The Geography of Learning: The Chicago and Boston Schools

Ideas come from location. Solving problems based on situations and analysis.

In The Third Coast, Thomas Dyja describes the Chicago way as "Improvisation, experimentation, watching something being made; all were basic to artistic expression in Chicago, part of the mediating function as the belt buckle of America; what Ralph Ellison called "antagonistic cooperation. .. Chicago liked watching things being built. New York audiences like to watch things that are already completed and polished."

The ability to learn is not just a function of what goes into and out of the mind, but also the situational environment. How and where we learn is also important. We can be very resourceful in terms of creating situations/environments that work best for us. The way you learn, the different learning styles that Howard Gardner talks about -- such as kinetic -- might mean working alone, working among people, etc.

One of the contributions of the Chicago style of learning is that prepackaged (set lecture) might not be the best in all situations. There was the live television of the 1950s pioneered by Studs Terkel; there is the the Second City input of improv; there is the live radio of Thisishell.com and other programs on WNUR, Northwestern's radio station. Improvisation and a bottom's up approach; these are vital elements of the Chicago style.

Look at the type of environment in the classroom as part of the content. As much as possible, allow participants flexibility in designing how and when they work.

Flexibility is a big part of resourcefulness. The Wall Street Journal noted how Delta Airlines has experimented with a number of strategies to reduce its number of canceled and delay flights. "A World Where Flights Aren't Canceled" describes techniques like rerouting flights on very short notice to get to locations where weather might not be an issue.

Improv, the acting style made famous by Second City in Chicago, relies on positive energy (and timing) for its comedic effect. Actors take ideas given by other people (no matter how absurd) and go with it to a different level. It is this "Yes, and" that allows participants and the audience to get beyond the negativity inherent in our interactions with others --- and build to a synthesis, which can be funny and also liberating. "No" can be a very limiting and debilitating organizational and personal response.

I think we can see the positive impact of "Yes, and" in many of the regional sciences that seek to combine disciplines and encourage economic and personal growth. I just was at a regional transportation conference and the speaker stated that regional science started in the 1960s as a method of integrating economics, geography, urban planning, and other disciplines as a method of developing industrial location theory and other economic/social models and modalities. In other words, they just kept adding ingredients until it made sense to stop not be limiting at the onset.

Not only is improv an important example of learning because of its positive spin, but also because to succeed at improv, you might always be anticipating the next move. This, obviously, is a key to learning (and teaching). Knowing what comes next is vital. In fact, I often encourage my students to anticipate what is coming next as a way of measuring their understanding of what has already occurred.

Education is obviously an interdisciplinary process and the more "Yes, and" (and as positive and anticipatory) the more synthesis we will achieve. Blended can be especially appealing to the "outsider" amongst us, as it gives access to those with different voices and different socialization skills.

There are ways of building where you live not only into your teaching style but also into your curriculum. For example, a school district where I live is incorporating geographic landmarks into studies. So, elementary school students are going to local rivers to learn about water flow and conservation. They might also learn about local civil rights people while discussing Martin Luther King, for example.

There are also ways of building local information databases to accentuate this local emphasis. A database of the local newspaper might be searched (or created) as a way of localizing learning.

Education is an industry and as such is subject to a production system that impacts communities, business districts and others in both a geographical sense (such as where schools are located and its impact on property values and commercial activities) as well the productivity of a community in terms of creating citizens and employees that can function efficiently in society and the economy.

The more complex such a system, in terms of its inputs (quality of the teachers, funding, infrastructure), the more dynamic it is to run but also the more sophisticated its outputs (student learning, etc.).

The complexity of all these steps makes it clear we must be flexible and creative in all aspects of the learning process. Certainly online learning/blended learning has a strong impact not only on the learning environment but also on the whole community (education production system). What is the impact on traffic patterns and economic activity, for example, when students are learning online and don't have to commute. This might reduce travel congestion but might also reduce the amount of students eating at a restaurant on their way to class.

Online/Blended is obviously subject to technical glitches. Of course f2f also has its share of potential drama, with traffic jams, miscommunication about room changes, etc. WGN TV recently experienced technical issues that knocked out its audio for about 20 minutes. This video explains how they dealt with it -- not surprisingly humor had a big part to play in their strategy.

In terms of Boston, it seems like a perfect place for a Facebook creation. There are so many young people, most of them very tech savvy with a need to socialize. There was an intense need for a social network to allow people to get to know each other from a wide variety of settings, as there are so many different campuses. A social networking site that brought these young, tech savvy people together was especially relevant in Boston and that set the trend for the nation and world.

Both Boston and Chicago have the ability to experiment because they have the strength/confidence to try new things. On an interpersonal level, we see that the sense of being okay of the area being able to absorb different things -- you won't break me type motif. That is also an essence. 

How Constructivist Learning Principles Enhance Cohort International Travel -- The Turkish Experience

The Wall Street Journal 's  "A Captivating Beauty, and an Enigma" tells the story of the Italian painter Parmigianino whose “Schiava Turca” or “Turkish
Slave” shows a lavishly dressed woman wearing a turban. The painting was given the title by a cataloger in the early 18th Century (200 years after it was painted) and the title is confusing because the woman is obviously not a slave.  

