#about collaboratively defining craft terms with students as a means of community building

[gaydryad]

accidentally getting a little too into my pedagogy class and starting to wonder if I should pivot and go into education (academic field)

[martinmcg]

Getting Started in Public Relations

So, a few months ago a student on Middlesex University’s journalism degree approached me with some questions about how a journalism student could prepare for work in public relations. Anyone who knows me will be entirely unsurprised to discover that I answered at somewhat stupid length. I think some of the stuff here might be of more general use to those at the start of their careers (although some of it is particular to students at Middlesex) so I thought I’d put it up here.

What are the most important skills you need to work in PR?

Rather than try to answer this myself I’m going to defer to the annual “State of the Profession” report from the Chartered Institute of Pubic Relations (CIPR – attached, along with the 2019 “PR and Communication Census” from the PRCA – Public Relations & Communications Association) which will both give you some insight into the current state of the profession.

The CIPR report (p28) sets out the top five skills most valued by recruiters as:

Copywriting and editing

Social media relations

Media relations

PR programmes/campaign planning

Research, evaluation and measurement

Writing well, being able to write in a variety of voices for different media, and having a working grasp of grammar and punctuation are still the fundamental skills for PR staff. Increasingly, those working in public relations have shifted from being “content prompters” (encouraging others to create material) to being “content creators” and while there can be lots of bells and whistles to this in terms of production skills, the basic requirement is to be able to craft a convincing message – and, most often, that requires a skill with words. No one (almost no one, anyway) is born a good writer – writing is a muscle that is strengthened by reading good writing (and paying attention to why it is good) and practice.

There’s still an assumption amongst some – older – people working in PR that the young (being “digital natives”) have a sort of innate understanding of how social media works that older generations lack. I’ve, generally, not found this to be true (being a consumer is not the same as being a creator) but you can take advantage of this prejudice if you can demonstrate an ability to use social media effectively. Having your own accounts with strong followings and interesting content (but possibly not too interesting) will be regarded as a definite positive by many employers.

Media relations – being able to demonstrate that you understand the needs of journalists, influencers and clients and that you have the ability to develop networks, manage relationships and build contacts remains a fundamental part of the PR role. The way these relationships work is different from sector to sector (financial PR works differently from fashion PR which works differently from political PR). The old-fashioned idea of schmoozing clients over long, expenses-funded, lunches (that, on a good day, became long, expenses-funded dinners) is, in these more austere times, very sadly, largely a thing of the past. But managing professional relationships is still crucial. Some people have a natural talent for the personal connection stuff, other people (like me) have to fake it by keeping meticulous files on contacts, their interests and previous collaborations.

Programme and campaign planning is not something I’d expect a new hire to be able to manage off the bat, but it’s useful if they have an idea how planning works and how their contributions have to fit into the broader scheme of things. If you want an introduction to the theory and basic outline of planning, I highly recommend Anne Gregory’s “Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns” – they’ve just published a new edition.

Increasingly pubic relations is expected to demonstrate a clear “return on investment” to managers or clients. So, the measurement and evaluation of projects has become more and more important. In journalism – where clicks tend to be king – measurement tends to be relatively straightforward. For PR it can be more complex – since individual public relations activities are often part of a longer-term strategy. The PR industry has developed the “Barcelona Principles” (introduction here: https://www.prnewsonline.com/barcelona-principles-2-0/) and the AMEC framework (https://amecorg.com/amecframework/home/framework/introduction/) as attempts to standardise and regularise measurement across the industry – but even where these are not formally applied, it is increasingly expected that PR campaigns and individual pieces of work will have clearly defined and measurable outcomes.

Is there any advice you have for me changing from a journalism field to pr?

So, as noted above, the ability to write and to manipulate words remains a key connecting tissue between the PR and journalism industries and if you have other content creation skills from your journalism background (audio, video, social or digital media) then you will definitely be able to leverage those in the PR field.

One of the most common complaints about PRs from journalists is that they get bombarded by useless stuff that isn’t relevant to their job (https://www.prweek.com/article/1668923/pr-pros-dont-understand-story-is-say-majority-journalists) and I think this is a fair criticism of a lot of bad PR. If you can demonstrate an ability to do the research into what the journalists/influencers you are targeting need and can use, then you’ll be doing your clients a favour.

I think one of the things that most journalists don’t get about PR is that, when done well, it is (usually) a much longer term and more strategic role than journalism. Good PR isn’t just about churning out today’s story (in the form of a press release) but developing long-term approach that establishes your client in a particular niche or as having a particular relevance. So, good PR isn’t just reactive – it involves being prepared for events and having crisis plans and developing campaigns that fit into strategies that deliver results over relatively long periods. You do, sometimes, get the buzz from tight deadlines and needed to respond instantly to crises but in between it’s about creating relationships that sometimes don’t pay off for years.

Do you have any suggestions on how you stand out in the industry?

My instinctive response to this – because of my background – is don’t stand out. My experience is in PR for political/social campaigning (unions, charities, causes) and one of the mantras on that side of the industry is “never become the story” and, as such, I’m always a bit suspicious of PRs who spend a lot of time promoting themselves.

That said, I recognise that not all areas of the PR industry are like that and that you do need to build a reputation within the industry.

I’m a big believer in professional standards – I’m a Chartered member of the CIPR – which means I do my “continuous professional development” (CPD) each year and get a little badge that says (to me, and I hope to others) that I’m a good boy who takes his job seriously.

As a student at Middlesex you are automatically entitled to membership of the PRCA – you can sign up here (https://www.prca.org.uk/membership/join – make sure to use your Mdx email address). Their website has lots of interesting and useful links and (in normal times) lots of opportunities to connect with others. You can also, I think, get free access to view their online training – which is normally £200 or so a session.

I’m very sceptical about specific “networking events” as they very often attract people who only have a very instrumental view of building contacts (what can they get out of it for themselves) but – in normal times – London is great for attending industry related events where you can rub shoulders with, get to know and maybe build up relationships with people at high-levels in the industry. Again, the PRCA website is a good place to start – if we’re ever allowed to gather in the same room as other humans again. But right now it’s actually easier to attend things because Zoom calls tend to be a bit less exclusive or exclusionary and – at least for me (I’m not great at the schmoozing bit) – a lot less stressful, though clearly the intensity of engagement is lower online.

Managing your own PR persona is important. A professional website (don’t do what I do, do what I say!) that shows off your skills/abilities/personality can be useful – especially if you can keep it up-to-date with something like a blog that discusses issues in the industry. Similarly, a strong LinkedIn profile can help and good, professional social media accounts that you use to engage in discussions about the industry and build up connections (not just spam people for job opportunities).

Finally, and I say this to all my students, there’s a mindset amongst some people that you can’t do PR or show off your abilities unless someone else has given you instructions – so students sit around complaining about lack of internship opportunities or the chance to show what they can do. This is not true. I am an internship-sceptic – too many of them offer poor opportunities to learn or a real foot in the door. Rather than waiting for the perfect internship, I encourage professionals starting out to “intern for themselves” – find a cause or an issue you care about (a local charity or a community group) and volunteer. Develop a portfolio of stuff that you’ve done that shows you are a self-starter and that you have the skills employers are looking for so that you’re starting to define your future career on your own terms. I graduated into he middle of a recession in the early 1990s and spent two years volunteering – building up a body of work and contacts while doing jobs I didn’t much like (barman, supermarket shelf stacker…) – until I made my first break into working in journalism.

Lastly, is there anything I can do or read to keep myself informed?

This lot should get you started…

MAGAZINES PR Week (https://www.prweek.com/uk) is probably the key industry magazine. It’s online content is mostly behind a paywall but you can register for free for limited access and there’s the blog (https://www.prweek.com/uk/blog). I also like the CIPR’s magazine “Influence” – but the print version is only available members and the online version is relatively limited in content (https://influenceonline.co.uk/).

BLOGS Stephen Waddington is a key UK commentator and writer on PR in the UK https://wadds.co.uk/

Famous campaigns: https://www.famouscampaigns.com/

Power & Influence: https://ellaminty.com/

Comms2point0: https://comms2point0.co.uk/

All Things IC: https://www.allthingsic.com/blog/

Neville Hobson: https://www.nevillehobson.com/

Dan Slee: https://danslee.wordpress.com/

Jessica Pardoe: https://jessicapardoe.com/

Wildfire PR: https://www.wildfirepr.com/blog/

Scriba: http://scribapr.com/blog/

PODCASTS

PR Week’s “The PR Show” is a good general interest effort: https://soundcloud.com/prweekuk

#FuturePRoof Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/futureproof-podcast/id1176718600

PR Moments – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/prmoment-podcast/id1334739765

Talking points –  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talking-points-podcast/id900363572?mt=2

For Immediate Release – https://firpodcastnetwork.com/for-immediate-release/

SpinSucks: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spin-sucks-podcast-with-gini-dietrich/id1356305060?mt=2

PRovoke: https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/podcast

PR Resolution: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pr-resolution-podcast-with-stella-bayles/id1423627061?mt=2

Today In Focus: https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/todayinfocus

Getting Started in Public Relations was originally published on Welcome To My World

[adrianodiprato]

+ "It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living." ~ Sir David Attenborough

The curious case of Little Octopus

Today I watched My Octopus Teacher, a new original Netflix documentary film directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed. The film captures a year Craig Foster, a free diver and filmmaker, spent with a wild octopus. A mesmerising and deeply moving film that goes much deeper than the boundaries of science or environmental awareness. What I witnessed was thinking, feeling, exploring - curiosity and empathy in spades. The land creature, Craig Foster and the sea creature, Little Octopus, building bridges through their enduring relationship, learning about self, through the profoundness of place and the other. At the heart of this fascinating love story, of wonder and awe, is a friendship built on the construct of deep trust. This trust was built on mutual respect, cultivated over the sustained daily interaction between Little Octopus, this shy, yet at times playful and curious unusual animal, who becomes Foster’s teacher. Little Octopus taught Foster to connect on a deeper level, to self, place and the other.

This documentary illustrates that learning should be this joyous, complex, challenging and awe-inspiring thing. One of the greatest, most heart-warming and beautiful nature documentaries I've ever seen. Breath-taking scenery captures the sheer beauty and brutality of the natural world. Nevertheless, a mainly calming watch for most parts of the documentary. A terrific original feature, for one’s soul. This film gives you a glimpse of the extraordinary and magical.

