Finishing Reading "Dialogue: The Art of Thinking Together"

Hi everyone,
I hope you are able to spend a little time outdoors this weekend as the weather has been beautiful!

I know that you don't have a seminar prep paper due on the last chapters in William Isaacs' "Dialogue" (which means that many of you probably won't read it!), but I want to encourage those of you who are serious about helping to bring about change in this country and through your own personal and evolving sphere of influence to finish this book, if not this week, then before the end of the quarter.  Isaacs has much yet to say to us about leadership and how the types of dialogic experiences we have been practicing in our class are important and vitally critical to a world that yet does not know how to be in dialogue together to imagine and bring about a sustainable future.

See you Monday night!  Jane

Please take 10 minutes to complete our College Dropout Survey

"Can you spare a moment to take a quick 10 question survey to help the College Dropout's swamp group collect data? The survey should only take a few minutes to complete. Your responses are greatly appreciated.
 http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/72SBPNM

The College Drop Out Swamp Group

Student Retention Questionnaire

As part of our 'Swamp Issue' exploring ways to improve student retention, we'd like to hear from you about your college experiences! The link below is to a very brief questionnaire (it should take you no more than 10 minutes to complete it).

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/72SBPNM

Your input can help us provide feedback and make a meaningful contribution toward ensuring every student's success at our school.

Thanks!!

Tomorrow: Library plus LeGuin presentations

Eagle-eyed students have pointed out that the schedule says the leguin presentations are Wednesday, while the assignment sheet says Monday (tomorrow, 2/28).  The presentations should really happen tomorrow; the idea is that you learn about the part of of the book you haven't read before writing the seminar prep due on Wednesday. 

At 5:30, we'll meet up in class and then walk to the LIBRARY computer room together to develop our research skills.  If you come late, join us. (Enter library, take a left, and another left past reference desk.)

Your Swamp Project

Hi Everyone,
I hope you're all staying warm on this cold weekend!
Just a reminder about this week's upcoming class.  We'll be going to the library on Monday to meet with Elinor Appel, one of our librarians, to talk about research methods and support your group's efforts to find additional information about your project. Ultimately each group's researcher will be responsible for typing up and including in the project notebook an annotated bibliography, but you'll all participate in the research process (a good skill to learn and practice as an adult learner)!

Remember by next Friday (3/4), I want to hear from EACH group about your group's plans to address the swamp issue you've chosen.  This means addressing the "surveying the current landscape" question (which means to decide on what data you are going to include -- both "soft" and "hard" data; who in your group is going to do what; and what deadlines you've established to stay on track). 

We'll talk more this week about the project notebook, final presentation, and your individual paper, but for now, your group should be deep into the investigative process of learning as much as possible about your swamp issue and in particular whose voice is not usually included in this process (since these issues are usually addressed from a mechanistic perspective).

Please email me with any questions.  In the meantime, enjoy Isaacs' chapters 10-13 and the completion of your 2nd essay (now due on Wednesday rather than Monday).

Take good care,
Jane

Schedule Change; More time for Essay 2

We decided in class last night to change the due date on Essay 2 to Wednesday, March 2. 
I hope everyone made it home safe and is able to avoid snowy roads today.  It's VERY snowy on Vashon with more coming down right now.

Extra Credit Opportunity: Barbara Love, March 2

Attend this event; write up what you learned and how it relates to our class, about two pages, for Extra Credit.  Due By March 19.

 

Bending the Arc of the Universe:

Understanding and Eliminating the Oppression of Young People

 Date: Wednesday, March 2, 12:30-2:00p

Location: Baxter Event’s Center

 

Society’s suspicious attitudes toward youth perpetuate our treatment of youth as criminals or potential criminals and undesirables whose behavior must be watched, controlled and regulated – particularly among youth of color.   Chronological age is a physical reality and the behaviors that are deemed appropriate for young people is societally determined. The roles, behaviors, and expectations of young people varies across societies and within societies across time.  What contemporary society determines to be appropriate for young people corresponds directly with current economic and technological developments.

“Youth” is a socially constructed identity, and serves as the basis for the organization of the oppression of young people. 

This discussion will examine the ways our society oppresses young people, how schools play a role in maintaining that oppression and how the oppression of young people ultimately maintains the manifestations of all forms of oppression.  Together we will imagine an alternate viewpoint of empowered youth and how that might change our society.