The Wall Street Journal article notes that this misnaming can be seen as evidence that Europeans in general did not really understand Turkey/Ottoman Empire to confuse this woman of fashion with a slave. But just as the naming could be a mistake that represents a tendency to misrepresent or misunderstand Turkey by Europe and the West, so too could it be a paradox. In a New York Times review of the same painting "A Mischievous Half-Smile, Cloaked in Mystery" the author states "In the context of this show, her name starts to look less like a mistake and more like a delightful paradox: she is a slave to no one, except maybe the muse."

Turkey then provides a rich learning opportunity for all. Just as cultural items can be interpreted so many different ways, so too her history, politics, and any information-rich content. How best to prepare those that will be traveling to Turkey, not only as interested visitors but others on more formal professional programs, looking to understand these paradoxes? That is a central question for educators, as, of course, it is not only Turkey that is an enigma to outsiders but all international learning destinations. 

Often we think that people going to a country have a previous awareness, interest, or knowledge of that county. But this is often getting it backwards; that our going to a country in the future gets us galvanized and interested in learning about the country today. This thinking is sometimes counter intuitive but is reflected in how a local college developed its reputation among military veterans. I was talking to a friend of mine who does a lot of work with military veterans on our community college campus. He pointed to the military statue on campus and said that the statue was the reason that the school was voted a military-friendly campus three years in a row. At first I thought that he perhaps had it backwards; that the statue was a reflection of the commitment the college was showing to veterans. He went on to explain that the act of building the statue created the relationships that helped the community college reach veterans. For example, school administrators had gotten to know some of the military leaders in the community while fundraising for the statue and they then spoke at the college's Memorial Day ceremony and brought many other local veteran to these events and the college's reputation among veterans and their families grew.

In a more poetic sense, we might view this cognitive readiness in the words of educator Maxine Green, a "Thoreauvian wide awakens" in the spirit of iconoclastic individualistic and philosopher/writer Henry Thoreau.  

As we see then, the time from when a person is selected to go on a trip and the time the trip beings is a critical time to build awareness and a cognitive foundation for the trip. This period is a very exciting time; a time to cognitively engage with the destination as well as people we will be sharing the trip, both from our home country and the destination country. This pre-trip period represents a strong learning opportunity. Rather than waiting for an international trip to begin, it is important to use the time before a trip (when cognitive energy is very high) to lay the academic foundation for a successful trip. By utilizing the weeks before an academic international trip more effectively, we will have a stronger learning community and deeper individual learning.

Instructivist/Instructivism learning has a specific starting and end point, as it relies on the instructor to provide the content, context, and feedback. Constructivist learning has more models for opening and continuing learning because there are so many entry and exit points. 

This evaluations seeks to answer how constructivist learning principles as exemplified by pre/post trip engagement enhances the international learning experience within the cohort structure.

  

Sequential Learning  -- Key to Cognitive Readiness

Sequential learning (scaffolding) is at the heart of constructionist educational theory and represents a solid way of creating learning opportunities preceding an international trip.  With sequential learning, we build on what we know by applying new information to what we already know and integrating it. So, the question is can we enhance learning/transformation (increase cognitive energy) by increasing the amount of sequencing, as in expanding the amount of time that students are engaged in the learning process and thereby increase readiness and learning opportunities for the international student? It should be noted that sequential learning should benefit not only students engaged in study abroad and short-term trips but also faculty, staff, and others engaged in short to long term international learning experiences, such as sabbaticals, extended business trips/conferences, leading excursions, etc.

The brain seems hardwired to anticipate learning -- we are most excited about an event (learning opportunity) before it actually arrives (i.e. before going to a restaurant, before attending a play). If we are most open to learning before an event, it follows that if we can create learning opportunities before a class or other international learning experience, there might be ways of enhancing content retention, student retention, short term enjoyment, and deep learning.

The strategies we employ to increase the sequencing opportunities in anticipation of a learning event then is key towards student and organizational success. As described below, a combination of online and onsite opportunities can enhance/accelerate learning, especially when there is a predetermined cohort, as is often the case with international travel learning communities.

Sequential learning applied to pre-trip preparation is nothing new for international learning. There are generally orientation programs (either one program or a series of programs), reading lists, and required courses (such as a course on the history of a certain country) before a student goes on an international trip.  But this sequential learning is generally fairly didactic and does not allow for the full use of community building and active learning that current technology and multifaceted curricula allow.

Just as sequential learning strategies are nothing new, so too are programs that foster preparatory learning. This is the concept behind many of the bridge programs currently used to help high school seniors make the tranistion to college, for example. A key for these programs is not be scaleable (economically feasible) while retaining some idiosyncratic elements so that each program reflects its target audience.  

Cognitive readiness is primarily about developing the active student voice in the learning process. The more engaged the students are, the more authentic learning that will take place. The best way to learn as it were, is to teach. 

I was talking to a high school student about attending a rally for Israel as preparation for a year-long study on Israel that would start in several months. I suggested he attend the rally and prepare for it as if it was an assignment for the class. He seemed interested by the idea but also taken by the fact that he could learn about a subject before the class started. I got the feeling that it felt as if he was cheating because many people view education as starting on a particular day -- for example the first day of a semester-- and ending on a particular day-- for example the last day of a semester. It seemed counterintuitive for the student to learn when school was not in session, even if the subject was of interest. I am not saying that students do not understand they can learn outside of class, it is just they seem to attach different cognitive preparation to both. 

We can see cognition being active in three separate sequences -- before, during, and after. 