This, in the same week that another great teacher, the natural historian and a giant of our times, Sir David Attenborough, launched his first-ever Instagram account, to help spread his environmental message in an attempt to further the crucial action needed on climate change. Attenborough has been serving us extraordinary and magical for decades. He also once said this, 

“The whole of life is coming to terms with yourself and the natural world. Why are you here? How do you fit in? What’s it all about?”. 

A personal reckoning and exploration of our truth and our place and role in this gloriously complex and absorbing world.

This documentary remined me of the enduring potency of the character apprenticeship between a teacher and student, parent and child. Each life is very fragile, precious, beautiful, and interconnected. Little Octopus helps Foster connect more deeply with his own humanity, self-worth and relationship with the natural world. Helping him in turn to become teacher for his own son, exposing his boy to the profoundness of our world, and our responsibility to it. Ensuring the next generation become the keepers of this truth. Reminding us all that we are part of this place, not simply a visitor. So, we therefore all have a responsibility to the stewardship of our natural world, for us, and for the generations of all land and sea creatures to not only survive but thrive.

In the upcoming Series Four of the Game Changers podcast, Phil and I look at Are You Thriving In Your World through the whole of learning, living, leading and working, in today’s VUCA world, with ten remarkable humans. It is clear, via these conversations with our Game Changers, that what is needed is a whole educational framework and ecosystem that best prepares students to learn well, thrive and succeed – emotionally, physically, socially, culturally and spiritually. Thriving means human beings who have the adaptive expertise and self-efficacy to transfer their key knowledge and skills of character, competency, and wellness to learn, live, lead andwork well, in a world that needs them to become:

Good People

Future Builders

Continuous Learners & Unlearners

Solution Architects

Responsible Citizens

Team Creators

The attainment of these desired graduate outcomes based on 21C civic, performance and moral character and competencies in a school environment depends critically on the nature of specific pedagogical relationships called character apprenticeships, that cultivate deep encounters with care, connection, culture, community and courage, in which students are accepted as novices, craft their character competencies, acquire expertise, and pass this on in turn to others. How we do this, on a daily basis, with our students and with each other, in no small measure determines the success of what we do. All instructional techniques need to fit within the aspirations, kinship, and pathways to success that are defined by the powerful social exchange of these relationships. We must ensure that what we do is not simply that which entertains, interests, and intrigues us – we must collaborate as novices and experts through the intimacy of a learning relationship that seeks to guide, encourage, teach, awaken and sustain learners on their personal journey to acquire character, competency and wellness.

At a School for tomorrow we see character apprenticeship (Figure 1) as a progression from articulation to reflection to exploration as a novice, then from modelling to coaching to scaffolding as an expert. It is a strong yet non-judgmental way of explaining how a student learns about character in relationship with others and place. Our model of character apprenticeship emphasizes the importance of teaching and leading others on the road to mastery of character competency as a feature of character education itself. In other words, there must be a deliberate pedagogical shift in the power dynamic of the learning relationship as the expert hands over the opportunity to teach others to those who were once their novices and are now experts in their own right. We also think that the movement from novice to expert is not necessarily linear, nor does it preclude a learner being both simultaneously. We see from the evidence of our research program internationally that many supposed experts still regard themselves as being learners who are also benefitting from being in relationship with those whom they consider to be greater experts.

Learning communities, like schools become, therefore, a field in which we help the young people in our care to rehearse for their adulthood by providing many diverse encounters with and experiences of character competency within deliberately incremental and immersive learning – on campus, online, in context and in country. The process of becoming sees meaning develop into understanding, authenticity shape identity, transformation aided by deep reflection, an emphasis on survival and sustainability progress towards one which is more concentrated on results, an awareness of service become the generation of true purpose, and immediate relationships giving some ground to the need to appreciate a broader context and a wider world.

Much like this inspiring documentary, an educator that understands their role around the character apprenticeship construct, may change a life. The best teacher/student relationships can be extraordinary and magical. Watch My Octopus Teacher and be prepared to be deeply moved by her tentacles of love and example of living an incredibly full and abundant life.

Some sections of this blog are repurposed extracts from our Continuous Learning Toolkit – Volume III | Wellness by Design® written by Dr Philip SA Cummins, Bradley Adams and me.

[xeford2020]

Growing The Henry Ford’s Quilt Collection: The Modern Quilt Movement

A display of quilts made by members of the Lincoln, Nebraska Modern Quilt Guild at American Quilt Study Group’s October 2019 Seminar. Photo by Jeanine Head Miller. The 400 quilts in The Henry Ford’s collection, dating from the 1700s to the 2000s, represent quilting traditions of nearly 300 years--all reflecting the resourcefulness and creativity of their makers. Quilts were among the objects of everyday life that Henry Ford collected as he gathered objects for his museum. Since Ford’s time, The Henry Ford’s curators have continued to add to the collection, gathering quilts that represent diverse quilting traditions. Quilts serve a practical purpose as warm bedcovers. Yet they are also inherently about design--from a simple traditional pattern to a unique motif crafted through the expert manipulation of pattern and color. While many quiltmakers have no formal training in design, they instinctively create attractive quilts that display their innate talents. Quiltmaking has continued to evolve, reflecting new aesthetics and influences. An exciting, robust trend of the past 20 years has been the Modern Quilt Movement—a style of quiltmaking we are eager to add to our collection.

A display of quilts made by members of the Lincoln, Nebraska Modern Quilt Guild at American Quilt Study Group’s October 2019 Seminar. Photo by Jeanine Head Miller. A wonderful opportunity arose. While giving a paper at the American Quilt Study Group’s October 2019 Seminar, I met Kristin Barrus, who was presenting a poster session on “Why Women Under 45 Quilt.” (Silent Generation and Baby Boomers created the quilt revival of the post-Bicentennial era. They were followed by GenX and Millennial quilters, many of whom have shaped and embraced the Modern quilt aesthetic.)

Kristin Barrus’s poster, presented at the American Quilt Study Group Seminar in 2019. Photo by Jeanine Head Miller. Kristin, a graduate student studying Material Culture and Textile History at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is not only knowledgeable about the Modern Quilt Movement, she’s a modern quiltmaker herself. We were delighted to have Kristin join us this Spring for a remote practicum experience at The Henry Ford, conducting research on the Modern Quilt Movement to help us more fully understand its vibrant landscape. Her research will inform strategic additions to our collections: examples of modern quilts, printed materials reflecting the movement, and books on the topic. Part of Kristin’s research involves a survey of modern quilters. Here’s Kristin to tell you more about the Modern Quilt Movement, and her research survey. Jeanine Head Miller is Curator of Domestic Life at The Henry Ford.

Kristin Barrus. Photo by Alisha Tunks. Hi, I’m glad to have this opportunity to tell you about my quilt research project! I started quiltmaking around 2003 in my twenties and got swept up with this new aesthetic called Modern quilting. I co-founded the Utah County Modern Quilt Group, which ran monthly for seven years in Lehi, Utah. While I taught at meetings, quilt shows and retreats, I realized I was more interested in watching the quiltmakers make connections with each other than with what came out of the other side of my sewing machine. (Although I do still love to make quilts!) The topic of my thesis for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is the first study of QuiltCon, an annual convention for Modern quiltmakers.

Modern Trends, Kristin Barrus, 2017. A sampler quilt turned Modern by joining several popular quilt blocks together in a new layout. Photo by Kristin Barrus. There is much to celebrate and investigate in 21st century quiltmaking. The Modern Quilt Movement is a sub-category within quiltmaking, bracketed at years 2000–2020 for the purposes of my research. Modern is a very broad and sometimes contested term, not just a new aesthetic. It’s also a new kind of experience in the contemporary quilt world. People come to Modern quilting not only to make quilts, as traditional quiltmaking guilds do, but to be a part of the energetic vibe that happens at Modern meetings, both online and in person. Often people who do not consider themselves Modern quiltmakers join because they love the inclusive comradery, mini quilt swaps and inspiration of the Modern Quilt Movement. Thus this popular phenomenon is identified not only by what Modern quilts look like, but also the type of person and the community involved. The main design philosophy of Modern is exploration through bending or breaking unspoken—and sometimes spoken—traditional quilt rules. It relies on the use of technology such as blogs, Instagram and digital publications to connect across distances, initially building a vibrant community online. Because of the variety and dispersed nature of these makers, Modern quilting is complicated. The look of Modern quilts can include brighter color palettes in solids or prints, or quiet neutrals to create quilts with a strong graphic feel. Or it could just be a new twist on a traditional pattern. Other common aspects include, but are not limited to, large use of negative space, asymmetrical design and straight-line, rather than curvilinear, quilting.

Group Improv, Kristin Barrus & Sew Night Friends, 2018. An example of collaborative quilt design by seven women, using popular colors and fabrics. Photo by Kristin Barrus. For my practicum at The Henry Ford, I will present a paper on “The Landscape of the Modern Quilt Movement, 2000-2020” next Spring. I will also recommend specific quilts from the movement to consider acquiring for The Henry Ford’s collection, as well as books on the topic. In the meantime, I will be conducting recorded interviews with key individuals from the movement to be included in The Henry Ford’s archives, as well as future research. My project also includes a survey for Modern quilters. I am hoping to hear from anyone who has participated in Modern quiltmaking in any way, via an anonymous survey. I hope to capture what Modern means to the people who play a part in it: What do they feel Modern is? What are the trends and people that have influenced them? This data will help academia study what the Modern Quilt Movement is, as well as its impact on the lives of many people all over the world. The survey is anonymous, contains 15 questions and takes about 5–8 minutes to complete.

Tula Pink Millefiori, Kristin Barrus, 2017. A hand applique medallion quilt using motifs from popular fabric designer Tula Pink. Photo by Kristin Barrus. Let Your Modern Voice Be Heard

If you have participated in Modern quiltmaking in any way, please consider taking the survey, or sending it to someone you know who makes Modern quilts. The lines between Modern and Modern-traditional quiltmaking are blurred and intersect often. As you answer each question, please reflect on what Modern means to you specifically, regardless of how anyone else defines Modern quiltmaking. You can access the survey here, or using the QR code below.

