Teaching

2009

UW CSE 481C Multi-Robot Systems: Theory and Implementation, Winter 2009

2005

MIT 6.141 Robotics: Science and Systems I, Spring 2005
MIT SEED Academy: Robotics, Spring 2005

2004

MIT SEED Academy: Computer Science, Fall 2004
MIT SEED Academy: Renewable Energy, Spring 2004

2003

MIT SEED Academy: Civil Engineering, Fall 2003
MIT SEED Academy: Aero/Astro Engineering, Spring 2003

2002

MIT SEED Academy: Civil Engineering, Fall 2002
MIT SEED Academy: Mechanical Engineering, Spring 2002

2001

MIT Interphase Summer Program: Physics, Summer 1999

1997

MIT Interphase Summer Program: Physics, Summer 1997

1996

MIT Integrated Studies Program Curriculum Module: Engineering, Fall 1996
MIT Interphase Summer Program: Physics, Summer 1996

1995

MIT Interphase Summer Program: Physics, Summer 1995

Philosophy

My approach to teaching can be summarized in three words: motivation, interest, and responsibility. I believe that theory should be motivated by real-world problems, ideally the same problem that prompted the theoretical development. I have spent my life understanding how everything fits into the ``big picture'', and take great pride in my ability to discuss algorithmic theory and resistor values in the same sentence. I believe that lectures should be interesting, and that learning should be fun. It is important to have the occasional lecture demo (read: snazzy toy), or group activity to spark interest in a subject. Finally, I take personal responsibility for the learning that happens in my classroom. If a student asks a question, that means they just encountered an error integrating the information I presented into their mental model. It is my job as the teacher to figure out the student's model, and then to present information they can use to make our two models consistent. This requires me to understand the diversity of learning styles, and to have a teaching technique that is varied enough to reach everybody in the classroom.

Presentations

"Swarm in a Nutshell"
Audience: Grades 7-22
Goal: A brief introduction to Swarms of Robots.

James McLurkin