Upcoming PTOP/ BPA Events
Pathways to scientific teaching
(A certificate-awarding course on learner-centered teaching)
PTOP (Postdoc Teaching Opportunities Program) invites you to participate in an exciting professional development/pedagogy course titled “Pathways to Scientific Teaching”. The course involves two parts: two half-day pedagogy seminars, and an optional two-hour peer-feedback session. Participants who attend both seminars and the peer-feedback session will earn a Certificate in Learner-centered teaching from the VSPA office (great for your CV!) The course will introduce scientific teaching, which integrates the research model into learner-centered teaching approaches. Participants will gain hands-on experience in developing course materials. Diane Ebert-May, a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant Biology at Michigan State University, will teach the course.
VSPA and the Center for Teaching & Learning 3-Part Teaching Workshop
In partnership with the Berkeley Center for Teaching & Learning, VSPA is proud to offer a brand new 3-part customized teaching workshop for postdocs in Spring 2023: February 21, 28, and March 7 at 10 am each day. These interactive workshops on foundational and advanced topics related to teaching and learning will help attendees to explore the research on teaching and learning, consider evidence-based strategies to promote student learning in their courses and enhance community among their colleagues by sharing and learning from each other’s experiences in the in-person or remote classroom.
This series is a great opportunity for postdocs and visiting researchers who are seeking academic tenure-track positions to demonstrate supplemental teaching qualifications in their CVs.
Save the date and stay tuned for registration details in the VSPA Newsletter or check back with the VSPA Events website for details.
Past PTOP workshop
Be a better teacher using english as a second language
Instructor: Nicolas Gattig (Communication Coach and Author)
Time: October 2, 1:00– 5:00 pm
Location: Sproul Hall Room 209
Abstract: This interactive workshop is ideal for postdocs teaching at university, using English as a second language. Participants are encouraged to discuss personal challenges and bring their own teaching materials. Participants learn two communication strategies to make their teaching more effective: Making content clear and engaging, and teaching with authentic confidence. Through activities participants learn how to polish their language, having more impact with fewer words. They learn how to design and edit presentations to make them visually attractive and hold students’ interest. In addition, participants learn how to be more confident lecturing in English by means of effective delivery. Using feedback from the instructor and peers, they learn how to develop an authentic teaching personality and handle student challenges. The instructor has an MS in Education and has taught at universities in the U.S. and Japan. As a journalist and corporate communication coach, he brings unique insights from these fields to the workshop.
See more here
Cutting Edge Laser Applications
Presenters: Hwang Kilean, Zheng Qiye and Park Jaehong
Time: April 4th 4:00-5:30 pm
Location: Sproul Hall, room 309, Barrow Lane, Berkeley
Abstract: As Laser technology is developing faster than Moore's Law, it has been greatly changing the world of science and our daily life over the past 60 years. Here, we present examples of cutting edge Laser technology developments and applications in a public language. First, in modern scientific research, an ultrashort pulse of a laser can be generated by a special design of the source. Such laser can be used to characterize the physical processes in a short time scale which is of significance for many research fields as well as industrial materials processing. Second, a high power laser can accelerate sub-atomic particles, electrons, protons, and ions. Particle acceleration is of great importance in many fields: fundamental physics, semiconductor, clean air and water, cancer therapy, etc. Laser-based particle acceleration has attracted more attention because it is portable and cheap, compared to the conventional particle accelerators. In this talk, we understand how lasers can accelerate particles with the help of computer simulations. Third, we will present the basic characteristics and principles of free electron laser. The free electron laser opened both ultra-fast and ultra-small world to the unprecedented limit.
Registration: Click here!
Spring 2019 - OFIT sessions
Do you want to acquire on campus teaching experience this spring semester?
Apply to give your O.F.I.T. session here!
Call for board members - Recruiting Now!
Do you want to join our board or learn more about our activities?
Contact ptop-vspa@berkeley.edu