Welcome to Berkeley Sociology's Teaching Resource Exchange!

Our mission is to serve as an online platform where instructors can easily upload and access teaching materials.  This collaborative project allows us to collect and share the pedagogical creativity and talent of our department, reduce instructor workload, and enhance student outcomes. 

The Exchange Includes:

• Standard handouts applicable in multiple courses (e.g., rubrics, standard language for section syllabi, lists of campus resources) 
• Lesson plans for teaching particular texts or topics; lesson plans are organized by course, author, and topic
• Activities for teaching general skills (e.g., writing, critical reading)
• General resources and tips for GSIs (e.g., tips on dealing with student issues, links to other helpful websites, templates and ideas for activities that can be adapted to teach multiple topics)

How to Use the Exchange:

• To access resources, use Search bar or navigate resources using the file folder system on the right.  "Pages" contain descriptions of the files uploaded, while "Files" will simply show you the names of all the files that have been uploaded into a particular folder.
• To add resources, 1) upload your document using the "Pages & Files" tab above, then 2) create a link to your file on the appropriate page.
• Check out our more Detailed Instructions and FAQ page if you have more questions! Or you can e-mail the current site administrator. For AY 2014-2015: Rachel Wetts, rachel.wetts@berkeley.edu 

To access resources: 

• Use search bar to search for particular authors, texts, or topics. 
• Navigate resources using the file folder system on the right of this page.  "Pages" contain descriptions of the files uploaded, while "Files" will simply show you the names of all the files that have been uploaded into a particular folder. 
•  The Exchange includes:
• Standard handouts applicable in multiple courses (e.g., rubrics, standard language for section syllabi, lists of campus resources) 
• Lesson plans for teaching particular texts or topics; lesson plans are organized by course, author, and topic
• Activities for teaching general skills (e.g., writing, critical reading)
• General resources and tips for GSIs (e.g., tips on dealing with student issues, links to other helpful websites, templates and ideas for activities that can be adapted to teach multiple topics)
• Comment on high-quality materials or provide recommendations.  An easy way you can contribute to this common resource: After you've downloaded and/or used a particular teaching material, let others know if it's particularly helpful, or how you think it might be made more effective.  
• Upload your own materials! If you've benefited from this site, please commit to giving back to keep the site useful and vibrant. 

To upload resources: 

     1) Upload your document using the "Pages & Files" tab above

     2) Find a page (or pages) for your document

• Find any already-existing pages and/or folders appropriate for your teaching materials using the file folder system on the right of this page
• Many resources, and particularly lesson plans, will belong on 2 different pages (e.g., author of text being taught, course in which the lesson was used) 
• If your lesson plan pertains to a course, author and/or topic that doesn't yet have a page, thank you for adding much-needed content!  Please create a page for the course you are teaching for as well as the author and/or topic your lesson plan covers using the "Pages & Files" tab above  

     3) Link to your document on the appropriate page 

• We encourage you to provide a brief description of the activity/resource.  You can choose not to include your name, but we think you should take credit for your contribution to our department's teaching (and for saving all of us a little time)! 

     4) Tag your document 

• Make your document more easy to find with the site's search capacity by tagging it with relevant topics, authors, readings, and courses. 

Looking for a good lesson plan, but not sure where to start?  

• First check out what's been posted for the course you're GSIing for, the author whose work you're discussing, or the topic you're discussing.  But if there's not much there:
• Check out our Adaptable Activities, designed to be flexible for use in many contexts.  
• Check out our Favorites List for some highly recommended activities.  Some are expressly designed to be adaptable to teaching multiple texts.  Others are more closely tailored to a particular class, but you can use these excellent resources to inspire your own lesson. (Note: Favorites List is still in development.  Help build it by commenting on materials you use -- or adding a favorite lesson plan to the list!)
• Add your topic/reading to the Wish List so that others know there's a need to be filled here!