A minor miracle has happened. I have survived graduate school.
What a complex and challenging two years it has been, learning concepts and frameworks that I never would have dreamed existed. The MSIM degree at the University of Washington's Information School has been a growing and learning experience. I've been exposed to people and ideas that have allowed me to see problems and the world from new perspectives and within many different contexts.
When I graduated from my undergraduate program at The American University, there was a certain way that I viewed the world, and my time there shaped my skills and abilities, including giving me a strong foundation in research. Shifting to the field of "information" has actually been a natural progression for me.
I've discovered I am an information gatherer.
Whether trying to build a case for a peace program in Kashmir or developing a content strategy for a company, having the right information is critical. I find it incredibly satisfying to solve problems using rigorous and robust information.
And I am looking forward to the next step of finding a career that isn't just a job, but will allow for finding engaging and dynamic solutions for how to connect people with the information they need.
Showing posts with label Seattle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seattle. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Women, Cyberspace, and Information
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| CC License Use (http://flic.kr/p/4TAdv6) |
So I had an interesting article sent to me the other day by a friend. One of the Financial Times (UK) blogs posted on "Inequality in Cyberspace", about the numbers showing that there seems to b. The author, Liz Bolshaw, mentions Noam Cohen's NYT piece left off talking about how only 13% of Wikipedia contributors are women, and Joseph Reagle's justification that women are “less willing to assert their opinions in public”.
HAHA. That's an interesting thought. Haven't gotten that impression from most of the women I've met.
My first though about the whole gender gap isn't concern, it's "women have better things to do than edit Wikipedia". Not sure how true that is, but it seems to me that the people who are the most qualified to do something don't have the time to do what they need to do. Not that women are more qualified by any means, but they're certainly not less qualified. I'm not convinced that women are less well-represented as an internet population, but really? Is it something we should be concerned about - that women are not contributors to Wikipedia? My association with Wikipedia-editors is drunk frat boys mucking around with various entries. Is that something women should be aspiring to? The power of outsourcing knowledge creation to the cyber community (Wikipedia is only one such example) is certainly a force to be considered, and the power of it comes from the diversity of the people who are contributing. I would be more concerned with those who are excluded from contributing (directly or indirectly), not those who chose not to participate.
An interesting side note - women are actually really well represented in my program. Less so in the undergrad version, but there is still a good number, or at least it seems that way to me. It has been quite an experience the past two years as I've studied in a hybrid field that mixes strong gender stereotypes. The program is based out of the field of Library Science, but it has been heavily influenced by Information Technology and Business. I have the feeling that there are less gender stereotypes because of this hybridization, but I have yet to really immerse myself into the working field. All I know, there are some kick-ass women out there who are managing information and sharing what they know with the world (see some Seattle folks like Karine Nahon, Vanessa Fox, Samantha Starmer, and Alix Han). Maybe we aren't writing in Wikipedia, but women are certainly invested in cyberspace and information.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Knowledge Economy - Don't Kill the Education Budget
An article on the BBC News website yesterday was titled "Graduates - the new measure of power". The main take was from an education perspective, looking at the shift from raw resources as sources of power within nations to knowledge and intellectual resources. This is not a new topic - scholars have been exploring the shift to the "knowledge economy", but perhaps I've been abnormally exposed to the school of thought since I'm getting a degree in information. Nevertheless, it is a recognized fact that measuring the "power" of a nation must calculate the innovation, information, and knowledge that is being generated within its borders and its citizens. This article emphasized the role that formal educational institutions play in this generation of value, and how all across the globe governments are heavily investing in their future through students and schools.
Maybe the numerous states in the US, such as Washington, should consider this fact before they continue to viciously slash at the state-supported education budget for schools such as the University of Washington. As the Governor's new budget presents a worst-case scenario of an additional 40% slash, it is important to understand what has come already (from a letter to the State legislative from Interim President Phyllis Wise).
The steepest decline in state funding for the UW came in 2009-2011, when the state and the nation entered the Great Recession. Over a two-year period, the University of Washington lost over $132 million in state funding, roughly 30% of its state appropriation. Even with two 14% tuition increases, over $57 million in cuts were still necessary to balance our core education budget.
