Resources for Teaching

 

Center for Teaching and Learning

http://teaching.uchicago.edu/

The mission of the Center for Teaching and Learning is to help beginning and advanced teachers increase their practical and theoretical knowledge of teaching. The Center serves faculty, students, and staff engaged in teaching at the University at all levels, from the College to the Graduate Schools.

The Center provides support to the University community mainly through workshops and conferences for graduate students and faculty in subjects ranging from theories of education to hands-on application of techniques to the use of new technologies. The Center also provides a number of resources, including a lending library of educational books, articles, and videos, a web site devoted to fostering an on-line community of teachers at the University, and the opportunity to have teaching demonstrations videotaped and critiqued by one’s peers.

Midwest Faculty Seminar

Now entering its 30th year, the Midwest Faculty Seminar has forged a link between the scholarly and pedagogical concerns of the University of Chicago faculty and those of their colleagues at liberal arts colleges throughout the Midwest. The MFS strengthens the colleges by extending to them the resources available at a research university. It also provides their faculties with opportunities to engage each other in sustained explorations of contemporary scholarly debates in a setting free of the competing demands of teaching and other forms of college service. It strengthens the University of Chicago by creating opportunities for dialogue with colleagues from a range of institutions about scholarly research and its connections with liberal education.

University of Chicago Libraries

http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/

The University of Chicago libraries include over 6.7 million volumes, over 28,100 linear feet of manuscript and archival pieces, and 415,000 maps and aerial photographs. Compact shelving has been installed in Regenstein and Crerar to provide on-site housing for our growing print collections. Other resources include a large number of major sets of microform materials, electronic indexes and abstracting services, and a wide variety of full-text electronic books and journals. The computer clusters in Crerar and Harper and the expansion of computer facilities in Regenstein to include the Computer Science Department's Instructional Computing Laboratories as well as the USITE/Regenstein cluster enhance the services available in the Library.

Helpful Library Sites:

Instructional Uses of Internet

The University of Chicago Registrar offers online course rosters and photo rosters for each class you are teaching, as well as "Fast Message" service that allows you to send a short e-mail to all students enrolled in your class.

The University of Chicago's Networking Services and Information Technologies (NSIT) offers assistance to faculty in integrating technology into teaching, learning, and scholarship. NSIT provides a Help Desk, a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ's), and computer resource guides to support the computer needs of students, faculty and staff.

Chalk is an expanding suite of Web-based tools available for teaching and learning. At the heart of Chalk is the Blackboard course management system software, which provides a common framework and tool suite for courses hosted on the system. With minimal training, any faculty member who is familiar with a Web browser can take advantage of the Blackboard component of Chalk. You do not need to know how to program or write HTML; instead, an entire course site can be created in minutes by filling out a series of online forms. The data collected directs the Blackboard system to build the course for you, thus allowing you to focus on content rather than on technical details.

The Center for Teaching and Learning has collected some helpful materials on teaching with Chalk. For more information, click here.

Bookstores and Course Book Orders

Course book orders are typically placed either through the Seminary Co-op or through the University of Chicago Bookstore. Book order forms are readily available at both stores and should generally be filled out and returned at least one month prior to the first day of class to give the stores enough time to obtain the books. If you will be using foreign or hard to obtain titles, you should give the bookstores additional time to obtain the titles. After you have submitted your book order, you should periodically check with the bookstores to make sure they have been able to obtain the titles you have requested as books do frequently go out of stock and out of print with publishers.

Seminary Co-op

Chicago Theological Seminary, basement
5757 South University Avenue
752-4381

Specializing in social sciences and humanities, the Co-op is one of the best academic bookstores in the world. Many faculty order their course texts only at the Co-op. You may join the Co-op for three $10 shares of stock (the shares are bought back when people end their membership). Shareholders get a 10 percent discount and a share in the store's earnings.

University of Chicago Bookstore

970 East 58th Street
702-7116

Managed by Barnes & Noble, the University of Chicago Bookstore sells books, school supplies, and the usual university memorabilia. The bookstore also has a section with used books at 25 percent off the original price. At the end of the quarter, students can sell their used books back to the bookstore.

57th Street Books

1301 East 57th Street
684-1300

This is the general books branch of the Seminary Co-op, so Co-op shareholders get a 10 percent discount here, too.

O'Gara & Wilson, Ltd.

1448 East 57th Street
363-0993

This used bookstore has a good selection and organization. It buys used books but does not carry textbooks.

Powell's

1501 East 57th Street
955-7780

Powell's has a large selection of used books; it also buys used books.

Copy Centers

All of the libraries have copiers that are suitable for small jobs. For longer or complicated projects or for high-tech machines, the two best resources are a 24-hour Kinko’s and the University Copy Center, in the Bookstore building, third floor. Both offer self-service and drop-off copying, as well as a range of additional services.

Many faculty use the Humanities or the Social Sciences Duplicating Offices for preparing course packets, which students can purchase. You will need to carefully prepare and submit the packets well in advance of the beginning of the quarter for both of these duplicating offices. You should contact them directly before preparing your course packet to find out their duplication procedures.

Humanities Duplicating Office

Classics 11
702-8508
Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M.-4:30 P.M.
Services: course packets (ask for preparation directions first)

Social Sciences Duplicating Office

SS 103
702-8797
Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M.-4:30 P.M.
Services: course packets (ask for preparation directions first)

University Copy Center

Bookstore Building, 3rd floor
702-9633
Monday-Friday: 8:30 A.M.-5:00 P.M.
Services: color and b/w photocopies, printing, binding

Kinko's Copies

1315 East 57th Street
643-2424
24 hrs, 7 days a week
Services: color and b/w photocopies, printing, binding

Other Resources

The National Teaching and Learning Forum

Offers subscribers a wide selection of articles on various aspects of teaching.

Teaching Awards

       Quantrell Award

      

 

uchicagosm ©2002 The Center for Teaching and Learning 5845 South Ellis Avenue 773-834-4439