One of the biggest challenges we found in getting ready to join the PTEP program was the changing information we found in all the email communications our group received. It seemed that each week we would receive a communication from our advisor, followed by a communication from the district PTEP coordinator, and then another email from our Curriculum coordinator. Each of these emails had different information in them.
Examples:
1) March 20 we received an email that said "[we] will receive 100% of [our] scholarship up front" from the EEF. On May 15, we learned that the EEF would fund our 1st Summer Session 100% but that we would need to fund the 2nd Summer Session 100% ourselves. On May 16, we learned from our graduate advisor that the payment for Summer I and II were due on the same day. Our graduate advisor informed us that the University only accepted payments from one source and frowned upon receiving two separate checks from separate sources for payment. On the 17th of May, we were asked to respond to an email asking us if we would like the EEF to pay for both summer sessions or just for one and we provide the second payment. For those requesting for both sessions to be paid for; the rest of the payments for the entire program would be adjusted so we would still pay half of the total cost and EEF pay the other half.
2) Also in the March 20 email, we heard that courses would run Mondays through Fridays and classes would end by mid-day. We were informed half of the classes would be in Eanes and the other half at Texas State in San Marcos. On April 2, we were informed that all classes for summer would be at Texas State in San Marcos.
4) In the March 20 email, the GRE was required to be taken before the first start date of the grad classes. The graduate registration booklet said we could take the GRE between the start of classes through summer. On May 14, we were informed by the graduate advisor that we had to take the GRE before Summer Session 1 in June and that the results had to be sent to the graduate school by June 1. On May 15, our district informed us that the PTEP program required us to get our GRE results done by the end of Summer Session 1. On May 17, we were emailed by our district coordinator that GRE results could be turned in by the end of the summer.
5) On March 22, we were emailed about Financial Aid. We were informed to apply asap so that money could be sent to us quickly. We were told that financial aid was available only for full-time students and that Fall & Spring would allow us 3 hours (not full time) so that we may not get finanical aid. Many of us applied for summer financial aid but never were awarded the aid because we weren't enrolled at the time of applying for financial aid. Many of us are very unsure about financial aid in the future.
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What about Staff Development days that we were told would be available? It looks like we will need days to work on this program when we start our research.
Today, June 11, 2007, we met at Westlake High School. We will meet on Mondays and Thursdays for the remainder of Summer Session I.
The course is moving ahead and the Cohort seems to grow stronger each and every day. The growing pains are getting better. Many have expressed the excitement of learning and the "juices flowing again" in the brain. Some very proactive research ideas have been proposed. See the related link on the blog.
As I mentioned the growing pains are getting better but some are still present. Difficulties with the room included: no AC in the room, problems getting on the internet for Cohort members and Dr. Summers as well, no Groupwise or Novell. Nancy Tilson submitted a work order to take care of the AC.
Dr. Summers had emailed us a link for a class activity. The computers did not have Groupwise or Novell on them. The wireless hub was lined up so we would have computer access in the classroom. On each of the computers, we had to reset the computers so they would use a district proxy to get to the internet but we were not able to check our Groupwise until Joel installed it on our computers. If Joel had not been in the Cohort, we would not have had access to email on campus. Dr. Summers could not get her computer to work on the wireless hub, so she changed plans for the day. She is such a veteran. We also had difficulty using Blackboard with Internet Explorer, so we each installed Mozilla Firefox. The Internet Explorer problem is with the Blackboard and Texas State. It is a known issue that is addressed when you get into Blackboard.
The course is going very well. It is great to have such great leadership that is flexible and cohort members who are so professional and interactive in the classroom. Some very fun banter has gone back and forth (Vicky and Pam).
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