The Institute for Learning and Teaching
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Frequently Asked Questions
Program Logistics
How do I enroll in the program? What is the first step?
To enroll in the program, complete the online enrollment form at http://tilt.colostate.edu/grad/certificates/enrollment.cfm. Once TILT receives your form, a member of TILT will contact you to set up a meeting with an Instructional Designer who will get you going.
What is the deadline for enrolling in the program?
You can enroll in the certification program at any time. The program typically takes one year to complete. This may vary depending on previous experience, but the minimum amount of time required to complete the course work and workshop requirements is one semester. Most people complete these and the other requirements in one year.
Can I set my own deadlines for completing the program?
The final deadline to turn in the Application Packet and the ePortfolio is April 15th. You can set your own schedule based on that deadline.
I plan to graduate in the spring, and I am also taking the teaching methods class in the spring, which means I will not have completed the program requirements by April 15th. Can I still finish the program before I graduate?
The deadline for submitting your Application Packet and your ePortfolio is April 15th, but if you are currently taking a course that is required to complete the program, you can submit your Application Packet and your completed ePortfolio by the last day of classes.
I’m going to graduate at the end of the fall semester. Is there any way I can earn a certificate before I graduate?
If you are graduating at the end of the Fall Semester, and you want to finish the program before you graduate, you will need to work with an Instructional Designer at TILT to create a schedule for completing your program early. You must work with an Instructional Designer to schedule the Application Packet and ePortfolio review.
If I started the certificate program and then graduated, can I complete the certificate after I have left CSU?
Yes. You will not need to re-register to finish the certification program, but we recommend that you finish the program in the semester after you graduate.
Program Information
Are there prerequisites for participating in the program?
You must be a graduate student enrolled at CSU to participate in the teaching certificate program.
How long will it take to complete the certificate program?
The requirements are structured so that you can complete the program’s requirements within one year.
Who grants the certificate?
TILT grants the certification under the direction of the Graduate Teaching Certificates Review Board. The Board reviews and approves all Application Packets and ePortfolios.
Can I design my own program with my current advisor to complete the certificate program or do I need to work with someone on the Graduate Teaching Certificates Review Board?
The Certification program allows the flexibility of designing your own program emphasis. If you want to create a program with a unique emphasis, consult with a TILT Instructional Designer to be sure you are accounting for all of the program requirements. If you choose to work with someone other than a member of the Review Board, you will need to get approval from the Review Board. You can do this with the help of a TILT Instructional Designer.
What program assistance do TILT’s Instructional Designers provide?
TILT’s Instructional Designers will provide guidance throughout your certification process. During your initial meeting, the Designer will help you review all of the program requirements, and determine any requirements you have already met. TILT’s Designers can help you formulate a plan of action, and as you work to fulfill the program requirements, they can provide support, answer questions, and offer suggestions for meeting the requirements at any point in your process.
How often do I need to check in with a TILT Instructional Designer?
When you enroll in the program, a TILT staff member will schedule a meeting for you with an Instructional Designer. After the initial meeting, you may check in with TILT whenever you have questions or need clarification. TILT recommends that before you submit your Application Packet and ePortfolio that you meet with a Designer to review your submission and to get confirmation that all of the elements required are included.
What does the certificate certify me to do?
Completing the certification program prepares you to teach at a post-secondary level. The certificate indicates that you have completed the program, but it is not a license, and it does not grant any specific teaching privileges or licensure. The value of the certificate is in completing the program.
Is the certificate a teaching license? Does it certify me to teach in the K-12 public school system?
No. The certificate does not grant any privileges or indicate any degree status that is associated with a professional license. Preparation for teaching K-12 students is different from any preparation offered in this certificate program. This program is focused exclusively on teaching post-secondary students.
Is this certification required for getting a teaching license?
No. Preparation for a teaching license requires a specific degree completion program through the Department of Education. In the state of Colorado, completing a degree in Education is the prerequisite for earning a teaching license.
Will the certificate help me get a teaching license?
While the program does not have a direct relationship to earning a teaching license, the learning that takes place by participating in and completing the program may contribute to success in an education program and ultimately help you get a teaching license.
Is this certification required to get a post-secondary teaching position?
No, but completion of the program does prepare you to teach at the post-secondary level, and can provide you with some advantage when you apply for post-secondary teaching positions.
Can I earn more than one certificate?