Major cuts included:
• Eliminated 950 jobs
• Froze enrollment for resident undergraduates
• Closed/eliminated 12 degree programs; 14 MA programs now self-sustaining
• Increased advisor load by 180 students per advisor
• Closed 384 undergraduate lecture sections and 130 small group sections
• Decreased number of lab sections by 20%, while average lab size increased 38%
• Closed 4 writing/tutoring centers and 2 computer labs (loss of 1/3 student workstations)
• Closed 1 library, reduced library hours, and canceled subscriptions to over 1,200 journals
• Reduced hundreds of hours of student counseling services (advising, financial aid, health)
As I'm preparing to graduate in June from a program that is not state-supported at all, I'm still concerned as a citizen of Washington about the future of education systems if these huge cuts are continued. Economies recover, but it is likely going to take years and years for educational institutions to recover from the hemorrhaging of funds out of their budgets. It seems awfully short-sighted for any government to pull money from the one resource that is almost guaranteed to reward the economy handsomely in the future.
Maybe the numerous states in the US, such as Washington, should consider this fact before they continue to viciously slash at the state-supported education budget for schools such as the University of Washington. As the Governor's new budget presents a worst-case scenario of an additional 40% slash, it is important to understand what has come already (from a letter to the State legislative from Interim President Phyllis Wise).
The steepest decline in state funding for the UW came in 2009-2011, when the state and the nation entered the Great Recession. Over a two-year period, the University of Washington lost over $132 million in state funding, roughly 30% of its state appropriation. Even with two 14% tuition increases, over $57 million in cuts were still necessary to balance our core education budget.
Major cuts included:
• Eliminated 950 jobs
• Froze enrollment for resident undergraduates
• Closed/eliminated 12 degree programs; 14 MA programs now self-sustaining
• Increased advisor load by 180 students per advisor
• Closed 384 undergraduate lecture sections and 130 small group sections
• Decreased number of lab sections by 20%, while average lab size increased 38%
• Closed 4 writing/tutoring centers and 2 computer labs (loss of 1/3 student workstations)
• Closed 1 library, reduced library hours, and canceled subscriptions to over 1,200 journals
• Reduced hundreds of hours of student counseling services (advising, financial aid, health)
As I'm preparing to graduate in June from a program that is not state-supported at all, I'm still concerned as a citizen of Washington about the future of education systems if these huge cuts are continued. Economies recover, but it is likely going to take years and years for educational institutions to recover from the hemorrhaging of funds out of their budgets. It seems awfully short-sighted for any government to pull money from the one resource that is almost guaranteed to reward the economy handsomely in the future.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Airplanes, Seattle, and Visualizing It All
This quarter I started a really fascinating independent study project with a Foster School of Business professor, Dr. Richard Nolan. I get to do some research for him on people, places, and time - all related to the aeronautic-powerhouse Boeing and its role in the Seattle/Puget Sound Area.
Specifics aside, I've really enjoyed learning about three specific things.
1) The idea of the "industry commons"
This is an idea that seems to in part come from the medieval practice of sharing a common space for the good of a community. Sharing resources and ideas in a collective space is a way for an industry to innovate and strengthen itself. There is the idea that the movement of tacit knowledge happens more readily in geographically bound spaces through more informal transfers - in short, similar people are drawn together in one place and share their knowledge with each other in non-professional settings such as in a bicycling lunch group. When an industry has certain geographic concentrations, there is a tendency to see others of the industry (individuals and companies) drawn to that location.
2) Visualization of non-linear information
This has been my biggest challenge. I have done a lot of research over the past 8 years or so, and yet this is the first time I have to "visualize" my findings. I can create lists and draw conclusions no problem - but finding a way to visually represent the data is quite a daunting task. I've taking classes with design elements, but this is actually having to create meaningful visuals. Today I discovered MindNode which will hopefully help me out as I map out pretty complex relationships between people, places, organizations, and time. Hopefully they'll turn into something interesting and clear at the end, because right now they're kind of confusing. The first draft is always the hardest, they say, and then the following iterations should hopefully become easier to improve.
3) Airplane and Seattle knowledge
This has been a side bonus of the project - I've been reading lots and lots for this, and I find myself discovering very interesting little facts and tidbits about Seattle and its history. I love it - I've been out here almost every year of my life before finally moving here in 2009, and this city continues to enchant me. Learning about the richness of its people and places has been wonderful.
The other thing is that I get to learn about airplanes - I retain less of the information but it's still a cool subject. I've always loved traveling, and now it is quite cool to know more about the giant beasts that get me from one place to another through seemingly impossible conditions.
PS: Don't research airplanes if you're nervous about them already.
Specifics aside, I've really enjoyed learning about three specific things.
