Booksprints – Future of Ed Infographics
February 18, 2013
Document Developed with Tryggvi Thayer
We hope you are able to join us for our first booksprint in the production of an infographic about the future of education. This infographic hopes to influence policy and awareness to some of the changes that are taking place in education as a result of new theories and technological developments.
This project is an initiative of the OLPD Technology Redesign Task Group (TRTG) with support from:
Facilitator:
Tryggvi Thayer, Advanced PhD Candidate, Futurist, Policy Researcher and Education Technologist
Members of the TRTG:
Tryggvi Thayer, Advanced PhD Candidate, Futurist, Policy Researcher and Education Technologist
Daniel Woldeab, PhD, Education Technologist, IT Fellow, 2012 PSLSA Award Recipient
Matt Finholt-Daniel, MA Student, Director of Technology at Seward Inc, ICT for Development
Alfonso Sintjago, PhD Student, IT Fellow, Specialist in Open Education, EVP of GAPSA
Ahmed Essa, Compute Scientist, Technology Maintenance and Assessment for OLPD
What is a Booksprint:
A booksprint is an intensive collaborative activity where a group of individuals come together to create a high quality distributable or publishable work in 2-5 days. Booksprints utilize the dynamic creativity of a group and modern technologies to facilitate the production of informational artifacts such as books, manuals, or infographics. Booksprints share various elements with “hackathons” and were originally organized to develop manuals for open source open source software. Today, over 50 FLOSS (Free and Open Source Software) manuals have been produced using this methodology, each taking less than 5 days. A similar method has successfully been used to create open textbooks in Siyavula, South Africa for grades 10, 11, 12 totaling over 1,800 pages of content over a mere 10 days.
More information about the methodology is available at http://www.booksprints.net/.
The goals of this booksprint are to:
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Increase awareness of how technological developments affect education within the UMN, CEHD and OLPD. At-large stakeholders are welcome to join. We hope that this event will promote openness and new forms of knowledge construction and become a model for future collaborative and creative endeavours.
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Encourage participants to discuss possible futures for education and to promote future-oriented thinking about educational issues. The booksprint will emphasize the importance of envisioning the future and brainstorming what is possible in 5, 10 and 15 years from now. This booksprint hopes to influence local policy makers.
Prices:
All participants will be entered in a raffle for various ebooks and an iPad Mini.
The outcome of this booksprint will be:
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A series of “infographics” that illustrate alternative education futures given current and foreseeable forces driving technological change. The specific topics of these infographics will vary depending on the group of participants. A growing list of possibilities is available can be accessed at: http://z.umn.edu/topics. All ideas are welcomed.
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An interactive website where topics and issues detailed in the infographics can be further explored and expanded on.
Ideas and Examples of effective infographics:
http://visual.ly/ & http://visual.ly/education-infographics
http://pinterest.com/mashable/infographics/
http://www.coolinfographics.com/
Scheduling:
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The event will take place the weekend of March 2nd – 3rd, 2013 (Saturday and Sunday) in Wulling Hall – 140. Changes may take place if a larger room is needed.
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The event will start at 10:00 am March 2nd. While there will be a brief introduction to the process, participants are welcomed to join the event throughout the day and join one of the work tables.
Recruitment:
Any interested party is welcome to join. To account for materials needed please RSVP to the event by February 28 (RSVP at http://infographicfutureofed.eventbrite.com/). The event will includes a set of ground rules to encourage positive and constructive conversations. By bringing together individuals with different skills, knowledge, experiences and interests the event can result in a more diverse and rewarding experience.
Planning:
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Organizers will supply various resources that can be used for brainstorming to increase the sharing of ideas, and the effectiveness of the event. Snacks and lunch will be provided to participants at Noon. Participants must fill out a Subway form at the beginning of the event.
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The event will include multiple groups which will work sometimes simultaneously during the event. Participants are welcome to move around different stations and make suggestions but every team is responsible for an element of the infographic.
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Social media will be shared during the event. We will be live-blogging throughout the duration of the booksprint. Participants will also be urged to share their experiences using social media, for example tweeting to #UMN, #CEHD, #Booksprint, #Future, #EdTech, #2020, #OLPD, #GAPSA. We will also be recording brief interviews of participants during the event!
Information Packet:
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A detailed itinerary of the day will be provided to all participants.
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A brief brochure explaining the booksprint process.
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The information packet will include additional information relating to the event.
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Raffle tickets will also be included.
Teams Needed:
The booksprint will consist of multiple objective-specific teams. These teams will in many cases work simultaneously. Participants of a team are welcomed to visit other teams and change teams throughout the event.
Visioning team(s): Articulate a vivid story about what future will look/be like
Content team(s): Translate story into information to be conveyed on infographic(s)
Information design team(s): Decide how information will be presented
Graphic design team: Decide the look and feel of the infographic(s)
Web development team: Construct web-based platform for further info/interaction
Editing team: Check all content for grammar, spelling and style
Communication team: Update live blog about the booksprint process
Production team: Finalize artwork to be print-ready and for electronic dissemination
Brief Timeline: (Subject to Modifications)
10:00 a.m. Explanation of goals and overview of project
10:30 a.m. Group brainstorming – Open Space Technology
11:15 a.m. Organization into groups (Flexible framework)
12:00 p.m. Lunch and brief status check
12:45 p.m. Continued work in teams, increased inter-group collaboration
02:30 p.m. Brief check in – Answering lingering questions
02:45 p.m. Continuation of group work. Compiling of data
04:00 p.m. Continued compiling, missing pieces. Final Day 1 touches
05:00 p.m. Continued brainstorming. End of day 1
The schedule on the second day may change depending on the level of completion.
It is possible that the infographic could be finished on Saturday.
10:00 a.m. Debrief of prior day. Brief forum discussion of day two objectives
11:00 a.m. Continued group work. General input in dissemination
12:00 p.m. Group overview of web elements. What is missing?
01:15 p.m. Collection of experience interviews.
02:30 p.m. Comparison of different versions and styles
03:30 p.m. Depends on status. Group discussion of experience.