Cogntive Readiness & Online Learning -- The Example of Turkey 

Engagement with learners (or potential learners) is an important component of academic and cultural institutions. For example, the SALT organization in Turkey has created a physical/online presence designed to create a dialog with its users. As outlined in "Beyond the Classical Broadcasting Role," the director Vasif Korun described how SALT is evolving into a more interactive/blended organization:

"We are slowly morphing from a "broadcast institution" to something that develops intelligence with its audiences. For the "audience" to become embedded and active, you need organic interfaces built on many factors like trust and inevitability."

This blended learning and the trust it is building among learning communities meshes nicely with the increasing importance and availability of online technologies. These online technologies can find especial resonance in international communities where access to traditional learning is hampered by economic and geographic factors, such as in Turkey.  
 
In "Are We There Yet? A Progress Report from Three Turkish University Pioneers in Distance Education and E-Learning",  the authors stress that online learning is a key to achieving greater access, equity, quality, and cost-effectiveness in Turkey's higher education. 

"Most of the universities are in the wealthier west of the country, and the private universities have only a 5.7% share of the market. Former Vice-Rector of Anadolu University and now Member of YÖK, Ali Ekrem Özkul (2001) suggests that distance education provides a rational means of increasing capacity, maximizing resources, and realizing the nation’s human resource potential. However, because of the conservative institutional cultures, cumbersome bureaucracy, under-funding, and high level of government control over expenditures, the regular universities have been slow to adapt to the changing demands and to the need to be more competitive (Mizikaci, 2006)."

Technology obviously opens up many different access points and opportunities for pre-learning. 

Many of the issues of international travel may help learners connect the dots of different themes--such as displacement and nationalism-- and these themes can be discussed in a sequential and anticipatory environment making them more tangible as a international trip unfolds. For example, Elif Shafak, a writer of Turkish parents, who grew up in Spain and elsewhere and now teaches in the United States, said her background made her feel disconnected from any set tradition, making her an outsider when describing her place in Turkey. In an interview  she talked about the dualistic structure in Turkey and how her more nuanced view of being an agnostic who is interested in religion does not fit easy categorization. She also talks about the bridge over Turkey being possibly interpreted as Turkey being a bridge between Asia and Europe, but that the reality is it represents two distinct sides in Turkey, the elite looking toward Europe and modernity while the less elite looking towards Asia and tradition. The importance of family and particularly the father is a theme as well. And, how certain values, such as the cosmopolitanism of Istanbul can exist in a growing nationalistic environment.

Murat Arsel, born on the Turkish side of Cyprus, and Associate Professor of Environment & Development at the International Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands, discussed environmental issues as a way of bridging the socioeconomic gap between the wealthy and poor during a talk entitled "Social Conflict and Development in Modern Turkey" at Northwestern's Buffer Center. Arsel used the planned development of a coal power plant in Gerze Turkey (on the Black Sea)  to show how environmental movements are a relatively safe way for democratic organizations to critique a state because they do not directly threaten its survival (unlike some political demonstrations).  As he described it, the environmental movement that stopped the power plant was relatively low tech with none of the social media use of larger protests, such as those at Taksim Square (Istanbul) in May 2013.  It was accomplished because each side brought something needed -- the poor/rural participants brought legitimate anti-growth arguments because they would be the ones most affected by any loss of jobs that accompanied the stopping of the coal plant while the richer participants (retired teachers, etc.) brought a political sophistication and social capital that allowed the protest movement to gain traction.

The themes expounded on by Shafak's and Arsel's are good illustrations on how participants might engage issues of importance as a way of preparing for a trip. These readings and lectures allow participants to respond and react to issues of importance and can deepen understanding before a trip.  

Thus, the stage is set, both in terms of rationale for earlier sequential learning for promoting deeper international education possibilities as well of an awareness of blended/online strategies for doing so in countries such as Turkey. 

Possible Pre-Trip Activities to Deepen Cognitive Readiness

Specific pre-trip activities obviously depend a lot on external conditions, such as the demographics and academic level of participants (undergraduate, graduate, researcher, etc; the time available before a trip begins; geographic considerations in terms of where group members live; and other variables. In all cases, the goal should be as much immersion as possible within realistic time and financial constraints. A blend of face-to-face and virtual projects should be utilized.   
 
A group activity, such as writing postcards to students in a different country can build cohesiveness in the group that is traveling as well as building a connection with people in the destination country. A project such as this was used at the College of Lake County to find out how Chinese students viewed the United States before the group visited China.  This would be a case of group activities resulting in lateral learning, as one group learns from a group of their peers.  It is also possible to organize a group activity on the flight over or return flight as a way of building cohesiveness or strengthening knowledge about cultural differences. The trip over might also offer a chance to eat food from the destination country or culture. For example, a trip to Turkey via Turkish Airlines would be a way to request a Muslim meal.

Another form of group or individual activity might be a visit to a relevant cultural institution of the destination country. For example, a group of Chicago-area educators met at a Turkish cultural center for an orientation for a 10-day trip to Turkey. The cultural center had 3-D versions of housing to help people visualize the Turkish landscape and a mosque (as it was a place for local Muslims to pray). Before entering the mosque the educators took off their shoes, mimicking behavior they would do in Turkish mosques and highlighting an aspect of experiential learning.

