Spring 2008 Workshop, "Science-in-society: Teaching and engaging across boundaries"
Program
(as it evolved. See workshop website for additional details.)
(soon to be added: indented changes/additions based on 2008 feedback)
Specific objectives of NewSSC
1. Promote Social Contextualization of Science
(To promote the social contextualization of science in education and other activities beyond the participants' current disciplinary and academic boundaries.)
2. Innovative workshop processes
(To facilitate participants connecting theoretical, pedagogical, practical, political, and personal aspects of the issue at hand in constructive ways.)
3. Training and capacity-building
(To train novice and experienced scholars in process / participation skills valuable in activity-centered teaching, workshops, and collaboration.)
4. Repeatable, evolving workshops
(To provide a workshop model that can be repeated, evolve in response to evaluations, and adapted by participants.)
Wednesday, April 23: Arrivals
4-5
Rendezvous at Logan Airport and UMass-Boston
5-7
Travel to Woods Hole
Time for initial conversations
7.30-9 pm
Arrive at Woods Hole, Swope Hall
Check in
Dinner at Captain Kidd
Thursday, April 24: Exposing Diverse Points of Potential Interaction, with some Work "on task" and more Arrivals
Breakfast (freelance in Woods Hole)
9:00
Meet in Lillie 103
Getting started & oriented
Welcome from PT
Initial activity (guided freewriting and hopes for workshop)
Short introductions (b/c longer introductions will happen when all are present),
Explain details that need to be covered (e.g., tasks to be shared),
Initial overview of workshop goals (sheet passed around, each person reading aloud one NewSSC goal or item from specific goals for this workshop, including Recap of 4 issues:
Issue 1. How do college teachers take new directions in their teaching and public outreach?
( Who chooses to come to workshops on curriculum innovation and development? Who reads about new teaching or outreach approaches? Who copies units made available in publications or on the WWW? Who follows through and makes changes after they attend a workshop, read about a new approach, gets a copy of someone else's unit?)
Issue 2. How can others (i.e., us) give feedback to workshop participants in ways that helps gets the best outcome (either written product or changed practice) from the participants in their current, typically constrained, circumstances?
Issue 3. How can educational and outreach units get the most effective distribution (through publications, websites, or by other means) and uptake?
Issue 4. What can be learned from the NewSSC 2006-8 experience to make positive changes in the future?
9.40-11.10am Dialogue Process session on what we know about people (including ourselves) taking new directions in teaching and public outreach (=issues 1 & 2).
1:45 Rapid Problem-based learning activity on How educational and outreach units get the most effective distribution (through publications, websites, or by other means) and uptake.
including break & reports
4:30
Autobiographical Introductions – 15 minutes each
Gives participants an opportunity to
1. introduce themselves in narrative depth, their current and emerging work, and
2. learn more about each other
Peter Taylor will go first to model
15 minutes maximum
Everyone encouraged to take notes on points of intersection, interest, curiosity
5:30
Break
6:30-7:30
Dinner (brought in from Captain Kidd)
7:30-9:15
Autobiographical Introductions – continued
9:15-9:30
Reflection and debrief
Taking stock of what happened today, getting ready for tomorrow
Friday, April 25: Diverse points of Interaction -> Focus on Detailed Case Study and Excursion for Informal Conversations
Alternative description: "Drilling down in specific instances"
8:30
Check–in
8:45
Autobiographical introductions (cont.)
10:30 Break & Sign-up for "Office Hours" (one-on-one consulting)
10.30
Refreshment break
11:00-1:00
Exploring commonalities and differences around a specific case Role-Playing Simulations: "The President's Committee on Pesticides, 1963" (Douglas Allchin)
0. Advance preparation by participants (see below). 1. Presentation by the author, followed by 2. Workshop participants taking turns to identify points of connection with their own work/thinking, and ending with 3. Response by the author.
Organizer/facilitator reviews with author in advance ideas about how to tease out the dimensions of the workshop theme that are introduced by the key article
Preparation
First, let's look at a particular example of an open-ended simulation with students taking different roles or positions. After, we can discuss the format's potential and limitations.
The case study I bring is a historical simulation for 16+ students on "The President's Committee on Pesticides, 1963," based on crafting a policy response to Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. For a preview (= HOMEWORK PREP !), please peruse materials at: http://ships.umn.edu/modules/pest-sim/ or http://www.stv.umb.edu/n08AllchinCarson.pdf (160+ pages)
This includes: (a) an introduction to the classroom activity, its aims and organization; (b) a brief historical background; (c) a list of roles, and guidance for each role (including recommended references); (d) a "library" of resources, including many relatively inaccessible historical documents; (e) supplemental historical materials, for context; and, finally, (f) teaching notes for leading the exercise (in need of further development). [all designed for CD also.]
Here are some specific questions to address:
(1) What makes this activity potentially attractive? What not? What would need to be changed to improve the likelihood that you or a colleague would be interested in pursuing or adapting this? What do you see as the prospective value here in teaching students (& in what context)?