04:45 p.m. Closing circle. Sharing of final product
Afterwards: Depending on the state of the product, members may remain involved online on the day to come. The product should be finished or mostly finished by the end of the second day but it could potentially require additional work over the next few days to finalize certain elements. A Google Group may be created to continue this conversation.
Skills needed by team: Teams are neither permanent nor fixed, nor exclusive. Teams may be composed by a single member.
Visioning:
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Understanding of future studies and the process of “futuring” (see for example: http://www.slideshare.net/tryggvibt/tt-futuring
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Understanding of forces driving technological development (a list will be provided)
While the focus of the participants will be developed organically, participants could choose to focus on a particular aspect of the educational system and a particular timeline. Some ideas include higher education in the US, higher education worldwide, changes from 2015 to 2020, K-12, Informal Learning, Invisible Learning, Diversity, Etc.
Content:
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Members must have good writing skills and the ability to condense info into meaningful bullet points.
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Emphasis on facts that help others perceive an important message from multiple and insightful perspectives.
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Responsible for identifying information sources, filtering by quality, and by potential for engagement. Condensing relevant information.
Multiple magazines will be shared during the event. Data from books, journal articles, and recent reports on the subject may be shared by any participant. We encourage participants to find the most reliable sources. If a substantial number of members prefers working with different data they will be able to pursue multiple projects.
Information Design:
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Understanding of various ways to visualize and present info. Understanding the affordances of an infographic.
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Familiarity with “infographics” (A list of websites will be provided)
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We encourage participants to review the list of sources and think of ways to effectively present data.
Participants are encouraged to look at sources before and during the event. Wireframing and rough drafts can help the brainstorming process. The emphasis of information design is to ensure that the most important elements are being conveyed. Sources for all of the information must be included in the lower margin of the infographic. The information design team will ensure that all sources are accurate and reliable.
Graphic Design:
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Familiarity with design processes and supportive of a collaborative process. Use of brainstorming techniques that promote the visualization of multiple ideas.
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Emphasis on creativity, testing of different possibilities, and visual appeal.
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Advanced users of computer programs used in graphic design (vector drawing, photo, layout, etc.)
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Familiarity with analyzing graphics critically.
Multiple resources will be brought to the event. Participants should also own various programs with which they intend to modify and create various graphics. Participants who are knowledgeable with animations could aid the web development team in creating an interactive version of the infographic. Participants are urged to visit similar websites to familiarize themselves with infographic styles and elements.
Web Development:
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Advanced knowledge of web development and an interest in collaborative work.
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Familiarity with commonly used tools (HTML, CMS, JQuery, etc.)
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Advanced knowledge in web programming languages is also welcome.
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Understanding of limitations in mobile devices and screen sizes.
The web development team will brainstorm various ideas that could be used for creating an interactive version of the infographic. This group will decide the tools to be used and the layout of the web page.
Editing:
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Prior editing experience is helpful. Especially editing for the web and media that use short, concise messages to deliver critical points.
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Excellent writing skills.
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Emphasis on constructive criticism and collaboration. Encouraging and promoting greater tolerance for differences.
Editors will review content from various groups to double check for quality and for accuracy. The editor must trust the decisions made by each team while making recommendations that he or she feels might improve the final product. Editors are welcome to visit different groups and provide suggestions.
Communication:
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Good writing skills and understanding of social media. Twitter and Facebook, and other forms of social media may be used during the event.
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Editing of images, videos, and other resources that may be gathered during the event.
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Familiarity with common blogging tools (blog sys like WordPress, interaction with other web services like photo, video, etc.)
The role of the communicator is to help share the experience with the public via the internet. By sharing the different activities that are taking place in the booksprint we hope to encourage others to consider conducting booksprints while also finding ways in which to improve the method for future events.
Production:
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Familiarity with printing processes and production for paper-based and electronic distribution.
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Planning of distribution and distribution of materials once they are completed.
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Familiarity with print formatting.
The production team will be in-charge of planning the printing and distribution of materials. This team will think of ways to distribute electronically and on paper. We recommend that the infographic be shared with related twitter accounts, and organizations of interest.
Support of the Federal Dream Act and Institutional Aid – GAPSA
Every year over 65,000 undocumented students graduate from college, but unlike other students they do not qualify for in-state tuition or many other support services. Due to the lack of support many of them are limited to living in the shadows, diminishing their possibilities and the changes for developing their true potential. This handicap is not only detrimental to them but also to society as many skilled job go unfilled every year, limited the United States economic growth. GAPSA recently passed a resolution in favor of undocumented immigrants and is doing what it can to increase the support that is available to them at the University of Minnesota
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RESOLUTION: University of Minnesota Graduate and Professional Student Assembly – University of Minnesota in Support of the Federal DREAM Act and Institutionalized Aid (Modeled after a UCLA undergraduate student governance resolution from 2010)
February 13, 2013
Author: Alfonso Sintjago, Executive Vice President, Brittany Edwards, President
Topic: Public Affairs
Whereas, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly works to fairly represent student interests, needs, and welfare.
Whereas, the UMN Student Development Goals supports Appreciation of Differences
Whereas, the fee and tuition increases within the UMN system cause undocumented students to be among the most vulnerable to extreme academic and financial pressure.
Whereas, each year, more than 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school in the United States.
Whereas, these undocumented students regardless of their hard work, dedication, and years in the United States, are still ineligible for any form of university-related scholarships, federal loans, grants, or work study.
Whereas, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, or the Federal DREAM Act, is a bipartisan bill that seeks to recognize the hard work of undocumented students and provide equitable access to education.
Whereas, the Federal DREAM Act currently has 40 co-sponsors in the Senate and 154 in the House of Representatives.
Whereas, the DREAM Act provides undocumented individuals of good, moral character who have lived in the United States for at least 5 years and attend a 2- or 4-year university a path to conditional permanent residency after completing their college degree within a six (6) year period.
Whereas, this bill aids in alleviating the financial hardship of a college education by providing undocumented students access to financial aid in the form of loans and work-study.
Whereas, the DREAM Act is at a critical state in the federal legislative system and all measures to support the undocumented population at UMN should be sought out.
Whereas, the DREAM Act has been in the Senate Judiciary committee and both Minnesota Senators Klobuchar and Franken have the political power to bring it to a vote.