Kristin Barrus is a graduate practicum student at The Henry Ford.

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[nyfacurrent]

Conversations | Interview with Adriana Rios, Grants Program Manager at NALAC

The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC), one of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the promotion, advancement, development, and cultivation of the Latino arts field, is one of our partners in San Antonio, TX, supporting the Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program.

With over 400 applicants this past year, the NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA) is the only national grant program investing in Latinx artists and nonprofit arts organizations in the United States.

During the first weekend of IAP San Antonio (meet our newest cohort here!), we had a chance to speak with Adriana Rios, NALAC’s Grants Program Manager, about the application process and other opportunities the organization offers. As an advocate for stronger representation and equity in the arts and a film lover at heart, Rios also gives us insights into the Adán Medrano Legacy Award in Film.

NYFA: Did you see any trends in past applications for The NALAC Fund for the Arts? What are some of the issues/themes that Latinx artists are interested in these days?

Adriana Rios: We were very excited to see the number of applications that came in for this year’s grant cycle! They came from all over the country and Puerto Rico, and it’s always incredible to see what Latinx artists are creating in their communities. In terms of trends, we definitely see an influx of applications coming in from states that have high Latinx demographics such as Texas, California, and New York. However, we’re also starting to notice an increase in applications from other parts of the country—such as the Midwest and the South—which are not always immediately thought of as areas with a high Latinx concentration. For our team, receiving applications from these states allow us to get a glimpse into what Latinx cultural production looks like across different areas and how NALAC can start to build relationships with artists producing important work in those places. We believe Latinx artists are often at the forefront of directly addressing the issues that are taking place in our current social and political climate, so we did see migration, immigration, history and human rights arise as consistent themes in the applications we received this year.

NYFA: Can you tell us what made some projects stand out during the review process?

AR: Of course! NFA applications are evaluated through the following criteria: Artistic Merit, Funding Impact, and Capability. We find that applications that rise to the top are able to successfully demonstrate how their work addresses each category. On a technical level, we saw that applications that stood out were succinct and clear. We make it a point in our review process to acknowledge that artists start at different places in the grant-writing process, some may have more experience writing grant proposals while others may be first-time grant writers. However, regardless of experience, the applications that always rose to the top were the ones that were able to paint a full picture of what the artist intended to do within the funding period. On an artistic level, we found that project proposals that pushed the envelope of Latinx cultural production were incredibly exciting to panelists. In other words, where there was innovation, reimagination, or artistic approaches that engaged the community in a creative way, there were high levels of enthusiasm and eagerness by the reviewers.

NYFA: Knowing about your love for film, we’d like to ask you some questions about the Adán Medrano Legacy Award in Film [Emerging Filmmakers]. Who should apply for it and how can they prepare in advance for this opportunity?

AR: The Adán Medrano Legacy Award in Film is a grant opportunity offered through the NALAC Fund for the Arts each year. It was developed by the Donor Collaborative of the Adán Medrano Legacy Award with the intention to further impel dynamic, Latinx cinema production by emerging filmmakers that contribute towards a cultural understanding of Latinx expression and identity. It’s currently open to emerging Latinx filmmakers in the U.S. or Puerto Rico, where “emerging filmmaker” is defined as: having less than five years of experience in filmmaking as a writer, director or producer; having completed at least one independent film or video work in one of those roles; and having received basic training in the media arts. Training can be formal (college or university) or informal (production courses, workshops, hands-on experience). So, if you meet that criteria, we encourage you to apply! However, NALAC is currently thinking about what emerging means in the broader context of film and cinematic production, especially since our community is so underrepresented in the industry. Currently, this is one of our most competitive grant categories, so if you are considering applying, my advice is to think hard about what work samples really speak to your experience as a filmmaker. Again, clarity is key in the grant-writing process and since film is so reliant on visual story-telling, it’s important to think about what work allows panelists to understand your capability and artistic ability.

NYFA: We are delighted to see that this year NALAC added an Artist Grant for artists living in Puerto Rico. Can you tell us more about this program?

AR: We’re so thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity for artists living and creating work in Puerto Rico. This grant opportunity came out after we closed the general categories for the NFA. We wanted to make sure that we were building an application that was accessible and relevant to the needs of artists on the island. We partnered with Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, who has been actively involved with artists on the island since Hurricane Maria hit, and their team was incredibly helpful in both the crafting of the application and the outreach process. In its inaugural year, we received over ninety applications for the Puerto Rico Artist Grant. It is our goal to continue offering this grant opportunity in future years as well as develop relationships and networks with artists on the island. NALAC doesn’t simply want to be a funder, we want to support the artists and communities on the ground who have been doing the work to sustain the creative and cultural practices of the island and stand in solidarity with their efforts. Artists are leading the charge in both depicting the political and socioeconomic realities post-Hurricane Maria, as well as demonstrating the vibrant, resilient, and creative expressions that have existed on the island for decades.

NYFA: The application is now open for the NALAC Leadership Institute. Do you have any advice for people that are thinking about applying?

AR: The NALAC Leadership Institute is a week-long leadership and arts management program that aims to equip Latinx artists and arts administrators with innovative and practical strategies that lead to successful business practices in the arts. My advice would be to think about your professional goals and what you’re hoping to accomplish. Once you’ve defined that for yourself, consider the following: How can the NALAC Leadership Institute be a resource for you in your professional and artistic journey? Knowing your goals and professional aspirations are essential to the application process. You’ll want to be clear and concise in defining what they are in your narrative. Ultimately, it’s our hope that every fellow that passes through any of our leadership programs feel valued and that the commitment to growth is not only your objective, but ours as well.

- Interview Conducted by Alicia Ehni, Program Officer at NYFA Learning

About Adriana Rios Prior to joining NALAC, Rios worked in the programming departments of a variety of different places, including Geekdom, the Princess Grace Foundation, and the Tribeca Film Institute. Rios is a graduate of New York University where she had the opportunity to study Film and Television Production. During her time at NYU, she got involved with the Fusion Film Festival, a student-run organization that celebrates women in film, television, and new media. Rios is an advocate for stronger representation and equity in the arts. A film lover at heart, she hopes to one day start a production company that provides visibility and resources for underrepresented filmmakers.

About National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) The National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC), based in San Antonio, TX, gives grants to Latino artists and arts organizations working in all creative disciplines across the United States and Puerto Rico.

This interview is part of the ConEdison Immigrant Artist Program Newsletter #113. Subscribe to this free monthly e-mail for artist’s features, opportunities, and events.

Interested in developing your leadership skills? You can apply for our Emerging Leaders Open Call, a free leadership development program for arts administrators within commuting distance to New York City. Deadline is January 30!

Images from top to bottom: Adriana Rios, Photo Credit: Luis Garza; Zeke Peña (2017 – 2018 NFA Artist Grant Recipient), El Puente, ink/digital illustration, Courtesy of the artist; Karina Skvirsky (2017 – 2018 NFA Artist Grant Recipient), The Perilous Journey of María Rosa Palacios, video still, courtesy of the artist; Yancy Villa-Calvo (2017 – 2018 NFA Artist Grant Recipient); Barrier Free: A Socially Engaged Art Installation, Photographer Credit: Brandon Dill

[pawukicu-blog]

My cool MP3 blog

The event of mp3 started off in the late 80s at Fraunhofer IIS, depending on earlier progress success at the College Erlangen-Nuremberg. Despite the fact that you can find extra effective audio codecs with Highly developed features currently available, mp3 continues to be very talked-about amongst individuals. http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292 http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292http://manuellbpft.blogkoo.com/the-best-side-of-mp3-9059292 In the second 50 % in the 1990s, MP3 files began to distribute over the internet, usually by using underground pirated song networks. The initial acknowledged experiment in Online distribution was structured within the early 1990s by the Internet Underground Tunes Archive, improved identified because of the acronym IUMA. Right after some experiments[forty nine] employing uncompressed audio information, this archive began to deliver about the native globally very low pace World-wide-web some compressed MPEG Audio files using the MP2 (Layer II) format and afterward utilised MP3 files if the standard was entirely completed. com was an especially significant action in our strategy to build each a distribution platform and receive state-of-the-art technological innovation. MP3.com will likely be an awesome asset to Vivendi Common in meeting our purpose of turning out to be the leading on the net service provider of songs and similar companies."[nine] I agree to acquire these communications from SourceForge.Internet by way of the usually means indicated earlier mentioned. I understand that I'm able to withdraw my consent at at any time. Remember to make reference to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy or Call Us for more details. net. I know that I can withdraw my consent at at any time. Please consult with our Terms of Use and Privacy Coverage or Speak to Us For additional details. I conform to acquire these communications from SourceForge.Web via the indicates indicated previously mentioned. I know that I can withdraw my consent at at any time. Please refer to our Phrases of Use and Privacy Plan or Speak to Us for more details. JavaScript is required for this kind. A test specified to new college students by Stanford University Music Professor Jonathan Berger confirmed that scholar desire for MP3-excellent audio has risen on a yearly basis. Berger mentioned The scholars manage to choose the 'sizzle' Seems that MP3s deliver to audio.[fifty six] Even so, many de facto requirements for tag formats exist. As of 2010, one of the most prevalent are ID3v1 and ID3v2, and the more just lately introduced APEv2. These tags are normally embedded at first or stop of MP3 data files, different from the actual MP3 frame details. MP3 decoders either extract details with the tags, or perhaps treat them as ignorable, non-MP3 junk information. convert2mp3.Web permits you to change and obtain your favourite videos from YouTube, Dailymotion and Clipfish inside of a format like MP3, MP4 and more. It truly is speedy, free of charge and there's no registration needed. Having said that, most state-of-the-art media solutions for instance streaming or Television and radio broadcasting use modern day ISO-MPEG codecs like the AAC family members or Sooner or later MPEG-H. Individuals technologies, which have been formulated with main contributions from Fraunhofer IIS, can deliver additional capabilities and a higher audio good quality at A lot decrease bitrates when compared to mp3. This is certainly followed by somewhat indicating that Here is the MPEG common and two bits that point out that layer three is utilised; consequently MPEG-one Audio Layer three or MP3. Following this, the values will differ, dependant upon the MP3 file. ISO/IEC 11172-3 defines the choice of values for every area on the header together with the specification of your header. Most MP3 documents currently consist of ID3 metadata, which precedes or follows the MP3 frames, as pointed out while in the diagram. The data stream can have an optional checksum. Compression efficiency of encoders is usually defined by the little bit amount, since compression ratio depends on the bit depth and sampling fee of the enter sign. Nonetheless, compression ratios tend to be posted. They could make use of the Compact Disc (CD) parameters as references (forty four. Just upload your file and try. If it does not get the job done for the file, be sure to let us know so we can include an MP3 converter to suit your needs. The two Krasner and Schroeder crafted on the work carried out by Eberhard File. Zwicker during the parts of tuning and masking of essential frequency bands,[21][22] that consequently developed on the fundamental research in the area from Bell Labs of Harvey Fletcher and his collaborators.[23] A wide variety of (mainly perceptual) audio compression algorithms were being described in IEEE's refereed Journal on Selected Locations in Communications. Layer III audio also can make use of a "bit reservoir", a partly entire frame's capacity to keep Section of another body's audio info, allowing for non permanent modifications in effective bitrate, even in a constant bitrate stream.[39][64] Interior handling with the bit reservoir will increase encoding delay. An in depth account with the procedures utilized to isolate the Seems deleted throughout MP3 compression, along with the conceptual inspiration for that venture, was posted in the 2014 Proceedings of your Worldwide Laptop or computer Music Meeting.[60] Little bit charge[edit]