Visiting cultural events, such as local international festivals or specific areas of a city with ethnic identity, such as Greek Town, China Town, etc. Engage with people at booths and in markets, etc.

There could also be trips to build group cohesion. Since many international trips take place in the summer, perhaps the group (or part of the group) could go to a large rummage sale. Not only could people spend time together learning about bartering (perhaps important to any destination) but it might be a place to pick up inexpensive gifts. For example, I went to a large church sale and purchased about 20 hats with local sports insignias on them. When I explained why I was buying so many hats, they gave me a very good price. 


 
There are also many educational programs at area libraries and other educational institutions, such as a program on Ramadan cooking that would help highlight an important annual religious/cultural event.

first served basis. Please call for space availability and registration. 

Sweet & Savory Ramadan: 30 Nights of Foods That Nourish

Notify me   Print  Download to calendar

Event Type: Presentation Age Group(s): All Ages Date: 6/16/2014 Start Time: 7:00 PM End Time: 8:30 PM Description:  Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting for Muslims worldwide, is also a time in which a healthy variety of delicious halal food is enjoyed after sunset and before sunrise. As global as Muslims are themselves, so is Muslim cuisine, which spans Asia, the Mediterranean, Europe, and the Americas. Food writer Yvonne Maffei will discuss the traditional and modern food rituals of fasting and eating and how they are performed throughout Ramadan. She’ll also demonstrate how a few dishes are made and provide a sampling of some sweet and savory favorites. Library: Skokie Public Library Location: Mary Radmacher Meeting Room Other Information:  Attendance is limited to 50 people and registration is required. Suited for ages 12 and up. Contact Number: 847-673-7174 Presenter: Yvonne Maffei Link: My Halal Kitchen Status: Openings

Please Note

This event requires 24-hour advance cancellation so that others may attend. Failure to attend three programs without cancellation may result in automatic waiting list placement for future programs. If you do not have a Skokie Public Library card or another card with current borrowing privileges, please call the Contact Number listed above and a member of our staff will be happy to sign you up.

One way to encourage "voice" and to share this voice with the greater educational community might be to create a graffiti/mural area on campus (and perhaps online). Participants could be encourage to post articles that they want to share, opinions they want to share and challenges they want to share. An article about a mural in Mexico City represents some of the power of communal sharing. If possible, monitoring for the public area can be the responsibility of a student organization, one associated with international learning. If not, then faculty/staff could monitor the area to make sure that posts are appropriate for a public space. 

Online--Once someone has gone on an international trip, they become part of a cohort for future participants. For example, if a college has an annual two-week exchange program then people that have completed the program are available via listserv or other organizational device for new participants. A listserv, web application (app), or email distribution list can all serve the function of starting conversations or asking questions, such as a listserv for the participants on a 10-day trip to Turkey has this thread after a mine collapsed and over 200 miners were killed.Shared experiences between group in one institution and those they will be involved with at the other institution (pen pals, wiki, blog exchange of ideas and photos).

"A very sad day listening to the news of the men who died in the mine(carbon monoxide poisoning)  in Istanbul Turkey.  My Prayers.  They are now having a 3 day period of mourning. Blessings. Sharon"

 Attend community/academic lectures about destination country, such as two listed below that were offered at Northwestern University within four weeks of a trip to Turkey. Reflections of these meetings could be posted to a learning community blog, listserv, etc. 

The Recent Constitutional Crisis in Turkey

 Social Conflict and Development in Modern Turkey

There could be correspondence between group participants and relevant academics in destination country or local speaker, such as Turkish academics. 

From: Toch, Uri
Sent: Friday, May 30, 2014 10:22 AM
To:
Subject: Link to academic article on different ethnic perspectives on the environment

Hello M,

So glad to hear your discussion of environmental issues as a bridge between different socioeconomic groups in Turkey at the Buffet Center. I believe that environmental issues might be a way to increase collaboration among different groups, and this is a good thing for all democratic societies.

As I mentioned briefly after your talk, I have also done some research on different perceptions of the environment among ethnic groups and my findings neatly mesh with what you described.

Regards,

Uri 

Of course, direct contact may not be appropriate in all cultures, especially those that are hierarchical as with Islamic cultures. As noted in a Global Road Warrior, library database:

"In preparing to do business in Turkey, it is not advisable to try establishing direct contact. Like the society in general, Turkish business relationships tend to be more personal. It is therefore important to initiate contact via a well-regarded third party. This could be an international bank, a trade association, a trade mission, or your embassy. International trade shows may also serve this purpose."

The use of databases and the open Internet for research is also a powerful way to create pre-learning opportunities. Searching for select terms and then sharing articles and review of such articles with other participants via a blog or website is a good way to share information as well as construct information via reflection and discussion. For example, EBSCO's Academic Search Premier had "From Empire to Democracy: Effects of Social Progress on Turkish Writers." By: Oral, Günseli; Kaufman, James C.; Sexton, Janel D. Journal of Psychology. May2004, Vol. 138 Issue 3, p223-232. 
 

Specific Assignments might also be given

Instructor supplies the text; students find authenticating web document and provides a link (instead of citation)     

Online text http://www.umich.edu/~turkish/links/reptr_brhist.html See below for example:

There might also be a way to use materials to promote a visual understanding or expression, as the visual arts are a universal language. While working with a group of Japanese college students on a short trip to learn English and experience American culture, we develop an inexpensive strategy to get visualizes to increase active learning about landscape architecture in America, as seen in the email I sent to one of the lead instructors.