Yes. As long as you fulfill the individual requirements for each certificate, you can earn all of them if you choose. You can also earn a certificate that TILT developed and develop one of your own that meets your specific teaching needs and goals. While some of the elements of the ePortfolio and Application Packet will overlap, you will need to complete six workshops in each area you choose, and your supporting materials must specifically address each area of specialization.
Program Requirements
What are the requirements for earning a teaching certificate through TILT?
Once you have enrolled and attended an initial meeting with an Instructional Designer, you will put together an Application Packet. The Packet will include: 1) Verification that you have taken a course in post-secondary teaching methods; 2) Six teaching pedagogy workshop response forms; 3) Verification that you have completed 20 hours of post-secondary teaching and/or tutoring; and 4) Your ePortfolio.
What courses do I need to complete to earn a certificate?
Participants need to complete one semester-long university-level course in post-secondary teaching methods. A number of departments at CSU offer courses in post-secondary teaching. Among those courses are GS792, E607, and the 684 and 784 Supervised College Teaching courses offered in many departments. You may also petition for a special course by contacting a Certificate in College Teaching Advisory Board member.
Can I satisfy the requirement for courses in teaching theory and practice at another institution? What about online courses, do they count?
TILT’s Instructional Designers will review the course you completed on an individual basis. They will accept any courses that meet the post-secondary teaching methods criteria of the program’s course requirement.
I have already taken college-level courses in teaching theory and practice in preparation for a K-12 teaching certificate. Can I count these towards the course requirement?
The focus of this program is post-secondary teaching. General courses that focus on teaching pedagogy and learning theory and research would apply, but courses with an emphasis on teaching K-12 students, or teaching in a specific K-12 subject area would not be accepted towards completion of this program.
Where can I find workshops to fulfill the workshop requirement?
Look at the following locations on the TILT Web site for more information on workshops about teaching and teaching pedagogy:
Master Teacher Initiative
Teaching with Technology
Service Learning
Mid-semester Evaluation
Summer Conference on Learning and Teaching
What if I can’t find six workshops in any one area?
TILT will accept summaries of workshops in a variety of different teaching areas as long as the workshop’s emphasis is on teaching rather than on an academic content area. Most of the workshops offered by TILT throughout the year will qualify. Visit http://tilt.colostate.edu/events/all.cfm for the most up-to-date listing of TILT’s workshops.
Does the GTA Orientation count as a workshop?
Yes. If you completed the GTA Orientation workshop offered through TILT, you can count this as one of the required workshops.
Can I satisfy the workshop requirement by viewing the videos of past TILT workshops on the TILT Web site?
No. These recorded workshops may be a good source of information and can be used as resources for formulating your ideas, but viewing them will not count towards fulfilling the workshop requirement.
Can I attend teaching workshops outside of the University?
A workshop that emphasizes teaching and/or teaching in your interest area would be accepted. A general workshop about your interest area would not be accepted.
Can attendance at professional conferences, if related to teaching, count as one or more workshops?
Yes. If you attend a professional conference with an emphasis on post-secondary teaching and/or teaching theory, and if you provide a summary or summaries along with documentation of your attendance, you may count these towards your workshop requirement. Consult with a TILT Instructional Designer to determine how much credit will be applied to your workshop requirement.
Where do I submit my workshop/seminar review forms?
You will submit any program documentation not included in your ePortfolio, including your workshop review forms, with your final Application Packet. You will post the ePortfolio on TILT’s Web site and send the Application Packet as an email with attachments to TILT@Colorado.edu. (Please us the subject, Teaching Certification Application.)
If I am a GTA, can I count my current teaching experience towards the teaching requirement for certification?
Yes.
I am a GTA/lab instructor, but I don’t get to create the course syllabus or design tests--the professor does all of that. How can I use my current experience to satisfy this program’s requirements?
If you provided instruction to students during the labs, then this can be counted as teaching experience, but if your experience was limited to proctoring and/or supervising the lab, this would not count as teaching. You may also be able to count office hours if you provide one-on-one instruction to students. You can create sample course materials, such as a syllabi, course materials, and lesson plans, in the context of your course requirements. If you have other questions about how to produce the sample course materials, consult with one of TILT’s Instructional Designers.
I’m not a GTA. How can I fulfill the teaching requirement?
