In Calistoga last weekend, Tracy and I met a man and an impressive bike (curses for not taking a picture). The bike was decked out with flags, wind chimes, colorful banners, and even a carriage for his dog. The man, John, said this project has taken him years to create, and he is trying to share his happiness. John's bike was his platform for celebrating life. His display attracted conversation and stares from people passing through.
While I was entertained by the extravagance of the bike, the pragmatist in me could not help but think of the alternative uses of that time. Surely, he could have been volunteering or working towards some endeavor of human progress (e.g., teaching, cleaning the environment, or building something usable).
But as I reflected, I thought of the countless hours I have spend on the bike (or the more countable hours, I have spent blogging). Do these seemingly selfish acts have the same opportunity costs? The more I thought and discussed this with Tracy, the more I realized the need for a new paradigm for productivity. Perhaps, John brought more happiness than he could by making something for consumption. Perhaps, he was able to use objects that might have been disregarded. And as for me, perhaps there is something redeemable about cycling and blogging. Cycling is eco-friendly, healthy, and can raise awareness for the sport and cycling safety. In a different way, blogging can be healthy, stimulating for others, and start an important discourse.
In sum, the activities that we might stereotypically label as selfish or self-serving might have a larger social value to them. In other words, there are likely many positive externalities of our individual endeavors. And maybe we could benefit from rethinking and relabeling productivity.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Unemployme---er, Vacation!
It's been a while since either of us have updated, so I thought I'd take a moment out of my SUPER BUSY (note exaggeration) day to provide a quick update.
Most of you know I graduated in May from nursing school, but with a dismal job market (45% of new RN grads from 2010 are still unemployed), I am --- let's just call it forced time off.
In late May, Leo and I took a trip to Europe, traveling to Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. We got engaged at the end of an epic hike in the Swiss Alps! Last weekend, Leo spent a few days in Los Cabos, Mexico celebrating his friend J.R.'s approaching wedding.
I am trying to make the most of my forced time off. I've been reading (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and The Emperor of All Maladies), cooking (my new blog!), playing outside, and completing other projects (cleaning my parents' wedding silver, making homemade stationary). I am also thinking about taking up the ukulele.
I have missed the constant exposure to healthcare and interactions with patients, but what's that saying about the grass is always greener?
Please comment on suggestions for ways to be productive, questions and topics for discussions on current healthcare trends, and any favors you need a hand with!
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| USF Graduation |
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Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
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| Cinque Terre, Italy. See Leo jumping into the water? |
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Unseen Sea
I'm sharing this video because it speaks my love for San Francisco.
Come March, my postal address will no longer include those words, but that just means I'll be scrambling up the hills to catch glimpses of the city across the bay, reflecting on my MUNI experiences, or making any excuse to go visit Green Apple Books and Burma Superstar.
Thanks Simon Christen for a beautiful reminder.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Motivation Theories: The Skinny
Motivation is cool. So cool that I decided to write a dissertation about it (to be written--still waiting on the motivation and the data). Turns out that a lot of people think motivation is cool, and you can get paid lots of money for helping people motivate other people (not in the Chris Farley motivational speaker kind of way, but in the Daniel Pink book Drive kind of way). Anyway, in the last 60ish years, tons of psychologists have theorized about human motivation. Most of these theories are social-cognitive theories, which all assume that human behavior can be shaped through social interactions with others (directly and vicariously). So, in my mind, six main social-cognitive theories stand out above the rest. Undoubtedly, there is much overlap among these theories, but I want to give you a quick overview of them.
Self-Determination Theory: The quality and quantity of human motivation (and development) is contingent on the environments’ capacity to promote or discourage three innate, universal needs: (1) autonomy, (2) competence, and (3) relatedness. So, if you feel able, connected to others, and self-endorse your actions, you are more likely to persist, be enthusiastic, and thrive.
Contributors/big names in the field: Deci, Ryan, Vallerand, Skinner
Note: This is my favorite theory! And I'm facebook friends with Richard Ryan (jealous?).
Value-Expectancy Theory: In short, the expectations of success, the utility of the task, and the value ascribed to an activity shapes your motivational behavior. If you think you can succeed, the task can provide you with something meaningful, and you value participating in the task, then you'll probably choose to engage, persist, master the activity, and be enthusiastic to do it.
Contributors/big names in the field: Eccles Wigfield, Tonks
Note: For those considering Educational Psychology, know one thing. Whenever you try to contribute something novel to the field, check Eccles first. She's probably already done it. If she hasn't, someone else from the University of Michigan has.
Attribution Theory: Motivation behaviors are a result of self-made attributions about the locus of causation of an event. Attributions can be internal (I did poorly on that test, because I didn't study hard enough) or external (I did poorly on that test, because my teacher tried to fail us). One's attributions can be shaped by ability, effort, luck, or difficulty of a task.
Contributors/big names in the field: Weiner, Jones, Heider
Note: Weiner is pronounced like one who complains a lot. Sorry kids. If it makes you feel better, I learned this by being corrected at a national conference. Consider yourself warned.
Achievement Goal Theory: In short, this theory outlines two types of goals: performance and mastery goals. Performance goals (less adaptive) are aims to appear accomplished, whereas mastery goals (more adaptive) are aims to become competent at the task.
Contributors: Maehr, Ames
Note: Carol Dweck's theory of self-views of intelligence (which is so hot right now) aligns achievement goal theory.
Self-Worth Theory: Achievement goals adopted by people whether mastery or performance oriented, reflect a life-long struggle to establish and maintain a sense of worth and belonging in a society that values competency and doing well. The focus of this theory is-- how do people define success?
Contributors: Covington
Note: Marty Covington is at UC Berkeley. I took his course, but other than that, I have never seen the guy on campus. Word is that if you want to get in touch with him, he'll give you a mailing address to an island where he resides. I'm not kidding.
