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TTAC Central Seminar Overview

The Central Seminar, taught in the Fall Quarter, is designed to prepare TTACs to teach a course on technology to TAs in their department with the following goals in mind:

     Integrating technology into undergraduate teaching

While the seminar advocates that the use of technology in teaching always be driven by pedagogical objectives, it is also designed to encourage teaching assistants (and the faculty and students with whom they work) to see technology as an exciting source of inspiration for curriculum innovation.  However, the idea is not to train in technology but to help TTACs learn how to meet particular teaching challenges by using the right technological tools for each situation.

Thinking critically about the many roles of technology in teaching

In the seminar, we will discuss the various roles technology can play in teaching and learning. Does the department use technology that generates interaction in the classroom and/or technology that centers on teacher presentation? Will technology be used both inside and outside the classroom? If so, will it be used for administrative and/or pedagogical needs in these settings? Will technology be viewed primarily as a time-saver tool for teachers or as a tool to make learning more accessible for students? We will discuss these issues in a collaborative learning environment.

Curriculum Overview

Some of the topics covered in the training seminar include:

  • The Pros and Cons of Teaching with Technology: Technology that is effective in terms of furthering learner outcomes and how to integrate this technology into lesson plans.
  • Overview of pedagogical uses of technology: Technology used inside the classroom versus outside the classroom; technology that is interactive as opposed to technology that is teacher-centered; technology used for "housekeeping" (e.g. keeping grades) versus technology used for pedagogical purposes; technology as a time-saver versus technology as a promoter of learning.
  • Design of 496 (departmental TTAC seminar) syllabus: What technologies to include in the syllabus and why?
  • Microteaching: TTACs will present a portion of a lesson which they will teach to their TAs in their 496 seminar.