University of Minnesota CSE: TALK

May 2, 2017

Dear CSE graduate students participating in CSE TALK:

Welcome! We’re looking forward to meeting you, learning more about you, and preparing you for your role as a teaching assistant (TA) at the University of Minnesota. In this message, you’ll find information about the CSE: TALK Program; please read this letter carefully. If you have any questions feel free to contact me by email or phone +1-612-624-4235.

GENERAL INFORMATION
CSE: TALK is an acronym for the College of Science and Engineering: Teaching And Language “Kick-off.” This program is a collaboration between the College of Science and Engineering and the Center for Educational Innovation. As the title suggests, our program will orient you to the language and teaching skills you’ll need to be a TA in the U.S.

The CSE TALK program consists of two integrated parts: a one-week, asynchronous online component (either May 19-26, June 2-9 OR July 14-21) plus a two-week face-to-face component in Minneapolis (August 7-18). The online component is required of all participants and is integrally connected with the August component that follows. The purpose of CSE TALK is to prepare participants to be teaching assistants (TAs) in their department. An English test administered at the end of the orientation will determine eligibility for a TA position at the University of Minnesota.

The face-to-face program begins on Monday, August 7th at 9:30 a.m. to check-in, get acquainted, and have a light breakfast. This first meeting will take place in Keller Hall room 3-210.
If you have not yet made your flight arrangements, we would appreciate if you schedule your arrival date no earlier than August 1st. You will be linked to a survey below to provide information about your arrival date. Please let us know by Monday, May 15th, if you know that you will NOT ATTEND the face-to-face CSE TALK program this August.

In general, the August CSE TALK program sessions will be five hours daily Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Schedules for each student will vary; you will receive your program plan when you arrive. A general overview of the program schedule is also attached.

Please note: the schedule allows for sufficient time, especially on Friday, Aug. 11th, for you to locate housing and tend to other arrival-related business.

IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
All CSE:TALK students are required to complete the International Student Preparation Course through the University’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) website. It is recommended that you do this prior to your arrival in the U.S.. Upon completing the orientation, students will register for an Immigration Check-in, which will take place after you arrive. Here is the link (https://isss.umn.edu/new/) to start the pre-arrival process.

CSE TALK ONLINE COURSE PARTICIPATION – REGISTRATION AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Before you do anything else, please initiate your U of Minnesota Internet ID by following steps one and two here. During step one, if you don’t have a Social Security Number, leave that field blank when asked. Your Internet ID is used for University email and for logging in to University courses and other secure University of Minnesota websites.

2. Next, fill out this about your availability for the Online Course. You will need the U of M Internet ID you just created. Please note that there is a limited number of students in each section, so do this quickly to get your preferred section. Registration is done on a first-come, first-served basis.

3. Now, you must activate your University of Minnesota “Moodle” account. (Moodle is the name of our course management system.) Here’s how:
● Go to MOODLE and click on the link “Academics” on the left-hand side navigation bar. You will see “My Enrollment” and a Moodle link to click on.
● Log in using your Student Internet ID.

4. We will register you for the Online Course and send you a confirmation email about which section you are in as soon as possible.

5. The online course will be available to you at MOODLE just one or two days prior to your online course start date. Your instructors will send an email to let you know when the course is open. At that time, you will be able to enter the site, “meet” your instructors and classmates, introduce yourself, and read the syllabus. If you do not receive an email from your instructor 2 days prior to the start of the course, contact us.

Our intention is that the online course NOT cost you any additional money beyond what you already spend for computer use and Internet access. If you cannot meet the technical requirements below, contact us immediately. The technical requirements are:

● High-speed internet access for at least 2 hours per day during the dates of the course;
● Adobe Reader and Adobe Flash player (free) Click here.
● Video recording capability – i.e., a smartphone or tablet, or a computer camera + software that enables you to shoot and upload video files. (Audio recordings may be substituted if video is not possible for you.)
● Check out how to upload video assignments to Moodle. Alternatively, you can upload to a hosting site (e.g. vimeo.com) but not YouTube because some of your classmates won’t be able to view it on YouTube. If you use a hosting site for your video assignments, you will just post a link in Moodle.
● For general computer questions, please contact your local Internet provider or hardware/software vendor.
● For questions about the specific tools above and/or for troubleshooting, please visit this link. If you are still unable to solve the issue, please email us.

If you are taking this course from a location that blocks YouTube and Google (which we will be using during the online course), please take a few moments to add a VPN (virtual private network) to your computer or mobile device. The University of Minnesota recommends this for students, faculty, and staff. It is explained here, and you are able to download for free the necessary items to set it up on your computer. Essentially, it allows you to use the internet as if you are already on the U of M campus. If you need assistance with this, please use the technical support options on this page.

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT FOR FINANCIAL STIPEND
As you may know, a stipend will be paid to you by your department for attending CSE TALK. The amount of the stipend is based on your arrival date and daily attendance. You must complete both the online and the face-to-face course of CSE TALK in order to receive the stipend. Read more here. This website also gives general information about the CSE TALK program.

If your plans change and you are unable to begin the program on August 8th at 9:30 a.m., please notify both your department and me. If you arrive late, visit our office at the University Office Plaza Suite 400.
Please let us know if you have any questions.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,

Vanna Han
Executive Office & Administrative Specialist
[email protected]

CSE Programming Team Contacts:
Center for Educational Innovation
[email protected]

Mary Jetter
CSE TALK Program Coordinator
[email protected]

Jeff Lindgren
Assistant Director, Center for Educational Innovation
[email protected]

August 4th, 2016

Dear CSE graduate students participating in CSE TALK:

Welcome! We’re looking forward to meeting you, learning more about you, and preparing you for your role as a teaching assistant (TA) at the University of Minnesota. In this message, you’ll find information about the CSE: TALK Program; please read this letter carefully. If you have any questions feel free to contact me by email or phone +1-612-624-4235.