---

From: Toch, Uri
Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2014 9:27 AM
To: Sagartz, Andrew
Subject: Active learning 

Andrew,

One possible way to get resources for an active learning exercise would be to go to a large rummage sale or perhaps used book store and see if they have travel books/magazines or other items with visual representations of gardens, etc. These items could either be purchased relatively cheaply or perhaps might be donated, as long as the project is explained. I one time got a multitude of sports hats at a rummage sale at a very good price for my international education work.

Hope that idea helps with resource development.

UT

The Establishment of Modern Turkey

The Ottoman Empire, which had been tottering since the Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji in 1774, was dealt its death blow in World War I. By the Treaty of Sèvres (1920) the victorious Allies reduced the once mighty empire to a small state comprising the northern half of the Anatolian peninsula and the narrow neutralized and Allied-occupied Zone of the Straits. Sultan Muhammad VI accepted the treaty, but Turkish nationalists rallied under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal (VIDEO) (from 1934 known as Kemal Atatürk) and organized their forces for resistance.

You might also get together and develop personalized gifts or handouts for people in the destination country, such as the postcard below that shows a visitor with a symbol of Americana.

Use Improve – … Laugh and Learn – People create scenarios of what they are worried about or excited about. Maybe get a script from scenarios in Turkish travel books or from a youtube video.

Develop web sites and blogs

Google Sites: As a way of doing web site: https://sites.google.com/site/amculturalcenter/home

And blog

http://amculturalcenter.wordpress.com/

Assessment

These assignments and other participatory exercises can be modified over time and serve to measure both summative and cumulative learning. Rubrics can be developed to measure language development in terms of specifics rather than cliches, use of external sources, perception, awareness of issues on a personal and group level, as well as development of group cohesion.

Role of Facilitator

In terms of the facilitator's role, there is instructional design and also providing feedback as well as measuring learning. A very important role is also to offer and build encouragement by providing ways of furthering learning about specific questions offered in posts and also to provide prompts as necessary. This does not need to be the work of one facilitator, such as the leader of an international trip, but might be also undertaken by an International education committee and others.  

Cognitive Readiness and Authentic Learning

The emphasis on pre-learning as a key to cognitive readiness for international travel is not a claim that learning does not take place without this preparatory phase.  Most people experience an interest in learning about a country, culture, and themselves during and after an international learning experience even if they don't engage in pre-travel activities. Also, many people engage in pre-travel activities without consciously being aware of them. Many people decide where they want to visit based on previous experience, professional interests, etc. 

The argument for cognitive readiness is more that the type of deep learning that a conscious, structured pre-activity schedule permits more authentic and personalized learning. People going to Paris will always be "wowed" by the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum, but more pre-trip preparation will hopefully enable students to more meaningfully see/discover themselves within these international experiences. It is the goal of pre-learning to lead to more self discovery. As was once said about Pablo Picasso and African art "Picasso did not discover African art; he discovered himself in African art." 

Cognitive Readiness and International Group Cohesion  

Cognitive readiness is not the only important element in student success vis-a-vis international travel. Group cohesiveness and individual readiness for international trips in terms of realities of international travel are all elements of a trip that can be enhanced with pre-trip activities beyond a standard orientation. Activities might be created to simulate travel in a specific country so as to help prepare students for realities of cultural differences. Yes, some of this can be handled through traditional lecture and orientation, but Skype online conversations, interactive video lessons, and other strategies may increase awareness of and preparation for different living and learning situations.

The Trip

Rather than just bringing material to study, also bring materials that might represent America based on interests of those that responded from the destination country. For example, you might bring intellectual examples of Chicago (or other city) such as community newspapers and educational institutions and their catalogs.

Post Trip Work

"You Never Really Know a Place Until You Have Left it Behind: And Then it is Somewhere Else" (adapted). Many of these activities described above can be maintained or initiated after the return to the home country, Returning participants can form a listserv/blog for themselves and/or for future participants, for example. Presentations can be given for members of the participant institution or community groups. The idea is to both continue the learning and to share learning with others, and in that way constructivist principles will still apply. Perhaps create an area online or on campus for international collaboration, patterned after American Cultural Centers in Asia. 

Presenting a template not of content but of ways of applying content and relationships to post trip learning, not just about the particular topic (Turkey) but applying these lessons universally to other experiences. Guiding students with how to apply a local or international trip into a view on the news, a view on a people, or totally random event is at the crux of learning. How can one apply what one learns about the theory of library instruction into the next day's library instruction. Since most of our learning takes place "after" any instruction, not just in terms of international travel, the ideas and networks generated in the post trip work is the most exciting and offers the most potential for growth.  

Conclusion

This notion is not about content per se but rather a template, mapping the learning with preparatory activities for constructivist international cultural building. Creative individual travelers have adopted this strategy -- international learning groups should do the same.  

From "The City" by Nahi (circa 1642) "There is no place where knowledge and learning Find so ready a welcome as Istanbul."   

Notes from trip --Cognitive potential

 Blended learning and the International experience: Imagining Success Share this blog post -- of this title with others from the trip. 

Prompting Turkey into your Heart (using questions, which is really what the Greeks/Romans brought to the Classical period). 

My extension of the Turkey trip to international ed follows the Hizmet principle of using Turkey as a model and not as a goal. 

