Fall 2014 GPAD Workshop Abstracts
All GPAD workshops will be one-hour and will be held in the Kent Student Center Room 303.
Fall 2014 GPAD Schedules
WEek ONE: TEACHING ASSISTANT WORKSHOPS
monday, october 6
12pm- Complex Conversations in Academia
This workshop will continue the conversation started in the Ballroom. We will focus on working together to navigate complex situations that you may face as a graduate student. We will also discuss possible ways of effectively handling complex academic interactions.
2pm- Syllabus and Scheduling
The goal of this workshop is to help TAs create syllabi, craft learning objectives, develop course policies, select assessment tools, schedule office hours, and ensure syllabi adhere to university policies.
Tuesday, October 7
10am- Why? Why? Why?: Five Questions (at Least) You've Always Had About Your Students but Were Afraid to Ask
Why do students do the things they do? In this interactive session participants will apply the recent findings in human learning to explore fundamental questions that have troubled college educators for years. "Why can't they see the important material in my class?" and "Why are they so happy when I cancel a class?" are some of the questions to be addressed. Participants will propose and explore their own questions while identifying evidence-based strategies to improve learning.
12pm- Faculty Panel: Tips and Advice on Teaching from KSU Faculty
This panel will include faculty from a variety of disciplines. Panelists will provide insights on topics including teaching undergraduate students, managing a classroom, preparing classroom discussions, and sharing their path to the professoriate.
2pm- The Virtual Student: Teaching in the Online Environment
The online learning environment differs in many ways from the traditional, face-to-face classroom environment. This workshop will present five strategies for succeeding in this environment, as well as some useful technology tools to help you manage your online teaching experience.
Wednesday, October 8
12pm- What You Need to Know About Students and Plagiarism
This session is designed to introduce you to the basics of plagiarism education. We will cover the KSU policy on plagiarism, plagiarism school, and how to design assignments to help prevent plagiarism.
Thursday, October 9
10am- Best Practices for the Online Classroom
This session will cover the five major components that are impacted by the online environment, and best practices to address them. Whether you're brand-new to online learning or you've taught or taken online classes, this presentation will help you think through how to set you and your students up for success.
12pm- Using Blackboard in the Classroom
Blackboard is a learning management system which provides online course delivery and management for institutions like Kent State University. This session provides an overview of Blackboard Learn and covers layouts, customization, course settings, and different tools, including grading capabilities.
2pm- Being a Teaching Assistant (TA) in a Science Lab
This session focuses on the format and structuring of TAs in different science departments at the university and various duties that are associated. Presenters will discuss teaching in traditional and non-traditional science lab settings and the resources that are available to new TAs.
Friday, October 10
10am- Implementing your Teaching & Learning Ideas with KSU Technology Tools
Have a great idea for something you want to implement in your classroom or in your own academic life, but not sure how to make it happen? Come to this roundtable session where staff from Information Services and students like you will brainstorm and troubleshoot ideas to make your innovative ideas a reality using technology tools.
12pm- Grading and Evaluation
This session will present generalizable advice on assessing student work. Presenters will focus on useful grading technologies, assessment techniques that emphasize validity and reliability, time-saving strategies for responding to student writing, and policies for handling plagiarism.
WEEK TWO: GENERAL WORKSHOPS
Monday, October 13
10am- RefWorks Basic
RefWorks (from ProQuest) can help you manage library research and help with citations and references as you write papers, theses, dissertations, etc. This session will show you how to get started. The new ProQuest “Flow” will also be shown. Laptop not needed, but bring it if you already use the Flashzone-WPA on campus.
12pm- Launching Your Projects Professionally
Blackstone LaunchPad is a resource on campus that assists students, faculty/staff and alumni with business ideas and current businesses. Despite this, entrepreneurial thought doesn't stop with a business. Learn how to discover and take your projects, passions, and hobbies to the next level.
2pm- Using Your Online Presence to Get a Job
As the use of social networking skyrockets, finding jobs in the traditional way is now obsolete. Employers now view your online presence to assess the kind of person you are, who you’re connected to, and how you present yourself. Through the lenses of Facebook and LinkedIn, we'll discover how your web presence impacts your job search!
Tuesday, October 14
10am- RefWorks Advanced
RefWorks helps you manage the research you do for papers, theses, dissertations, etc. This session will show you how to use RefWorks when you are writing to automatically insert citations and references according to styles such as APA and MLA. Other advanced functions for managing research and collaboration will also be shown. The new ProQuest “Flow” will also be shown. Laptop not needed, but bring it if you already use the Flashzone-WPA on campus.
2pm- Résumés, CVs, and Cover Letters
This session conducted by Career Services will focus on writing Resumes, CVs, and Cover Letters. Learn how to gauge when each document is appropriate and how to get the attention of the reader. Free online as well as in-person resources will be discussed.
Wednesday, October 15
10am- Cloud Technology Tips & Tricks - Using Google Tools for Increased Efficiency
Learn how to use specific Google tools for increasing your efficiency. Topics will include- Installing and using the Google Sync tool for managing cloud based data more effectively; Leveraging the new 'work offline' feature for staying productive when internet access is not available; Enabling IMAP for getting KSU Google Mail in more efficient ways than webmail; and more
12pm- Statistical Consulting and Research Software Support
This session will describe what software and services are available to graduate students working on their dissertation or thesis, and how graduate students can obtain research software (including SAS, SPSS, JMP, NVivo, Qualtrics, Stata, and R).
2pm-Research Ethics and the IRB Application
This workshop will cover research ethics and will provide you with information about the IRB submission and review processes at Kent State. Topics include an overview of the IRB process, how to develop an informed consent document, and common submission mistakes.
Thursday, October 16
10am- Library Research Management Tools
This workshop will show four of the most popular systems out there, Zotero, Refworks, EndNote, and Mendeley. See how they capture references or full-text articles (pdfs) from databases, generate bibliographies quickly, and work within Word as you write. The new ProQuest “Flow” will also be shown. Laptop not needed, but bring it if you already use the Flashzone-WPA on campus.
2pm- Interviewing and Negotiating Your Job Offer
In this session, you will learn about different types of interviews and interviewing tips. Additionally, recommendations will be shared on evaluating a job offer and negotiating salary and responsibilities with confidence.
Friday, October 17
10am- How to do a Literature Review
Literature reviews are completed for many purposes: papers, articles, grants, theses, dissertations, etc. This session will explain and show you resources and steps for developing, managing, and completing literature reviews. Laptop not needed, but bring it if you already use the Flashzone-WPA on campus.
12pm- Grant Writing
This workshop will provide an introduction to grant writing, including looking for possible funding sources, writing your application, working with collaborators, among other topics.
2pm- Searching for Grant Funding Opportunities
A critical step in obtaining grant funding is searching for and finding funding opportunities that will work for your topic. This session is a tutorial on how to best utilize COS, a funding opportunity database, to extract the most helpful and relevant information to you. The session also includes information about KSU's sponsored programs office and how it assists students in the grant process.