Announcing RTOP Training Sessions
published Sep 16, 2015 12:00amAre you interested in being part of an exciting team that is working to describe the nature of teaching in college and university geoscience classrooms? If so, we would love to have you join our team of Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) Observers. The RTOP team is currently collaborating with the SAGE 2YC and InTeGrate projects to help understand the impact that these programs have on geoscience teaching. We have a training session starting in late September/early October and we are seeking interested faculty.
Faculty selected as Observers are expected to complete and pass an online training tutorial and subsequently make observations of geoscience classes using a standard protocol. Observers will receive a $200 stipend for each completed observation that contributes to our data set. The training process spans ~3 weeks and will require a total of ~10-15 hours of work. The work includes watching videos of classrooms and scoring them with a standardized rubric. Each week you will also "meet" with a mentor in a conference call to go over your scores so that you can better understand the scoring protocol. If you are successful in training, we will aim to have you begin certified face to face observations this fall.
Rachel Teasdale, California State University-Chico
Katherine Ryker, Eastern Michigan University
Ellen Iverson, Carleton College
Dori Farthing, SUNY College at Geneseo
Julie Bartley, Gustavus Adolphus College
Faculty selected as Observers are expected to complete and pass an online training tutorial and subsequently make observations of geoscience classes using a standard protocol. Observers will receive a $200 stipend for each completed observation that contributes to our data set. The training process spans ~3 weeks and will require a total of ~10-15 hours of work. The work includes watching videos of classrooms and scoring them with a standardized rubric. Each week you will also "meet" with a mentor in a conference call to go over your scores so that you can better understand the scoring protocol. If you are successful in training, we will aim to have you begin certified face to face observations this fall.
Past participants have noted that the training as well as the observations themselves are forms of professional development because they expose you to a variety of teaching styles and techniques that aim to increase the degree of active learning in our geoscience classrooms.
If you would like to know more about the RTOP project please visit our website.
If you have questions don't hesitate to e-mail any one of us on the leadership team or Monica Bruckner.
The RTOP Leadership Team:
Karen Viskupic, Boise StateRachel Teasdale, California State University-Chico
Katherine Ryker, Eastern Michigan University
Ellen Iverson, Carleton College
Dori Farthing, SUNY College at Geneseo
Julie Bartley, Gustavus Adolphus College