“What’s the purpose of this institution? I would say it’s to conceive and promote teaching and learning as a public good, not as a private good. Everything we do can be informed by that question. When we look at for-profit universities that are using for-profit technologies to create new industries, it may not only be … Continue reading »
Monthly Archives: February 2012
This Week at the Bok Center
Ever wondered what exactly goes on at the Bok Center? Here’s a quick glance at this week, by the numbers: 119 TFs (at least) will visit the Bok Center 12 sections will be videotaped for later review with a Bok Center Associate Director or Departmental Teaching Fellow. The sections represent diverse departments and Gen Ed … Continue reading »
Less Lecturing, More Learning
The current issue of Harvard Magazine includes a profile of Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics Eric Mazur, who is among those leading efforts to transform the way Harvard students learn. Professor Mazur has long been an advocate of the use of clickers and pioneered the implementation of peer instruction. (Also featured in the article … Continue reading »
Undergrad TFs: The Good, the Bad and the Awkward
This is the second in a series of posts by Anna G., a junior at Harvard who teaches one section and also serves as assistant head-TF for CS-51. At Harvard, most Teaching Fellows (TFs) are graduate students. Yet this is not the case in the Computer Science Department, and more generally in the School of Engineering and … Continue reading »
Around the Web: the Who and the What
In advance of the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a case about affirmative action in college admissions, Census figures show that more people than ever are getting bachelor’s degrees, but the race gap is widening, and an article in Harvard Business School Working Knowledge discusses Harvard professor Michael I. Norton’s findings that people are never really … Continue reading »
Quote of the Day
“We are teaching the teachers. The better we get at that, the more of an impact we can have.” -Alan Garber, HILT Symposium, Feb. 3, 2012 Continue reading »
Around the Web / Assessing Student Learning / Innovations / Leading Discussion / Multimedia / Student Engagement / Teaching with Tech
A Reader Writes . . .
Frequent Bok Blog contributor and PhD candidate in Music Matthew Mugmon recently pointed me to a new technology, meant to facilitate classroom discussion. GoSoapBox is a customizable response tool that teachers can use to solicit real-time information from students – who no longer have to raise their hands. The idea is that students will feel less self-conscious … Continue reading »
Landing Your Message: review of a teaching conference session
Today’s guest post comes from Elizabeth T. Craft, a fellow in the music department and participant in the Bok Center’s Teaching Certificate Program. Written Report on Teaching Conference Session: “Landing Your Message” January 19, 2012 I have never been overly shy about public performance – I sang, danced, and acted in high school and college, … Continue reading »
Quote of the Day
“We all teach for free, but we get paid to grade.” - Larry Bacow, HILT Symposium, Feb. 3, 2012 Continue reading »
Understanding By Design
Understanding By Design, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe Reviewed by Jason Dowd, Departmental Teaching Fellow in Physics The idea is simple enough. In teaching, you first identify the desired results. Once that’s done, you figure out what students could do that would be evidence of such results. Finally, you plan activities and learning experiences geared … Continue reading »