How people use cognitive preparation for trip reading Orpan O. reading history books, watching videos, attending lectures, preparing Turkish cuisine. 

  Jun 16

Christians/Muslims have long shared history as well as Jews. Crusades, although so destructive, did increase cultural/military sharing, as Christians brought back ways of building forts, etc. for defense. The premier arab city was Baghdad, built in 7th Century. The Arabs preferred that city over Damascus, which they had taken from the Byzantines a bit earlier. Damascus was captured by the Arabs two different ways. One half was captured through negotiations and one half was captured via military means. ME: Could we call Baghdad the first Arab city in the same way that Tel Aviv was the first Israeli city? 

Baghdad had the House of Wisdom, some think it was a large library but some also thought it might have been the Sultan's library. But, more important as the physical location, was the attitude to learning it represented. The Muslims, who saw understanding the world/universe (science) as part of their religious calling to understand God's plans, wanted to translate and consolidate all of Greek learning from the past and also concurrent learning going on in India and the East. This compares to the Church that saw Greek learning as being pagan and therefore something to be shunned and also most in Europe did not speak Greek anymore. When the Arab ruled the Middle East it marked the first time there was an organic Empire in that region (me--since the Israelites?) as before it was the Greeks and then the Romans and then the Byzantines. The spread of Islam marks the end of Classical period and beginning of modern period (not sure why this is) perhaps the spreading of ideas. Islam brought ideas from India about numbers (0-9) which were so much more malleable than Roman numerals.

Group learning is a powerful shaper of perception. Any group event can be a constructivist learning event if it has the following characteristics: 

Observation (the event)

Participants (the group must recognize the cognitive potential and agree to work at building on this potential)

Reflection (individual cognitive effort, such as noting observation of reading or event)

Sharing (activity for group cognitive effort to incorporate participant's reflections)

Summation of some kind --output -- assignment, etc. 

For example, on the airplane home from Istanbul, there was an altercation between two passengers. One passenger started shouting and had to be wrestled away. He was biting people and created a very tense situation. The fact that he was not arrested tells something about the difference in Turkish approach and perhaps an American approach, but that would have been one of my observations. 

We each had our own individual perceptions of the event and I talked to several people and learned more about their perceptions and could have written a journalistic account, but what would have made this a true learning event -- sharing of common story (event) and building an inclusive and dynamic narrative?  There was not enough of a shared commitment (a class for example) to allow us to turned this event into a learning event, so we might say that the group cognitive potential was wasted. The participants did not coalesce and acknowledge the event as having group cognitive potential. 

As the above example, illustrates, most cognitive potential is not fully developed and the group potential needs various ingredients. An example of a group cognitive effort could be a formal class project and also a Wikipedia article. Of course, not all members of a group need to coalesce to make for a group cognitive experience. For example, select people that watched a play or movie could set up a Facebook page or have a discussion group after a play or movie without all members of the audience (participants) participating.  On the Niagara trip to Turkey, having nightly informal discussion groups looking for observations was a way of transforming/enriching individual observations into group cognition. 

Turkish flexibility-- A group of men physically lifting up a car to allow a bus to pass through a very narrow street-- obviously built hundreds of years ago. on the airplane home from Istanbul, there was an altercation between two passengers. One passenger started shouting and had to be wrestled away. He was biting people and created a very tense situation. The fact that he was not arrested tells something about the difference in Turkish approach and perhaps an American approach, but that would have been one of my observations.

Perhaps create a cohort back home to learn with cohort in international environment. Cohort at home could engage in all of the prep work and also participate in many of the touring events via podcast, video simulcasting, etc. 

For example, I exchanged text with a 21-year old student on a 10-day trip in Washington. I started off by texting excerpts from an article I was reading in the Wall Street Journal. Below is a summarized version of our text exchange.

Me: "I just read an article on the national mall in Washington, where you are. They called it 'America's Front Yard.' Over 25 million tourists a year. Enjoy!"

Student: "Fun. Currently at Newseuem."

Me: "Great I know it is a private museum. I see on their website a display 'News for all' about ethnic press in America. It looks good."

Student: "Yes, it is an impressive building."

Me: "The display of all the newspapers out front." 


Or

Text: Hope you get a chance to view America's birth certificate, the Declaration of Independence!

Response: I hope to see it tomorrow. 

As you can see, I was providing most of the context; but the context will probably help with scaffolding and might find its way into student's reflection and/or social media posts.

Prep work has long been seen as necessary for cognitive/spiritual process. Jews prepare for Yom Kippur, Muslims prepare for the Haj; Christians prepare for Easter with Lent. 

Learning is not always conducive to trip dynamics -- jet lag, illness, stress, emergency events, people with disabilities. Some barrier on trip, like not being able to get into a museum due to closure or visiting an historical site due to rain, etc. Some people are just not good travelers as well. 

Use below in my idea for class. 

Perhaps participants could give lectures on their specialties in Turkey. Someone with an interest in architecture could prepare a lecture on architecture in Turkey and deliver it in Turkey -- this cognitive exercise could be shared with cohort at home as well as with others via video conferencing. Academics travel as academics. Other people give lectures on their specialties -- religion, etc. use time before trip to prepare for lectures and other things. Also, rather than have whole group together, have group split up and do different things during the day. 

Can people distill knowledge 

Traveling and home cohort could set up buddy system to provide support to each other. Study partners? 