Self-Efficacy Theory: Your perception of your abilities shapes your behavior (and your environment). These ability perceptions come from actual performance (striking out in baseball), vicarious experiences (the batter before you striking out), forms of social persuasion ("This pitcher throws 95 mph and is being recruited by the Yankees. Good luck.") and physiological indices (rapid heart rate, buckling knees). As you can see, I have some residual feelings of low-efficacy from a past life. Anyway, this theory acknowledges that the values and outcome expectations held by the actor play a role too.
Contributors/big names in the field: Bandura, Schunk, Pajares
Note: In reflecting about all of these theories, efficacy is a consistent thread throughout. Take home message: you perceptions of your own ability matter.
So, what did you learn? Leo hasn't resolved his baseball failings, Eccles has researched everything, none of these theorists has made as much money as Daniel Pink, and efficacy is very, hecka, wicked, muy important. And you have a starting point and a few heuristics to think about what motivates you, what motivates others, and why those questions likely have different answers.
Self-Determination Theory: The quality and quantity of human motivation (and development) is contingent on the environments’ capacity to promote or discourage three innate, universal needs: (1) autonomy, (2) competence, and (3) relatedness. So, if you feel able, connected to others, and self-endorse your actions, you are more likely to persist, be enthusiastic, and thrive.
Contributors/big names in the field: Deci, Ryan, Vallerand, Skinner
Note: This is my favorite theory! And I'm facebook friends with Richard Ryan (jealous?).
Value-Expectancy Theory: In short, the expectations of success, the utility of the task, and the value ascribed to an activity shapes your motivational behavior. If you think you can succeed, the task can provide you with something meaningful, and you value participating in the task, then you'll probably choose to engage, persist, master the activity, and be enthusiastic to do it.
Contributors/big names in the field: Eccles Wigfield, Tonks
Note: For those considering Educational Psychology, know one thing. Whenever you try to contribute something novel to the field, check Eccles first. She's probably already done it. If she hasn't, someone else from the University of Michigan has.
Attribution Theory: Motivation behaviors are a result of self-made attributions about the locus of causation of an event. Attributions can be internal (I did poorly on that test, because I didn't study hard enough) or external (I did poorly on that test, because my teacher tried to fail us). One's attributions can be shaped by ability, effort, luck, or difficulty of a task.
Contributors/big names in the field: Weiner, Jones, Heider
Note: Weiner is pronounced like one who complains a lot. Sorry kids. If it makes you feel better, I learned this by being corrected at a national conference. Consider yourself warned.
Achievement Goal Theory: In short, this theory outlines two types of goals: performance and mastery goals. Performance goals (less adaptive) are aims to appear accomplished, whereas mastery goals (more adaptive) are aims to become competent at the task.
Contributors: Maehr, Ames
Note: Carol Dweck's theory of self-views of intelligence (which is so hot right now) aligns achievement goal theory.
Self-Worth Theory: Achievement goals adopted by people whether mastery or performance oriented, reflect a life-long struggle to establish and maintain a sense of worth and belonging in a society that values competency and doing well. The focus of this theory is-- how do people define success?
Contributors: Covington
Note: Marty Covington is at UC Berkeley. I took his course, but other than that, I have never seen the guy on campus. Word is that if you want to get in touch with him, he'll give you a mailing address to an island where he resides. I'm not kidding.
Self-Efficacy Theory: Your perception of your abilities shapes your behavior (and your environment). These ability perceptions come from actual performance (striking out in baseball), vicarious experiences (the batter before you striking out), forms of social persuasion ("This pitcher throws 95 mph and is being recruited by the Yankees. Good luck.") and physiological indices (rapid heart rate, buckling knees). As you can see, I have some residual feelings of low-efficacy from a past life. Anyway, this theory acknowledges that the values and outcome expectations held by the actor play a role too.
Contributors/big names in the field: Bandura, Schunk, Pajares
Note: In reflecting about all of these theories, efficacy is a consistent thread throughout. Take home message: you perceptions of your own ability matter.
So, what did you learn? Leo hasn't resolved his baseball failings, Eccles has researched everything, none of these theorists has made as much money as Daniel Pink, and efficacy is very, hecka, wicked, muy important. And you have a starting point and a few heuristics to think about what motivates you, what motivates others, and why those questions likely have different answers.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Understanding Social Settings--Points of Intervention
Get ready for a major theoretical-meta-view from 30,000 feet-post. Bare with me, okay? (This may or may not be me using my blog to study for my qualifying exam.)
Your organization may have areas of improvement; in fact, I'm sure it does. To get to the root of it, think about the social processes, resources, and organization of resources... Vague, I know. Let's clarify:
VivianTseng and Edward Seidman (A Systems Framework for Understanding Social Settings [2007]) address three points of intervention: (1) social processes, (2) resources, and (3) organization of resources. Social processes are two-fold: (a) one-on-one relationships with teachers and peers, and (b) social networks. These social processes aggregate to the norms, expectations, school climate, and the larger school narrative. Resources can be financial, human, (e.g., social capital, knowledge and abilities), physical (spacing, structures, design), and temporal (e.g., length of school day and year). Finally, the organization of resources, which is so often neglected, considers the way in which resources are arranged and allocated. If the best teachers are allocated toward the highest performing students and schools, how does this affect the achievement of the system as a whole? Similarly, if mental health resources are devoted only to ten percent of the population, how does this influence the system as a whole? Beyond academic knowledge, what social processes and capital do students of lower academic tracks miss out on? How does the physical organization of a classroom or cafeteria influence the social interactions throughout the school day?
Again, think about your organization. We begin to see how every aspect of design influences these three aspects of social settings.