[alexrascanu]

How to Reach Your Potential: An Interview with Louise Adongo

Louise Adongo has taken part in "How to Reach Your Potential" initiative, a series of 100 interviews with leaders who inspire Alex Rascanu and whose insights can help you reach your potential.

[Also check out our interviews with Trina Boos, Hamza Khan, James Tjan, Vlad Rascanu, Drew Dudley, Alexandru Holicov, Andrew Mizzoni and Christa Dickenson.]

About Louise:

Louise Adongo is Manager of Policy and Corporate Supports at Housing Nova Scotia. A social change agent with strong leadership and collaborative capacity, she has received a GoverNEXT Rising Star award, Minister’s and Premier’s Awards of Excellence, and a Woman of Influence peer-recognition award from the African Canadian Woman in Public Service. She currently sits on the Board of Credit Union Atlantic and the Steering Committee for Brilliant Labs NS. Previously, Louise volunteered on the Board of the Health Association of African Canadians and was a member of the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology’s Health Policy Translation Working Group.

Louise's multi-disciplinary academic background and diverse life and work experiences render her imperfect for siloes. Unafraid to try doing old things differently, she has worked on projects in program development for public and not-for-profit sectors in Nova Scotia and parts of Africa. During her first community development experience, she discovered her passion for social justice and equitable resource use. She has since worked in various research, policy and evaluation roles in provincial government for close to a decade.

An avid reader, traveller and gardener, Louise holds graduate degrees in Biochemistry and Applied Health Services Research. She is cautiously curious about how we might encourage the practice of difficult conversations at the interpersonal and community level, and agrees with the oft-quoted James Baldwin: 'Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.'

Connect with Louise on LinkedIn.

Alex: What is your life’s purpose?

Louise: I ask myself this question about once every 5 years. A friend of mine once called it my quarter-life crisis (which doesn’t quite work but let’s set aside the weird math). Smile. I am of Christian faith and often find the passage Philippians 4:8 great for helping me focus and get re-centered when I feel that I have lost focus for myriad possible reasons.

In my most recent go around with this question while I was out for a run training for a 10k race, I thought about what makes me happy, what motivates me and when I feel most confident. It drew me to the following statement which I hope while succinct captures the depth and breadth of how I want to live: “Honour myself by honouring others.”

Alex: What are the three things you’re most passionate about?

Louise: Collaboration, Inclusion and Innovation.

Alex: How do you stay healthy? What’s your main health-related goal?

Louise: I run, bike and hike as often as I can when the weather is accommodating and I also work out (love kettlebells at the moment). And my main health related goal is balance – body, mind and spirit.

Alex: How do you build wealth?

Louise: This is an interesting question or maybe just the timing is interesting. My friend Nnamdi Oranye is part of the African diaspora asking questions about how we might spur (more) innovation in Africa and see the benefits of disruptions found across the globe. As part of that he wrote an Op Ed: The Tipping Point for African Innovation.

[…] opportune time for African innovation … “the question is why? The answer often lies in our own understanding of ourselves and how we assess what we value." […]

- excerpt from Nnamdi’s Op Ed

In response to the question, “What do you think are the weaknesses of the African continent when it comes to making a difference in terms of innovation. Some say that the heavily reliance on a single commodity such as minerals. What could be other factors and what could be done about it?” that was posted in promotions for this Op Ed on LinkedIn, one commenter said something that really resonated with me:

“We need to understand the difference between 'making money' and 'creating wealth'. We tend to think that they are the same. And so, our business behaviour, from CEO to vendor is to grasp at the opportunity to 'make money'. This results in short-term thinking, which stands in the way of innovation. What is in the way is not education, a focus on minerals etc. It is our philosophical orientation to business and life that needs to change.”

Alex: What’s your main financial goal?

Louise: Another great question, I have had an opportunity to develop greater financial literacy as a member of the board of a credit union. But on a more personal level, in part as I felt the overwhelmingness of my student loans in times of under-employment, I have reflected on my relationship with money and debt. I love watching Gail Vaz Oxlade’s shows on TV. But probably the biggest eye-opener for me in my setting of financial goals was reading Kate Northrup’s book Money: A Love Story. (I mean she even encourages us to call our bills invoices for blessings already received!)

In short, my main financial goal is to continue to be curious about, and therefore hopefully continue to resolve my limiting beliefs about money. Whether it is earning it, spending it or investing it.

Alex: How do you balance work and family life?

Louise: Not well is the short answer, and it is something that will probably always remain on my “do better at” list as there is likely always going to more I can do to be present more both at work and with my loved ones.

However, recently at the FCI-CWI Women's Leadership conference, a speaker spoke of “work-life integration” rather than work/life balance which is quite mythical, if anything it is to be gleaned from the laughter I heard in the room when she spoke of not ever finding work/life balance and introduced the new term.

Alex: How do you enjoy spending time with family and friends?

Louise: Oh, so many ways but maybe the easiest way to talk about how I enjoy time is to consider that I love words and I love conversation. So, there is a sacred place for ‘snail mail’ in my heart and I am in a few book clubs. I also enjoy cooking meals with friends and sharing a laugh over after work socials. Sometimes when I have not connected with a friend in a while I like to go hiking, visit local markets (farmers' or craft) or spend way too long chatting at home on a comfy couch or in a café. I am also quite adventurous so my friends and family know I am often game to try out new activities with them.

Alex: What has been the most fulfilling role you’ve ever had, or the most fulfilling project you’ve been involved with so far?

Louise: It is difficult to just think of one. I have been fortunate to work on a number of great projects.

I am proud of work I did with Ann Divine, a great mentor and friend at the NS Human Rights Commission and in amplifying voices of Black and Immigrant Women through International Women’s Day (March 8th) events in 2008 and 2014.

In 2015, I worked with Chantal Brine to host an event for women and girls with Vicky Saunders, founder of SheEO. This was fulfilling because among many things I witnessed her ‘walking the talk’ regarding radical generosity when she responded to my ‘cold-call’ reach out on LinkedIn on a completely different project which led to that event.

I also felt proud of the contribution I made in my board role at CUA where I provided input to the 2016 Annual Community Impact plan and supported the proposed subcommittee name change from Governance and CSR to Governance and Community Impact.

I could say more in terms of conversations about needs to create opportunities to strengthen digital literacy among Black and First Nations youth, that led to my role on the Nova Scotia Brilliant Labs steering committee or “that one time,” smile when I advocated to another great friend and mentor Sylvia Parris to bring Kimberly Bryant to Halifax to speak to members of the African Canadian Women in Public Service, and cross-sectoral senior leadership, as a role-model for visibility in the ICT sector. All of these roles and projects have been quite fulfilling.

And I cannot wait to see the fruits of these efforts as I look to the future and think about work I would like to do to support the movement of having more women, and for me specifically diverse representation in boards across all sectors. I am inspired to do this by Kathleen Taylor's words at the opening plenary of 2017’s Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference, where she said, regarding increased diversity of boards, that “diversity on boards was not a supply problem…”. I am also motivated to see what might be in this work by the Deborah Gillis at the Oct 24th Nova Scotia Status of Women 40th anniversary celebration, shared about what change/progress is happening and is still to come.

Alex: What’s one career planning lesson that has made a significant difference in your life?

Louise: Again, I can’t only think of one but I promise to only share two. Smile.

Ann Divine very early in my career encouraged me to keep a record of my professional achievements and to track them by the leadership competencies I exhibited. I have since added contacts/ references who can verify what I document. It has been a very useful personal and professional record, especially on days when things don’t go as well as I might like. And it has also been a great confidence booster as I see my growth and trajectory.

My second lesson has been from Eleanor Beaton , who has a really great podcast that I would encourage anyone who wants to learn the ‘how tos’ of Fierce Feminine Leadership to subscribe to her podcast. Eleanor has a wealth of information on what holds women back from achieving their self-defined goals and she speaks from a place of personal and professional experience in a way that resonates with me at different times through any given year and leaves me with clear next steps and action items that don’t feel overwhelming to execute. My lesson from her was to be aware of the hot mess that happens when one up-levels. And recognize that it is part of becoming the person that I need to be at this new level experience.

Ok I might have one more.And that is FOCUS, to acknowledge that my sphere of interest versus my sphere of influence are not the same size. Many people tell me this.

Alex: What would you like your legacy to be?

Louise: If I think of legacy as what I want people saying about me when I am not in the room, or what would be written on my epitaph. Then I want my legacy to be “she persisted” [smile].

And "She had conversations with people and asked questions that shed light on what is possible were we to work in a "fresh" way. Once people saw the possible, it became actionable as people "yearned for the vast and endless sea"."

Alex: Thank you so much for taking part in this interview, Louise! You're such an inspiration! Your insights and openness are much appreciated.

