"What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity--intellect and resources--to do something about them."
-Henry Ford
This week Megan and Jess led an awesome lesson on academic resources! Since I just put together a lesson plan for that same topic, it was really great to see their ideas!
I really liked the discussion about academic resources that we all know that are available at ISU! We got quite the list going on the board! I like to think that I know an awful lot about our campus since it is sort of my duty to be able to answer random questions giving tours for the Office of Admissions. But......I have to admit that there were a handful up there that I wasn't so familiar with. That's a great example of how it's hard to know everything about Iowa State. I remember that my peer mentors freshman year were great about letting us know about resources related to our discussion topic each week. I thought that was a great way to educate us about resources on campus because instead of getting information overload we learned a little each week. It was also nice that if we had questions about resources that hadn't been discussed in class yet we could always go to our peer mentors for advice!
I also loved the game that you guys put together! Cute power point, I know you must have put some serious time into that! It was appreciated! Too bad we ran out of time at the end (especially since Cole, Kat, and I were winning!)
I'm looking forward to the etiquette dinner later this month and DST filming THIS WEEK! Whoo! I hope everyone had a very happy Easter and enjoyed the absolutely beautiful weather as much as I did!! See ya'll in class!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Academic Success & the Harlem Shake
"A single conversation across the table with a wise person is worth a month's study of books."
-Chinese proverb
-Chinese proverb
This week we started out seminar with a serious discussion
about the Harlem Shake videos that are flooding the web and how people who are
actually from Harlem feel about them. I thought this was a very timely and
relevant discussion considering ISCORE was just a couple weeks ago and
diversity has been a main point of discussion among peer mentors.
After watching the news reports and videos, I can see both
sides of the argument regarding the Harlem Shake videos. It is not an easy
topic for all of us to come to an agreement on but for that reason I think it
serves as a fantastic example of how we have to be able to respect others even
though we may not agree with them at all. I really enjoyed that we could have a
serious and mature discussion about the video, too!
Now, a huge congrats is in order for Shelby and Stephanie
for leading such a great discussion after a serious discussion! I really liked
that you guys used the VART test because it allowed each of us to recognize our
own learning styles and each other’s. I was really impressed with how you guys
included everyone so naturally by asking about their style and whether that was
what they had guessed. I know people learn in a lot of different ways and it is
definitely useful to learn about fellow peer mentor’s learning styles and a
skill or test that would be fantastic for our students next fall! The ice
breaker was also really fun! It was a really quick and easy way to learn about
each other a little more!
Hope everyone is enjoying their spring break!
Ps-sorry if this posts weird, by internet is super slow!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Leadership lessons!
"The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been."
— Henry Kissinger
This week's topic in UST 311 was leading groups effectively. Josh and Brady did a great job facilitating the discussion this week! I liked that they linked everything we discussed both to the text and to situations that we will likely encounter next fall! It really helped bring things full circle! I'm loving watching everyone's lesson plans evolve week to week and I can definitely see our group getting stronger and closer!
So the prompt Brady and Josh gave us for this week was to discuss whether we think leaders are born or made. After putting some thought into this topic I think I could go on and on about it, but I think that leaders are at the very least more often made then born.
Here's my reasoning: I think that many people are born with talents that contribute to their leadership abilities, but that alone does not make you a leader. For example, some people are naturally great at making conversation or organizing their work. It's kind of like our MBTI skills, just a part of who you are. But here's the clincher: all those skills could be useless if you don't know how to properly apply them to real-life leadership situations. Becoming a leader is something that requires experience in my opinion. That's why it's so important that we take UST 311 this semester to refine the skills we all already possess!
That's just my opinion but I'm interested to see what the rest of you think about this topic! Class this week made me reflect on that list of leadership skills we made in seminar earlier this semester, and I'm convinced that as a group we have all the bases covered!
I had fun with everyone at the retreat today! I'm excited for the ice breakers that we didn't get to and to get the ball rolling with filming the DST project! And it's almost spring break! Hang in there everyone!
So the prompt Brady and Josh gave us for this week was to discuss whether we think leaders are born or made. After putting some thought into this topic I think I could go on and on about it, but I think that leaders are at the very least more often made then born.
Here's my reasoning: I think that many people are born with talents that contribute to their leadership abilities, but that alone does not make you a leader. For example, some people are naturally great at making conversation or organizing their work. It's kind of like our MBTI skills, just a part of who you are. But here's the clincher: all those skills could be useless if you don't know how to properly apply them to real-life leadership situations. Becoming a leader is something that requires experience in my opinion. That's why it's so important that we take UST 311 this semester to refine the skills we all already possess!