(2) What further guidance, beyond what is available here, would you consider essential or helpful?
(3) What further resources or materials would you want to see included?
Here are some more expansive general questions:
(4) What benefits seem achievable through such activities?
(5) What would make a simulation experience (student's or teacher's) more effective?
(6) What limits the adoption or effectiveness of such activities?
(7) What skills or resources are needed to assemble such simulations for other episodes? What kinds of cases or episodes are well suited for this format?
Further personal exploration in the group context:
(8) Reflection on adapting episodes from each participant's experience into this format. Sketches, and feedback from others.
1:00
Picnic Lunch and Excursion: a walk on the beach near Nobska Point lighthouse
Conversation among participants, reflecting on emerging ideas, enjoy the day
4:30
Formation of work groups of 2-5 people to develop activities
PT facilitates
(Move to participants taking initiative to make things happen, including planning activities for days three and four)
4:45
Preparation for Participant-generated Activities
In the past, lots of energy was evident even at this late stage in the day
Create prior expectation that groups can pass on running an activity for the whole group. It's OK to use the group to coach each other in developing individual educational/outreach projects
5:00
Initial Preparation for Activities
6:00
Debrief on the day
7:00
Dinner (brought in from Captain Kidd)
8:00
Bedtime reading
Participants read passages, poems etc. related in some way to workshop theme/goals
Saturday, April 26: Activities to Engage each Other in our Projects
Breakfast (freelance in Woods Hole)
8:30
Check-in: I didn’t expect to be thinking about…
facilitated by Marisa
8:45
Preparation for Participant-generated Activities
9:45
Break & Signup for "office hours"
10:15
Participant-generated Activity I – The Ozone Hole /Montreal negotiations 1991
Sunday, April 27: Further Activities to Engage each Other in our Projects and Outreach Units and Taking Stock of the Experience
Breakfast (freelance in Woods Hole)
Check out of room and bring bags to Lillie 103
8:30 Check in, Paperwork; Farewell to early departer
9:00 Dialogue Process
Review the NewSSC workshop experience (past and present)
Q: Does this dialogue needs to be confidential? Yes, because people speak freely or more playfully. (Session taped, but only made available to participants.)
10:30 Break
10:45 Participant-generated Activity IV – Forum Theater
12:15 Farewells for those leaving early and Lunch; Group photo; Cleanup & pack cars
1:15 Participant-generated Activity V – Workshop on using Wikis and using WWW to promote NewSSC-related processes and products
New England Workshop on Science and Social Change
Spring 2008 Workshop, "Science-in-society: Teaching and engaging across boundaries"
Program
(as it evolved. See workshop website for additional details.)(soon to be added: indented changes/additions based on 2008 feedback)
Specific objectives of NewSSC
1. Promote Social Contextualization of Science(To promote the social contextualization of science in education and other activities beyond the participants' current disciplinary and academic boundaries.)
2. Innovative workshop processes
(To facilitate participants connecting theoretical, pedagogical, practical, political, and personal aspects of the issue at hand in constructive ways.)
3. Training and capacity-building
(To train novice and experienced scholars in process / participation skills valuable in activity-centered teaching, workshops, and collaboration.)
4. Repeatable, evolving workshops
(To provide a workshop model that can be repeated, evolve in response to evaluations, and adapted by participants.)
Wednesday, April 23: Arrivals
4-5
Rendezvous at Logan Airport and UMass-Boston
5-7
Travel to Woods Hole
Time for initial conversations
7.30-9 pm
Arrive at Woods Hole, Swope Hall
Check in
Dinner at Captain Kidd
Thursday, April 24: Exposing Diverse Points of Potential Interaction, with some Work "on task" and more Arrivals
Breakfast (freelance in Woods Hole)
9:00
Meet in Lillie 103
Getting started & oriented
Welcome from PT
Initial activity (guided freewriting and hopes for workshop)
Short introductions (b/c longer introductions will happen when all are present),
Explain details that need to be covered (e.g., tasks to be shared),
Initial overview of workshop goals (sheet passed around, each person reading aloud one NewSSC goal or item from specific goals for this workshop, including Recap of 4 issues:
- Issue 1. How do college teachers take new directions in their teaching and public outreach?
( Who chooses to come to workshops on curriculum innovation and development? Who reads about new teaching or outreach approaches? Who copies units made available in publications or on the WWW? Who follows through and makes changes after they attend a workshop, read about a new approach, gets a copy of someone else's unit?)9.40-11.10am
Dialogue Process session on what we know about people (including ourselves) taking new directions in teaching and public outreach (=issues 1 & 2).
