Date:November7,2014

To:Ms.SylviaMatthews

CC:AnnBrady

From:SuperHerosInTraining(JameKanka,EricaRoche,AlexandriaVanDuzer)

RE:IGTAAPBrochureProposal

Purpose

OurpurposeistocreateforMs.SylviaMatthewsabrochurethathighlightsthestrengthsofher
program,InternationalGraduateTeachingAssistantsAssistanceProgram(IGTAAP),topresent
totheprogramdirectorsoftheSTEMfieldsandbeusableforundergraduates.Thegoalofthe
brochureistoprovidethesedirectorsandstudentswithknowledgeofIGTAAPandwhyitwould
bebeneficialforinternationalgraduatestudentstoattend.

IGTAAP

Ms.Matthewsprogramhasbecomeamajorresourceforinternationalgraduatestudentswho
wanttobecomemoreproficientincommunication.Thiscommunicationprimarilybeing,spoken
english.Theprogramisasemesterlongandverypersonable.

IGTAAPfocusesonaoneononeteachingstyle.Studentsarepairedwithacoachandbegin
workingonwhatthestudentfeelstheyneedhelpinthemost.Thismaybegettingcomfortable
talkinginfrontofaclassroom,beingabletoaccuratelyinterpretstudentsquestionsduringclass,
sustainingconversationswithAmericanstudents,beingabletopresentatconferences,making
businessconnections,orsimplygettingtoknowwhatAmericancultureislike.Thesesessions
provideacomfortablelearningenvironment,freefromembarrassment,wherethestudentsnot
onlygetinstruction,butmakeafriendintheprocess.

AgreatdealofpreparationgoesintopreparingIGTAAPstudentsforthepossibilityofbeinga
teachingassistant(TA)iftheysochoose.Studentswillpracticepresentationsforconferences,
dissertation/thesisdefenses,andlabintroductionswithquestionsandanswers.Eachstudentis
filmedatthebeginningoftheirtraining,andagainattheendsotoseetheimprovementthey
havemadeoverthecourseofthesemester.

ProposedTasks

CollectingInitialResearch:
UsingtheprojectdeliverablesthatMs.Matthewshassenttous,ourteamhasstartedtodevelopa
conceptforthefinaldeliverable.WehavealsoattendedIGTAAPmeetingsbetweenthecoaches
andstudents.Theseobservationshavegivenusinsightintohowtheprogramworksandhowthe
studentsrespondtothecoaching.Whatweknowsofaristhatstudentsarecomfortableinthis
environment,provenbytheeaseinwhichtheyaskquestionsandtakeinstruction.Thecoaches
areveryfamiliarwiththeneedsofthestudentsandwhattheydointheirdailylife,offeringtips
andhowtocommunicatemoreeffectivelywiththosearoundthem.Moreresearchwiththe
coaches,ontheIGTAAPwebsite,andoftheotherTAprogramdevelopedbyMikeMeyerwill
bedone.

TheBrochure:
ThegoalofthebrochureistopresentapictureofIGTAAPthatwillencourageprogramdirectors
torecommendthisprogramtotheirstudentsandencourageinternationalgraduatestudentsto
attend.Afterconductingourinitialresearchwewillbegintofinalizethebrochure.Thebrochure
needstoreflectIGTAAPasaprogramthatservesarealuse,andisnotbasedsolelyaroundthe
Humanities.

Usability:
Oncethebrochurehasbeencreatedwewillbeginusabilitytesting.GettingaSTEMmajoror
multipleSTEMmajorstomakeconstructivecriticismonthebrochurewillhelpusbetter
understandadesignthatwillappealtotheProgramDirectors(sincemostofthemworkinthe
STEMfield).Anyadvicetheygiveonhowtheirdepartmentsliketopresentinformationwillbe
helpfulaswell.Thedocumentwillthenberevisedifneededtoreflectthosechanges.