As education reformers, policy-makers, and administrators construct and reconstruct school settings, they are--intentionally or inadvertently--influencing the social processes, resources, and organization of resources. For example, hiring more teachers (more teachers = more resources) is effective so long as it influences the organization of those resources (i.e., smaller ratios of students to teachers, more knowledge, skills, and ability) and the social processes (i.e., more warm, responsive, and productive interactions among teachers and students) change accordingly. Hiring teachers promotes achievement only as long as it influences social interactions among teachers and students. I would ask how qualified (qualified is not synonymous with credentialed--a larger discussion for another post) the teachers are. How will teachers organize their time with lower ratios? How will students interactions actually change?
As a point of reflection, I encourage you to rethink the organization(s) that you are involved. No matter where your role lies in the vertical arrangement, considerations of these three facets may help to promote your intended outcomes (in my case-- psychosocial and academic development).
Whew! meta-stuff I know, but if everyone gets involved in the conceptualization of their environment, I think we're all better off. Now you're thinking like a social psychologist.
Your organization may have areas of improvement; in fact, I'm sure it does. To get to the root of it, think about the social processes, resources, and organization of resources... Vague, I know. Let's clarify:
VivianTseng and Edward Seidman (A Systems Framework for Understanding Social Settings [2007]) address three points of intervention: (1) social processes, (2) resources, and (3) organization of resources. Social processes are two-fold: (a) one-on-one relationships with teachers and peers, and (b) social networks. These social processes aggregate to the norms, expectations, school climate, and the larger school narrative. Resources can be financial, human, (e.g., social capital, knowledge and abilities), physical (spacing, structures, design), and temporal (e.g., length of school day and year). Finally, the organization of resources, which is so often neglected, considers the way in which resources are arranged and allocated. If the best teachers are allocated toward the highest performing students and schools, how does this affect the achievement of the system as a whole? Similarly, if mental health resources are devoted only to ten percent of the population, how does this influence the system as a whole? Beyond academic knowledge, what social processes and capital do students of lower academic tracks miss out on? How does the physical organization of a classroom or cafeteria influence the social interactions throughout the school day?
Again, think about your organization. We begin to see how every aspect of design influences these three aspects of social settings.
As education reformers, policy-makers, and administrators construct and reconstruct school settings, they are--intentionally or inadvertently--influencing the social processes, resources, and organization of resources. For example, hiring more teachers (more teachers = more resources) is effective so long as it influences the organization of those resources (i.e., smaller ratios of students to teachers, more knowledge, skills, and ability) and the social processes (i.e., more warm, responsive, and productive interactions among teachers and students) change accordingly. Hiring teachers promotes achievement only as long as it influences social interactions among teachers and students. I would ask how qualified (qualified is not synonymous with credentialed--a larger discussion for another post) the teachers are. How will teachers organize their time with lower ratios? How will students interactions actually change?
As a point of reflection, I encourage you to rethink the organization(s) that you are involved. No matter where your role lies in the vertical arrangement, considerations of these three facets may help to promote your intended outcomes (in my case-- psychosocial and academic development).
Whew! meta-stuff I know, but if everyone gets involved in the conceptualization of their environment, I think we're all better off. Now you're thinking like a social psychologist.
Bill Gates talking about education... wait no, I mean polio
My last post advertised an appearance by Bill Gates on The Daily Show. I expected him to talk about his education reform efforts, but he ended up talking about Polio... Polio! I guess this is a worthy cause too, but it is sort of estranged from my education soapbox. Nonetheless, as promised, here is his interview:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Bill Gates | ||||
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Sunday, January 30, 2011
Bill Gates on the Daily Show tomorrow
In an effort to send more students--especially underserved populations--to college, Early College High Schools have received a great amount of attention in the last few years. Much of the funding for this movement has come from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.
Bill Gates will be interviewed on the Daily Show tomorrow (1.31.2011). So if you're curious about this foundation and its work, I encourage you to watch! (Not to mention, I encourage viewing the Daily Show in general). I'll post the video Tuesday. Stay Tuned!
Also, Bill Gates has appeared on the Daily Show previously to talk about his foundation. See below.
Bill Gates will be interviewed on the Daily Show tomorrow (1.31.2011). So if you're curious about this foundation and its work, I encourage you to watch! (Not to mention, I encourage viewing the Daily Show in general). I'll post the video Tuesday. Stay Tuned!
Also, Bill Gates has appeared on the Daily Show previously to talk about his foundation. See below.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Bill Gates | ||||
| ||||
Friday, January 21, 2011
A week in the life of a School Psychology Grad Student
As a grad student at Berkeley, each step of my school psychology program has been starkly different from the last. My first year was almost exclusively academic—coursework, term papers, attending talks from visiting professors, and sitting on committees that I did not completely understand. Next year, my focus was much more applied—serving internships for consultation (i.e., working collaboratively with teachers to work through student issues) and assessment (Testing!).
Now in my third year, I want to share my latest week with you.
[Action!]
Monday: The internship site, a non-public school setting for emotionally and behaviorally challenged students where I work as a clinician, is off today. This day off of work means I can put in some much-needed time studying for my qualifying exam*, which is less than three months away. So, I find my way to a coffee shop with my headphones (my chatter/music/lady-talking-on-her-cell-phone-canceling headphones) and I plug away. Unfortunately, the day felt so much like Sunday that I almost forgot to read for my classes tomorrow. As a result, I switched gears and reviewed my class-assigned readings over dinner.
Tuesday: In my program, we have Super Tuesdays, a day devoted to all things Berkeley School Psychology. First, I finished my readings before classes. Then, from nine to noon, I attended class with my four cohort members. We discussed termination with clients and group therapy. Some of our discussions applied to my internship, and some did not. The remainder of the day was spent with another student creating a survey for a local high school; I am stoked, because my advisor is letting me use some of my own measurement scales about student engagement and motivation on his survey**. I also met with my advisor to review my progress on my reading list for my qualifying exams. Despite his strong feedback, I’m still freaked out. So I go back to the coffee shop to study.