11.10-11.40
Refreshment break
11.40-1:00
Commenting on units from past workshops needing review or in development
1:00
Lunch
1:45
Rapid Problem-based learning activity on How educational and outreach units get the most effective distribution (through publications, websites, or by other means) and uptake.
including break & reports
4:30
Autobiographical Introductions – 15 minutes each
Gives participants an opportunity to
1. introduce themselves in narrative depth, their current and emerging work, and
2. learn more about each other
Peter Taylor will go first to model
15 minutes maximum
Everyone encouraged to take notes on points of intersection, interest, curiosity
5:30
Break
6:30-7:30
Dinner (brought in from Captain Kidd)
7:30-9:15
Autobiographical Introductions – continued
9:15-9:30
Reflection and debrief
Taking stock of what happened today, getting ready for tomorrow
Friday, April 25: Diverse points of Interaction -> Focus on Detailed Case Study and Excursion for Informal Conversations
8:30
Check–in
8:45
Autobiographical introductions (cont.)
10:30 Break & Sign-up for "Office Hours" (one-on-one consulting)
10.30
Refreshment break
11:00-1:00
Exploring commonalities and differences around a specific case
Role-Playing Simulations: "The President's Committee on Pesticides, 1963" (Douglas Allchin)
Preparation
First, let's look at a particular example of an open-ended simulation with students taking different roles or positions. After, we can discuss the format's potential and limitations.
The case study I bring is a historical simulation for 16+ students on "The President's Committee on Pesticides, 1963," based on crafting a policy response to Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. For a preview (= HOMEWORK PREP !), please peruse materials at:
http://ships.umn.edu/modules/pest-sim/ or http://www.stv.umb.edu/n08AllchinCarson.pdf (160+ pages)
This includes: (a) an introduction to the classroom activity, its aims and organization; (b) a brief historical background; (c) a list of roles, and guidance for each role (including recommended references); (d) a "library" of resources, including many relatively inaccessible historical documents; (e) supplemental historical materials, for context; and, finally, (f) teaching notes for leading the exercise (in need of further development). [all designed for CD also.]
Here are some specific questions to address:
(1) What makes this activity potentially attractive? What not? What would need to be changed to improve the likelihood that you or a colleague would be interested in pursuing or adapting this? What do you see as the prospective value here in teaching students (& in what context)?
(2) What further guidance, beyond what is available here, would you consider essential or helpful?
(3) What further resources or materials would you want to see included?
Here are some more expansive general questions:
(4) What benefits seem achievable through such activities?
(5) What would make a simulation experience (student's or teacher's) more effective?
(6) What limits the adoption or effectiveness of such activities?
(7) What skills or resources are needed to assemble such simulations for other episodes? What kinds of cases or episodes are well suited for this format?
Further personal exploration in the group context:
(8) Reflection on adapting episodes from each participant's experience into this format. Sketches, and feedback from others.
1:00
Picnic Lunch and Excursion: a walk on the beach near Nobska Point lighthouse
Conversation among participants, reflecting on emerging ideas, enjoy the day
3.30
Office Hours I
4:30
Formation of work groups of 2-5 people to develop activities
PT facilitates
(Move to participants taking initiative to make things happen, including planning activities for days three and four)
4:45
Preparation for Participant-generated Activities
5:00
Initial Preparation for Activities
6:00
Debrief on the day
7:00
Dinner (brought in from Captain Kidd)
8:00
Bedtime reading
Participants read passages, poems etc. related in some way to workshop theme/goals
Saturday, April 26: Activities to Engage each Other in our Projects
Breakfast (freelance in Woods Hole)
8:30
Check-in: I didn’t expect to be thinking about…
facilitated by Marisa
8:45
Preparation for Participant-generated Activities
9:45
Break & Signup for "office hours"
10:15
Participant-generated Activity I – The Ozone Hole /Montreal negotiations 1991
11:45
Break
12:00
Office Hours II
1:00
Lunch and Break
Long break for conversation, catching up, walking, reflecting
3:45
Reconvene
4:00
Participant-generated Activity II – Lay ethics
5:15
Break
5:30
Participant-generated Activity III – Life-world, yin-yang possibilities
6:30
End
7:00
Dinner (at Phusion restaurant)
Sunday, April 27: Further Activities to Engage each Other in our Projects and Outreach Units and Taking Stock of the Experience
Breakfast (freelance in Woods Hole)
Check out of room and bring bags to Lillie 103
8:30 Check in, Paperwork; Farewell to early departer
9:00
Dialogue Process
Review the NewSSC workshop experience (past and present)
10:30 Break
10:45 Participant-generated Activity IV – Forum Theater
12:15 Farewells for those leaving early and Lunch; Group photo; Cleanup & pack cars
1:15 Participant-generated Activity V – Workshop on using Wikis and using WWW to promote NewSSC-related processes and products
(This took the place of pre-prepared possibility:
2:30 Break
2:45 Written evaluation (
Articulate and review what people found innovative, important, helpful; what they would like to change
3:15 Closing circle: What we are taking away to chew on and Appreciation and Something to be developed
3:30 Departure