How to Build and Run a Successful
Emerging Scholars Program
A 2008 MAA Summer
PREP Workshop
Workshop Leaders:
Dave Kung, St. Mary's College of Maryland
Teri Murphy, University of Oklahoma
Katherine Socha, St. Mary's College of Maryland
Natasha Speer, Michigan State University
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Workshop Dates:
July 17, 2008 through July 19, 2008
(official workshop events will conclude by 2pm on the 19th to allow participants to return home that day.)
2007 workshop particpants hard at work.
Workshop Description:
Success in college calculus opens the door to mathematics and science majors.
However, students from under-represented groups typically do not perform in calculus
as well as other students with comparable preparation.
Question: What can you do to level the playing field for your students?
Answer: Start your own Emerging Scholars Program!
Emerging Scholars Programs (ESPs) promote exceptional achievement among under-represented
student populations and provide a model that is easily expanded to other introductory science
courses, as has been demonstrated at many institutions of higher education.
Developed by Uri Treisman and implemented during the past 20 years at a variety of
schools across the US, ESP workshops build student success through collaborative
group work on problems more challenging than typical calculus problems. Led by
faculty and teaching assistants, a typical ESP workshop focuses on student-driven
approaches to difficult worksheet problems, with Socratic questioning forming the
primary assistance given by the ESP leaders.
This PREP workshop, now in its second year, will provide you with the tools you need to plan, establish,
and run an ESP at your institution. You will learn about successful models from many
institutions from liberal arts colleges through research universities. Workshop
participants will receive (1) training time with Uri Treisman, (2) ESP materials
including problems and an ESP director's guide, (3) practice developing and leading
(simulated) ESP meetings including writing worksheet problems, (4) ongoing support
through an online forum and through follow-up meetings at the Joint Mathematics Meetings
and MathFest, and (5) access to a database of thousands of calculus problems appropriate
for workshop use.
The final workshop day will be devoted to implementation issues including how to obtain
administration buy-in and support. Each participant (or pair of participants)
will draft a proposal to his/her home institution for piloting ESP. The full
group will discuss each proposal and help each participant (a) revise the proposal
and (b) anticipate potential challenges to its implementation.
We strongly encourage participants to come in pairs from the same institution or
from neighbor institutions.
What Last Year's Participants Thought:
- "It went beyond my expectations. They presented a wellspring of resources for building an ESP from the ground up."
- "We came in with little-to-no knowledge of ESP and now we’re essentially experts. We are walking away with a nearly completed proposal and ideas that will work for our university."
- "Every day was a good mix of presentations w/activity/work time."
- "I feel more knowledgeable about ESP programs and what is involved in beginning one. The organizers were fabulous, knowledgeable, and helpful."
Workshop Location and Accomodations:
The workshop will be held at the MAA's beautiful, recently opened Carriage House
in Washington DC.
[Note: this is a change from previous versions.] Our housing will be at Carlyle Suites Hotel.
1731 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, DC 20009-2567
(866) 492-0031
(202) 905-0016
“Washington’s Official Art-Deco Hotel”, just five minutes’ walk from the MAA Carriage House. The hotel offers:
- 24-hour concierge/front desk services:
- Multi-lingual and multi-cultural staff available for guest assistance
- Valet, secretarial, and copying services
- Complimentary safety deposit boxes at the front desk
- Complimentary use of the Washington Sports Club (five blocks from the hotel), a full-service health club. Carlyle guests are welcome, AT NO COST, to full use of their facility, locker rooms and any complimentary classes offered to their members.
- Outdoor jogging and bicycling trails in nearby Rock Creek Park
- Vending room
- Coin-operated laundry
- FREE limited on-site parking on a first-come, first-served basis. Other parking facilities within 2-1/2 blocks for a nominal fee.<\li>
Breakfast will be provided at the hotel. Lunches during the workshop will be served at the Carriage House.
Both breakfast and lunch are provided as part of the program.
Registration:
Registration is now open at the MAA's PREP Website. Registration costs $325 until June 5th, and $450 afterwards.
This cost includes housing for the nights of the 16th-18th, and food from the evening of the 16th through lunch on the 19th.
Arrival and Check-in:
Plan to arrive during the late afternoon or evening of Wednesday, July 16th.
Weather Information:
Washington D.C. is hot and humid during the summer, though probably not as hot or humid as Austin Texas, site of the 2007 workshop.
We urge you to check your
favorite weather reports on the web before coming.
Pre-workshop Readings:
In preparation for the workshop, all participants should read two articles about Emerging Scholars Programs and their implementation:
- Rose Asera wrote a piece for the College Board, entitled "Calculus and Community: A History of the Emerging Scholars Program." Pay particular attention to the origins of Treisman's work and to the section on Instructive Mistakes made by those who start ESPs.
- Eric Hsu, TJ Murphy, and Uri Treisman wrote an article for a recently released MAA Notes volume. An electronic copy will be made available to registered participants.
Reading these articles will be vital to making our workshop a productive experience. (And they are better reading than those in-flight magazines!)
Tentative Schedule:
Day 0: | Wednesday evening |
| Welcome Dinner |
Day 1: |
Thursday, July 17th |
| Intro/History of Emerging Scholars with Uri Treisman |
| Being an ESP student |
| Writing ESP problems & worksheets |
| Facilitating an ESP class |
Day 2: |
Friday, July 18th |
| Directing an ESP |
| Designing your ESP |
| Gaining institutional support |
| Worktime (developing your ESP) |
Day 3: |
Saturday, July 19th |
| Assessment and Evaluation of ESPs |
| Presentation of Plans |
Local Resources: [coming soon!]
There are many restaurants, cafes, and other shops (drugstores, etc) near GWU and the MAA headquarters.
Restaurants:
Pharmacies:
Groceries:
This page was last updated 04/01/08.