That's just my opinion but I'm interested to see what the rest of you think about this topic! Class this week made me reflect on that list of leadership skills we made in seminar earlier this semester, and I'm convinced that as a group we have all the bases covered!
I had fun with everyone at the retreat today! I'm excited for the ice breakers that we didn't get to and to get the ball rolling with filming the DST project! And it's almost spring break! Hang in there everyone!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Diversity Event: Ending Racism in an Hour or So
“The pianokeys are black and white
but they sound like a million colors in your mind
From "Spiders web”
― MariaCristina Mena
Last night I attended the diversity event at the Great Hall in the Memorial Union, "Ending Racism in an Hour or So" featuring W. Kamau Bell, host of FX's Totally Biased.
This guy was seriously hilarious, but he made so many fantastic points and they tied in so well with our recent discussions in seminar.
One point he made was that racism is different now than it was when our parents or grandparents were young. Then, racism led to violent uprisings, protest, bloodshed, and unrest. Now though, Bell said, racism is more like someone says something and it makes you feel bad. One example he used to demonstrate this was posts from social media sites of things such as high school students dressed up as KKK members at a basketball game.
This related so well to our discussions last week as we wrapped up social media week. The KU controversy and ISCORE were prevalent in my mind as I listened to Bell's speech. He did a great job of keeping us laughing and relaxed. One of the points I loved the most was that he said that's how we have to address racism in America now. We have to approach the subject in a relaxed matter so that we can make progress before someone gets upset or misunderstood.
Bell also talked about the myth of "post-racial" America that supposedly began with the election of a black president. He pointed out that all you have to do is look at names of sports teams, marketing techniques, or even the categories we apply to ourselves on the census to prove that race is something that still plays a significant role in American culture. His argument wasn't that those things were necessarily bad, but that we have to recognize that they are there, they are a part of our culture for better or for worse.
I thoroughly enjoyed this lecture (and Katie's company there!) I'm glad I got to go to this event o fulfill my diversity requirement!
but they sound like a million colors in your mind
From "Spiders web”
― MariaCristina Mena
Last night I attended the diversity event at the Great Hall in the Memorial Union, "Ending Racism in an Hour or So" featuring W. Kamau Bell, host of FX's Totally Biased.
This guy was seriously hilarious, but he made so many fantastic points and they tied in so well with our recent discussions in seminar.
One point he made was that racism is different now than it was when our parents or grandparents were young. Then, racism led to violent uprisings, protest, bloodshed, and unrest. Now though, Bell said, racism is more like someone says something and it makes you feel bad. One example he used to demonstrate this was posts from social media sites of things such as high school students dressed up as KKK members at a basketball game.
This related so well to our discussions last week as we wrapped up social media week. The KU controversy and ISCORE were prevalent in my mind as I listened to Bell's speech. He did a great job of keeping us laughing and relaxed. One of the points I loved the most was that he said that's how we have to address racism in America now. We have to approach the subject in a relaxed matter so that we can make progress before someone gets upset or misunderstood.
Bell also talked about the myth of "post-racial" America that supposedly began with the election of a black president. He pointed out that all you have to do is look at names of sports teams, marketing techniques, or even the categories we apply to ourselves on the census to prove that race is something that still plays a significant role in American culture. His argument wasn't that those things were necessarily bad, but that we have to recognize that they are there, they are a part of our culture for better or for worse.
I thoroughly enjoyed this lecture (and Katie's company there!) I'm glad I got to go to this event o fulfill my diversity requirement!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
ISCORE 2013!
“Choose your friends and mates, not by the money in their bank account, creed, ethnicity, or color; instead, choose character, actions, heart, and soul. When we bleed, we bleed the same color.”
― Ava Monnar
ISCORE 2013 was an eye-opening experience that I am glad to have taken part in! Here's an overview of the session I was able to attend with Haley and Chelsee!
The session was titled "Where Are All Our Men of Color? Personal Experiences of Men of Color at ISU" at 2:10 in the Gold Room.
One of the first things that the speakers said was for the audience to live tweet the session. I loved this because as a journalism major that's something I'm used to doing for most news events that I cover for classes and such! Also, it is much easier to keep track of notes and know what other people in the crowd are thinking!
The speakers first discussed the Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identities. I know that's a mouthful so here's a visual for you guys.
Basically, this model points out how different parts of a person's identity intersect at different places. The focus for this session was the intersection of race and gender (hence men of color at ISU). That was a really clear setup for the talk and gave it good direction!