Whereas, we ask that the University Of Minnesota Board Of Regents allow all students access to institutionalized financial aid.
Be it resolved, that GAPSA supports student efforts and endorses the passage of the Federal DREAM Act.
Be it resolved, that GAPSA urges Senators Klobuchar and Franken to bring the DREAM Act up to a vote in the Senate Judiciary committee.
Be it further resolved, that GAPSA urges the University of Minnesota Board Of Regents to approve institutionalized financial aid to all students – regardless of race, creed, economic background, legalization status, and country of origin, restricted to students who came to the US before being sixteen.
Be it finally resolved, that GAPSA urges UMN students, faculty and administration to support these national and statewide initiatives that support the undocumented student population at UMN.
ICT4D and ICT4E – Applying Integrative Leadership Concepts
Reflection on ICT4D and ICT4E and the Importance of Applying Integrative Leadership Concepts
January 29, 2013
I signed up to this course to further think of ways in which we can collaboratively address grand challenges. The biggest challenge that I face in my work is how to improve educational systems in developing countries through technology. With education linked closely to health, I focused this reflection on my research. While I do not work closely with health concerns, they are present in education in two ways. First, some governments must decide whether to feed more students or hire more instructors. Secondly, education can help individuals to learn how to react to dangerous situations and improve their survival skills. Education can teach us how to survive or “how to fish”. Education is linked to health directly / short term, and indirectly / long term.
Improving educational programs through technology is a complex and daunting challenge especially when working with very limited resources and high levels of poverty in a developing country. As Larry Cuban suggest, technology is often underused and oversold in classrooms, yet we can also not deny the impact it has on society. Our satellites, health systems, airplanes, telecommunications, and stock market rely on computers to increase their efficiency. What technology has accomplished in the last 20 years and its influence in modern society are difficult to overstate. Because of technology many of the challenges that we currently face may eventually be seen as solved “mystery problems”. As online learning and MOOCs improve, and individuals increasingly have access to powerful mobile phones we may discover new ways in which to address development challenges including health concerns (Haiti and cellphones is a good example). One of the most promising recent developments is the growing adoption of mobile phones which currently exceeds 6 billion subscriptions. Increasingly through crowdsourcing and collaboration, grand challenges that were previously too wicked for an individual are being addressed by the many. Many projects have benefited from sharing their efforts through open source collaboration such as Mozilla, Apache, and Linux. Yet while some problems may be solved through new technological developments, the balance between technology, education, and development in the broadest lens, or the balance between pedagogy, content and technology at the instructional level are difficult paradoxes to manage.
When looking at the complexity of a problem it is possible to freeze and decide for inertia. One of the lessons that I will take away from this course is that it is possible to work together with groups of individuals with different viewpoints. In the case of my work it is important to include local stakeholders into the decision-making process which is often overlooked to the detriment of the program. One of my favorite parts about the forum was its focus in bringing together both food producers and animal right activists. Unfortunately, often in technology adoption projects they fail to include multiple stakeholders and prepare everyone for implementation of the project. Instead they simply drop technology inside of classrooms and hope for the best. The speed in which projects are implemented is supported partly by the argument that it increases the rate of adoption. And while this may be true, the effectiveness of the intervention also drops significantly. The cost in effectiveness and resources could take away from greater investments in health services, school lunches, and other implementations that could have a greater impact in the life of students and their educational outcomes. If more projects were to emphasize that “slow progress is progress” as we discussed in class, implementations would be more efficient and effective.
Parting from the importance of collaboration, technology adoption projects should do more to find common ground. Computers are flexible in what they can be used for and if there is a one to one adoption program or a class set, one of the most important considerations is to maximize their utility. A difficult paradox in technology adoption programs is the desire from some instructors for maintaining the status quo and the desire of others for change. This balance must be carefully considered. Having worked as an IT Fellow and as a researcher for CEHD’s iPad initiative, I have seen some faculty members transition from being technology skeptics to feeling more comfortable with using these tools. A way in which we can obtain this outcome is by increasing instructors’ comfort level with technology. This could be achieved by having circle conversations where they share their opinions of technology. Circles and open space technology discussions can increase comfort and improve the level of adoption.
Also in educational technology, the TPACK model addresses the paradox between three elements: pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, and technology knowledge. Instructors generally are more uncomfortable with their technological mastery as students may be as knowledgeable as they are in this space. Because of this, it is important emphasize that technology changes so quickly that is essentially not possible to become an expert on technology for a long period of time without continuous learning. With this in mind, instead of adopting the newest gadgets, it is more effective to think of a goal and envision how technology can best address this objective. Open space technology can also help in mapping faculty concerns. This is especially applicable when working with an educational program in a developing country. Every technology carries with it some biases and being a foreign product can be a major concern. However, instead of thinking of how technology can erode an oral culture, technological developments can be seen as a way to preserve local knowledges, “other” voices, and oral traditions. Instead of thinking of whether to implement a technology adoption program or to improve the school health program, when thinking of the situation as a paradox, stakeholders could agreed to use computers to more effectively track student health needs, while also using them to share educational programming that serves a resource for teaching certain health related modules.
Before participating in this course, I had a limited set of tools through which I could facilitate a discussion in the hope of finding common ground. I was primarily familiar with holding meetings and organizing focus groups. While this format also encourages a dialogue, it lacks several of the reflection pieces and the openness that the Common Ground Forum on Animal and Human Welfare and the open space technology facilitated. Two of my favorite elements in the forum where the ability for participants to move around when working on a solution and for there to be parts in the forum where everyone interacted together, and parts where interaction took place only at the table level. The variety and differences between activities kept ideas flowing and a sequential structure, filtering element, to the conversation. Learning how to map a polarity was one of the most enjoyable sections of the forum. While we mapped a polarity in terms of values (my values vs. your values) and most of the participants in our table held similar values, they were able to visualize themselves in the opposing stance, mentioning the negative aspect of their position and the positive aspects of the position held by “others”.
