[TOS] POSSE application remix: am I crazy?

[Mel Chua]

Sooooooo, I've been thinking about the POSSE application (since we'll be 
opening registration for the POSSE Basics round at the start of next 
week). Current app is 
http://teachingopensource.org/index.php/POSSE_application - and I'm not 
a big fan (even if I wrote it). It tends to get us formulaic answers, 
whereas what I'd personally like to hear is "what is the story you want 
to be able to tell after teaching your class, and how can we help you 
make that story happen?"

So I've taken a stab at a... different sort of application. One I hope 
will get people inspired while they write it up. The full draft is at 
http://teachingopensource.org/index.php/Talk:POSSE_application and 
contains a few questions about basic info (name, institution, etc) and a 
section where people can share things they *don't* want to be public, 
but the 3 main questions are below.

I'm particularly interested in the following:

* What do you think - first impressions, overall impressions - do you 
*want* to fill this application out? I'm hoping it will inspire people, 
so if it doesn't, something is wrong. :)

* Is there a way to phrase the "most of your application will be public" 
thing so it sounds less terrifying? (So we can look at, welcome, etc. 
and have conversations with applicants.)

* Is this too long/weird/onerous? I'm honestly thinking it should take 
less than 30 minutes to write up - just sit down, talk out loud for 2 
minutes about the question, then type up what you said... it's not a 
college application essay, it's not a grant proposal, we want to get to 
know people! Responses don't even have to be as long as the prompts!

* Would an example app or two help?

* Any other feedback folks have.

Thanks!

--Mel

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Note that your application, except for the parts explicitly marked as 
"not shared" (which will remain private to the workshop team) will be 
posted publicly under a CC-BY-SA license. By submitting your 
application, you consent to these terms.

1. The present

Describe your class as it is currently taught, and what it's like for 
you to be there teaching it. Give us a picture - linking to or attaching 
the syllabus, listing learning objectives, and describing or providing 
sample assignments are helpful, but we're also looking for what it's 
like to be there, teaching where you are. How many students are in this 
class - are they sophomores, grad students, history majors, commuters, 
required to be there for graduation, or opting in? What kind of work do 
they do, and how - do they dutifully memorize, do they challenge you, 
struggle with the material, grind mechanically through it, breeze past 
it, come back later to thank you? What is your school itself like - 
urban, tiny, focused on global experiences, suburban, historic, 
state-of-the-art, isolated, running out of space? What about your 
colleagues - did you just get a new department chair who's open to 
change, do you frequently work with people outside your department, are 
you feeling the tenure crunch, are your fellow professors more 
research-minded? Feel free to use urls.

2. The future

Flash forward to Summer 2012. This was the best class you've ever 
taught. Hard but illuminating work - you can see it in your students' 
eyes. They get it, and they've done some truly amazing things that show 
how much they've grown. They can't stop talking about the class, and 
neither can you - you're inspired to reach out and see where this could 
go next, what it could mean for your institution... What happened? Tell 
this story as you would tell it to an old grad school friend who's now a 
professor somewhere else. Feel free to use urls.

Place yourself in the future, looking back - speak of the insights 
you've acquired and the milestones you've attained during the year as if 
these accomplishments were already in the past. Phrases such as "I 
hope," "I intend," or "I will" must not appear; this is not a binding 
commitment, but we want you to envision that future as strongly as you 
can, and share it with us. We are particularly interested in the sort of 
teacher you will have become, and the attitude, feelings, and worldview 
that you and your students will have as people who have done all they 
wished to do and become everything they wanted to be - at least in this 
one class, this one corner of your life.

(Adapted from The Art of Possibility by Roz and Benjamin Zander, Penguin 
Books, 2000)

3. Making the future

What will you need to make the future happen? Reread the two stories you 
wrote above, and think about what resources you have and what further 
resources you'll need to get there. Where are you now - what do you 
know, what do you know you don't know, what do you have, what do you 
know you don't have? What blockers do you see yourself running into that 
you'll need help clearing? Recall that being accepted to the program 
will give you, at minimum, the following:

     * A real-world project - you can choose from thousands - for your 
students to work on
     * Experienced engineers as dedicated project mentors for your students
     * No NDA - everything you do can be used as a public portfolio for 
you, your students, and your institution
     * Teaching materials to help your students get started on their 
projects
     * Interactive tutorials for your students and TAs where Red Hat 
professionals teach the tools and practices that typically confuse 
newcomers on the job
     * Turnkey infrastructure - ready-to-go build servers, repositories, 
etc. for hosting student work at no cost or hassle to your IT dept
     * PR - interviews, videos, press releases, etc. for your class and 
institution throughout the 2011-2012 school year
     * Your class experience - the curriculum, materials, and student 
work - to be covered in a print book published during the 2012-2013 
school year
     * Access to a supportive network of colleagues who have done these 
types of projects with their students in the past
     * Up to $1600 in course funding for materials, travel, etc.
     * A 2-day workshop in Summer 2011 to learn the basics of 
incorporating open source collaboration into your course

This is a wishlist - anything goes, thought it's helpful to delineate 
"want" from "need." What do you need to learn during the 2-day workshop 
- are there topics you already know you need us to cover, are there 
projects you want introductions to? Do you need a letter of support, 
advice for dealing with certain kinds of situations, suggestions on 
where to publish "teaching open source" work? If an item is 
time-sensitive ("I need a build server set up before August", "I'd like 
travel assistance for 2 students from the class to present their work at 
a conference in October", etc) note that as well. Feel free to include urls.

Chances are that different professors will end up overlapping in similar 
wants and needs, and/or be able to trade advice and services, so this 
sort of need-finding is extremely useful.