Overview
The MSU Certification in College Teaching Program (CCTP) is an initiative of The Graduate School in partnership with departments and colleges. The program is designed to assist and prepare graduate students interested in entering academia or other professional programs where communication of ideas is required. The program will help graduate students organize and develop their teaching experience in a systematic and thoughtful way under the guidance of faculty mentors and campus offices and programs. The program includes course work, attendance to workshops and seminars, mentored teaching experience, and the creation of a teaching portfolio to showcase the participant’s teaching philosophy and pedagogical growth. Detailed information on the University program can be found in the MSU Certification in College Teaching Guidebook.
Benefits of Participation in the CCTP
The communication of ideas is crucial to many agriculture and natural resource-based fields, especially academic positions. The job market for these positions is becoming increasingly competitive. Where once research experience (with minimal training in teaching) was sufficient to obtain academic positions, it is now vital that graduate students prepare as teachers as well as researchers. Yet, the opportunities for formal preparation in post-secondary education can be limited. The CCTP was developed in response to the desire of students to gain structured teaching experience and facilitate the acquisition of academic positions after graduation.
"A Scientific Basis for the Art of Teaching"
The CCTP exposes participants to a variety of techniques for teaching and learning, including: teaching adult students, teaching strategies for science-based fields (e.g., experiential-based learning, problem-based learning, and cooperative learning), and technology-assisted instruction. The program will prepare participants for creating and implementing a teaching philosophy, curriculum development, assessment and evaluation, and understanding the teaching academy. Principle among the tangible benefits of the program is the creation of a teaching portfolio and the award of a certificate. The portfolio is a written record of the participant’s experiences in the program as well as an exhibition of personal reflection, insight, and growth; the portfolio will be an aid during professional interviews to document teaching experience. Upon completion of the program, the participant will receive a formal designation on the transcripts indicating teaching experience at the college level and will receive a certificate from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in teaching at the college level.
Eligibility
To be eligible, students must be in a M.S. or PhD program in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and have a commitment to developing their teaching competence.
Requirements
1. Application to the Program
Interested students should consult with their College CCTP coordinator (contact information below) about certification requirements. Applicants must:
- Complete the Application_Form.
- Write a Statement of Interest, expressing a commitment to the program (see Application_Form).
- Obtain a letter of support from the student’s graduate research advisor/ major professor.
These materials may be submitted electronically to branden4@anr.msu.edu or in hard-copy to:
Dr. Richard Brandenburg
Acting Associate Dean for Graduate Programs
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
121 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2. Course Work
CCTP participants must complete either ANR 886: Teaching and Learning in Applied Sciences (3 credits; fall of odd years) or SME 870: Teaching College Science (2 credits; spring of every year) with a grade of 3.0 or higher. ANR 886 presents applications of pedagogical techniques to applied sciences through discussions, presentations, and activities. SME 870 explores philosophies of education, ethnic, gender, and cultural issues, design of labs, problems of class size, instructional technologies, assessment and evaluation. Other suggested courses can be found in the Course Work.
3. Core Area Competencies
The CCTP program was assembled around five core competency areas:
- Adult Students as Learners – Creating Learning Environments
- Learning styles
- Diversity
- Motivation
- Communication skills
- Active learning
- Effective strategies for classroom management
- Teaching Strategies in Agriculture and Natural Resources
- How to design and facilitate learning of content specific to agriculture and natural resources
- Instructional design (plan a course; objective)
- Contexts: discussion, small groups, lecture recitations, individual tutoring
- Assessment of Learning
- Testing
- Grading
- Classroom assessment
- Portfolio assessment
- Technology in the Classroom
- Uses of e-mail, internet, and multimedia
- Distance learning (optional)
- Professional Development - Understanding the Academy
- Understanding of 2- and 4- year colleges
- Universities
- Rights, roles and responsibilities of faculty
Competency in these five core areas is a requirement of the CCTP. Participation in workshops (see list of Workshops), seminars, specific courses (see Course Work), course-specific TA training programs, and professional meetings may count toward completion of the core areas. A minimum of one workshop, seminar, etc., (hereafter activities) is required to fulfill each of the five core areas; however, participation in additional activities is strongly encouraged since few activities provide the range of topics inherent in the five core areas. Each activity should be summarized in a Reflection Paper that synthesizes the activity with the components of the core competency area. Competency in these areas will be evaluated by the CCTP coordinator upon review of the Teaching Portfolio (below).
4. Mentored Teaching Experience
CCTP participants are required to conduct one semester of Mentored Teaching Experience; participation in multiple semesters of teaching experience is encouraged, but not required. The mentored teaching experience is designed to bring together graduate students with faculty in their disciplines that have similar pedagogical interests. Academic advisors may serve as the participant’s teaching mentors; however, participants may choose to work with another faculty member within or outside their Department or School. The mentored teaching experience requires the completion of a teaching project (described in the Mentored Teaching Experience document; UCRIHS approval may be necessary for some teaching projects) and a minimum of one Reflection Paperon experiences while teaching. Graduate students and faculty mentors should have active discussions about teaching and learning and explore innovative teaching practices. Note: the requirements of the mentored teaching experience are flexible. The requirement may be fulfilled in many ways, including online instruction, hosting workshops, or teaching seminar courses. The faculty mentor and CCTP participant should decide on a mentored teaching experience appropriate for the participant’s future goals.
5. Teaching Portfolio
The teaching portfolio will demonstrate and document the participant’s accomplishments and pedagogical growth during the CCTP. The portfolio should contain Reflection Papers on teaching philosophies and the five core competency areas, as well as curricular development materials, faculty observations, student evaluations, and other supporting activities from the core competency areas. The CCTP program coordinator will review and evaluate the portfolio, initiating discussions of the contents with the program participant where appropriate. Instructions for creating the teaching portfolio and sample portfolio structures may be found in the Teaching Portfolio Requirements. The completed portfolio should be a high quality, professional document that may be used by the participant as evidence of teaching experience during future interviews for academic positions.
Completion of Program
The CCTP participant must complete and illustrate competency in the above requirements to earn the Certification in College Teaching. The student must complete the Certification_Form and include a copy in the teaching portfolio. The CCTP program coordinator, along with the faculty mentor, will consult with the participant to develop a program appropriate for the student. The CCTP program coordinator will determine when the participant has met all the CCTP requirements. Completion of the program is expected to take approximately two years. Upon completion of the program, the participant will receive a certificate from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Michigan State University indicating the participant’s knowledge about and experience in teaching at the college level. Note: the participant will not receive a degree or state certification in teaching. Participation in the CCTP program will also result in a notation on the participant’s transcript.
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