For example, person at home could watch videos, such as "From East to West" as I did and integrate this into learning overseas. I watched videos 6-10 from Batiya Dogru Akannehir 

Could share readings or what they learned over the period. Perhaps someone from the same institution. 

History -- Madras as the original university-- students learned from imans, but all public was invited to sit in (for free, I believe) ; creating learning from chaos that surrounded it, the madras, church, synagogue created a space for the mind development amid the day to day necessity of eking out a living. Turkey was the "saviour" of Sunni Islam during a time when Iran and Shiites were dominant. The Crusades created a fusion of Islam/Christianity and inspired the Reinnasiance by giving Christians access to Greek culture via translation. As Muslims in their Madrasim had preserved Greek culture. Me, What was Jewish attitude towards Greek culture? Since Muslims came after Greeks and Romans, they were not as afraid of Pagan ideas? Now, Islam has to get over its fear of Western Ideals? Symmetry to how early Christians fought against Greek/Pagan ideas while now it seems that much of Islam is fighting against Western (Greek/Pagan) ideas.

Extra

Keep Up with Local other sources of Information about Turkey

Niagara Foundation

www.todayszaman.com/

Newspaper


Find an article that mentions Ataturk and then get a link to him speaking for example. Or mentioning bazaar and link to video, music and link to example of music etc. This can be part of my Turkish lesson plan for Niagara. 

http://www.americanfriendsofturkey.org/Default.aspx

Using these tools about travel helps people use their own egotism in their learning.
A couple strategies did cross my mind as I observed the students.

1) The students got really animated through the use of pictures, especially those with themselves or their friends. Let's build on the egotism inherent in most of us, especially the young, and rather than using it against them, let's use it for learning.

2) Building lesson plans around actual events, such as holidays and other cultural events that students celebrate with friends and family seems like another way to celebrate the self in the classroom.

3) People's pasts and traditional imagery also might figure strongly in the ego-centered classroom.

In terms of using egotism, I think that students should sometimes value their time and direction in terms of evaluating learning situations. The lack of inspiration might also be a clue. We should not be afraid to find supportive teachers and learning environments. In fact, you might say that the ability to recognize bad or ineffectual teachers and negative environments is also a key to be an engaged learner. Avoiding bad teachers gives us more time to find or create good ones.   


The more activism we can attach to the learning process, the more engaging and effective it might be. Activism not only demands an external critique of the system one is engaged with but also an internal critique, as one measures oneself against others on all sides of the debate. Activism around how resources are allocated demands an external understanding of what those resources are and how they are allocated as well as an internal critique of how an individual's share matches up with others. Activism requires a sophisticated response and is therefore an ideal learning environment.

Once these parameters are accepted, the question becomes what strategies are most effective for integrating them into international learning cohorts? 

As the above quote makes clear, there are different strategies and priorities for countries, but the shared goals of increasing access are leading to exciting collaboration. Possible ingredients of  pre-event sequential learning opportunity:

Active, inquiry based environments of varying length can do much to set the stage for explicit learning during an international experience but also help develop both explicit and implicit learning during the preparatory stages of an international learning venture. These same strategies might also be employed in post-learning stages so as to help continue the educational process after a formal or informal international program has ended. 

Traditional orientation programs might be expanded, but to be truly effective, online resources and instructional design should also be integrated. The inclusion of online is supported by the fact that online materials are becoming increasingly important in the coordination of international education. As noted by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation report:

"The nature and status of distance learning differs across our sample countries for geographical, cultural, historical and technological reasons. However, the amount of distance learning is both growing and becoming increasingly interconnected with other forms of provision such as face-to-face provision on and off-site, vocational education and training and transnational education. The term ‘distance learning’ has many synonyms (that often hide real differences in types of learning and forms of delivery) and is growing wider in scope as it embraces new forms of provision delivered by a variety of providers alone or in collaboration."

The reality of strong online resources for international education is important for international travel cohorts because one of the prime ingredients of any successful pre-event sequential learning opportunity would be interaction between group members in collaborating institutions or programs. Participants in a communal international endeavor often from a variety of institutions and geographic areas. Thus, sequential and anticipatory strategies must embrace the blended model, which incorporates both physical and online/technological interactions. For the purposes of this analysis, we will look at strategies as they apply to a 10-day professional trip to Turkey for faculty from a variety of Chicago-area colleges.

This strategies should help deepen the learning of faculty so they can share this learning with future students and colleagues and in this way help describe the enigma that is Turkey and by extension other international locations.

How About Unlearning?

We just heard a drash (informal lecture) by Rabbi Rachel Cowan in which she talked about the senior years as a time for unlearning, of discovering new things about the world that maybe did not fit with your perspective in earlier years. It struck me that perhaps unlearning could take place at any age (although the older we get the more there is to unlearn, so we better get started) and unlearning is one of the biggest goals of learning. We don't just learn new things, but we see new patterns, engage with old images or experiences in different ways. Unlearning could be the start of something vital and new, which is the point of all learning.

Things that get at what is not on the Internet --Traditional Knowledge, the knowledge that is in people's heads and may not even be published. 

This process is a way to visualize change in people and also in the project. "We never really know a place until we have left it behind and then it is somewhere else."-- adapted. Poetry. 

Create a map of this process. 

Activities using historical documents of country being visited, as this example with Israel.

