Harry Smith

i'm currently a lecturer at the university of pennsylvania teaching computer science.

aside from my teaching, i'm interested in data viz and creative computing.

real quick: here is the course i'm teaching and here's my cv

teaching philosophy


I center empathy, respect, and adaptation in my teaching.

I believe that good teaching cannot happen without student trust in the design and purpose of a course. To build up this trust, it is imperative to respect that students come to a class as entire people from diverse backgrounds and circumstances. Their time is finite, so good teaching must be rigorous without being e-n-d-l-e-s-s. Their input is valuable, so good teaching cannot be so rigid that it does not account for differences among learners and classes. Their motivation is earned, and good teaching takes strides to earn as much of it as possible from each student.

I maintain that inclusive teaching is effective teaching.

I am committed to teaching practices that include diverse identities and perspectives not simply because these practices are fair and socially just, but because they are fundamentally good teaching practices. When a course is designed with inclusivity in mind, an instructor & the students construct an environment wherein all participants will be encouraged to learn and grow.

I recognize that good teaching comes through iteration.

And I am committed to continually improving.

courses taught

at the University of Pennsylvania:

Fall 2022:
CIS 1100 (Introduction to Computer Programming)
Co-Administering the CIS 18xx/19xx Mini-Courses
Summer 2022:
Intro CS for Penn's Pre-First Year Program
Spring 2022:
CIS 110 (Introduction to Computer Programming)
CIT 594 (Data Structures & Software Design)
CIS 521 @ MCIT ONLINE (Artificial Intelligence)
Fall 2021:
CIS 110 (Introduction to Computer Programming)
CIT 591 (Introduction to Software Development)
Summer 2021:
CIS 421/521 (Artificial Intelligence)
Intro CS for Penn's Pre-Freshman Program
Spring 2021:
CIS 110 (Introduction to Computer Programming)
Fall 2020:
CIS 110 (Introduction to Computer Programming)

Visualization Work


Research

Fun Stuff