CS Teaching Assistants

Spring 2010

Welcome!

IntroductionsFaculty

Dr. Ken Calvert, ChairDr. Raphael Finkel, Director Graduate Studies

Dr. Jurek Jaromczyk, Director Undergraduate Studies

StaffDee Fuhs, payroll / financesPaul Linton, CS systems administrator

help@cs.uky.edu

Keep your balance!You have a teaching job, classes,

research and a LIFE!How do you balance it?TALK to your supervisor AND your

advisor if you are getting overloadedSchedules can be adjusted with

some notice!Check out gradshare.com – graduate

students talking about their problems and how they cope

Your class scheduleYour class schedule

If you are a returning student, you If you are a returning student, you should have already registered for should have already registered for classes – if not, then do it now!classes – if not, then do it now!

If you are registered, please do not If you are registered, please do not make changes unless absolutely make changes unless absolutely necessarynecessary

If you make a change or have If you make a change or have made one in the last few days, tell made one in the last few days, tell your supervisor now!your supervisor now!

Class / Section assignmentsClass / Section assignments

Rules for changing assignments are Rules for changing assignments are onlineonline

Tell me what you want to change TO, Tell me what you want to change TO, not just what you want to change FROMnot just what you want to change FROM

Write down what sections are changing Write down what sections are changing and who else is involvedand who else is involved

Both people sign the requestBoth people sign the requestMUST be done before first day class MUST be done before first day class

meetsmeets

Academic AlertsWe will try this again this semesterI’ll be asking for reports once we

get into the semesterLast semester’s efforts seemed to

help a tiny bit

Grad School workshopsEvery full-time TA goes to two during the semester

Make SURE you sign attendance sheet

Go to MORE if you like! They’re free!

Observations / Evaluations

Every TA is observed by a faculty member every semester (usually their supervisor)

Every TA is evaluated by their supervisor at the end of every semester

The TA gets a copy of each form and a chance to respond to it

Copies are kept by TA, Dr. Keen and Graduate School, and TA’s advisor

PLEASE help us by making sure your form is filled out and signed by the end of the semester!

Peer ObservationsExperienced TA paired with new TANew TA observes experienced TA

before their first class/labLater in the semester experienced

TA observes new TAAfter each observation, TAs meet

to give feedbackFinal report to Dr. Keen

Useful InformationLast day of the semester – Monday May

10 – AFTER finals week!Code for Xerox machine – 08980 –

ABET copiesTake care of payroll (I-9 and direct

deposit) with DeeTA page

www.cs.uky.edu/~keen/tas/tas.htmlPLEASE do not give this URL to PLEASE do not give this URL to

anyone!!anyone!!

More Useful InformationTA mailboxes are in 762 Anderson HallDr. Keen’s cell phone number is 576 5949

All TAs should KEEP ALL emails sent to them by students and all emails sent to students, at least until final grades are done

University accounts? Make sure yours is set up and that Dr. Keen has an email address for you

YOUR OFFICE HOURS!BE there!They will be in the Multilab or in

the RGAN lab, scheduled next week or two

Students can show up at any time! Not just the start of the hour

Even if more than one TA is scheduled for a time, it is your job to be there

Another way to be GreenAnother way to be Green

Opt-out of getting a printed pay stub Opt-out of getting a printed pay stub every monthevery month

Log into myuk.uky.eduLog into myuk.uky.eduUse Employee Self-Service tabUse Employee Self-Service tabThen Benefits and Payment tabThen Benefits and Payment tabThen check the box by “Opt out of Then check the box by “Opt out of

Printed Pay Stub” and SubmitPrinted Pay Stub” and Submit

If you have to miss…If you have to miss…

If you know that you are going to miss aIf you know that you are going to miss aTA meetingTA meetingClass meetingClass meetingExam proctoringExam proctoringExam gradingExam grading

Let your supervisor KNOW about it! Let your supervisor KNOW about it! Even if you have it covered, they need Even if you have it covered, they need to know! In advance if possible but even to know! In advance if possible but even after the fact!after the fact!

Food / Drink policiesPLEASE enforce in the labs!

Instructing versus Learning (BarrTagg)

Outcome based learning – That’s what ABET is about!

"How would we do things differently if we put learning first?"

What can we add to our classes to increase the students’ learning?

What do we do already that is not "lecture mode"?

What do we do to provide feedback and correction during the semester?

Reasons for Withdrawing“ I really struggle with this class above all others.

I work 15-25 hours a week and I also live off-campus in my own house so I have difficulty managing my time wisely when it comes to homework and studying. I enjoy computer programming I'm just not good at it.”

“I had too many things on my head and I didn't have a very good grade in this class. So in order to make sure that I'm not put on academic probation for the next semester I had to drop this class. But since I really am interested in this subject and cause I did pay for the class, I will still be attending the class. I do plan on retaking this class next semester.”

Reasons: Syllabus?I got off to the wrong start by following the

syllabus by paper and not electronically. I will be taking it next semester because it is required for my major.

"HUH??"Well, I had written down the due dates on the

paper syllabus, so I did not know that when you put the assignments online, which was my fault. My first lab was late by a day but I was not told so until the next week which made me realize the second one was already late which had led to zeroes. It was a lesson I learned, nothing really wrong with the syllabus.

What next?Today

221 TA meeting 3:30 – Dr. Kubota - 955 POT

215 TA meeting now – Mr. Soward - 763G FPAT

101 TA meeting now - RGAN 102115 TA meeting at 3 - RGAN 102

TAs assigned to other classes – see your supervisors for instructions

Graders – wait a few days for decisions

Ending ActivitiesTake Pictures – Mary, Paul, Ruxin, Ju, Michael, Matt, Jianzhong, Nirmal

Supplies – pens, folders, textbooks

Night TAs – laptops, syllabus