Finally, while I described a few potential polarities, the complexity of education, technology and development highlight many possible polarities. As a field it would be helpful for experts to get together and find common ground and map what they consider to be the most important polarities. It was interesting to see how Table 8 moved away from the original paradox into one they were more interested in discussing. Overall, as a constant investment technology adoption needs to be managed, juggled. Technology adoption is a constant and not a one-time problem that has a solution. Instead it requires constant reconsideration. In terms of Finding Common Ground Forums it would be interesting to see how the internet could help host a larger discussion of a topic while maintaining most of the elements of the forum and moving from the broader discussion online into crowdsourcing innovative projects. While InCommons has some of these elements, I believe it can become even more effective!
Many complex problems including technology adoption for education in development countries, or food safety, gun control, taxation, health insurance are complex and wicked in nature especially when looked from a broader societal level lens. When comparing interventions it can become an “either, or” problem, or it could be perceived as a “continuum” problem, especially when working with a project with a high cost which resources could be used for a different initiative, it is important to include more stakeholders to ensure that the initiative integrates the concerns of others and helps address multiple problems. Failure to account for these considerations can limit a program to the worst possible quadrant that of high cost and low impact. In a basic polarity model an initiative in a school should be compared with the school as it stands vs. the school with the potential changes and how the concerns of instructors and students can be best accounted for.
Overall, being part of the workshop helped me realize that it is possible for people who are very certain of their viewpoint to benefit from talking to others who are approaching a situation from a different perspective. Speaking with intention and listening with attention are very important skills to develop. During the final day for the course, the workshop allowed me to experience how a grand challenge can be discussed and how a group can act upon those differences to bring about positive changes. I left the course with a new gained perspective. From the workshop I strengthened my conviction that while we will likely not agree on all points there should be a way in which to bring about positive changes. Other tools we explored such as the DiSC personality test and the Strengthfinder quiz which I completed for the Student Leadership Team have helped me developed a greater awareness of my weaknesses and strengths. Part of what is fascinating about individual differences, which applies to my work for GAPSA, is how by working with people with different skills sets we can obtain a better result. Improving as an active listener will help me in the future especially when applying qualitative methods.
As someone who has a broad interest in multiple issues where I can only have a marginal impact, I am concerned with improving my ability to work in teams, and in adequately assessing my own strengths and those of others while emphasizing that everyone has a positive contribution to share. With every ICT4D (Technology for Development) and ICT4E (Technology for Education) project the equation of what is the best intervention to implement will vary and its effectiveness will likely rely on high levels of collaboration. Cross-cultural competence is also an important aspect of development work. I hope to apply many of these techniques in the future along with others that I have learned in the past, which I am happy to include in my toolbox. Thank you for sharing with us your knowledge and experience!
Improving Animal and Worker Health and Welfare
Welfare and Impacts (Improving Animal and Worker Health and Welfare)
Workshop (January 17, 2013) – 9:00 am to 4:30 pm – Minnesota Humanities Center
Opening and Introductions:
The discussions in Table 8 emphasized the ethics of animals, animal related diseases, the importance of food safety, veterinary medicine, and animal production practices. In general, most of the members of the panel were very knowledgeable in the subject area. Table 8 had seven members including 2 moderators. Scott works as a journal editor in veterinary medicine. Kirk is a specialist in animal related diseases. Jenifer is a dietetics student who currently works for the Beef Council. She was both the youngest and the only woman in our group apart from Sue who was one the moderator. Another member of the group was a professor in a state university. Jeff is a professor of philosophy on food ethics. Among other topics, we discussed about how pigs can be considered pets by some individuals instead of a food source and the special relationship some groups hold with pets in contrast to other farm animals. Finally the table included one of the keynote speakers who works as an administrator for the largest dairy producer in the state of Minnesota. Also being one of the panelists other table members regularly addressed Kevin with questions about Riverview Ltd. Other topics that were discussed in the first section of the forum included the importance of moving from an abstract point of view to a concrete understanding of animal production, and the differences between local production and imported agricultural products.
Part of the initial discussion also included a sharing of experiences with animal production and overall statements regarding their opinion of current practices. Based on his research, Jeff explained how tomatoes from Florida actually have a smaller environmental impact than tomatoes that are grown in Minnesota and other places in with colder climates. There were numerous interesting anecdotes. While both Sue and Alfonso acted as moderators their roles were somewhat different. Sue’s expertise in veterinary medicine allowed her to ask specific questions about animal and human welfare. By having limited prior knowledge of this subject, Alfonso focused on conveying an honest interest in learning more about each individuals’ opinion. Much of the initial discussion centered around tradeoffs. After a friendly conversation, and going over some of the objectives for the day, the forum moved towards “framing the issue”.
Framing the Issue: (The comments made by Kevin Wulf the Human Resources and Social Licensing Director Riverview LLP were of great interest to the members of Table 8. Table 8 was the table where Kevin Wulf seated. Despite our interest in ensuring that everyone shared their opinion during the discussion, and taking step to making this happen, questions were regularly asked to Kevin by different table members. Below are some of the comments and notes from the speaker presentations)
– “Adults are kids in big people bodies”
– Operation includes 45,000 cows
– Raise their own heifer replacements
– The operation is back into beef production
– They currently have around 700 employees (600 hispanics)
– Emphasis in social licensing – promoting community and trust
– Emphasizing worker welfare they have built family houses
– They also held an open house event and invited the community
– The organization retains 1930s values, and culture
– They are currently focused on stewardship and immigration issues
– Discussion on values – We all drive every day even though it is dangerous
– Risk aversion – What level of risk is most appropriate?
– They have implemented a beef safe program to increase safety
– They faced multiple audits including an ICE audit
– Farms growing in size but safety training has sometimes not been adequately implemented
– The extremes are often noticeable on small farms (some treat animals the best, some the worst)
– “When you have a family farm you have the opportunity to do things your way”
– Large Hispanic workforce – Hired an on-staff Spanish teacher
– Additional bilingual people have been added to the staff
– Multiple courses on what is Medicare? What is Social Security?
– Promoting the barefoot doctor model which has been successful with Latinos worldwide
– Beliefs or superstitions can negative influence migrant perceptions
– Importance of balancing positive vs. negative comments (5 to 1 ratio)
– Death of an employee driving a 4 wheeler transformed into a teachable moment
– Dairy farm was fined by OSEA as a result of this fatality
– Safety training is not just about education but also empowerment
– Animals are difficult to handle. Even a new born calf is from 70 to 100 lbs.