[elevatorupcompany]

Design to 9th Graders

A few months back, a friend reached out and asked me to Skype with her ninth grade art classes about my job as a designer. I didn’t prepare myself. I figured, I do this for a living, how hard will it be to explain? To prepare for our Skype chat, my friend asked her students from both classes to write their questions on a whiteboard.The questions ranged from smile-inducing curiosities such as, the size of my desk to plenty of questions around how to find inspiration and how long projects took. As I looked at the questions and stared at the group of students in front of me, I realized answering their questions about inspiration or desk size would satisfy their curiosities, but it wouldn’t educate them on the breadth of what it means to be a designer or the amount of paths a career in design might take you.

After the realization that I did not do justice to explaining my job the first go round, I wanted to find a way to better articulate myself. I was inspired by a bit I read on explaining graphic design to 4th graders and began to think through a loose framework for how to talk with young creatives:

What is design and how it applies to everything

A high level look at the array of careers that exist in the creative field

Advice on pursuing a designer lifestyle

What is design?

In the same notion of teaching design to 4th graders, similar lessons in the basics apply to all ages. It’s important to understand what “design” means, regardless of context. At the core, design is often defined as a tool for understanding, communicating, and problem solving. Making the complex digestible. In the article previously referenced, he describes design to 4th graders as:

“Design is about making something easy to use, or easy to understand.”

It's important to find an example of design and tie it to something to which 9th graders can relate: Social media platforms. Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, were all created by a team containing all different types of designers, people who made decisions to make the apps easier and enjoyable to use. Industrial designers planned, designed, and tested snowboards so they can ride through deep snow or if you live in Michigan—cruise on ice. Graphic designers, illustrators and photographers came together to make the graphics on the board. The clothes you’re wearing—a team of fashion, textile, product, and graphic designers, all came together to decide how they’d look, how they’d fit and how they’d be made and produced.

This could go on for days, all coming back to the (sometimes overwhelming) notion that indeed, we live in a world that is designed and shaped by humans.

Opportunities to work creatively

Not always, but often, designers are associated with making cool resumes, killer business cards, and heaps of logos. While this is true for plenty of designers, it barely scratches the surface of what designers are doing now. If we are being broad, even within the term of graphic design, there are many different types of designers with focuses unknown to aspiring creatives.

Relate the variation in design careers like you would surgeons. There are general surgeons, neurological surgeons, plastic surgeons, the list goes on. They all went to med school, had a similar learning foundation, but have branched off into areas of speciality that suit their passion. With slightly less blood and guts, apply this idea to graphic design as a career, knowing the word, “graphic,” will be changed out depending on the work.

Factors to consider in choosing a creative path

Type of work The two high level distinctions of designers are typically print and digital designers.  

Print designers work in a much more tangible world than web designers. Their work uses the building blocks of design such as typography and color theory to communicate to different audiences. The work done by print designers tend to have deliverables: posters, business systems, reports, billboards, invites, the list goes on. Often the work of a print designer overlaps with digital designers, creating web assets such as advertising for the web. They tend to work more in branding and often have a more keen eye for typographic details than digital designers. Print designers have a fine eye for print quality and paper quality and use texture and structure to better tell their story.

In short: Print designers use creative solutions and an understanding of design principles to efficiently communicate, tell stories, and solve problems.   

Digital designers come with all different titles: user interface designer, user experience designer, interactive designer, product designer, the list goes on. For sake of a 9th grade audience and brevity, let’s talk about what it means to be a designer who works in the digital sphere. Digital designers work in a world of lots of moving pieces and the work itself is a living, ever changing, piece. Digital designers are designing interfaces for apps, websites, and software, but more so, they are making product decisions. They're ultimately designing what someone will experience and how those interfaces interact with the user and the overall product.The work of a digital designer often starts far before anything hits the screen. Wireframes, sitemaps, and user research are all tasks digital designers do to ensure their work is validated.

In short: Digital designers use their understanding of the user and the client’s business to create an experience that solves a problem and / or helps users accomplish their goals.   

____

Type of environment Whether you're part of a small agency, a massive corporation as an in-house designer, or a freelance designer, your role and responsibilities will vary. A small agency and a freelancer will have more involvement at every stage of the process whereas a designer at a larger company may have a more targeted role. There is no right or wrong and trying out different types of work environments will help shape your preferred work style.  

____

Different roles of designers This will come in time as you develop your skill-set and know what drives you as a designer. Some designers transition from being hands-on in production to being the lead in setting the direction and overseeing a team of designers. Some designers will focus on a company’s brand alone. Some designers design very little but focus on setting strategic direction and architecture of a product. If you can’t tell by now, as a designer, the world is truly your oyster.

____

Working creatively in another role You don’t have to be a designer to work in a creative environment. A team has many roles that are involved in the creative process. I’ve worked on teams with copywriters that use language to craft the story and build a brand. I’ve been alongside UX strategists who are integral to building and informing the foundation for the entirety of a project. Product managers make it happen by finding creative ways to keep everyone and everything aligned on a project. There are too many roles to name (and celebrate!). The short of it, if you’re inspired by design and being in a creative atmosphere, don’t feel discouraged if you don’t consider yourself creative.

The heart of being a designer

Beyond the complicated web of types of designers, varying environments and roles of a designer, there are a few points that resonate with me every day as a designer.

Know a career in design means you’re always learning. It’s fast paced and you’re going to learn a lot. Yes, you’ll learn a lot about design and bettering your practice, but you’re going to learn a lot about every client you work with and the industry it pertains to. It’s a part of your job as a designer to fully understand the user and the industry and to empathize with whoever your designs will impact.

Work where you’re happy and know you’re never alone. Good team dynamics are the real deal. Being able to jive, communicate, and share ideas freely makes for better days and far better outcomes. Collaboration and diversity of perspectives and skill-sets are what make for meaningful results. From college to the workforce, you realize you’re never alone on a project. You’re no longer responsible for every piece of the puzzle. In fact, you’re working with people who are better than you in different areas. It’s their skill-sets that heighten and make what you do validated and possible.

Learn to step away. The creative process isn’t science or clockwork and accessing the creative part of your brain can’t be forced. Luckily, this is celebrated in most creative environments, but it takes self awareness, control, and intention to step back and to get out. There is power in stepping away from it all. Many great ideas and moments of “ah-ha!” are born out of the mind’s stillness. In an article based off the book, Too Fast To Think, the author talks about our society's growing obsession with our devices and the distraction of it all. The more we’re taking in the more our brain starts to filter, for better or worse. The more our brain is busy filtering and taking in the content, the less time our subconscious has to solve problems and bubble up with epiphanies. Learning to be aware and take control over these distractions is important. Make time for yourself to be still, relax, and let your brain do what it does best. From the author of Too Fast To Think:

“Stop staring at your phone and stare into space. You might be hit with something far more valuable”.

Armed with a better framework in mind, I’m filled with excitement for the next time I chat with young students looking to be creative for a living. To give them a better idea of what design means and broaden their awareness for design that is all around them. It wasn’t until college I understood the breadth of opportunities in a creative career, and it wasn't until I was working as a professional that I understood what it meant to be part of a team. With much to learn, much to practice, and much to celebrate, it’s an ever interesting career to have and to share.

~Emily, Designer

[camsblog331-blog]

Hactivism and design critical writing

Idealists, anarchists and extremists are transforming activism in the digital age for the greater good and impacting current and future design practices.

The ever-broadening spectrum of technology is engulfing us into an entirely digital age of living. Expressing your opinion online is fulfilled by the click of a button exposing your thoughts to your friends and family. People reflect a mirror of themselves on social media building an online profile with every detail of their life. “More than 90% of Americans who own a cell phone keep on their person a digital record of nearly every aspect of their lives – from the mundane to the intimate”. (Scheer, 2016, p. 95) This personal information that we freely surrender online is mostly done just out of convenience, whether it be to create friendships or to enhance a shopping experience. This data is all collected, exploited, profited from and surveilled. Hacktivists are using their voice to stand up for the people when it comes to issues like privacy and now with new technologies they are challenging international affairs (Lohrmann, 2017). They are now given convenient and powerful means to spread their messages and act globally on issues. These extremists are transforming activism for the greater good, and impacting current and future design practices with such ways as collaborating, sharing work and copyright.

“The Internet is our shared space. It helps us connect. It spreads opportunity. It enables us to learn. It gives us a voice. It makes us stronger and safer together. To keep the internet strong, we need to keep it secure. “- Mark Zuckerberg (Scheer, 2016)

The Internet has revolutionised connection and communication, creating a borderless virtual world where almost anything is possible. How do people retain copyright on their work once it is shared on the internet? Hacktivists have sparked a major distrust in people’s opinion of staying safe online “Groups such as Anonymous, WikiLeaks and DC Leaks shaping the news and impacting global dialogue, while undermining trust in digitally stored information.” (Lohrmann, 2017). With each new hack, out to expose someone or some corporation people are ever losing faith in privacy on the internet. Just recently French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron’s (now elected) campaign was subjected to a massive computer hack that dumped its emails online, just over 24 hours before voters went to the polls to choose between the centrist and his far-right rival Marine Le Pen (Jazeera, 2017). This type of hacktivism is becoming ever present right before a big public decision is about to happen "Hack into their email, release the contents, and if there is embarrassing information there, it may very well cause a swing in the election." (Al Jazeera, 2017). As you can see the main point of focus was to disrupt the voting process by someone or some organisation who was clearly in favour of the other candidate. In my standpoint, I believe this type of intrusion can be detrimental to both sides. People would have been scouring through the emails for some incriminating evidence or even something just said out of line to abuse and belittle him for it. However, it also reveals more about the people in favour of the other candidate. They show no remorse for the highly illegal activity they took part in, why should people take their opinion into consideration for the ruler of a country? Are these anarchists that cause this damage normalising hacking and illegal activity? Research by Xiao Wang was done into the immorality of illegal downloading and how people reacted emotionally to illegally downloading. The study showed that “college students generally felt a low level of anticipated guilt toward illegal downloading” (Wang & McClung, 2012). With digital design becoming wide spread choice for design because of efficiency and speed, students will generally illegally download required software’s for free use instead of paying for them. The low level of anticipated guilt reveals that the “social condemnation of digital piracy is not strongly felt” (Wang & McClung, 2012). Because the act of torrenting has become so widespread throughout the world it has almost normalised it and made people believe that it is not a very big issue. Digital privacy is a difficult issue in which designers need to take caution with. In older times if a designer was to hand craft a chair, it would be very hard to replicate this chair with exact precision. There would be differences. This issue is not the case anymore with technology. Digital designs can very easily be replicated, copied and shared around the world. The question arises of how does a designer keep ownership and copyright of a certain digital design in the current age? When people read and hear about how the French presidential candidate’s emails were hacked and leaked, how secure does that make them feel about sharing their work online?

