Workshop FAQ
Are the two summer CoMInDS workshops the same except that one is in person and one is virtual?
No. There are two separate workshops, with separate goals: (1) a virtual CoMInDS workshop on Designing Professional Development Programs for Graduate Teaching Assistants (MAA Open Math), and (2) a new in-person Leadership Development Workshop. The virtual CoMInDS provider workshop, offered via MAA OPEN Math, is the same as our previous summer workshops. The virtual workshop is most appropriate for people who are doing design work on mathematics TA professional development programs. The in-person Leadership Development Workshop is for people who have experience designing and/or running a teaching-focused professional development program and who are interested in taking part in projects related to this area of work that go beyond just teaching/running a program (e.g., engaging in scholarship, designing/offering professional development to novice providers, designing assessments, etc.). In other words, if you like working on teaching-focused professional development and would be interested in expanding your efforts and/or taking on a leadership role in this sort of work, the in-person workshop is for you!
Do I have to attend a CoMInDS provider workshop to be eligible for the new Leadership Development Workshop?
No. Having experience with teaching-focused professional development is needed to benefit from the Leadership Development Workshop but there is no requirement to have attended a CoMInDS workshop on Designing Professional Development Programs for Graduate Teaching Assistants in the past.
For your usual CoMInDS provider workshops (MAA Open Math) for providers, people are encouraged to attend in two-person departmental teams. Is that the case for the new Leadership Development Workshop?
No. For the CoMInDS workshops on Designing Professional Development Programs for Graduate Teaching Assistants (MAA Open Math) we have found it is very useful for participants to have a thinking/working partner on site who is familiar with the local context of the program being designed. Although there will be opportunities to think about and work on things applicable to your local contexts at the Leadership Development Workshop, the focus is different and so having a partner is not necessary.
When I previously attended the CoMInDS workshop on Designing Professional Development Programs for Graduate Teaching Assistants, I left having planned things for my TA PD program. What will I leave the Leadership Development Workshop with?
The Leadership Development Workshop is designed so you will leave with (at least) three things. First, you will have expanded your knowledge about many types of scholarly work in the area of teaching-focused professional development (see the next Q and A for information about what this will look like post-workshop). Second, you will have augmented your leadership capacity to think about and engage in work related to teaching-focused professional development. Third, you will have met a group of people who are also interested in and working on things in this important area!
After I attended the CoMInDS workshop on Designing Professional Development Programs for Graduate Teaching Assistants, there were follow-up sessions and other opportunities to interact with workshop participants and facilitators. Will that be the case for the leadership one as well?
Yes. As part of the Leadership Development Workshop you will have opportunities to become (more) familiar with various types of work associated with teaching-focused professional development. You can then choose one or two of those types of work that you would like to engage in. Those interested in a particular type of work (e.g., assessment development, etc.) will be organized into development groups (with a facilitator) that will meet virtually during the academic year. In addition, Leadership Development Workshop participants may take part in the design of sessions for others that are based on what is done by the development groups.
If I am interested in the Leadership Development Workshop, can other people from my department attend the virtual workshop on Designing Professional Development Programs for Graduate Teaching Assistants (MAA Open Math)?
Yes. If you have experience/expertise in teaching-focused professional development and would like to pursue leadership development but others are responsible for design and implementation of your department’s TA PD program, it would be fine for them to attend the virtual CoMInDS provider workshop (MAA Open Math).
Is there a cost associated with the virtual workshop on Designing Professional Development Programs for Graduate Teaching Assistants (MAA OPEN Math)?
No. But people who apply to this workshop and are accepted will need to complete the OPEN Math registration form.
Is there a cost associated with the new Leadership Development Workshop
No. All costs for the program, the housing (in suite-style dorms), and the food are covered for all participants (thanks to the NSF!). For travel-related costs, we also can cover those. However, we ask that participants use travel funding from their institutions to cover (or partially cover) those costs if such funding is available. All the funds that we save in this way will be used to support additional participants to attend future workshops or to support participants post-workshop to engage in follow-on work related to the workshop.