1) The idea of the "industry commons"
This is an idea that seems to in part come from the medieval practice of sharing a common space for the good of a community. Sharing resources and ideas in a collective space is a way for an industry to innovate and strengthen itself. There is the idea that the movement of tacit knowledge happens more readily in geographically bound spaces through more informal transfers - in short, similar people are drawn together in one place and share their knowledge with each other in non-professional settings such as in a bicycling lunch group. When an industry has certain geographic concentrations, there is a tendency to see others of the industry (individuals and companies) drawn to that location.
2) Visualization of non-linear information
This has been my biggest challenge. I have done a lot of research over the past 8 years or so, and yet this is the first time I have to "visualize" my findings. I can create lists and draw conclusions no problem - but finding a way to visually represent the data is quite a daunting task. I've taking classes with design elements, but this is actually having to create meaningful visuals. Today I discovered MindNode which will hopefully help me out as I map out pretty complex relationships between people, places, organizations, and time. Hopefully they'll turn into something interesting and clear at the end, because right now they're kind of confusing. The first draft is always the hardest, they say, and then the following iterations should hopefully become easier to improve.
3) Airplane and Seattle knowledge
This has been a side bonus of the project - I've been reading lots and lots for this, and I find myself discovering very interesting little facts and tidbits about Seattle and its history. I love it - I've been out here almost every year of my life before finally moving here in 2009, and this city continues to enchant me. Learning about the richness of its people and places has been wonderful.
The other thing is that I get to learn about airplanes - I retain less of the information but it's still a cool subject. I've always loved traveling, and now it is quite cool to know more about the giant beasts that get me from one place to another through seemingly impossible conditions.
PS: Don't research airplanes if you're nervous about them already.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Ity-Bity Little Tortoises
Because they're so cute, I had to share a quick link to the Woodland Park Zoo's tiny little new members. It's little moments like this that remind me why we have to strive to let people know the importance of protecting creatures like these from extinction.
Plus, watching those tiny little buggers crawl around made me smile.
From the blog:
Egyptian tortoise hatchlings, 2 weeks old, behind the scenes at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo in the Day Exhibit. The Egyptian tortoise is critically endangered with populations facing severe pressure from habitat degradation and the illegal international pet trade. Learn more about this species and how Woodland Park Zoo is helping to protect it in the wild on the zoo blog: http://bit.ly/gPzl2Q
Plus, watching those tiny little buggers crawl around made me smile.
From the blog:
Egyptian tortoise hatchlings, 2 weeks old, behind the scenes at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo in the Day Exhibit. The Egyptian tortoise is critically endangered with populations facing severe pressure from habitat degradation and the illegal international pet trade. Learn more about this species and how Woodland Park Zoo is helping to protect it in the wild on the zoo blog: http://bit.ly/gPzl2Q
Monday, October 25, 2010
Design & The Platinum Rule
We have Alix Han (@uxkungfu) talking to students today about user-experience (UX).
You know the "golden rule": Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
Alix tells us the platinum rule of design: Do unto others as they would have you do to them...
What?
Well, it goes like this - you might like to be kicked, but that other person might prefer hugs. Seems a bit simplistic, but ....
Stealing some of the main points from her presentation, there are a few key elements that make up the desires/needs of humans and their interactions.
Talking About Emotional Design
Certainty: I want to know that things will work the way I expect them to
Variety: I want fresh, entertaining content
Significance: I want to feel special and important in some way
Love & Connection: I want to feel connected to someone or something
A designer's job is to research/discover how these come together and make a user's experience awesome.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Walking Schoolbus
A short column in the Seattle Times this morning by Nicole Brodeur made me hopeful about small changes that will hopefully have a lasting impact. The only information here is really the coordination efforts – I simply wanted to share something I thought was really nifty.
The article covered the “walking schoolbus” that goes to West Woodland Elementary school in Phinny Ridge every morning, coordinated by one man (a Mr. Glen Bradburn) and 18 families. Parents are in charge of “driving” the bus – they walk their kids to meet other parents and children, and eventually get all 22 children to school. Then they do it on the way back.
It’s a clever solution – it gets kids walking more (challenging the rising obesity levels in kids), also letting them work off some of that seemingly endless energy that makes it difficult for them to pay attention in school. It is a great opportunity for families to get to know each other in neighborhoods, helping people see beyond their own little bubble that is so comfortable to stay in. It saves on busing costs and petrol, is better for the environment, and is simply just a cool thing.
Going strong since 2005, this walking bus will hopefully continue to run and inspire other families/communities. There are apparently 18 other walking buses in the Seattle area – I hope they continue to grow.
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