– The baby calf is dragged it out of the pen which looks ugly but it helps the workers
– Other animals: Complications of killing a pig and the discomfort of killing it (250 lbs)
What is the most significant challenge with respect to both animal and worker health and welfare?
Challenges:
- How do we deal with “important” diseases (why? How?) with limited resources
- Criticism of traditions in animal treatment vs. Increasing efficiency
- Importance of the Business’ bottom-line vs. Consumers workers & animal welfare
- Who’s voice? Do “they” understand (farmer vs. Non-farmers)
- There are too many assumptions and individuals who don’t understand
- Difficulty deciding how & who comes to the discussion table
- What are ways in which we can overcome pre-conceptions and misconceptions
- Reducing high levels of suspicion between parties (Wisconsin DNR vs. Hunters)
- Increasing interaction and trust – “I don’t see that happening much”
- Finding ways of building trust between opposing viewpoints
- Increasing lack of consequence or personal responsibility in society
- Characterizations and focus on extremes in social media campaigns (online videos)
- Questioning of standard practices and fear of changing them
- Impact of media and the importance of portraying issues “fairly”
- Consumers emphasis in animal welfare vs. Workers welfare
- Shift to animal welfare and lack of concern about the human element
- Contrast between larger vs. smaller organizations
- Smaller organizations feel that large organizations are raising the bar too quickly
What makes these challenges so difficult to resolve?
Difficulties: When thinking of points of controversy and difficulty between groups and how current American culture has been affected by the separation between animal production and the market place, and the perception vs. the reality. While some of the images shared through social media are discomforting, many of these practice have taken place for decades or hundreds of years. In addition, they may not tell the whole story or explain why this practice takes place. While a practice may seem brutal, such as when a piglet is killed by brute force trauma, the shaking observe after the impact may be mostly a reflex. Various table members pointed out how the current systems used are much better than the system that were available before and that there are misconceptions about what animals prefer. How do we know what an animal prefers? Many animals seem to enjoy being in their own stalls even when given the option of a shared space. Pigs for example spend most of their time in their independent stalls, spending only close to 15% of their time in the common spaces. When discussing possible solution our table emphasized the following:
- Starting With Trust
- From individual to individual
- There is a lack of reliance on others
- There is a lack of a sense of community
- Consequences of Affluence
- We increasingly rely less on others
- We could ponder and reflect more
- What Are the Alternatives?
- Are suggested changes sustainable?
- Addressing misunderstanding of why a practice takes place
- Lacking Responsibility
- Seeking balanced information not partial snippets
- Not focusing solely on scandals
Synthesis of Table Discussions:
Following the table conversation, Sue and Alfonso summarized the key elements of the discussion. When thinking of challenges and ways to address them, Table 8 highlighted the importance of increasing trust and communication between individuals. It also highlighted the importance of higher quality media or information but left the responsibility of finding these sources to the individual. While there will always be low quality information a person can chose to read that media or inform themselves through a different news source. Finally, it is important to understand that while we may increasingly trust each other and find better sources of information we are likely to have differences of opinions. Individuals have different sets of values. But while values are different we must all respect other individuals’ rights. Table 8 discussion is summarized in the three bullet points below.
- 1) Trust
- 2) Individual Responsibility
- 3) Value Placement
Polarity Map (Table 8)
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What Do We All Most Want? Respect for Animals Reduced Suffering |
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| My Values (Producer) |
Positive Heritage Identity / Pride in Tradition of Stewardship Providing Wholesome and Safe Food Provider – Feeding the World |
Positive Giving Voice to Animals Respect of Life Questioning The Status Quo Increase Accountability |
Your Values (Animal Rights) |
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Differing Values (My vs. Your Values) |
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Negative Lower Level of Compassion for Animals Focus on Profit I’m Right! You are Wrong Mentality Lack of Sensitivity and Overconfidence |
Negative Lower Level of Compassion for People I’m Right! You are Wrong Mentality Famer Out of Business Overly Sensitive |
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What Do We All Most Fear? Animals Caused to Suffer < —– Having No Choice —– > No Able to Eat Meat Again Values Imposed |
Developing Action-Oriented Objectives
In this section we discussed as a group the ways in which to break away from remaining caught up or stuck in the negative quadrants of a polarity. We discussed how values are deeply held attitudes and that without greater openness it would be difficult to find common ground. Part of the problem resulted from misconceptions and individuals campaigns for or against a situation (in this case animal production) of which they have a limited understanding of. Should a person who has never stepped inside a production site be considered when drafting policy, rules or regulations that affect agricultural producers? To some members of the table misinformed and uninformed individuals who have not visited production sites should probably not be a part of the discussion. “They should visit a number of production facilities before having a place in the conversation”. However, perhaps they were being overly judgmental of animal right activists and including them could help producers and activist find places where they can collaborate. The polarity map pointed towards a common goal of treating animals respectfully and reducing their suffering. With a common goal and the appreciation that some changes can be positive and helpful in improving the production system, producers should be more open to a conversation. Before developing the details of the project, table members agreed that an open dialog and an amicable conversation could help start breaking down some of the barriers and misconceptions, and help manage and maintain the polarity within the two positive quadrants.
Project Brainstorm
The Issue: Differing Values
The Objective: Understand Each Other Better and Find Common Ground. Starting a Conversation!
Big Ideas: To hold a series of friendly meetings or conversations, slowly working towards finding common ground between two opposing viewpoints. Hosting events that are similar to the one we are participating in today.
We’ll know we have been successful when….
When there is a greater understanding and less sensationalism. When we discussed the polarity, we noticed that there are positive elements to both viewpoints. Sharing a common ground of helping or wanting the best for society and respecting animals and human life is a position both groups share. While there will likely be individuals in both extremes that will not agree with more moderate positions, there are ways in which by improving communication some of the concerns of both groups can be addressed.
Balancing the Paradox:
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General Challenges |
Proactive Steps We Could Take To Address Challenges |
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Downside:
For many years there has been a drain in human capital from rural areas of the country. Producers are stereotypically perceived as dumber or as less intellectual than city residents.