Wednesday: Today, I was back at my internship. My day consisted of meeting with clients, most of whom wanted no business meeting with me. On the positive side, today was a calm day, so there are no physical restraints or fights. I am able to test of student’s cognitive functioning, and I completed the requisite paperwork that accompanies working at a non-public school (AB3632, anyone?). The back half the day is full of clinician meetings (again some of which are helpful, and some of which are not). During unhelpful sessions, I scribble notes about my qualifying exams on the borders of my papers.
Thursday: In my work with my clients, rapport can be a rare commodity, and so I strive for it anyway possible—even if that means driving a client and his Grandmother to San Leandro for a court date. So rather than going to the non-public school, I am working as a taxi driver/social worker/clinician. The court date goes well, and afterward I have a really productive meeting with the client, his grandmother, and his probation officer (Success!). I come back to the school for individual supervision with my clinical supervisor. The meeting is interrupted, because two students have managed to get on the roof of the school. I go outside with another intern to cajole these kids down to solid ground. Unfortunately, this was not a topic covered on Super Tuesday.
Friday: I have no internship on Friday, which means I can work on a publication today. My advisor and I are writing about the relationship between ethnic identity and academic achievement—interesting but complex stuff. After a few hours of writing, deleting, and re-writing, I realize that I haven’t read for my qualifying exam since Wednesday. I grab the headphones, order a mocha, and get back to the grindstone.
[… and close scene]
Hopefully, I’ve been able to show that my days and efforts are inherently splintered. We are trained as scientist-practitioners, which means that I have applied and research responsibilities. Half of my week is direct contact with students, and the other half is academic (i.e., training, reading, and writing). The splintered-ness can be stressful, but all told, the practice informs my research, and vice versa. I don’t always know what I’m doing, but the training, supervision, and experience are heading me down the road toward competence (I think!).
*The qualifying exam, also known as Orals, is the last big hurdle before I can begin work on my dissertation. The qualifying exam consists of four professors having a three-hour discussion over your research areas of interest.
**Nerd alert, I know. To be clear, data or the prospect of getting data is a graduate school victory, a dance-worthy victory.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Exciting New Course: Creating a New School
Happy New Year! My hibernation from blogging is over, and I'm anxious to get back. 2011 is full of promise and exciting new challenges (e.g., Qualifying Exams-- yikes) and changes (e.g., new housing situation-- Yeah!). One experience that I am extremely excited about is a new course. See the description below:
This 1-unit course will offer an overview of the broad scope of issues involved in creating a new school from scratch. Whether private or public independent school (charter), or pilot school within a district, the course is for those who may at some time start a new school, or be a founder, leader, board member or employee of one. The instructor is founding director and CEO of the High Tech High (HTH) public independent schools (charters) in California. Begun in 2000, HTH now has 11 schools with 350 employees and about 3,700 students. Since 2005, it has also had a teacher credentialing program and graduate school of education. The course will draw from that recent experience, as well as from the twenty years that the instructor spent on school reform in traditional public high schools.
Courses of such exploration are one of the reasons I love academia. New ideas and discourse continue to push my thoughts of what schooling and education should be. My hope is that I'll be able to blog much of the content of the course! To be continued...
This 1-unit course will offer an overview of the broad scope of issues involved in creating a new school from scratch. Whether private or public independent school (charter), or pilot school within a district, the course is for those who may at some time start a new school, or be a founder, leader, board member or employee of one. The instructor is founding director and CEO of the High Tech High (HTH) public independent schools (charters) in California. Begun in 2000, HTH now has 11 schools with 350 employees and about 3,700 students. Since 2005, it has also had a teacher credentialing program and graduate school of education. The course will draw from that recent experience, as well as from the twenty years that the instructor spent on school reform in traditional public high schools.
Courses of such exploration are one of the reasons I love academia. New ideas and discourse continue to push my thoughts of what schooling and education should be. My hope is that I'll be able to blog much of the content of the course! To be continued...
Thursday, December 9, 2010
For Teachers, More Experience Means More Effectiveness, Right?
Common wisdom and current pay scales suggest that the longer one teaches the more effective they become. However, there is substantial research to suggest that the relationship between experience and effectiveness is not so linear. Here (The Impact of Teacher Experience) is a link to a recent publication from the Urban Institute. In short, teachers, on average, make substantial gains in their first five years of teaching. After this point, however, gains are marginal, and there is some evidence to suggest that, on average, there can be points of decline. "This and other research shows that, on average, teachers with more than 20 years of experience are more effective than teachers with no experience, but are not much more effective than those with 5 years of experience" (Rice, 2010, p. 2). The brief does acknowledge the heterogenity across subjects and grade-levels and the complexity of differential attrition rates and teaching positions (e.g., high vs. low poverty schools). Nonetheless, the findings are noteworthy--experience does not always correlate to increases in student achievement!
Price suggests front-loading experience and pay in the first few years, adding incentives for on-going professional development, redistributing experienced teachers. Beyond these general suggestions, how can we help teachers continually better their practice? From a more controversial standpoint, how can we attract teachers who are more driven to improve their practice? From (my favorite) a person-environment fit perspective, how do we shape the profession so that it promotes growth and attracts growth-oriented people? As a school psychologist, I cannot help to wonder the relationships between teacher experience and students' relationship with teachers, or social-emotional well-being.
Inevitably, there will be some marked decline in marginal improvement, but to see actual declines in effectiveness is unsettling and a call to action. This is certainly an opportunity to move the profession forward, and let's not forget the ultimate benefactor-- Students!