 Design activism vs Hacktivism

Traditionally design activism uses design thinking to create products, environments, solutions or services that enhance quality or to show awareness of an ongoing issue throughout the world. Now with digital design becoming a big player in design, it has evolved some of the methods of getting the message across to the people of the world. No longer does a physical piece of artwork or a vandalised billboard pack the biggest punch for activists to spread a politically motivated message to society. Technology has enabled convenience in communication and with the majority of people these days being connected to the internet, it has become the most efficient way to gather the most attention. “Hacking for a cause is set to explode into a complex set of state and local government challenges.” (Lohrmann, 2017). The dramatic rise in hacktivism over the past few years is shaping way for a future where hackers are shaping the “global dialog” in the same way protesters have done in the past. Banksy once stated how he started using stencils for his graffiti work because it cut down the time produce his artwork and therefore he could get away without being caught. This relates well to the idea of hacktivism on the internet, a big factor is anonymity. People and groups orchestrating hacktivism online are mostly always subject to anonymity. It protects them and gives them an invisible shield to do and say what they want with little fear of backlash against them. My belief is that people feel they can be truthful when they are wearing a mask. “Anonymity lifts inhibitions and can lead to unusual acts of kindness or generosity, or it can lead to misbehaviour, such as harsh or rude language and acts that are illegal or harmful.” (Kang, Brown, & Kiesler). It is this anonymity that is at stake for the public however. At this moment, the government is unlawfully collecting data on everyone with a device connected to the internet. This is destroying privacy and is no longer making people anonymous. Hacktivism is helping to create more awareness to people throughout the world who may not know this or know the full extent of the issue. With the internet connecting everyone it proves to be the fastest way for people to find out new information in such topics and therefore vital for such people like design activists to spread their artwork/ politically motivated thoughts. How will this affect future design practices in terms of activism?

 Designing technologies to fight back

A big issue with designing means to create freedom is that people are going up against their own government. Edward Snowden said himself during an interview growing up he thought everything the government said must be true because “Why would they possibly lie to us?” (Scheer, 2016). These hacks and leaks such as Snowden revealed are paving way for a differently designed future, with hacktivists at the forefront of this change. Currently there is several organisations out there already taking a stand for privacy, designing new technologies to combat tracking and enforcing digital privacy. An example is the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a leading non-profit organisation that helps defend privacy in the digital realm. The EFF had a victory against the secret service establishing that “it is illegal for law enforcement to access and read private electronic mail without a warrant”. Even though the EFF has been around since the early internet days, stepping up into the private sector against privacy has only recently come about. (Scheer, 2016).

The Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), another organisation which supports free speech against government secrecy, boasts members such as Daniel Ellsberg and Edward Snowden. The FPF have developed encryption tech such as SecureDrop which is an open source platform that allows whistle-blowers and journalists to securely transmit documents (Scheer, 2016). These platforms are helping to make government snooping on data increasingly more difficult and more expensive.

These current platforms boast way for a more a collaborative outlook when designing new technologies in the future. The foundations mentioned above took a collaborative effort for them to take off and develop technology. Current designers need to take points from how the efforts of many combine for a solution. It is my standpoint to believe we are living at a technological crossroads, with the internet being the defining factor of how the future is being shaped. To collaborate is to stand together and push forward with an idea or ideas.

 Hacktivism is an expression of art

Social justice in the past has been expressed through many different mediums to orchestrate their points. A common and bold way to do this was with spray-paint. Graffiti artists would spray a wall with their message pertaining to certain crisis that was currently happening at the time. This blatant form of activism is a visual art based way of voicing their opinion. These days hacktivism is showing clear links to the graffiti artists way of talking about injustice. “GlobalHell, a group of hackers from the 1990s, hacked the websites of the White House and the US Post, they were in a way working as graffiti artists. Sprawling “Global hell will not die” on the American army website invited comparisons to spray paint.” (Is hacktivism art?, 2016). Can we call hacktivism a form of art altering our current perceptions of how messages are spread and recognised? “Prior to Snowden and the other leaks, a fiction had developed that only bad guys and bad governments abuse the freedom of the internet to invade the privacy, and hence the freedom, of its citizens”. (Scheer, 2016, p. 193). What we are seeing now is average people take a stand to deliver their voice through the most dominant way of purveying news, the internet. This in turn is social justice impacting current and future methods of conveying art and messages, breaking virtual barriers to do so. The visual element of anything conveyed to an audience has to be clear and bold to attract attention. People will not be interested in reading a long article but rather a short concise sentence which sums up the message that is being addressed. This is why hacktivism takes characteristics from art and design, and to impact the most people they must draw the people in first.

 “Even if you trust the government today, what happens when you get an individual who says: you know what, lets flip that switch” – Edward Snowden

 To conclude the idealists, anarchists and extremists are clearly promoting change throughout the world. History often tells people to cast aside the outliers and the radical thinkers but these Hacktivists are the ones people should listen to and learn from. To promote change often it needs something extraordinary done, like a whistle-blower leaking private information. Current design practices are directly impacted by the ricochets of hacking because design is currently being consumed by technology and the tools the internet provides. Designers keeping authenticity of their own work without fear of it being fabricated and copied online need to learn from failed mistakes in the past. Future design practices will be an evolution of today’s cracks in the system, designers taking note of the steps to increase privacy will be creating methods to obtain the complete right to anonymity.

 2017 words.

  Bibliography

Greenberg, A. (2013). This machine kills secrets: Julian Assange, the cypherpunks, and their fight to empower whistleblowers. New York: Plume.

Is hacktivism art? (2016, August 24). The Economist.

Al Jazeera. (2017, May 6). #MacronLeaks: Macron's campaign hit by hacking attack. Al Jazeera.

Kang, R., Brown, S., & Kiesler, S. (n.d.). Why Do People Seek Anonymity on the Internet? Informing Policy and Design.

Lohrmann, D. (2017, February 22). The dramatic rise in hacktivism. Techcrunch.

Scheer, R. (2016). They know everything about you: how data -collecting corporations and snooping … government agencies are destroying democracy. Nation books.

Wang, X., & McClung, S. R. (2012). The immorality of illegal downloading: The role of anticipated guilt and general emotions. Computers in Human Behavior, 153–159.

[educationtoday2017]

Assessing school assessment in Romania

by Andreas Schleicher Director, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

We published our review of school assessment and evaluation in Romania today, and the report received a lot of attention. We had done our last assessment of education in Romania in 2000, and it was a very different country back then. It was only in 2011 that Romania put in place an inclusive vision for education, a vision of 21st-century learning and 21st-century assessment. Since then, the country has made remarkable progress in backing that vision up with institutional capacity. Perhaps most important, Romania has been one of Europe’s success stories in terms of delivering improved results. Over the past decade, only Portugal has seen faster improvement in our PISA science assessment than Romania. But it’s important to look forward, since Romania’s schools today will be Romania’s society tomorrow. And today, 40% of Romanian 15-year-olds still lack the foundation skills they need for lifelong learning and productive employment. Many of the schools and educators involved are not yet in sync with the 21st-century vision of Romania’s new curriculum – nor is the assessment system. High-stakes examinations still determine the future of students’ based on a narrow set of academic knowledge at age 14. This is outdated and unfair. Never underestimate the influence of examinations on what is taught and learnt. So broadening what is assessed will help ensure that the new curriculum reaches the classrooms. And strengthening other forms of assessment can put examinations in balance. Good education is about developing human talent, not about sorting it. In the late 1990s Poland redesigned its school structure so that students follow the same curriculum until age 15. The reform has helped to significantly reduce performance differences between schools and improve performance among the lowest-achieving students. Perhaps most important, taking away the option to pass struggling students down to programmes with lower performance expectations has delivered the message to Polish teachers and schools that they need to better support student learning. Our data show that those who benefited from the extra year of general education in Poland increased their average PISA score in 2006 by the equivalent of almost three years of schooling. The quality of education can never exceed the quality of teaching. The way in which teachers engage with students in their classrooms and provide feedback on what they can do to improve is more powerful than anything else in helping students to learn. That starts with the development of professional standards for teachers. If you can’t define a good teacher, it’s hard to get one. And if you give them the support and the space, teachers will be incredibly good at framing their professional practice just like other professions do. I was so impressed by how teachers in the Netherlands developed the Dutch system of professional standards for teachers. No government could have come up with a more demanding and practical vision for great teaching. One of the most important lessons we can learn from great education systems is how they create a teaching profession that owns its professional practice. Every day I meet people who say we cannot give teachers and school leaders greater autonomy because they lack the capacity to fill that autonomy with meaning. There is some truth in that. But the response to perpetuate the industrial work organisation in schools with prescriptive instructional systems will continue to disengage teachers from their craft. Those who heat up pre-cooked hamburgers from McDonald’s rarely become a master chef. By contrast, when teachers feel a sense of ownership over their classrooms, when students feel a sense of ownership over their learning, that is when productive learning takes place. The answer is to strengthen trust, transparency, professional autonomy and the collaborative culture of the profession all at the same time. And that is exactly what good evaluation and assessments are about. Professional autonomy can be nourished. Last year, I was the head of the committee that awards the British pupil premium. That’s an amount of money that schools receive for each disadvantaged student to better support them. But rather than telling schools what to do with this money, teachers and schools have to come up with their own plan based on government assessment data, justify how it will improve learning outcomes with evidence and research, and account for the results to the public. And they come up with incredibly imaginative answers. So in our review we highlight how building teacher capacity, and in particular strengthening teachers’ assessment literacy, must be front and centre of any reform to raise learning outcomes. Assessment is always at its best when it facilitates open dialogue, reflection and feedback, where weaknesses can be acknowledged and mistakes recognised as an opportunity for growth and building trust. This will also require investing in more and better initial teacher education, continuing professional development and simple, practical tools that will help teachers understand the new curriculum’s learning expectations and bring them to life in Romania’s schools. Examples of what key competencies, like critical thinking and creative problem solving, look like in practice can have a transformative impact on pedagogical practice. Guidance on helping students to understand their own learning strategies can help teachers engage students who are at risk of dropping out, and instil in every child the belief that they can succeed. New Zealand has developed a range of online tools that demonstrate key competencies using student work, and that break the competencies down into essential knowledge, skills and attitudes so that teachers know how to support their students through each learning stage. Teachers also need the right incentives and professional support to become effective in their job. Teachers in Romania are regularly assessed, but too often appraisal is only summative. It will be important to develop appraisals that are more focused on formative practices, such as professional dialogue and feedback, and grounded in classroom observation and evidence of performance. The theoretical written exams Romania’s teachers take often do not capture what matters most for excellent teaching, such as the relationship teachers establish with their students, their attitudes, and their mastery of pedagogical strategies so that they can plan and sequence teaching to reflect their students’ needs. Ireland’s reform increased the prominence of classroom-based and formative assessments. An important part of that success has been Subject Learning and Assessment Review meetings, where teachers share and discuss examples of their students’ work so that they develop a common understanding of the quality of student learning. The combination of professional autonomy with a collaborative culture is the key to good teaching, and assessment and evaluation are at its heart. I am always struck by the power of “collaborative consumption”, where online markets are created in which people share their cars and even their apartments with total strangers. Collaborative consumption has made people micro-entrepreneurs – and its driving engine is building trust between strangers. The reason this works is because behind these systems are powerful reputational metrics that build trust. We know a lot more about the driver of an Uber car than about the bus driver or the teacher of our children. When I visited Shanghai in 2013, I saw teachers using a digital platform to share lesson plans. That in itself was not very unusual. What made it special was that the more that other teachers downloaded lessons, or criticised or improved lessons, the greater the reputation of the teacher who had shared them. At the end of the school year, the principal would not just ask how well the teacher had taught his or her students, but what contribution they had made to improve the wider education system. Shanghai’s approach to curated crowd-sourcing of education practice is not just a great example of identifying and sharing best practice among teachers, it is also much more powerful than performance-related pay based on test scores as an approach to appraisal and professional growth and development. In this way, Shanghai created a giant open-source community of teachers and unlocked the creative skills and initiative of its teachers simply by tapping into the desire of people to contribute, collaborate and be recognised for it. Still, whenever systems drop a great teacher into a poorly functioning school, the school wins every time. That is why we also took a close look at the evaluation of schools in Romania. Here our advice is to shift the focus from compliance and control, to building school leadership for improvement. Again, this should start with a common and robust framework for school evaluation. In Scotland, school evaluation is focused on three simple questions: How good is our leadership and approach to improvement? How good is the quality of care and education we offer? and How good are we at ensuring the best possible outcomes for all our learners? Scotland’s differentiated model of school evaluation identifies those schools with the greatest need for support. Staff from the ministry and the local authority then work together to determine how the school can best be helped to build capacity for improvement. In sum, strengthening evaluation and assessment so that it sets high standards for all, and supports all students, teachers and schools to achieve those high standards will create not just a good, but an excellent education system.