Activists tend to use secret cameras and other hidden and deceitful methods to obtain information, some of which is portrayed in controversial ways. |
Unfortunately, individuals have continuously left rural America. As rural America provides more conveniences in comparison to urban areas more individuals may chose to remain in rural areas. In addition online education can increasingly address this problem.
By having greater respect for one another and being aware of how hidden cameras and other deceitful tactics can be counter-productive. The solution is not to increase surveillance but for activist to consider changing some of their tactics. Activist should focus more on human welfare issues not only animal concerns.
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Who Might Object and Why?
Because of the negative media, and the confrontational position taken by some animal rights activists, many producers are unwilling to work together with animal right advocates. |
While activist tactics have not been effective in changing the perspective of most producers in a positive way, they have frightened and, at times, misinformed consumers. It is likely that many animal right advocates will support deceitful tactics as they have been moderately effective with certain audiences.
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What Could Derail This Effort?
Despite the best interests of some individuals, many will be hesitant to join this type of activity. If the first event were to be poor in results or unable to bring about a fruitful conversation others may decide to not participate in future events. There is currently very little trust and building this trust is a difficult and major objective. |
Moving too fast when starting the conversation could be detrimental. The conversation may be too polarized to start with a common ground forum (although we are currently in one). Including parties in the conversation that are unwilling to have a friendly dialog. However, it is also important to reach out. Having a meeting between consumers and producers may not be extending far enough. Reaching out to activists and animal right advocates but starting small may be the best way to address this charged debate. Starting small, perhaps with a meeting of only eight people over dinner where maybe they can purposely avoid talking about the animal production and animal rights but instead learn of each other as people may be a good way to start. |
Built Commitment:
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Who Are the Major Stakeholders? |
What Support Could They Provide? |
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Producers |
Some producers must have the willingness to open their businesses to other stakeholders and by doing so build goodwill, openness, and a holistic sense of community |
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Consumers |
Consumers dictate some of the changes in production through market behavior. If consumer preferences change, producers will adapt their business to meet the changing demands and fulfill the needs of consumers. |
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Activist |
By acknowledging positive changes, addressing issues holistically, and pointing to abuses but not making generalization based on a few cases they could help improve production practices in places were abuses are taking place while increasing consumer trust in producers who are treating animals respectfully. |
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Media |
Media outlets could reduce their focus on sensationalism and increasing their coverage of positive changes and developments. Well researched documentaries and other balanced media productions could be developed to help inform all other stakeholders of what is happening in different places and types of production. |
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Government |
Too often has government policy and red tape been enacted and increased as a reaction to events that are not representative of the actions of most producers. It is important for the government to trust businesses and not audit them regularly especially if they have a positive track record. While some companies have lost the trust of consumers, not all have. Government can sponsor conversations. |
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Facilitators |
Some discussions can be difficult to have without a neutral party. Facilitators are generally neutral and also encourage individuals in the table to speak their minds openly. Training facilitators in polarization management techniques can help reduce some of the conflict and the fear that is likely to be present in the discussion. |
Teach and Learn:
What do we need to know more about?
It will be important to find activists and animal right advocates who are willing to have this conversation. Kevin, an employee for a major producer, explained how he currently participates in water management board that focuses on improving the environment. Like him, many individuals have a diverse number of interests. It will be helpful to find advocates and activist that understand the importance of finding common ground and who can see producers as complex individuals that may only be acting based on what they consider to be best practices.
Who has further information that would be useful?
The Center for Integrative Leadership and similar initiatives provide others with valuable information in how to best communicate and address polarized topics. Having more stakeholders participate in this type of events would be a positive step in improving the relationship. Logistically it will also be helpful to identify which groups are geographically nearby so that it is easier to facilitate these conversations.
What additional support is needed to make this project successful? Who can provide that support?
Some producers will be more interested in this discussion than others. For example, Riverview holds an open house where community members and other interested individuals can visit their production facilities. Organized visits can be scheduled. Likewise, it is important to identify some activist and advocates that are nearby who are more interested in a conciliatory approach than others. Identifying the parties to join this initial get together and obtaining the funding to make this event a possibility would be helpful.
Final Comments:
Facilitating this event was an interesting and fulfilling experience. I greatly enjoyed participating and I hope I am able to join a future event. On the positive side, the dialog was action oriented and participants interacted extensively. Apart from the youngest member of the table, most participants shared their opinion regularly. All members were asked often for their opinions. What could have been better would have been for the group to have been larger. While some tables had eight to ten members, after one of the members left, Table 8 had only six participants. One of the participants did not share her opinions often for most of the event and having two facilitators, towards the end of the event there were formally only three participants sharing their opinions. Moreover, they had similar viewpoints. When building the project, we decided to finish the group early and disband so that members could join other groups as we could not move the project into implementation. We lacked an animal right advocate in our table. Yet, the most positive memory from the afternoon session was when Kevin met with a lawyer who is also an animal right activist in a different table and they agree to meet for dinner following the conditions that had been outlined in Table 8 a few minutes earlier. It was great to see the transition from an open forum discussion where everyone had different viewpoints to an action-oriented conclusion where a polarity is mapped and a group of individuals decides to address the concerns that were discussed earlier in the day. It was a positive ending to a very educational and fruitful experience.
Mental Health Services and Tobacco Free Policy – GAPSA UMN
The importance of improving health services cannot be overstated. By partnering with Boyton as well as Paul Wellstone in a mental health advocacy campaign as well as promoting a tobacco free campus, GAPSA hopes to positively influence students at the University of Minnesota
RESOLUTION
Graduate and Professional Student Assembly – University of Minnesota
Date : October 16, 2012
Author: Meghan Mason, Vice President for Administrative Affairs
Topic: Boynton, University Counseling and Consulting Services, and Provost’s Committee on Student Mental Heath Partnership
WHEREAS, mental health conditions are most common during the ages of 18-24, with 24% of young adults in this category experiencing mental health conditions (Active Minds, 2007); and
WHEREAS, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students (Mental Health America of Illinois, 2007); and
WHEREAS, nearly half of all college students report feeling so depressed that they have had trouble functioning, and 15% meet the criteria for depression (Mental Health America of Illinois, 2007); and
WHEREAS, the University of Minnesota Provost’s Committee on Student Mental Health has a website dedicated to student mental health; and
WHEREAS, the University of Minnesota Boynton Health Services provides mental health counseling for all students, staff, and faculty; and
WHEREAS, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly values its partnership with Boynton Health Services, the Provost’s Committee on Student Mental Health and the University Counseling and Consulting Services to improve the health and well-being of the University of Minnesota graduate and professional student body;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, resolves to work with Boynton Health Services, the Provost’s Committee on Student Mental Health, and University Counseling and Consulting Services on creating initiatives and activities that improve student mental health and wellness at the University of Minnesota.