Price suggests front-loading experience and pay in the first few years, adding incentives for on-going professional development, redistributing experienced teachers. Beyond these general suggestions, how can we help teachers continually better their practice? From a more controversial standpoint, how can we attract teachers who are more driven to improve their practice? From (my favorite) a person-environment fit perspective, how do we shape the profession so that it promotes growth and attracts growth-oriented people? As a school psychologist, I cannot help to wonder the relationships between teacher experience and students' relationship with teachers, or social-emotional well-being.
Inevitably, there will be some marked decline in marginal improvement, but to see actual declines in effectiveness is unsettling and a call to action. This is certainly an opportunity to move the profession forward, and let's not forget the ultimate benefactor-- Students!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Coping with Loss
At my clinical internship, I am working to understand the trauma and healing that occurs for African American males in Oakland. Much of their experience is very different from mine, and I work to circumvent those differences. The students' struggles, and the therapeutic struggle are trying endeavors, and everyone is working for incremental gains in self-determination, healing, well-being.
Because these victories can be small, I was elated to stumble upon this NPR blog (full disclosure: Tracy actually found the link). The men from Oakland in the video below recently experienced the death of a friend/half brother. Their expression of grief and coping is unique, real, and beautiful.
Because these victories can be small, I was elated to stumble upon this NPR blog (full disclosure: Tracy actually found the link). The men from Oakland in the video below recently experienced the death of a friend/half brother. Their expression of grief and coping is unique, real, and beautiful.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Divine Opinions
I recently had a political discussion with a friend. She acknowledged that, despite her moderate views, she believes on most social issues, "there just is no other side to it".
I remembered this conversation when I read news based on the pentagon report that 70% of service men and women polled about the Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) policy were in favor of allowing openly gay members in the military. Other headlines read,
and
Since when do the principles of democracy apply to civil rights issues? Why did we need 70% of service members to tell us, that, in their humble opinion, there would be no negative ramifications of the repeal?
Oliver Duggan deplored this paradox: Instead of celebrating the results of the poll, we should ensure the civil rights of a group are never again left to the opinion of the majority (think: any civil rights historical example).
This is what Gary Olsen was referring to in his 2007 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, on the 'Apotheosis' of opinion. That is, exalting a subject to a divine level.
Here he laments,
"Apparently, nowadays an opinion will trump a fact, a reasoned argument, an empirically verified observation -- even a treatise by an eminent scholar. An opinion is the great equalizer, and everyone has one. It silences all arguments, squelches all dialogue: That's your opinion. End of discussion."
Further,
"...others are training themselves not to become critical thinkers, not to search for evidence or support of an assertion, and not to hold themselves or others accountable for the assertions they make."
We are perpetuating these notions when we leave critical policy decisions up to opinion. I can picture it now - the anti-DADT politicians in Washington, fingers crossed, waiting for the results of the poll, and thinking,
"Gee, I really hope the service members don't think our ideas are too dangerous for the military".
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Recent Education Documentaries
Two recent documentaries have stoked debates in education. I have viewed both, and I wanted to briefly comment on the films, their meta-messages, and their influence on education. Hopefully, this is helpful in the discourse, rather than incendiary for proponents or opponents.
Waiting for Superman
Website: www.waitingforsuperman.com
Trailer
I enjoyed this movie. Despite some seemingly misleading depictions or hyperbolic anecdotes, the movie was engaging, clean, and well-produced. The over-arching message is one the continued disparities and shortfalls in the public education system. In a cathartic manner, the movie exposes the lottery system that can dictate--for many students--who gets into a high-achieving charter school and who remains as their under-performing non-charter public school. Further, teacher unions are demonized and pilloried. The movie shows dramatically and redundantly how amazing charter schools can be, but it does not give equal time to the 80% of charter schools that function at or below the level of the average public school. I wish the movie had focused more on what exactly makes up an effective teacher and how to professionalize the practice, rather than bifurcating two types of schools. However, I really appreciated the point of relative accountability among professions.
Race to Nowhere
Website: www.racetonowhere.com/
Trailer
Cinematically, this was a weak film. Low budget or not, this film could have been sharper and more aesthetically engaging. As related to education, the meta-message is that a focus on standards, tests, and normative competition is having a negative influence on our students' social-emotional well-being and their ability to think critically. Moreover, the essence of childhood is lost when schedules are packed and expectations are raised too high. I felt like the move did not rely enough on the data, and I would have appreciated more cross-generational comparisons. Further, in my opinion, the efforts to generalize this problem across socioeconomic groups came up short and rang false. The best asset of the movie was its conclusion which provided concrete actions that various stakeholders can take.
Both movies have started a dialogue and brought attention to the education system, which I see as positives. Further, I enjoyed watching both movies, and I left the theaters with a sense of purpose and motivation. On the whole, I think both movies tended to be somewhat reductionistic (but this is to be expected, right?). To close, I think these films should help motivate us to seek out the true nature of the problems and evidence-based solutions, rather than replace the data and heterogeneity across the education system.
Watch them, and let me know what you think!
Waiting for Superman
Website: www.waitingforsuperman.com
Trailer
I enjoyed this movie. Despite some seemingly misleading depictions or hyperbolic anecdotes, the movie was engaging, clean, and well-produced. The over-arching message is one the continued disparities and shortfalls in the public education system. In a cathartic manner, the movie exposes the lottery system that can dictate--for many students--who gets into a high-achieving charter school and who remains as their under-performing non-charter public school. Further, teacher unions are demonized and pilloried. The movie shows dramatically and redundantly how amazing charter schools can be, but it does not give equal time to the 80% of charter schools that function at or below the level of the average public school. I wish the movie had focused more on what exactly makes up an effective teacher and how to professionalize the practice, rather than bifurcating two types of schools. However, I really appreciated the point of relative accountability among professions.
