not be easy to get focused on effective teaching
and learning (because little divergence of viewpoint may be present).
One way of addressing this is to set up the video-case BEFORE it is
seen and direct the attention of TAs to the tasks they will be asked to
perform after seeing the case (i.e., give them b., below, and ask them
to review it before the case is offered). In my work with new college
teachers I spend several hours on us getting to know each other before
introducing a case for discussion. If there are a variety of
perspectives on teaching and learning among the TAs, it helps to pair
them (see b.) heterogeneously. Two novices working together can have
trouble attending to the LEARNING - they will tend to focus on any
instructor "telling" going on and evaluate it as if the "telling" is
teaching.
b. break participants into pairs; ask each pair to list the reasons
(mathematical and other) that they think are behind a
student/instructor confusion or communication difficulty
i. what was said? what appears to have been heard?
ii. what questions would they (the individuals in the pair of TAs)
ask to increase clarity.? NOTE: This instructs participants to generate
QUESTIONS, not things they would "say" or "tell" someone.
iii. what should happen next? why?
Ooh, gotta jet to class. That's it for now.
Sincerely,
Shandy
> From: Derek Bruff <bruff(a)fas.harvard.edu
> Date: Thu Feb 10, 2005 5:47:24 PM America/Denver
> To: Preparing and Supporting Teachers of Undergraduate Mathematics
> <pstum-list(a)lists.fas.harvard.edu
> Subject: [PSTUM-list] More on Video Case Studies
> Reply-To: Preparing and Supporting Teachers of Undergraduate
> Mathematics <pstum-list(a)lists.fas.harvard.edu
> PSTUM List,
> I have two related requests for
information.
> 1) I'm working on assembling a library
of video clips of teachers in
> action
> for use in TA training. My initial goal is to index or code the clips
> in a
> way that facilitates finding a clip that features, for example,
> ...the definition of the derivative or
> ...students presenting work at the board or
> ...a teacher with particularly effective oratory skills.
> I'm wondering if there are any
existing coding schemes that I might
> use to
> help me index the clips in this way. Any ideas?
> 2) I'm leading an upcoming session
(tomorrow actually!) in our TA
> training
> seminar in which I plan to present a few interesting video clips from
> this
> library-in-progress and lead a discussion about the clips. Has anyone
> led a
> similar session (for TAs or other groups), and, if so, what types of
> questions did you ask to help direct the discussion?
> Thanks in advance!
> Derek
> --
> Derek Bruff, Preceptor
> Department of Mathematics, Harvard University
> Email: bruff(a)fas.harvard.edu
> Web:
http://www.derekbruff.com/
>
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