Bok Pedagogy Fellows
2022–2023
Emily Epperson
My work as a Bok PF involved 1) conducting class observations and video consultations, 2) co-teaching two Bok seminars, and 3) creating a language teaching guide. The observations and seminars were demonstrations of how the same active learning strategies are effective in teaching in different disciplines. The language teaching guide provides a general overview of community building, in-class activities, and feedback strategies for TFs who are new to teaching languages. It includes annotated links to research on each topic. It is the result of input, recommendations, and shared materials from directors of language programs, preceptors, and TFs in different departments.
View Emily's capstone project.
Lauren Sullivan
As the Bok Pedagogy Fellow in STEM, I had the incredible opportunity to discuss pedagogy with a wide range of STEM TFs and observe classes across STEM disciplines. Cross-discipline observations offer a wealth of previously unconsidered and innovative teaching practices. However, it may feel initially daunting to offer relevant insight. Upon reflection on the commonality between STEM fields and the deep resource of peer observation, I created a handout resource using the “Bok guide” format to provide a foundation for TFs to conduct insightful observations outside of their field with confidence.
2021–2022
Julia Judge Mulhall
Harvard provides extensive and robust resources both for accessible education and for pedagogical training for faculty and graduate students. A challenge we face now is how best to integrate these two efforts. A first step is to connect faculty and TFs to strategies, resources, and training opportunities for creating an accessible classroom. For my Capstone project as a Bok Pedagogy Fellow, I drafted a new online resource for faculty and TFs to take the first steps in creating accessible course content for their classrooms.
View Julia's capstone project.
Dana Mirsalis
"Accessible Education at Harvard: An Introduction" is a combination slide deck and toolkit about accessible education at Harvard University. It includes a slide deck, a presenter's script, and a selection of further resources at the end. It covers topics including: why teachers should care about accessible education, how to get accommodations at Harvard (as well as barriers to receiving accommodations), and what Teaching Fellows can do to promote accessibility in their own classrooms.
Derek Robey
I was fortunate to serve as a Bok Pedagogy Fellow for the Harvard College Program in General Education this year. For the capstone project, I am working with Jonah Johnson and the Bok Center team to expand the use and impact of Gen Ed Writes, which is a website that provides resources for course heads, Teaching Fellows, and students in courses with writing assignments. In order to expand its use and impact, I am developing a survey on user experience and will analyze the data to determine next steps.
2020–2021
Buse Aktas
One way to test your assumptions about ‘effective teaching and learning’ is to turn it into an education research project, where you modify a class/unit and quantitatively and qualitatively assess the outcomes. In this project, I modified an existing engineering course (ENG-SCI 120) by designing and incorporating more diverse, playful, and applicable/relatable assignments and activities, as well as by making some structural changes. I measured the outcomes by looking at student self-efficacy, performance on a concept inventory test, and responses to an open-ended question. I’m currently analyzing the data to see if and how these modifications have improved outcomes.
Anna Hopper
My PF capstone this year was comprised of a series of reflections on how COVID has changed my communication with TFs. Interestingly, I've had many fewer TFs reach out through formal channels (e.g. requesting observations) and many more requests for help in informal ways (e.g. over Slack or in non-pedagogy-related Zoom meetings). In my presentation, I discussed some sample interactions with TFs and potential lessons learned.
Olivia Miller
As a Bok Pedagogy Fellow, I had the opportunity to co-lead the undergraduate Course Assistant (CA) Training that took place before the beginning of the 2020 fall semester. Through the CA feedback on the fall training and my own experience as a TF working with CAs, I have realized the unique role of CAs and the insight they can bring to an undergraduate level course as well as the challenges they might face. I have focused on highlighting both the challenges and opportunities of the CA role and have provided suggestions for better supporting undergraduates in this role.
View Olivia's capstone project.
Suzanne Paszkowski
This poster represents the work I did in reading bell hooks's Teaching to Transgress. This started out as a PF reading group in the fall, and I was able to transform it into a Bok Seminar this spring. We met bi-weekly for an hour 6 times, reading approximately 30 pages each session, and each time the conversations were inspiring, challenging, and worthwhile--there are so many people in our community who care about teaching. The quotes on the poster capture some of the ideas in Teaching to Transgress, and the strategies in the bottom right are my advice to future PFs.
View Suzanne's capstone project.
2019–2020
Anna Hopper
This project involves cataloging experiences of moving learning activities online in Spring 2020. This semester provided a unique scenario where both students and faculty did not sign up for online teaching but were thrown into the situation unexpectedly. This is markedly different than when a course is originally designed to be taught online. The project aims to add to the Bok Center's existing resources about teaching online by providing examples of how students and teachers have experienced this semester's unique transitions.
Amy Lakeman
In the politically polarized context of contemporary America, university students and instructors can struggle to manage classroom ideological conflict. Students wish to engage in meaningful discussion around contentious topics, and pedagogical literature suggests avoidance is harmful. Yet TFs may feel ill-equipped to respond to challenging discussion topics, particularly if there is an ideological disagreement with students. I surveyed Harvard undergraduates regarding their experiences with ideological conflict in the classroom. I draw on their stories to develop a one-page resource sheet for TFs. In the future, these efforts could be expanded into a workshop for TFs.
Kimberly Moore & Kari Taylor-Burt
Clear communication is essential for a successful career in science and beyond. For our Capstone Project, we taught a 6-week Bok Seminar on science communication. Each week we focused on a different aspect of communication, with a corresponding real-world product:, including motivation and audience, storytelling, visuals, teaching, and outreach and informal conversations. We have compiled resources to help future Pedagogy Fellows lead this course, including lesson plans. In the future, we hope that Pedagogy Fellows will be able to incorporate training in modes of online communication including podcasts and social media.
View Kimberly and Kari's capstone project.
Jorden Sharick
This feedback form is designed to collect information about TF experiences during the transition to and work of remote teaching in Spring 2020. The details it gathers could help departments as they prepare for the possibility of remote teaching in Fall 2020 and in their broader efforts to develop durable programs of pedagogical support for TFs. I hope that it serves as a useful tool for reflecting upon and recording the realities of our online teaching in the current moment—and that it contributes to conversations about the value of such reflection for future moments of in-person teaching as well.
View Jorden's capstone project.
Thomas Wisniewski
As a teacher of new teachers, I’ve focused on training graduate students to work on improving their methods of communication by: one, envisioning teaching as public speaking that varies according to the social context in which it’s done; two, practicing leading seminar-style dialogues in lieu of monologues (lectures); and three, taking risks and experimenting with novel pedagogies such as Pre-Texts, which radically decenters and destabilizes traditional structures of authority in the classroom.