Race to Nowhere
Website: www.racetonowhere.com/
Trailer
Cinematically, this was a weak film. Low budget or not, this film could have been sharper and more aesthetically engaging. As related to education, the meta-message is that a focus on standards, tests, and normative competition is having a negative influence on our students' social-emotional well-being and their ability to think critically. Moreover, the essence of childhood is lost when schedules are packed and expectations are raised too high. I felt like the move did not rely enough on the data, and I would have appreciated more cross-generational comparisons. Further, in my opinion, the efforts to generalize this problem across socioeconomic groups came up short and rang false. The best asset of the movie was its conclusion which provided concrete actions that various stakeholders can take.
Both movies have started a dialogue and brought attention to the education system, which I see as positives. Further, I enjoyed watching both movies, and I left the theaters with a sense of purpose and motivation. On the whole, I think both movies tended to be somewhat reductionistic (but this is to be expected, right?). To close, I think these films should help motivate us to seek out the true nature of the problems and evidence-based solutions, rather than replace the data and heterogeneity across the education system.
Watch them, and let me know what you think!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Reliving my childhood... Two Glorious Nights with the Braves
Flashback to the 1990s. Growing up, I watched the Braves all the time. I have the 1995 newspapers from the playoffs, I cried in 1996 when the Yankees beat the Braves in 6 games, and my mom took me on a tour of Turner Field for my 12th birthday. Every year, the Braves made the playoffs, my teachers would show the games on TV at school, and I would always write letters to my favorite players (like Ron Gant, Fred McGriff, and Tom Glavine). In short, the Braves represent something nostalgic and formative for me.
Flash to 2010. I haven't seen the Braves play live since 2008. I keep up with the team through box scores and headlines, but this is a far cry from watching them nightly at the dinner table. This year, however, the Braves made the playoffs for the first time in five years. They clinched the Wild Card in the last game of the regular season, and serendipitously they faced off with the San Francisco Giants. The Braves were in the playoffs, and I was acting like a 10-year old... Suddenly, it was feeling more like the 1990s.
Seizing the opportunity, Tracy and I committed to go to both games in San Francisco. Luckily, Tracy's dad was able to help out with some great seats for the first game, and our friends, Dave and Adena, got us a deal on a couple seats for the second game. And the games did not disappoint! I saw an amazing performance by Giants' pitcher, Tim Lincecum; Bobby Cox's last ever ejection; a comeback Braves win in extra innings; and two beautiful nights at AT&T ballpark. I also got my fair share of heckling from Giants fans and two amazing dates with Tracy! A few pictures for the annals.
Since, the Braves lost to the Giants in four games. It matters not. Reliving my childhood for two days was priceless. Go 2011 Braves!
Flash to 2010. I haven't seen the Braves play live since 2008. I keep up with the team through box scores and headlines, but this is a far cry from watching them nightly at the dinner table. This year, however, the Braves made the playoffs for the first time in five years. They clinched the Wild Card in the last game of the regular season, and serendipitously they faced off with the San Francisco Giants. The Braves were in the playoffs, and I was acting like a 10-year old... Suddenly, it was feeling more like the 1990s.
Seizing the opportunity, Tracy and I committed to go to both games in San Francisco. Luckily, Tracy's dad was able to help out with some great seats for the first game, and our friends, Dave and Adena, got us a deal on a couple seats for the second game. And the games did not disappoint! I saw an amazing performance by Giants' pitcher, Tim Lincecum; Bobby Cox's last ever ejection; a comeback Braves win in extra innings; and two beautiful nights at AT&T ballpark. I also got my fair share of heckling from Giants fans and two amazing dates with Tracy! A few pictures for the annals.
 |
| Game 1: Lowe vs. Lincecum, a one-run thriller |
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| Me, Tracy, Adena, and Dave at Game 2 |
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| Two Lone Braves Fans at Game 2; An unforgettable comeback capped with a Braves Homerun hit into the Bay |
Since, the Braves lost to the Giants in four games. It matters not. Reliving my childhood for two days was priceless. Go 2011 Braves!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Stigma Matters
Mental health is gaining traction within insurance policies, and public opinion is slowly moving. However, certain sectors of society are continually plagued by the damning stigma of mental health. Specifically, the social norms of many male-dominated arenas have hindered the ability of some to seek care, preventative or reactive. I have written about the difficulties that our soldiers and veterans are confronted with mental health issues (July 10 Post). And the same could be said for professional athletes.
It appears that, Kenny McKinley, an NFL player, recently committed suicide after battling depressive symptoms. In a subsequent article, there is evidence that Kenny had shared his suicidal ideation before taking his life. "'He had made statements while playing dominoes shortly after the surgery that he should just kill himself,' an unnamed investigator reported, via the AP. 'No one believed he was serious,'" the article stated.
The knee-jerk reaction to incidences of mental health problems in these populations is that resources should be made available to players. The reality is, however, that resources are available. In fact, as a recent article indicates (Despite Resources, Players Reluctant to Seek Help), there are services offered to help players cope with various issues (e.g., financial, family). Within their player development program, free counseling sessions and trained staff people are made available on a regular basis. Further, "The NFL Players Association hands out cards with the number of a helpline. There are life skills classes, both mandatory and voluntary, taught on a regular basis."
So why aren't players getting help?
No one can be certain why Kenny did not seek help or if it would have prevented his suicide. Yet, it is likely that the stigma of mental illness prevents players like Kenny from utilizing psychological services. As participant of society, it is important to understand how we act, react, and participate in mental health prevention and remediation; these actions dictate the connotations and stereotypes of mental health, which may influence how welcome others feel in seeking help. This is especially true in masculine jobs.
