Workshop Synthesis

This page is an attempt to synthesize key take-away messages from the 2010 workshop for Early Career Faculty in the Geosciences.

What We've Learned at this Workshop

  • Designing classroom activities and assignments
  • Sitting down and scheduling my time: how to use time efficiently/effectively
  • Think-pair-share and gallery walk pedagogies
  • Formative versus summative assessment; cooperative exams as learning experiences
  • To set goals first, then think about tasks (both in research and in teaching)
  • Teaching techniques for large classes (gallery walk, other active learning activities)
  • Proposal review: reading other people's proposal ideas and getting feedback on our own
  • The importance of clearly communicating expectations to students
  • Strategic planning: the value of figuring out where to start, what to do next
  • It's okay to take a week away to plan the coming year(s); planning is key

How We Can Support Each Other Going Forward

  • Facebook group for keeping ourselves accountable on writing
  • Speaker exchange: be seminar speakers for each other's schools/departments
  • Ask each other for advice - we're a network for each other
  • Get together with other workshop participants who live nearby
  • Share proposal summaries with each other for feedback
  • Share successful proposals with each other and next year's participants
  • Share expectations for students on the website