The speakers pointed out how men of color are often looked at from a 'deficit model'. Basically that means looking at the negatives alone. We were encouraged to think about roadblocks that colored men face in college. They included family responsibilities, stereotypes, financial pressures, avoidance of alcohol and drugs, pressures of adulthood, work, community and home situations. We discussed how we can aid colored men in overcoming these roadblocks.
Which leads us to catalysts for success. These were the things that aided colored men in succeeding in college. They included joining organizations, getting internships, tapping resources, immersing themselves in their own cultural heritage, reaching out to others of their same race or ethnicity on campus.
One of the most interesting facts I learned during this session was that there are less than 1,000 men of color at ISU. We discussed how the university makes an effort to recruit colored men, but doesn't necessarily make an effort to guide these students through their education once they are admitted. This comes down to accountability and I had never really thought about how the university isn't held accountable for the success of these students after recruitment even though they are recognized to be vulnerable students.
To improve in the future, the group discussed building a network of support among men of color at ISU, not only among students, but also among faculty and staff. Setting aside a sense of competition to succeed among colored students and channeling it into support for one another was one of my favorite points.
Overall, this was a great session. I loved the interaction and the direct input by audience members through discussion and social media.
― Ava Monnar
ISCORE 2013 was an eye-opening experience that I am glad to have taken part in! Here's an overview of the session I was able to attend with Haley and Chelsee!
The session was titled "Where Are All Our Men of Color? Personal Experiences of Men of Color at ISU" at 2:10 in the Gold Room.
One of the first things that the speakers said was for the audience to live tweet the session. I loved this because as a journalism major that's something I'm used to doing for most news events that I cover for classes and such! Also, it is much easier to keep track of notes and know what other people in the crowd are thinking!
The speakers first discussed the Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identities. I know that's a mouthful so here's a visual for you guys.
Basically, this model points out how different parts of a person's identity intersect at different places. The focus for this session was the intersection of race and gender (hence men of color at ISU). That was a really clear setup for the talk and gave it good direction!
The speakers pointed out how men of color are often looked at from a 'deficit model'. Basically that means looking at the negatives alone. We were encouraged to think about roadblocks that colored men face in college. They included family responsibilities, stereotypes, financial pressures, avoidance of alcohol and drugs, pressures of adulthood, work, community and home situations. We discussed how we can aid colored men in overcoming these roadblocks.
Which leads us to catalysts for success. These were the things that aided colored men in succeeding in college. They included joining organizations, getting internships, tapping resources, immersing themselves in their own cultural heritage, reaching out to others of their same race or ethnicity on campus.
One of the most interesting facts I learned during this session was that there are less than 1,000 men of color at ISU. We discussed how the university makes an effort to recruit colored men, but doesn't necessarily make an effort to guide these students through their education once they are admitted. This comes down to accountability and I had never really thought about how the university isn't held accountable for the success of these students after recruitment even though they are recognized to be vulnerable students.
To improve in the future, the group discussed building a network of support among men of color at ISU, not only among students, but also among faculty and staff. Setting aside a sense of competition to succeed among colored students and channeling it into support for one another was one of my favorite points.
Overall, this was a great session. I loved the interaction and the direct input by audience members through discussion and social media.
Social Media Week & the Group Process!
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
-Margaret Mead
Another week down!! Anyone else shocked that spring break is now only two weeks away?! Can't wait!
So last week was social media week for UST 311 and I must admit that I wasn't exactly looking forward to it....shameful, I know. I like Twitter, but since I don't have a smartphone I find it difficult to keep up with everything that goes on. Also, I usually only use Twitter to scope out news sources for my journalism classes so I think that gives it a negative stigma in my head!
However, I am happy to say that I enjoyed this week much more than I expected to! This was really the first time that I've really had any interaction with others on Twitter (sad, I know.) bu I'm happy to have had this experience with all of you! I think I will use Twitter a little more consistently in the future and it will definitely be useful for getting to know students next fall!
Next on the agenda is to give props to Tyler and Kat for a job well done this week! You guys had fantastic flow in your lesson and I never felt like I was being lectured to! You'll both do great next fall!
This week's seminar was about understanding the group process. We discussed how understanding different roles and defining those roles can help a group function more productively. I really liked the activity where we compared and contrasted two groups we had been a part of: one poor and one positive. It really helped me pinpoint what the exact differences in those group structures were and think about ways I can improve groups I am a part of in the future! Also, great job by Kat and Tyler relating everything they talked about to situations we'll face next fall!
Looking forward to another week!
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