It appears that, Kenny McKinley, an NFL player, recently committed suicide after battling depressive symptoms. In a subsequent article, there is evidence that Kenny had shared his suicidal ideation before taking his life. "'He had made statements while playing dominoes shortly after the surgery that he should just kill himself,' an unnamed investigator reported, via the AP. 'No one believed he was serious,'" the article stated.
The knee-jerk reaction to incidences of mental health problems in these populations is that resources should be made available to players. The reality is, however, that resources are available. In fact, as a recent article indicates (Despite Resources, Players Reluctant to Seek Help), there are services offered to help players cope with various issues (e.g., financial, family). Within their player development program, free counseling sessions and trained staff people are made available on a regular basis. Further, "The NFL Players Association hands out cards with the number of a helpline. There are life skills classes, both mandatory and voluntary, taught on a regular basis."
So why aren't players getting help?
No one can be certain why Kenny did not seek help or if it would have prevented his suicide. Yet, it is likely that the stigma of mental illness prevents players like Kenny from utilizing psychological services. As participant of society, it is important to understand how we act, react, and participate in mental health prevention and remediation; these actions dictate the connotations and stereotypes of mental health, which may influence how welcome others feel in seeking help. This is especially true in masculine jobs.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Therapizing, Researching, and Covering Long Distances
[Disclaimer: I'm missing family, so I thought I'd blog to catch some of them up on my semester so far.]
As it turns out, when the semester begins, life gets crazy busy...
My weekdays have been filled with an internship as a therapist at a non-public school for students with emotional-behavioral difficulties. The challenges facing my clients are profound, transgenerational, and incredibly obdurate. My role is designed to be a therapist, but by necessity, I am adopting roles as teacher consultant, case manager, and (fill in the blank to whatever is needed at the moment). I'm making some strong professional relationships, and I am being challenged emotionally, professionally, and philosophically. With great challenge is coming great reward (I hope!). In my short time, I have quickly re-realized what an amazing dice-roll I received from God/cosmos (stability, support systems, privilege, etc.).
My weeknights have been filled with research on three different projects. First, I am continuing my own research on person-environment fit and student motivation. I am submitting my first solo piece for publication in the upcoming months! Second, I am working with a local charter school to conceptualize and measure gains in their first years. Tomorrow, I am presenting our findings to the teachers. My final project deals with high-schoolers' college knowledge (and I'm finding really interesting trends across SES and racial/ethnic groups!).
My weekends are consumed by endurance races. And by races, I mean finishing the distance in how ever long it takes me. This month, I ran my first two ultra-marathons (both 50kms), the latter being much faster and more enjoyable. Lou and Daniel provided some much-needed nutritional and preparation counsel, which benefited me greatly on the second go-around. Tracy has been supportive of these self-indulgent Saturdays. Tracy and I cycled to the summit of Mt. Tam two weekends ago, and this weekend, we are heading to Lake Tahoe for a Century. Although I have loved my trail runs, I am anxious to get into the saddle.
Never a dull moment.
As it turns out, when the semester begins, life gets crazy busy...
My weekdays have been filled with an internship as a therapist at a non-public school for students with emotional-behavioral difficulties. The challenges facing my clients are profound, transgenerational, and incredibly obdurate. My role is designed to be a therapist, but by necessity, I am adopting roles as teacher consultant, case manager, and (fill in the blank to whatever is needed at the moment). I'm making some strong professional relationships, and I am being challenged emotionally, professionally, and philosophically. With great challenge is coming great reward (I hope!). In my short time, I have quickly re-realized what an amazing dice-roll I received from God/cosmos (stability, support systems, privilege, etc.).
My weeknights have been filled with research on three different projects. First, I am continuing my own research on person-environment fit and student motivation. I am submitting my first solo piece for publication in the upcoming months! Second, I am working with a local charter school to conceptualize and measure gains in their first years. Tomorrow, I am presenting our findings to the teachers. My final project deals with high-schoolers' college knowledge (and I'm finding really interesting trends across SES and racial/ethnic groups!).
My weekends are consumed by endurance races. And by races, I mean finishing the distance in how ever long it takes me. This month, I ran my first two ultra-marathons (both 50kms), the latter being much faster and more enjoyable. Lou and Daniel provided some much-needed nutritional and preparation counsel, which benefited me greatly on the second go-around. Tracy has been supportive of these self-indulgent Saturdays. Tracy and I cycled to the summit of Mt. Tam two weekends ago, and this weekend, we are heading to Lake Tahoe for a Century. Although I have loved my trail runs, I am anxious to get into the saddle.
Never a dull moment.
Monday, August 23, 2010
A look at how we give care in the last moments
After a 5-month hiatus, I've returned, spurred by the threat of being booted from the blog's byline and the looming presence of another semester...
I want to share two articles on end-of-life care. If you have some time, read Atul Gwande's article in the New Yorker. (I really, highly, strongly recommend this article -- essential reading)
Next, read a shorter article on the same topic in the New York Times.
Gawande's article presents the end-of-life debate with perfect juxtaposition of fact, reason, and emotion. I found myself releasing my breath in long, deep sighs, as if to comfort myself with the control.
What happens when we are faced with a situation when tubes and pills and caustic solutions running into our veins and breathing machines and new organs leave us in more pain, more depressed, and alive not one day longer? On the day of our diagnosis, or even our birth, did we imagine ending our struggle like this?
"Spending one’s final days in an I.C.U. because of terminal illness is for most people a kind of failure. You lie on a ventilator, your every organ shutting down, your mind teetering on delirium and permanently beyond realizing that you will never leave this borrowed, fluorescent place. The end comes with no chance for you to have said goodbye or 'It’s O.K.' or 'I’m sorry' or 'I love you.' "
A cultural phenomenon has led us to a place where we believe if we acknowledge death we acknowledge defeat.