Links OECD Review on Evaluation and Assessment in Education: Romania  Press Release: Strengthening evaluation and assessment in Romania is key to educational reform OECD Reviews on Evaluation and Assessment Frameworks for Improving School Outcomes Join us on Edmodo Photo source: Scoala - Romanian driving school car sign @shutterstock

[stevevirgadamo]

The Plenary Council of Baltimore to the New Millennium – “Steven Virgadamo” reflects on Catholic Schools

Yesterday

The growth of the Catholic schools in this country really received its impetus from the Plenary Councils of Baltimore in the late 1880’s. In the Third Council of Baltimore it was decreed that every parish must have a parish school. It was also suggested that these schools were to be free for every child. It was the duty of the whole parish to support this educational initiative and to make this a priority for the parish community. At the same time there were emerging religious communities of men and women who undertook the task of providing the staffing for these schools at little compensation other than a roof over their heads and food to eat. The population that was being served was basically an immigrant population that had many needs such that both the parishes and the schools became the center of life for its members.

This model worked well for the first half of the 20th Century. Its success could be attributed to an articulated vision, a committed constituency, a commitment to excellence in education, “cheap labor” and a willingness to do whatever was needed to maintain its viability. i.e.; the selling of wrapping paper, magazines, light bulbs, candy, carnivals, bingo nights, etc.

However, by 1969 we were experiencing societal upheaval and feeling the impacts of the Second Vatican Council, both changed the landscape and in many ways altered the paradigm upon which the Catholic schools system had thrived in the first part of the century. Many of the values and traditional institutions that helped support the Catholic schools in the earlier part of that century were ripped apart. Yet in many ways the Catholic schools continued to move forward often with the same structures and the same guiding principles yet now in a radically different environment. In hindsight, one might say the schools were unhampered by progress.

Reverend John Flynn, former Director of Education for the Archdiocese of Omaha and Richard Burke, the founder of Catholic School Management Inc. began in the early 1970’s calling for a change in the paradigm of Catholic School financing and marketing. For those if us that are old enough to remember it was a difficult message as many would respond we are the church, not a business and would cover their ears if the word marketing was used in a conversation related to our schools. This author hopes that the annals of the history of Catholic School education will recognize Father Flynn and Richard Burke among others as pioneers in changing the face of how our Catholic schools in America schools are financed, governed, administered and marketed.

Today and Tomorrow

There has been much research and many studies done in recent years around the challenges facing Catholic schools in the 21st Century. There has been increasing dialogue among many differing constituents as to what can be done to maintain and strengthen our schools going forward.

It is my hope that all baptized members of our Church will reaffirm unequivocally that the Catholic school is the best place for the formation of the next generation of Catholics. Studies have shown that those who attended Catholic schools in the past are by and large the leaders in our parishes today. They are more faithful in participating in the sacramental life of the Church and in their active engagement in the parish community.

The canons are very specific about the quality of education offered in a Catholic school and each Ordinary is responsible for assuring that the education offered in a Catholic school must be as good or better than what a family can receive within their respective community. With this in mind, as we forge ahead, we need to constantly evaluate and access the work that is being done to make sure the schools are accomplishing the goals that are set for them and also that they have the necessary resources to make this a reality.

The National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) has developed a new resource which is known as “National Standards and Benchmarks for effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools.” These standards describe how the mission-driven, program effective, well managed and responsibly governed Catholic schools operate. The Association developed these standards in the hope that they would give cohesiveness to our articulation of one’s understanding of what we mean when we use the term Catholic school and the expectations one can anticipate when they enroll their child in a Catholic School.

In the document there are three types of statements that are grounded in Church teachings, best practices and proven success of those committed to the future of Catholic elementary and secondary education in the United States. In summary, The “National Standards and Benchmarks for effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools:

Documents the Defining Characteristics, which describe the deep Catholic identity of Catholic Schools.

 Identifies Standards, which communicate policies, programs, structures, and processes that should be present in a Catholic school.

Suggests Benchmarks, which allow one to provide observable, measurable, and clear descriptors for evaluating and crafting improvements to the Catholic school experience.

Prudent use of this tool can help to better articulate why we need our Catholic schools. We need to explain more emphatically that their maintenance is the responsibility of the whole Catholic community and not simply the parents of the children who attend them. We need to enlist the support of a wider constituency in our community who sees the valuable resource that our schools are to society at large and are willing to partner with us in maintaining their viability.

In promoting the reason for our schools we need to point out that our schools are not only places where one can learn to read and write but they are places where a person is helped to develop their full potential, to be formed in the true values of our Christian faith, to participate in a nurturing and Christ-centered community where one is encouraged to develop his /her relationship with Jesus and with others so that the unique dignity of every person is respected and valued.

It often surprises me that there is so much discussion today regarding the Catholic Identity of our Schools. As an individual with nearly a lifetime of service to Catholic education, I can recall first reading the Bishops Pastoral Letter issued in 1971 entitled “To teach as Jesus Did”. It seems as valid today as it did then as it focuses on for us the three-fold mission of our Catholic schools – to proclaim the Gospel, to build community and to serve our brothers and sisters.

Perhaps the dialog should no longer be about what is the Catholic identity of our schools, but how do we best implement the guidance of the pastoral letter. Specifically, the school must be a place where the virtue of charity and love for one’s neighbor is the touchstone of the daily life and activity of the school. Christian Community service must be fostered as a constitutive dimension of one’s formation into the fully formed human person that is the goal of all Catholic education.

We must not be hesitant to point out to parents that our Catholic schools are more important than ever in assisting them in their responsibility as the primary educators of their children. We live in a time and in a culture whose values are progressively more and more secular and humanistic. Unfortunately in our country today the government sponsored education that is being offered to children is one based on the philosophy of secular humanism. The values of that system are quite contrary to our understanding of human nature and the way the Lord calls us to live. Our Catholic faith calls us to evangelize our culture and our Catholic elementary and Secondary schools play a critical and irreplaceable role in this effort.

If we are to maintain and prosper our Catholic schools we must re-evaluate many of the structures and resources that helped in the past, discard what is no longer relevant in the current milieu and put in place the foundation stones that will carry us through to the future.

Some believe the two largest challenges facing Catholic Schools are Finance and Governance. While not discounting these challenges, I choose to respectfully disagree. In my opinion the most crucial threat to our schools is leadership. It is perhaps the most important challenge to the survival of the Catholic Schools. We need to develop, form and train individuals who can guide our schools into the future. The leaders must be totally committed to the mission of Catholic education. They must be faith-filled people and will be true role models for the staff and students they will encounter on a daily basis. They must have a passion for the work that needs to be done and a willingness to work to achieve the goals that are put forth. These individuals must embody and live the Catholic identity that we proclaim and be examples of individuals who, with God’s grace, have become true disciples of the Lord.