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RESOLUTION
Graduate and Professional Student Assembly – University of Minnesota
Date : October 16, 2012
Author: Meghan Mason, Vice President for Administrative Affairs
Topic: Smoke-Free Campus Policy
WHEREAS, smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, causing over 393,000 deaths per year (American Lung Association, 2012); and
WHEREAS, secondhand smoke is a serious health hazard for people of all ages, and is estimated to cause 50,000 deaths each year in the United States (American Lung Association, 2012); and
WHEREAS, 18-24 year olds use tobacco more than any other age group; and
WHEREAS, the American College Health Association has encouraged all college campuses to become tobacco free (ACHA, 2009); and
WHEREAS, 774 colleges and universities, small and large, public and private, throughout the country have enacted 100% smoke-free campus policies (and of these, 562 have a 100% tobacco free policy)(ANRF, 2012); and
WHEREAS, 29 colleges and universities in Minnesota (including the University of Minnesota, Crookston, the University of Minnesota, Duluth, Bemidji State University, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota State University, Moorhead, Saint Cloud State University, and Winona State University have enacted 100% smoke-free campus policies (ANRF, 2012); and
WHEREAS, the 2008 Opinion Survey on Tobacco Use and Exposure at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus indicated that students, staff, and faculty report strong support for a policy prohibiting smoking on the entire campus (Boynton Health Services, 2008); and
WHEREAS, the 2010 College Student Health Survey shows that for both nonsmokers and smokers at the University of Minnesota, campus is the most commonly reported location for exposure to secondhand smoke (Boynton Health Services, 2010); and
WHEREAS, the 2006 United States Surgeon General’s Report “The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke” concluded that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke (USDHHS, 2006); and
WHEREAS, the University of Minnesota provides tobacco cessation counseling for all students, staff, and faculty; and
WHEREAS, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly values its partnership with Boynton Health Services to improve the health and well-being of the University of Minnesota graduate and professional student body;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, resolves to support Boynton Health Services in its efforts toward a 100% tobacco-free campus policy at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
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Voting – Jim Owens for TED-ED
Voting – Jim Owens for TED-ED
May 21, 2012
I have never met a teacher that has touched so many. When was the last time that you knew of a teacher who had over 1,700 Facebook friends when he himself is not very fond of computers? Teaching life and critical thinking, those are two of the gifts he attempts to impart on his students.
A world traveler, connoisseur, and inspiring orator, Jim Owens instilled in many of his students a desire to make a difference, to enjoy their lives, impact the community, and maybe more. He taught us that while a straight line may be the shortest route, it is also the one most travelled. Travelling through the world, Jim worked in various different odd jobs, as a construction worker, as sailor, a balloon seller, and many more. Doing so allowed him to meet a beautiful French woman, and then travel through her on foot through Latin America, even landing on a Peruvian jail. His travels and readings allowed him to obtain the knowledge and experienced the relationships that he then shared with our course. He started with 1 humanities course, but today that’s all he teaches, and I am sure once students graduate they which they could revisit the experience. Through sharing his life experiences, Jim captivated the classroom, transformed the lives of many students, and encouraged them to seek their own self-discovery.
Working with his students, they collectively redesigned the classroom as “the Sanctuary”, with one student painting a mural for the course, and other students sanded and polished an old table, as well as set up the sound equipment, and place the fountain on the wall. His classroom because a place of refuge for our minds, our passions, and our bodies in an increasingly test driven educational system. While I passed countless of test to be where I am, I didn’t pass I single test in his courses, there were none. From the first day he told us, his course was about learning about life, not just a book, not just a course. Surprisingly, the memories of that class are the ones that are most in my mind, constantly rising through my subconscious, impacting my trajectory and my daily life.
Owens stimulated students by telling them to pick teachers rather than courses, for a good teacher would make a student enjoy the experience, regardless of whether he was originally interested in the subject. Owens is an artist, which nurtured in us a love for learning. In his course, he encouraged individuals to express themselves through journal entries on a regular basis, brought interesting guest speakers, and helped students to question. His course sometimes took hold of this encouragement, and sometimes decided to bring about social change. As a member of his course, we organized a group S.U.R.E and spoke at the School Board in 2001. There students express their opinions to the school board, and shared their discontent. Owens also encouraged students to share their knowledge, and at the end of the semester each classroom member would their passion to the rest of the course.
Owens is a magician, and hopefully if others were to hear him talk, about any of the subjects which as an orator he was able to captivate our minds, through TED he will be able to captivate many more. Partly because of his inspiration I did not relinquish, and I am today a PhD student at the University of Minnesota. Owens is a writer, and a highly skilled speaker. I would argue that he is someone who could explain to others what should be the value or the goal of an education. He has been the graduation speaker, as well as delivered other motivational speakers. There are many lessons that he could share, hopefully some of them will reach members of the TED community.
Type Z – Organizational Culture – Managing Diversity
#39 – The Z organization, William G. Ouchi
William G. Ouchi paper highlights the positive aspects of type “Z” organizations. Being “clan-like” these organizations tend to promote trust between their members and a greater degree of cooperation among staff members than Type “A” organizations. Through offering lifetime job positions and inclusion through social events outside the job area, communication among the different levels of the organization tends to be more fluid and supportive. These business practices have deep cultural origins in both Japan and China where through kinship networks, individuals participate in communal lending systems where members would contribute an amount to the group (the example given is of only 12 members) and in return, in a particular week they would receive the sum of contributions given by other members for that week.