I recently read a spiritual book that implored its readers to remind themselves of their mortality each day, then ask, "How do I live, knowing I will die?" By acknowledging death (for some this is more imminent than others) we free ourselves from trying to escape it and allow ourselves to focus on living.
This same concept can be applied to how we view, expect, and provide medical care in the last years, months, and hours of our lives.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Symbolism--That which makes us human
This summer, I taught Sociology. One lesson was that of Herbert Mead and Symbolic Interactionism. His theory of microsociology focuses on the meaning we ascribe to our individual interactions. Without going further into his theory, Mead relies on the tenets of Evolutionism, which states that language and self-consciousness are what sets human apart from animals.
Today, there was an NPR piece titled, What Makes Us Mentally Modern. Without mentioning Mead, it is an excellent exemplar of the importance of symbolism in our daily lives. Rather than researching when we become bipedal, the piece asks, when did we development symbolic thought? "Museums are full of bones under glass — fossils that can tell us when we became physically modern. But how do you find a fossil of a symbolic thought?"
Sociologist or not, it is worth a listen.
Today, there was an NPR piece titled, What Makes Us Mentally Modern. Without mentioning Mead, it is an excellent exemplar of the importance of symbolism in our daily lives. Rather than researching when we become bipedal, the piece asks, when did we development symbolic thought? "Museums are full of bones under glass — fossils that can tell us when we became physically modern. But how do you find a fossil of a symbolic thought?"
Sociologist or not, it is worth a listen.
Friday, August 6, 2010
For-Profit Post-Secondary Schooling
In the education world, there is much debate on relatively recent influx of for-profit post-secondary institutions in American education. Everyone has seen ads for Phoenix University, and you probably know someone is who currently enrolled. In fact, Phoenix, the behemoth of the for-profit sector, currently enrolls more students than all of the Universities of California (e.g., Berkeley, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, etc.) and the Ivy League schools combined (as cited in the Frontline piece below)! Thus, like it or not, for-profits are becoming pivotal players in our society.
Do these institutions fill a void in post-secondary education that 4-year schools and community colleges cannot cover? That is, are they providing a much-needed service in our knowledge-based economy and our nation's endeavor of democratic uplift?
Or do these companies prey on people who are ill-equipped to succeed in college and leave them with seemingly insurmountable debt? Does their undying obligation of profit compromise the social benefit they provide? Specifically, do they exploit Pell Grants (tax-payer funded loans for students) for profit?
In my search for answers, I have come across three recent media pieces on this issue (For now, they will have to suffice until the peer-reviewed literature catches up). I think all three are illuminating and stoke the debate.
Frontline
College, Inc.
NPR: All Things Conidered
New York Times:
For-Profit Colleges Mislead Students, Report Finds
Through reading, hearing, and watching these pieces, the opponents' skepticism is well-outlined. For now, I tend to agree. To be fair though, we are still collecting facts. To be determined...
Do these institutions fill a void in post-secondary education that 4-year schools and community colleges cannot cover? That is, are they providing a much-needed service in our knowledge-based economy and our nation's endeavor of democratic uplift?
Or do these companies prey on people who are ill-equipped to succeed in college and leave them with seemingly insurmountable debt? Does their undying obligation of profit compromise the social benefit they provide? Specifically, do they exploit Pell Grants (tax-payer funded loans for students) for profit?
In my search for answers, I have come across three recent media pieces on this issue (For now, they will have to suffice until the peer-reviewed literature catches up). I think all three are illuminating and stoke the debate.
Frontline
College, Inc.
NPR: All Things Conidered
For-Profit Colleges Encouraged Fraud, Used Deceptive Marketing, GAO Reports
New York Times:
For-Profit Colleges Mislead Students, Report Finds
Through reading, hearing, and watching these pieces, the opponents' skepticism is well-outlined. For now, I tend to agree. To be fair though, we are still collecting facts. To be determined...
Monday, August 2, 2010
Solving the Textbook Problem
As I see it, there are three problems with textbooks: (1) content, (2) publishing, and (3) medium. That is, publishing companies have a heavy hand in deciding what content students learn, which is somewhat problematic in a democracy (but expected within a capitalistic society). In addition, as information grows and increases exponentially, it is becoming more difficult to maintain the relevancy of content. Second, a select number of publishers in California and Texas dominate the publishing industry, which is predominantly financed by K-12 school districts and college students. Finally, the idea of lugging a five-pound tome to and from school only to read 40 pages seems antiquated.
Given these problems, do we have solutions? Excitedly, we (seemingly) do. Through open-sourcing and e-readers, adapting solutions seems to be within reach. In a recent NYT piece, ($200 Text Book vs. Free. You do the Math) the plausibility of these options are addressed. The article's author, Ashlee Vance writes, "Over the last few years, groups nationwide have adopted the open-source mantra of the software world and started financing open-source books. Experts — often retired teachers or groups of teachers — write these books and allow anyone to distribute them in digital, printed or audio formats. Schools can rearrange the contents of the books to suit their needs and requirements."
Will this be the panacea? Doubtful. Is it an improvement from the current state of textbooks? Likely. The article is a worthy read, and I hope this issue gains more cultural and political momentum.
Given these problems, do we have solutions? Excitedly, we (seemingly) do. Through open-sourcing and e-readers, adapting solutions seems to be within reach. In a recent NYT piece, ($200 Text Book vs. Free. You do the Math) the plausibility of these options are addressed. The article's author, Ashlee Vance writes, "Over the last few years, groups nationwide have adopted the open-source mantra of the software world and started financing open-source books. Experts — often retired teachers or groups of teachers — write these books and allow anyone to distribute them in digital, printed or audio formats. Schools can rearrange the contents of the books to suit their needs and requirements."
Will this be the panacea? Doubtful. Is it an improvement from the current state of textbooks? Likely. The article is a worthy read, and I hope this issue gains more cultural and political momentum.
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