Dan Garcia's Online Graduate Student Teaching Portfolio

A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.
-- Jackie Robinson
IMAGINATION
A mind once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.
-- Successories® motivational poster
No matter what our attempts to inform, it is our ability to inspire that will turn the tides.
-- Jan Phillips, co-founder, Syracuse Cultural Workers
PASSION
There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those.
-- Successories® motivational poster
What do you think of the statement, "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach"?
-- Anonymous, Topeka, Kansas
Dear Reader:
It's nonsense. If you can't explain a subject, you don't know it, and if you can explain it, you do. The ability to explain and impart should be highly prized in society, and that's the reason I have such respect for the teaching profession. In other words, I believe teaching is doing, and of the highest order.
-- Marilyn vos Savant, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the highest IQ in the world.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him to use the Net and he won't bother you for weeks.
-- Unknown Internet Maxim
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man how to fish, and he pisses away time drinking beer and getting sunburn out in a boat every weekend for the rest of his life.
-- James Wolff (1996-06-26)

Overview

This is information I've collected regarding my teaching. I've also put in some pointers to other information of more general interest.

Dedication

(Photo of Coach Dick White) I dedicate this page to Coach Dick White, the best teacher I have ever had (and after twenty six years of school, believe me I've had quite a few). His patience, insight, humor, and love of teaching serves as a constant model for my own career. He teaches Calculus for Cooperstown Central School in Cooperstown, NY. He was also my basketball coach for two years and led us to the Final Four in the the Class C state competition! He recently retired from coaching after 26 years and a 411-155 career mark, a .726 winning percentage! Coach White is pure class in everything he does.

Documents related to my teaching

* Brian M. Dennis Technology Piece on my teaching
* CS301 Teaching Techniques notes: How to be an Outstanding GSI
* Thoughts after TAing my very first section (1992-09-05).
* Teaching Effectiveness Essay - A win-win alternative to standard note-taking
* CS302: Designing Computer Science Education - My online assignments give a sense of my teaching philosophy
* My teaching effectiveness ratings
* 1997 Snapshot of anonymous student evaluations of my teaching

Teaching Awards & Honors

* Level IV (highest promotion level) Graduate Student Instructor , Spring 1997
* EECS Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor, Fall 1997
* UCB Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor (one of many), CS184 Fall 1992 (my first teaching attempt!)
* Perfect 5.0 (usually unheard of) on teaching evaluations
* Appears to have a good knowledge of the subject matter, CS39a Fall 1995, CS184 Spring 1996 & Fall 1996
* Communicates ideas effectively, CS184 Spring 1996
*Is well prepared, CS39a Fall 1995
* Is accessible during office hours, CS184 Spring 1996
* Encourages questions and/or class discussion, CS184 Fall 1996

Invited lectures

* Asked to lead Teaching and Technology Workshop at Spring 2000 Orientation and Teaching Conference for Graduate Student Instructors, January 2000.
* Asked to lead Computer Science Workshop at Fall 1999 Orientation and Teaching Conference for Graduate Student Instructors, August 1999. Here's student feedback.
* Asked to speak about my experiences teaching cs39a at BMRC Retreat on Employing Web Technology in Classes, Spring 1997
* Asked to speak about "Technology in Education" at Teaching Psychology in the 21st Century Workshop for Psychology Professors in Northern California, Spring 1997
* Asked to serve on the Computer Science AD Hoc Committee to review the TA Requirement, Fall 1996
* Asked to speak as a veteran TA to EECS 301 - CS Teaching Techniques, Fall 1993-1998
* Asked to give an Introduction to Computer Graphics at CS198 - A Detailed Overview of Computer Science, Fall 1997

Courses I've TAd (CS = Computer Science)

* Fall 1997 CS184 : Foundations of Computer Graphics (anonymous evaluations)
* Fall 1997 CS39a : Introduction to Computer Animation
* Spring 1997 CS294-5 : Virtual Reality (survey)
* Fall 1996 CS184 : Foundations of Computer Graphics (survey #2)
* Fall 1996 CS39a : Introduction to Computer Animation
* Spring 1996 CS184 : Foundations of Computer Graphics
* Fall 1995 CS39a : Introduction to Computer Animation
* Spring 1995 CS39a : Introduction to Computer Animation
* Fall 1994 CS184 : Foundations of Computer Graphics
* Spring 1994 CS2 : Introduction to Computer Animation
* Spring 1994 CS9[A-F], CS3S, E77S : Selfpaced Programming Courses
* Fall 1993 CS184 : Foundations of Computer Graphics
* Spring 1993 CS184 : Foundations of Computer Graphics
* Spring 1993 CS9[A-F], CS3S, E77S : Selfpaced Programming Courses
* Fall 1992 CS184 : Foundations of Computer Graphics
* Fall 1992 CS9[A-F], CS3S, E77S : Selfpaced Programming Courses

WWW Maven: Dan Garcia (ddgarcia@cs.berkeley.edu) Send me feedback

Dan Garcia Berkeley Computer Science

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