While the individuals who received loans at the beginning of the lending circle, benefited from an interest free loan for a longer extent of time than other individuals and individuals did not benefit from the arrangement to the same degree, this form of lending continues to perpetuate itself. Lending is seen as a sign of cooperation and trust by community members and is encouraged as a way of increasingly linkages between community members. It is not uncommon for individuals to owe money to a variety of individuals simultaneously, while individuals owe them money in return.
Type “Z” organizations benefit from their “clan-like” structure by having an increased sense of understanding about implicit opinions and viewpoints expressed by members of the organization. This type of bond develops over long periods of time and as a consequence, it faces difficulties when the organization attempts to increase heterogeneity and diversity within the work place. Also, innovation at times, though not always, can be seen as contrary to the organization’s ideology. While the organization promotes managers to set themselves independent goals, rapid change can be perceived as contrary to the organizations traditions. Some examples of type “Z” organizations include: the US military, IBM and Eastman Kodak (Ouchi, 2005).
#44 Creating the multicultural organization: The challenge of managing diversity, Taylor Cox, Jr.
Taylor Cox introduces the idea of personnel diversity within an organization’s structure by analyzing the benefits and negative impacts of diversity as well as the difficulties organizations face when attempting to increase diversity in the work place. One of the reactions against increasing diversity in the workplace results from its disturbance of the status quo and the innate preference of individuals to hire people who are similar to themselves. While women today account for the majority of both undergraduate and graduate school graduates, women have still do not account for half of the faculty position at universities or in the business world. In addition, religious or ethnic minorities have also experienced difficulties receiving promotions and climbing up on organizational ladders despite attempts by organizations to recruit minorities and promote a diverse environment.
The benefits of hiring minority workers includes a greater level of creativity and innovation (which can increase by up to ten percent), higher levels of cognitive flexibility (particularly by bilingual staff members), and increased problem solving skills and decision making skills. However, while these benefits are possible, without the proper promotion of diversity, diversity could have a detrimental effect for the organization. Various organizations, including Alcoa (an organization for which Cox worked as a consultant), have attempted to successful diversify the working environment, yet they have met with difficulties such as “(1) misdiagnosis of the problem, (2) wrong solution (that is failure to use a systemic approach), and (3) failure to understand the shape o the learning curve” (Cox, 2005, p. 473). By this Cox implies that organizations tend to focus on recruiting a more diverse work force but they do not integrate them successfully into the organization. In addition, they tend to assume that the change will take place over a short span of time, while in reality, it make take many years for an organization to successfully increase its cultural diversity.
#35 – Defining organizational culture, Edgar H. Schein
What is Culture? The concept of culture has been analyzed and reviewed by a large number of academics over the years and continues to be debated. Through this article, Edgar Schein demonstrates the importance of culture through his prior experiences in working with different companies and the difficulties he faced by not taking into account particular elements within the culture of these institutions. In this article, he provides two brief examples of companies, an “action” and a “multi” company.
In the “action” company workers experienced a combative and argumentative environment as the company believed that ideas needed to be aggressively debated, and only ideas that survived after debating were implemented. As such, despite attempts to increase workers satisfaction with their work environment, the confrontational nature of the culture had promoted an unfriendly and non-collaborative environment. In a “multi” company, despite efforts to bring about change, changes were not implemented. In this company’s culture, managers were protective of their turf and expertise and were unwelcoming of unannounced memos, particularly if the information challenged their standard operating procedures.
Based on his experiences, Schein contended that cultures shared deep and stable beliefs. As a result of the dynamism of the business environment, companies that promoted an adaptable and flexible culture are more likely to survive. Organizational cultures are usually taught by older staff members to new employees, as they are taught not only the official rules but also the nuances and unwritten rules of the organization. Not all group behavior is a cultural manifestation, and large organizations can have a culture and various subcultures (Schein, 2005, p. 366).
Also, not all groups of people or organizations have a culture, as cultures are hard to develop if there is a high turnover rate. Leaders can be influential in the success of an institution by not only creating an organization’s culture, but by constantly helping to shape it, adapt it and modify it in order to ensure the organization’s continued existence (Schein, 2005).
Below are additional notes taken from particular reading:
-“Too much seems to be bureaucratic, or political, or just plain irrational” – pg 360
-“One could argue that the only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture and that the unique talent of leaders is their ability to understand and work with culture” – pg 361
Two Brief Examples
-Describes two situations: The Action Company, and the Multi Company
-Action Company – combative, argumentative environment. To the manager unless an idea was put to the fire, debated, and managed to survive, it was not an idea worth implementing
-Multi Company – Sending memos did not increase innovation. Managers were protective of their turf and expertise and were unwelcoming of unannounced memos, particularly if the information challenged their standard operating procedures.
Towards a Formal Definition of Culture
-“the concept of culture has been the subject of considerable academic debate in the last five years” – pg 362
-“One of these elements is that culture implies some level of structural stability in the group. When we say that something is “cultural,” we imply that it is not only shared but deep and stable” – pg 363
-“The most useful way to think about culture is to view it as the accumulated shared learning of a give group, covering behavior, emotional, and cognitive elements of the group members’ total psychological functioning.” – pg 363
– “I am not arguing, however, that all groups develop integrated cultures in this sense.” – pg 364
-Two problems groups must deal with: 1) “survival growth and adaptation in their environment” 2) “internal integration that permits daily functioning and the ability to adapt.” – pg 364
-“A group has a culture when it has had enough of a shared history to have formed such a set of shared assumptions.” – pg 364
Culture Formally Defined
-“once shared assumptions exist, however, the culture survives through teaching them to newcomers” – pg 365
-How a group behavior may be or may not be a cultural manifestation – pg 365
-Large organizations can have a culture and various subcultures. – pg 366
-Not all groups of people have cultures. They are hard to develop if there are high turnover rates
-Leaders can create an organization’s culture, help shape it and modify it.
Also Read:
#36 Culture and organizational learning, by Scott D.N. Cook and Dvora Yanow
#41 The fifth discipline: A shift of mind, Peter M. Senge