TILT is only one resource of teaching opportunities available to you. A TILT Instructional Designer can work with you to find teaching opportunities. For the latest teaching opportunities provided by TILT, visit http://tilt.colostate.edu/grad/eteaching.cfm". You can also work with the Department of Continuing Education to find opportunities. In addition, several departments on campus have tutoring centers, and you may be able to get supervised teaching experience through one of these centers.
Can I get credit for teaching I’ve already done? If so, how do I verify this?
If you have taught at the post-secondary level before enrolling in this program, you may count that experience towards your teaching requirement. You can verify your teaching experience with a transcript, if you took a companion course, student/peer evaluations, and/or a letter of reference from a supervisor. When you submit your teaching verification, also submit the number of hours you taught. If you have other ways of verifying your teaching experience, please discuss these with a TILT Instructional Designer.
I had a teaching license and taught in the public schools, can I count this experience?
The focus of this program is post-secondary teaching. Teaching experience at the K-12 level cannot be substituted for teaching experience at the college level.
What kind of tutoring meets the teaching requirement?
The teaching requirement can be met in any tutoring situation that serves post-secondary students as long as it is done in a structured, supervised environment. Several departments on campus have tutoring centers, and you can fulfill your teaching requirements by working in one of these centers.
I tutor/teach Junior High and High School students in various subjects. Would this fulfill the teaching requirement?
No. The emphasis of this program is post-secondary teaching. Work with elementary, Jr. High, and High School students does not apply.
Can TILT help me find teaching opportunities?
Yes. TILT knows about positions available at the Department of Continuing Education, as well as adjunct faculty positions on campus. Occasionally, TILT’s Instructional Designers may be able to provide appropriate referrals.
4) ePortfolio
What is an ePortfolio?
The primary record of your work on the Certificate in College Teaching will be presented in an ePortfolio (electronic Portfolio), which you will publish on TILT’s Web site. Your ePortfolio will reflect your beliefs about teaching, the theoretical perspectives that ground your beliefs, and your teaching goals, as well as the pedagogical practices that you would implement to accomplish your goals. In the Spring 2008 TILT will host a workshop on creating an ePortfolio. Visit http://tilt.colostate.edu/events/all.cfm for the most up-to-date listing of TILT’s workshops.
I already have a teaching portfolio. Can I just move this one to the TILT site?
If you already have your own portfolio, you can use the contents of your portfolio as a starting point to build your ePortfolio on TILT. All TILT ePortfolios must be built using TILT's ePortfolio tool.
Do I have to publish my ePortfolio on TILT’s website?
Yes. All program participants must build their ePortfolio with TILT’s portfolio tool. The tool will help you meet your requirements. The tool also provides a consistent format for evaluators, which simplifies and standardizes the certification process.
What are the advantages of publishing my ePortfolio on TILT’s website? All participants in the teaching certification program must publish their ePortfolio’s on the TILT Web site. Not only does the web site give you a stable web location for your portfolio, but you will also be aligned with TILT, a credible institute that supports teaching and learning.
What can I do if my ePortfolio does not meet all of the requirements for certification and the deadline for submission has passed?
If TILT’s Review Board would like to see something more in your ePortfolio before approving your certification, they will give you until the end of the semester to resubmit your ePortfolio. You can resubmit your ePortfolio anytime before their new deadline.
What is a Statement of Teaching Philosophy?
A Statement of Teaching Philosophy is a statement of your beliefs about teaching. You will address how the students you want to serve shape your beliefs and your direction. Your statement will provide information about how you teach and how you work to accomplish both long and short-term teaching goals. While your statement will explicate your process as a teacher, the information is best presented with a student-centered focus.
Can you explain to me what the difference between a statement of teaching philosophy and a plan one develops to facilitate teaching (syllabus, lecture material, examples)?
Here's the big difference: Lesson plans and syllabi tend to focus on the how and what of teaching: how will I pace/sequence activities, what information do I want my students to learn? They offer specific, class-by-class overviews and concrete activities. In contrast, the teaching philosophy places much more emphasis on the why of teaching: Why do you want to be a teacher? Why do you believe students learn in certain ways and not others? Why do you hold certain values about teaching? Certainly, in addressing these philosophical questions, you might offer concrete examples of your teaching activities (examples perhaps even drawn from some of the other teaching materials you include in your portfolio), but the examples are there to support your claims and ideas regarding your philosophy about the best way to teach.
What is Pedagogy?
Pedagogy refers to teaching methods and activities that produce learning through productive interactions with students.