And, let's not forget the role of historical events themselves are excellent blended learning activities. I was at an Israeli Independence ceremony where participants read from the Israeli Declaration of Independence and then reflected on what those words meant to them. It was a very powerful juxtaposition of historical text and reflection. "Lakeview synagogue to host reading of Israeli declaration of independence."

Anticipatory learning is a framework for acquiring the knowledge and skills to understand future possibilities and the ability to collaborate in creating a preferred future. Anticipatory learning involves cycles of disc

Learning and its Discontents

We just heard a drash (informal lecture) by Rabbi Rachel Cowan in which she talked about the senior years as a time for unlearning, of discovering new things about the world that maybe did not fit with your perspective in earlier years. It struck me that perhaps unlearning could take place at any age (although the older we get the more there is to unlearn, so we better get started) and unlearning is one of the biggest goals of learning. We don't just learn new things, but we see new patterns, engage with old images or experiences in different ways. Unlearning could be the start of something vital and new, which is the point of all learning.

I was working with a student about various strategies for writing/researching a paper. She asked "would it hurt if I put this information in?" While it was a literal question, my response was a little more theoretical when I responded: "education never hurts. It is lack of education that hurts." This is not to say that only official education and its outcomes, such as papers and projects are the only solution to personal and societal challenges, but it does set out what constitutes authentic learning. If it is authentic/meaningful learning, then it should comfort us on some level. Not necessarily placate us, but it should be part of this meaningful struggle to understand/change/accept the world.

Getting back to the institutional nature of education, we might see learning as a more abstract process than a literal event, such as getting a degree. Learning might be seen as comprised of individual moments rather than a set process. It is those of us that can think abstractly and put strategies in place that address the unseen/abstract into the seen and concrete yet change that concreteness as the situation demands through new learning or re-framing what we know that sets us up as wise.

Of course, in a theoretical and artistic sense we can always argue that learning does hurt; information can be destructive. This may center on misinformation, misinterpretation, or the reality that what is good learning for one person might be harmful to another. This seems to be part of the message of a play in New York called "57 Bits of Emotional Knowledge," at least according to the review written by Ben Brantley. As Brantley writes " Tell me. I want to know. I need to know. I have to know. Oh, I’m sorry you told me. I wish I didn’t know that. ... The impulses behind those sentences have animated every human being who has walked this planet." 

Brantley goes on to summarize: "The first vignette portrays a man and a woman, caught in mid conversation. She has a secret; he wants to hear it; she’s not sure that’s a good idea, but she finally whispers it to him. We’re not privy to what this secret is. But there’s no question that what the woman has said has effected a chemical change in their relationship. That’s what knowledge does."

And, as Brantley recounts one of the scenes, a woman says: "It doesn’t hurt to know. Information and also love.” “If you’re lucky,” adds the young man.

There is also the contextual nature of learning and information. We learn in situations not apart from them.  Knowledge and learning is presented through events or series of events combine with prompts and reflection. A good organization can capture these learning events an pass them on. The way an organization or groups of people within an organization react to new information and the scenarios they create to improve and pass on learning are a good indication of systems put into place, sensitivity to new ideas or lack thereof.

This, anyway, is part of my takeaway from "Chasing the Rabbit" by Steven Spear, a look at high capacity organizations. Reflecting on institutions/organizations that I have worked with, are there trends in the way new ideas, my ideas and others, have been responded to or observed?

“The family is the cradle of the world’s misinformation” Don DeLillo, “White Noise.” 

As "The Importance of Being Right" by Curis Brown points out, many people that established their "truths" before the Internet have had to change their approach. People use to be able to make claims about topics and not have to worry about being able to check up on the veracity of statements before the Internet. Now, claims made around the kitchen table, a bar, or in more academic settings can be more easily verified (or not). People that made claims that were either consciously or unconsciously incorrect now face the prospect of being called out after a quick search. 

There is also the old saw about the person who is correct by being incorrect. So, for example, a person picks 56 for his lottery number because he feels that 7 x 7 is magical and he wins because 56 comes up; never mind that 7 x 7 is 49. 

By the same token sometimes not finding information even if it is out there is liberating. There is the story of two Northwestern graduates that started their own food website, Spoon University, as reported in the Spring 2014 M-- Medill magazine. The story reported how the two started Spoon University after not finding anything that would help two students prepare their own healthy food when they moved off campus. 

"The idea germinated the summer before Adler and Barth's junior year, when they were preparing to move off campus and had to figure out how to feed themselves outside of the dining halls while staying on a budget and making the most of the small kitchens. Barth, how was a picky eater growing up in Deerfield, IL had no cooking experience whatsoever and recalls. "There was nothing to turn to, to help us do that."

If you do a serach on Amazon you will find many books for people living on their own to prepare nutrious, economic, and quick meals.  But, since the two women did not find any, they started their own vehicle for this information and succeeded. Sometimes it is better not to know everything. 

This does not minimize the importance of being reliable when discussing issues within an academic context. There have been many studies that question the credibility of peer review/academic publishing, such as "The Corruption of Peer Review is Harming Scientific Credibility." The article points out how authors can often choose their own reviewers for their studies and studies with dubious and impossible to replicate findings have been the result.

There is also the issue of fabricated information, as with this article How Many Scientists Fabricate and Falsify Research? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Survey Data?

With research/information management, there is always caveat emptor: let the buyer beware.