This was a presentation I delivered as part of a workshop developed in collaboration with Anne Dalke, Sophia Abbot, and Esteniolla Maitre at a Penn University Conference on Silence.

“Are you paying attention to me? How can I tell if you are paying attention if you aren’t looking at me?”

“Doodling in class is not acceptable, Sara.”

“I think the topic you have chosen for this personal essay is too personal. Please choose a more appropriate topic.”

TIDES team,

I've put a rough sketch of a banner on static rendered notebooks. As we don't yet have a logo, I am using an image from Serendip as a place holder. You can see the current draft on any static rendered notebook; here is Mark's first module:

http://jupyter.physics.brynmawr.edu/hub/mmatlin/public/A%20Brief%20Introduction%20to%20Python%20-%20v1.4.ipynb

Please feel free to give comments and feedback on any aspect so far.

-Doug

NCWIT offers a list of engagement practices, and descriptions of each, with additional resources:

http://www.engage-csedu.org/engagement

Very useful!

-Doug

I just feel that society today is so westernized. Even dating back to history, students only learn from the Western perspectives, which influence thought and society. How can we move past societal expectations in order to capture desire in what isn't considered to be the "norm," especially when it comes to education and learning? I really enjoyed Tuck's writing "Suspending Damage: A Letter to communities" because it shows how research is so centered around stereotypes and what is perceived as "bad." I think that everyone is guilty of going into settings where they look for what is wrong instead of trying to undestand how things function, and finding how they work in a particular context.

Strive for conversation, not confrontation

Practice attentive listening

Practice confidentiality -- keep stories and facts from individuals and placements within our group

Regard disagreement as valuable, not personal

Speak from your own experience and validate other experiences -- at the same time, be open to re-seeing experiences from new perspectives and discourses

Don't make assumptions

Don't be afraid to ask questions

Consider your own well-being as part of taking care of our community

Speak with love and respect and assume other people are doing the same; assume good intent and follow up with questions if clarification is needed

Be direct with statements, positive or negative

I think this article makes a very valid point on diversity - collaborative network

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/diversity-in-science-where-are-the-data/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/23/neuroscience-mindfulness_n_6531544.html

Seeing as I am a geology major, it may be considered cheating to look at the geology of the campus, but I feel that this is alright, and I hope you'll agree.

For the longest time, I wasn't even aware that Bryn Mawr had a labryinth. I went to look at it around second semester of freshman year with my friends, but the sign oat at the beginning of the labyrinth described the labryinth as a place to meditate and reflect (although I couldn't find the sign when I went back this time). So, at the time I didn't feel comfortable walking through it just for the sake of it. Today, I decided to take the opportunity to explore and reflect, only the ground was covered in atleast 3 inches snow and it was surrounded by flags (possibly meaning that I wasn't supposed to go in? but I did anyways). The labryinth itself is surrounded by multiple trees, a corner of Rhodes South and Canday Library. It also overlooks both of the outdoor athletic fields.

A light dusting of snow coupled by a pale grey sky blanched my world. Deep burgundies and greens were muted by the layers of white that blurred autumn’s bold outlines of gold and red. Sitting by the duck pond in winter allowed me to exist in a timeless space. I could imagine sitting on the same bench in the early 1900s, gazing into the same scene. The same snow falling onto the same trees. The same progression of ice overtaking the pond’s contracting, liquid center.