TheDeliverable:
Neutralcolorsandaneasytofollowlayoutwillbeused.Wehopetoincludeasmuchhard
evidenceaswecanaboutthesuccessthisprogrambringstostudents,eitherthroughquotesor
factsandfigures.IncludingalistofbenefitsofIGTAAPthatwilldirectlyimpactthefaceofthe
directorsprogramswillbebeneficialtomakingthemseeIGTAAPsworth.Wewanttopresent
thesebenefitsinsuchawaythattheywillalsostandouttothegraduatestudents.Showingthata
lotofthecoachesthatworkinIGTAAParestudentsintheSTEMfieldmightgiveusan
advantagetowardsasuccessfuldocument.

Thetentativeorderforthebrochurepages:

Thefrontpage:Neutralcolors,pictureofsuccessfulTA,andIGTAAPs
name/logo/mission
InsideLeft:DescriptionofIGTAAP
InsideMiddle:HowIGTAAPwillimproveculturalawarenessandunderstandingintheir
chosengraduatefield(factsorfigures).
InsideRight:QuotesfromcoachesinSTEM
Back:ContactinformationforIGTAAP

ProjectParticipationandSchedule

Ourteamcommunicatesprimarilythroughemail.TeammeetupsarescheduledonTuesdaysand
Sundaysasneeded.ProjectpiecesthatcanbedoneoverGoogleDrivearecompletedthatway.
Figure1.showstheprogressionofthisproject.Thisteamiscommittedtocompletingthisproject
ontimeandtothebestofourability.

Figure1.Representsthetimelineoftheproject.Theredatthetopindicatestodaysdate.Thecoloredarrowsindicate
harddeadlines.Thecoloredboxesindicatetheamountoftimethatwillbespentoneachsectionoftheproject.

Besidestheuseofascheduletokeepusontrack,ourteamwillalsomakeuseofFishbowl
Feedback.Whereeachteammemberisevaluatedonsuccessesandfailureswithintheteam.Our
othermethodtokeepeachotherontrackistheuseofourTeamContract.Thishighlightswhatis
expectedoutofeveryone,andwhattheconsequencesareshouldsomeonefailtofollowthrough
ontheirpart.

MeettheTeam


TheSuperHerosInTraininghaveawidevarietyofexperienceforthisproject.Thisteamis
comprisedofstudentswhoareintheirlateryearsofstudy,thiswillprovideuswithaplethoraof
backgroundknowledgetodrawfrom.

Ms.Rocheisafourthyearstudentwhohasworkedinthefieldofengineeringandingraphic
design.SheiscurrentlyworkingonabachelorofscienceinSTCaswellasanassociatesdegree
inhumanities.Shehasworkedwithteamsalotforengineeringclasses,oneexamplebeing
developingamodelforawindturbine.

Theveteranofthegroup,Mr.Kanka,hasbeenastudentatMichiganTechnologicalUniversity
forsixyearsandisfinishingawritingcertificatewherehehasstudiedmanydifferentformsof
writingfrompoetrytotheinformative.Healsohaveextensiveknowledgeindesignanddigital
mediathroughthedifferentdesignclass:photography,webdesign,printdesignandpublic
speaking.Mr.KankaisalsocurrentlyfinishingupaGlobalBusinessandInternationalGerman
Minor,wherehehaslearnedindepthknowledgeonwhatittakestounderstandandworkwith
foreigncultures.Lastly,althoughhehasnothadanyinternshipstospeakofhehasalong
historyofemploymentthatincludeseverythingfromworkingasasalesclerktoproperty
manager.

AsafourthyearatMichiganTechMs.VanDuzerhashadmanyteamingexperiences.Her
previousareasofstudy(physics/math)andcurrentstudyareashavegivenheraninsighttothe
STEMfieldthatisusefulforthisproject.RightnowasanSTCmajor,herfocusisin
EngineeringwithaminorinDataAcquisitionandIndustrialControl.Herworkexperienceon
campuswiththeCateringserviceshasprovidedhertheopportunitytoworkinaculturally
diverseplace.AsanSTCmajorshealsohasbasicskillsindigitalmedia,writing,anddesign.

References

ForGTAs.(n.d.).RetrievedNovember8,2014,from
http://www.mtu.edu/ctl/forgraduateteachingassistants/igtaap/