| Undergraduate students are needed to
help international graduates become effective classroom instructors
are Purdue.
Classroom
Presentations (formerly called simulations)
-- Can you play the part of an
undergraduate student?
An important component of
ENGL
001T, "Classroom Communication for International Teaching
Assistants," are the presentations prepared by the students
in the course. The presentations give our students practice
speaking English in front of an audience. To make this exercise as realistic
and beneficial as possible, we ask undergraduates to come, observe,
and take part in the presentation. For example, volunteers may
be asked to participate in a question and answer session. Volunteers observe 2 or 3
presentations in a 50 minute class period, and
complete a brief written evaluation for each, stating
what was good, and where improvement is still needed. Some
instructors offer extra credit to students who observe
presentations. Be sure to keep the participation memo you will
be given after volunteering as proof of your participation.
undergraduate roundtables
-- An informal opportunity to meet with international
TAs.
Undergraduates
are also needed each semester to participate in the Undergraduate
Roundtable hosted by the OEPP. During the roundtables, which
usually meet around the 5th week of each semester, ITAs meet with a
group of undergraduate volunteers and ask them questions about
American college life and what they expect from their TAs.
Because many international students come from backgrounds that are
vastly different than those of American students, this forum allows
both the ITAs and undergrads to gain a better appreciation of each
others' cultures and backgrounds. The roundtables also give
the international students a chance to practice speaking English in a comfortable setting.
EARN A CERTIFICATE OF
RECOGNITION
Undergraduates who volunteer for 10 or
more hours per academic year can earn a Certificate of Appreciation
and the right to list their volunteer service on their resume.
Volunteers with 10 hours earn a bronze level certificate, 20 hours a
silver level certificate, and 30 hours earns a gold level
certificate. Here is how you can earn a certificate:
- Sign up for volunteer times on the
OEPP registration page.
- Attend presentations throughout the academic year. Hours
earned in Fall 07 and Spring 08, for example, apply toward a
certificate, but hours will not carry over into the next
academic year.
- Make sure the classroom instructor takes attendance so the
OEPP office can keep track of your volunteer hours.
- To receive volunteer credit, you must actively participate in
the class and complete the written evaluation form. We
cannot give participation credit to students who doze off, come
late or leave
early, do not fully complete the written evaluation form, or in
any other way fail to contribute to the classroom experience.
- The OEPP Office will contact you at the end of the academic
year to let you know you have earned a certificate. If you
are a December graduate, it is your responsibility to contact the OEPP office to let them know
you need your certificate in December.
- If you have questions at any time, please e-mail
oepp@purdue.edu.
Volunteer opportunities take place on many dates and times throughout the
semester. It is easy to quickly earn 10 or more hours of
volunteer credit. Some of your own instructors may offer extra credit or other
incentives who attend OEPP presentations--be sure to ask. To sign up,
please go to the OEPP Registration Page.
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