GENERAL INFORMATION
CSE: TALK is an acronym for the College of Science and Engineering: Teaching And Language “Kick-off.” This program is a collaboration between the College of Science and Engineering and the Center for Educational Innovation. As the title suggests, our program will orient you to the language and teaching skills you’ll need to be a TA in the U.S.

The CSE TALK program consists of two integrated parts: a one-week, asynchronous online component (either May 20-27, June 3-10 OR July 15-22) plus a two-week face-to-face component in Minneapolis (August 8-19). The online component is required of all participants and is integrally connected with the August component that follows. The purpose of CSE TALK is to prepare participants to be teaching assistants (TAs) in their department. An English test administered at the end of the orientation will determine eligibility for a TA position at the University of Minnesota.

The face-to-face program begins on Monday, August 8th at 9:30 a.m. to check-in, get acquainted, and have a light breakfast. This first meeting will take place in Keller Hall room 3-210.
If you have not yet made your flight arrangements, we would appreciate if you schedule your arrival date no earlier than August 1st. You will be linked to a survey below to provide information about your arrival date. Please let us know by Monday, May 16th, if you know that you will NOT ATTEND the face-to-face CSE TALK program this August.

In general, the August CSE TALK program sessions will be five hours daily Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Schedules for each student will vary; you will receive your program plan when you arrive. A general overview of the program schedule is also attached.

Please note: the schedule allows for sufficient time, especially on Friday, Aug. 12th, for you to locate housing and tend to other arrival-related business.

IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
All CSE:TALK students are required to complete the Global Gopher Online Orientation through the University’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) website. It is recommended that you do this prior to your arrival in the U.S.. Upon completing the orientation, students will register for an Immigration Check-in, which will take place after you arrive. Here is the link to start the pre-arrival process.

CSE TALK ONLINE COURSE PARTICIPATION – REGISTRATION AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Before you do anything else, please initiate your U of Minnesota Internet ID by following steps one and two here. During step one, if you don’t have a Social Security Number, leave that field blank when asked. Your Internet ID is used for University email and for logging in to University courses and other secure University of Minnesota websites.

2. Next, fill out this about your availability for the Online Course. You will need the U of M Internet ID you just created. Please note that there is a limited number of students in each section, so do this quickly to get your preferred section. Registration is done on a first-come, first-served basis.

3. Now, you must activate your University of Minnesota “Moodle” account. (Moodle is the name of our course management system.) Here’s how:
● Go to MOODLE and click on the link “Academics” on the left-hand side navigation bar. You will see “My Enrollment” and a Moodle link to click on.
● Log in using your Student Internet ID.

4. We will register you for the Online Course and send you a confirmation email about which section you are in as soon as possible.

5. The online course will be available to you at MOODLE just one or two days prior to your online course start date. Your instructors will send an email to let you know when the course is open. At that time, you will be able to enter the site, “meet” your instructors and classmates, introduce yourself, and read the syllabus. If you do not receive an email from your instructor 2 days prior to the start of the course, contact us.

Our intention is that the online course NOT cost you any additional money beyond what you already spend for computer use and Internet access. If you cannot meet the technical requirements below, contact us immediately. The technical requirements are:

● High-speed internet access for at least 2 hours per day during the dates of the course;
● Check the technical requirements for Moodle 2.8. Set your computer accordingly.
● Adobe Reader and Adobe Flash player (free) Click here.
● Video recording capability – i.e., a smart phone or tablet, or a computer camera + software that enables you to shoot and upload video files. (Audio recordings may be substituted if video is not possible for you.)
● Check out how to upload video assignments to Moodle. Alternatively, you can upload to a hosting site (e.g. vimeo.com) but not YouTube because some of your classmates won’t be able to view it on YouTube. If you use a hosting site for your video assignments, you will just post a link in Moodle.
● For general computer questions, please contact your local Internet provider or hardware/software vendor.
● For questions about the specific tools above and/or for troubleshooting, please visit this link. If you are still unable to solve the issue, please email us.

If you are taking this course from a location that blocks YouTube and Google (which we will be using during the online course), please take a few moments to add a VPN (virtual private network) to your computer or mobile device. The University of Minnesota recommends this for students, faculty, and staff. It is explained here, and you are able to download for free the necessary items to set it up on your computer. Essentially, it allows you to use the internet as if you are already on the U of M campus. If you need assistance with this, please use the technical support options on this page.

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT FOR FINANCIAL STIPEND
As you may know, a stipend will be paid to you by your department for attending CSE TALK. The amount of the stipend is based on your arrival date and daily attendance. You must complete both the online and the face-to-face course of CSE TALK in order to receive the stipend. Read more here. This website also gives general information about the CSE TALK program.

If your plans change and you are unable to begin the program on August 8th at 9:30 a.m., please notify both your department and me. If you arrive late, visit our office at the University Office Plaza Suite 400.
Please let us know if you have any questions.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,

Vanna Han
Executive Office & Administrative Specialist
[email protected]

CSE Programming Team Contacts:
Center for Educational Innovation
[email protected]

Mary Jetter
CSE TALK Program Coordinator
[email protected]

Jeff Lindgren
Assistant Director, Center for Educational Innovation
[email protected]

Check out this site to hear common questions students ask their TAs - spoken quickly and using idiomatic speech.
http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/graduate/itap/nonnative/questions/index.html

Common Questions for International TAs | Main content Campuses: Stay Connected with CTL These listening materials are designed to help you become better acquainted with a variety of typical student questions, common idioms used within them, and fast, reduced speech, a manner of speaking often used by American students.