Assignments
MTH 599 — 2011/2012

General Requirements

Seminars and Colloquiua

Each student is expected to attend 2–3 research talks per term.

• Colloquiua or research seminars within the department are good choices.
• Colloquiua or research seminars in other departments (or at other institutions) may also be used, so long as they have significant mathematical content.
• Talks at conferences are also acceptable, again so long as they have significant mathematical content.

For 2 of the talks, a brief writeup is expected.

• Include the title, the speaker's name and affiliation, and the date and place of the talk.
• Include a brief description of the content of the talk in your own words.
  What did you learn? What do you still not understand?

Teaching

Each student is expected to participate in 1–2 teaching activities per term.

• One option is to visit the classroom of a mathematics (or closely related science) course taught by an experienced instructor, ideally including both lecture and recitation sections.
  Make sure to obtain the instructor's permission beforehand!
• Other options will likely include participation in selected activities offered by other units on campus, such as the Center for Teaching and Learning. Further details will be announced when available.

For 1 of the activities, a brief writeup is expected.

• For a class visit, include the name of the course, the instructor's name, and the date and time.
• Include a brief description of the content and format of the class.
  Did you observe any teaching strategies you might like to use in your own classroom someday?

Fall 2011

Week 10

Due 11/30/11:

All 3 writeups are due in class on Wednesday.
(Yes, I'll accept them through Friday.)

Week 9

Due 11/23/11:

There is no class meeting this week, but you should have finished your second writeup by now. If not, you've got a long weekend to work on them...

Week 8

Due 11/16/11:

It's week 8. If you haven't yet turned in your first writeup, that means you have to do one per week in order to get done. Do one this week...

Week 7

Due 11/11/11:

There is again no formal assignment this week, beyond reflecting about this week's discussion and being prepared to briefly continue it at the start of next week's class. However, you are strongly encouraged to submit your second research or teaching writeup by the end of the week.

Week 6

Due 11/2/11:

Our guest speaker in Week 6 will be Robin Pappas, Assistant Director of the Center of Teaching and Learning. She has asked that students prepare for her presentation as described below:

As the term moves from the shared enthusiasm of Week 1 to the anxiety and fatigue following the first midterm, what happens in the classroom can shift in unexpected ways. What was originally working may no longer be effective; what hasn't worked well from the start may become difficult or obstructive for both the course/recitation leader and the students. For the seminar on 11/2, we will consider factors that contributed to this shift and identify ways of realigning your sections to promote the best learning environment possible for the rest of the term. To prepare for this conversation, please brainstorm about and jot down responses to the questions below.

• What behaviors (for good or for ill) have crept into class that weren't (as) evident before mid-term?
• What changes have you noticed in students' study skills or levels of preparedness for class? What patterns have you noticed?
• What strategies have you tried thus far to maintain the motivation and concentration levels in the students? Which have been most successful? Which have been less successful? For those that haven't worked, what factors contributed to their inefficacy?
• What have you wanted to try in the classroom (or in your correspondence with students) this term but haven't? What has held you back?
• How has your process of preparing for class changed so far? What is your routine? What data do you have that indicate the process is effective? What data do you have that point to possible areas for change?

Week 5

Due 10/28/11:

There is again no formal assignment this week. However, you are strongly encouraged to submit your first research writeup by the end of the week.

Week 4

Due 10/19/11:

There is no formal assignment this week, but this would be a good time to attend a research talk, and to submit a brief writeup as described above.

Week 3

Due 10/12/11 (in class):

Write a short description of something that went particularly well in one of your classes this week, either one that you are teaching (preferred), or one that you are taking. Include the topic and a brief statement of the class format. Be prepared to describe this experience in class (so you might want to bring a copy with you).

Week 2

Due 10/7/11:

There is no formal assignment this week, but this would be a good time to attend a research talk, and to submit a brief writeup as described above.

Week 1

Due 9/30/11:

Send an email message to me at tevian@math.oregonstate.edu, Include basic information about yourself, such as where you completed your undergraduate degree, what you hope to specialize in, and what you hope to do when you finish at OSU. Also let me know whether you are a GTA, and if so for which course and instructor. Feel free to add any further information you wish.
Please send a copy of your message (or a separate one should you prefer) to David Finch, Chair of the Graduate Committee, at finch@math.oregonstate.edu.