  The Second Vatican Council called for a wider participation of the laity in the mission and work of the Church. The school is an appropriate venue for this participation. The Catholic School leader at the helm of our schools in the 21st century will embrace the concept of stewardship and expand the involvement of the management of the school to include competent lay leaders. This collaborative model of governance will utilize a wider pool of talent to help fashion and communicate the direction of the school and its mission. While the role of the Pastor is vital and important as “Shepherd”, the pastor of a parish with a Catholic school should partner with his school administrator to enlist the skills and talents of his parishioners in the running and maintaining the parish and school. We must not be shy about asking individuals to give of their time and talent to help in this important and essential work of the Church. Every pastor and school administrator needs the assistance of a Board, which will help direct and guide the future well being of the school. Since the early 1990’s I have been along with Richard Burke and others a strong advocate of establishing Boards of limited jurisdiction.

Humility, while a great virtue in an individual can be deadly for an institution.  Jesus tells us in Matthew’s Gospel,” Neither do you light a lamp and put it under a bushel basket where no one can see but rather on a lamp stand so it gives light to all the world.”(Matt: 5:15)

The global communications network that has come of age with the development of the Internet requires schools to be able to communicate their message effectively to their constituents. This will require a well thought out and well crafted marketing plan for the school. The Catholic schools will not succeed unless they tell their success story effectively to a wider community and promote the success they achieve in working with our young people. People like to support successful endeavors and they like to be associated with   winning programs.  John Kennedy said: “Success has many father’s, but failure, is always an orphan.”

There is no question that the maintenance of our Catholic schools and the education they provide will be an ongoing challenge in the years ahead. However, we must not underestimate the overall benefits that come to a parish, diocese and our church from sponsoring Catholic schools. Our schools are about children and the formation that is needed to help them develop into the sons and daughters that God has called them to be.

A Catholic school is a life giving entity. The energy that young families bring to the community needs to be harnessed and guided. In truth good Catholic schools can and should be the lifeblood of our parishes, dioceses and church.

from Welcome to Steve Virgadamo's Website http://ift.tt/2lMR29h

[thesnhuup]

10 Things I Know About You, Higher Education

As we pass the one-year anniversary of the launch of Academically Speaking and 2017 is well under way, it’s a great moment to consider some of the observations we have made or refined about online education and models for nontraditional students over the last year.

As I noted when we began the blog, Southern New Hampshire University is a microcosm of the national higher education conversation, serving 80,000 students on our century-old, traditional campus; in one of the largest non-profit online colleges in the nation; and in our direct-assessment, competency-based college.

We are often asked about the lessons we have learned or the advice we would give about our experiences. We shared some of that in our annual report, Beyond the Ivory Tower, at the end of last year and here on our blog. Here are some of the key topics that seem to come up in our dialogues when our team presents at conferences or networks at events.

1. Learning Science has become one of those fashionable terms that people throw around almost as much as CBE or adaptive or personalized learning, and like those terms there seems to be little agreement on what exactly it means.

I continue to receive blank or confused stares when I ask well-established academicians to (1) define what it means to learn, (2) explain how learning happens, and (3) tell me what standard for assessment they have employed on their campuses to make sure that it happened (no, grades don’t count).

This lack of purpose and process clarity often is ignored when brilliant minds are employed to teach and exacerbated as those minds settle in and delve further—not into these questions, but into their areas of study. This creates an ironic situation: The smarter they get, the further they get from being able to communicate with novices in their fields.

2. The basic diagram for our educational experiences centers around three things:

Using expert practitioners working in the field paired with academicians teaching in the classroom to determine appropriate standard outcomes at institutional, program and course levels.

Using experts in psychometrics and assessment to figure out the most valid and accurate ways to measure those outcomes.

Creating the most effective (accessible, affordable, adaptable, etc.) learning environment for the various student demographics to acquire the new knowledge or skills necessary to demonstrate mastery on the outcomes when they are assessed.While these seem to be distinct, a key learning we found early on is the critical need for collaboration in all three of these phases. Outcomes remain almost the alpha and omega in this model, yet the design of those outcomes has to consider what measures of assessment are available and even the type of assessment needs to take into consideration the parameters available for a learning environment.JFK set an outcome of getting to the moon, but the outcome would have been unrealistic if he hadn’t recognized the learning process and time it would take to get there.When we first began, theoretically it made sense to have an instructional design team with their expertise working separately from an assessment team: different expertise, after all. But the result was great assessments that couldn’t be mastered in the time frame or given our student body. Upon increasing the collaboration between the two teams, a far more effective learning and assessment environment was achieved, sometimes by re-chunking experiences, sometimes by developing more relatable assessments (NEVER by compromising on ultimate outcomes).

3. When we began to consider accelerated education models for our student body, we committed an error that, in hindsight, was hilarious because it was exactly what we had cautioned many of our colleagues who were entering the online space at other institutions of higher education against.

You can’t just start with what you have and repurpose it. You really do have to take the time to get back to basics; reflect on mission, purpose, outcomes at every level from the institution down to the course section; and then create the student experience based on the new factors involved in the new environment.

Likewise, with acceleration we tried to build modules from current courses, breaking them apart with diagnostics to allow students to “test out” of the formative areas they already had mastery of en route to a common summative experience. Very quickly we realized that the scaffolded and interwoven design of learning in the more traditional versions of online courses did not allow for easy dissection into clean independent units, and even after we did create something viable, it was clear form a gap analysis and early student experiences that the parts did not add up to the sum in a satisfactory way.

Result: same as with converting from face to face to online. Take the time to do it right or you will have to take the time to do it over.

4. Any school that wants to do any type of large-scale, competency-based education program needs to have an early conversation about whether they want to be an institution that simply certifies previously accrued competencies or wants to create an environment where students can build competencies.

The model is very different and far more complicated for the latter, especially if you have a relatively open admission policy. Many students need guiderails as well as structure to progress; that very group of students will require a far more supportive learning environment if they are trying to master competencies for which they have not developed skills. Be prepared for that.

Online education requires a major reality check for those who think they can easily engage and generate quick revenue; competency-based-education requires not just a gut check but a full-bore inspection. Otherwise it will become a money-pit sucking down not only those involved directly but those on the periphery as well.

5. Deliberate design of our disaggregated faculty model has truly exposed some of the unrealistic expectations placed on faculty to be one-size-fits-all expert generalists: advisor, instructor, grader, designer, researcher, committee member and more.

There was evidence of this in my own experience as a faculty member, when students would show up in my office with personal, non-academic issues that I was in no way professionally trained to handle.

It has become far more apparent as we have considered the professional skill sets necessary for each of these roles. Something as seemingly obvious as writing valid assessment questions for a test or creating a supportive learning environment for students with disabilities take skill sets far beyond what most faculty members are prepared for. Future iterations of student experience will require far more collaboration, diversification and specialization than we have considered in the past.

6. There often is a substantial difference between what practitioners in the field and academics in the classroom expect for outcomes in a course of study.

When we begin any new program development we bring in a group comprised of both of these stakeholders, and often they take a while to get to consensus on knowledge, skills, dispositions and abilities expected for success on the first day of a job or profession. Engaging in such an exercise can open eyes on both sides to the limits and possibilities of the classroom.

7. A no-holds-barred conversation about the purpose of general education has resulted in some of our best work to date.

When we came to the table we rather quickly arrived at some common points of agreement, such as:

General education is valuable for the acculturation of traditional college students to broader worldviews and the skill sets necessary to navigate daily life employing those world views.

If we were going to have general education outcomes, there needed to be some clear, common, measurable KPIS in each and every course.

The real challenge came when we considered broad content areas for adult students and began building outcomes and learning environments for them. We still agreed on tackling broad worldviews in areas such as the humanities and social and natural sciences, but it was a real struggle to get out of the weeds to a curriculum that tackled core skills and knowledge — all the more so because every content expert wanted to privilege his/her area of study.

For example, when we raised the question, “What about employing social scientific approach to the world does every graduate need to master?”, the sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, etc., all retreated to their corners and began crafting discipline-specific outcomes rather than thinking about the way the social scientific worldview approaches interactions of cultures, organizations and individuals.

I think several of my literature colleagues stopped breathing for several seconds when I stated that as much as I loved Shakespeare and studied him for my master’s degree, it was not so important that every adult student read Shakespeare, but rather that we equipped them with the ability to read critically whatever it was that they were going to be reading in their lives.We did eventually get there, and then the real hard work began. If you think finding experts to build a general education curriculum with this framework was hard, try finding faculty who can step beyond their area of study and teach such an approach.

8. Good communication, particularly writing, is perhaps the single most important skill college graduates will learn.

Conversely, the essay is probably the single least effective and yet most popular way to assess skill sets when trying to determine competency in professional fields. Writing about something and doing it are not the same, unless of course what you are assessing is actually how well someone writes.

One of the challenges our outcomes and assessment team has worked on is balancing every faculty member’s insistence on effective communication with accurate evaluation of the other skill sets being evaluated, while our faculty training group has worked with instructors to not discard great thinking or performance simply because of poor writing or communication. In these instances the extra academic support provided beyond the immediate content area of the student will often be the difference between success and failure in both the short term and possibly for life.

9. Few things have impressed me more than the accomplishments of both students and faculty in the online environment who have traditionally been labeled disabled.

We have tackled head-on the need to support our most challenged students, and they have repaid our efforts by inspiring us with their brilliance, their determination, and above all, their unique contributions to the various bodies of knowledge. That is equally true of our faculty who, working from their homes, reach out and engage students who have never been successful anywhere before.For the nontraditional student body, it is even more true that motivation trumps intelligence, and the greatest ambassadors I have ever seen are the faculty and students whose voices now have the power to be heard.

10. In a fast-moving culture that prides itself on being agile and responsive, leadership has to ensure that communication is as transparent and effective as possible so team members at every level feel that change is happening with them rather than to them.

My team has often heard me say that God gave us two ears and two eyes but only one mouth for a reason—we should always watch and listen twice as much as we speak. Mastering the listening part of communication is invaluable, particularly in institutions where rapid innovation through iterations is as innate as breathing.

Change in the needs, nature and demands of students as well as the roles of faculty, vendors, technology and administration will only accelerate. To play on a paradigm quote attributed to Henry Ford, there is no need to keep arguing about finding a faster horse: the automobile that is modern education has been invented. It will improve over time, but I wouldn’t be investing in saddles if I were you.

So welcome to a new year! I look forward to continuing the conversation and networking we have started, and to all of us creating the next evolution of higher education.

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