Question

Background

Hypothesis

Experiment

Results

Conclusions

Deductive

®What is the role of education in a healthy democracy?

Panel discussions create a power dynamic.

Create a different type of scenario.

Circle discussion.

More real conversation.  Not as much pomp and circumstance and fluff.

Productive connections made between individuals in the room that may continue. 

Inductive

®Do educational institutions play a role in informing political decisions?  Holding political bodies to standards of accountability?

Bring in quotes of different opinions, of conflicting points of view, see how attendees react.  

Varied response, though generally liberal from everyone in the room.

This discussion does not happen so much in the open, so it has a way to go before clear conclusions can be drawn.

Abductive

®Does the fair and equal education of all citizens require a standardized curriculum built upon a core of necessary knowledge, or is it more appropriate to instill ways of learning and communicating, or "habits of mind" that allow for a plurality of content?

Liberal vs. conservative debates in progressive education. 

It is important to have a balance between content and habits.  But who gets to control that balance, and what when it needs to be readjusted?

Statistical

attendance

1 student life

2 professors

11 total

Exploratory

®What can individual students and/or faculty do within the school system to effect desired change?

Experts and specialists are there just as much to teach us as we are to hold them to account. 

Consistency

®Are there specific problems in the status quo that can be identified?

Advantages and disadvantages to public and private schools.

Can education be too individualized?

Consensus

®What was your own education like?  When did you decide to go to college?

Progressive education is continuing along.

What is the best way to educate our youngsters?

Many different trials have been performed.

There is no clear agreement on any particular method.

Still a lot farther to go.

Question

Background

Hypothesis

Experiment

Results

Conclusions

Deductive

What independent studies and tutorials are being done this semester?

Gallatin’s distinguishing characteristics is a popular Independent Study and Tutorial program that allows for Individualized Study. 

If we put several unique independent studies in a room together, we may find some larger interconnection between them. 

7 outstanding independent projects.  Computer projects, live performance, music, dance, discussion

The programming brought itself, every one was good

Positive response from everyone. 

Inductive

What connections might there be between different independent projects?

It went an hour late and
Everybody stayed ‘till the end.

Abductive

Statistical

Attendance

3 faculty

40 total

Exploratory

Kicked it off with a performance.

Communitas

Individual investment was huge. 

Consistency

Why isn’t this already happening anyway?

Consistent with Gallatin’s mission

Consensus

We knew each of the people presenting and trusted that they would do a good job.

Question

Background

Hypothesis

Experiment

Results

Conclusions

Deductive

A year ago we met this guy and since he has picked up, speaking at Alex Grey’s and being on the Colbert Report among other things.

Daniel Pinchbeck wants to speak.

Discussion on his book 2012. 

Very informed, far reaching, esoteric yet grounded discussion.

The potent common touchpoint of the book and this guy’s story framed a productive conversation.  Deeper than superficial. 

Inductive

Breaking subtle cultural taboos

`Removing our shoes.
`Sitting on the floor.
`Crowding around speaker on all sides
`sitting so close everyone is touching.
‘Smudging sage
‘projecting shamanic images

Daniel didn’t get the pampering he is used to. 

Could have been better organized between Barnaby, Pinchbeck, and Abby. 

Abductive

Can we make time to give Daniel Pinchbeck an event?

Accomplished breaking the barrier of guest lecturer/famous novelist. 

Statistical

Attendance

2 faculty

50 total

Big name brings in a crowd.

Exploratory

~Is a major shift in human consciousness underway? ~What lies beyond the rational mind and 
society? ~Are there ancient, intuitive or taboo ways of knowing our world that can be integrated?

First we made everyone feel welcome, relaxed, safe, then we made them a little uncomfortable by breaking these norms. 

He was supposed to be surprised/scared/embarrassed.  People got it.

Consistency

Breaking of taboos, role reversals, our manner of conduct were consistent with the ideas of tribal shamanism in different parts of the world. 

Total commitment

Consensus

Word of mouth advertising… telling specific people that they as individuals should come to this particular event based on what they’re interested in. 

Chill.

Positive.

Question

Background

Hypothesis

Experiment

Results

Conclusions

Deductive

Can we compile enough student literature to create a series of plays to act out on stage?

Conceived at Winter Club retreat as a collaboration with DCA as movers to act out the stories. 

Bring student poetry to life. 

Have student readings on stage in between independently choreographed dance. 

A nice balance of Gallatin Student Art. 

Very Successful as an audio-visual evening.  Great time had by all.  Just not collaborative as much as shared. 

Inductive

Just reading and dancing placed on the same stage, with two breakup musical interludes. 

There was little collaboration.  The original idea did not come to pass.

Need for more communication between groups

Abductive

Perfect way to ease into this kind of thing. 

Statistical

Attendance

Mostly all for DCA

3 student life

? faculty

150 total

Exploratory

Can we hold our own?

Movement and Music

Improvisation piece in the middle of structure choreography pieces. 

Awesome

We have to do more of this. 

Consistency

Consensus

DCA expressed an enthusiastic desire to collaborate with us again. 

Everyone wants more!

Question

Background

Hypothesis

Experiment

Results

Conclusions

Deductive

Provide a simplistic breakdown of crises in the region: Middleastology 101

-Turkish traditional music trio
-DVD news clips projected big-screen.
-Google Earth on another wall projected live for conversation aide. 

Inductive

How much do most people know about what is specifically involved in the Conflict in the greater Middle East?

Where are people getting their information?

war

Have an open discussion and see where people are with it. 

Open the floor to talking between segments. 

People were coming in at all different levels of knowledge about the issue, but mostly no one knew very much at all- indicated by jaw agape silence. 

Abductive

Same repertoire of people from Student Life attend every time.

Statistical

Attendance

Why no faculty?

16 total

Torn about whether lower attendance was good or bad.  It kept the conversation intimate, but the space could have accommodated more.

Exploratory

It was dark for the projector, but too dark for conversation

There is a need to separate the conversation from everything else that happens. 

Consistency

No one knew anything.

The conversation could not progress very far. 

Consensus

More people doing shorter presentations—diversity, breaking the evening up. ??

Need better sense of moderation.  More than one moderator to keep the balance in check?

That lady was crazy and kind of set the whole energy on a strange balance.   By saying that she was given knowledge that 9/11 was going to happen the day before it did from a middle eastern spy.

If there had been a faculty member, people would have been a lot more reluctant to hazard guesses. 

Question

Background

Hypothesis

Experiment

Results

Conclusions

Deductive

How can I help the global environmental situation from NYC?

Many respected environmental non-profits in New York.
The Mayor’s office is starting green initiatives and wants good PR with NYU. 

Co-Sponsor an event on sustainability in NYC with the Mayor’s office and invite non-profits to come compare, contrast and brainstorm, then provide meaningful volunteer opportunities. 

Set Non-profits up with tables around the room.  After the room fills up have a panel discussion.  Then break up and browse the tables ‘college fair’ style. 

The browsing started without us doing anything, then we broke that flow and forced the panel. 

Inductive

They each gave a schpeil summarizing what they do and then we ran out of time for more meaningful discourse. 

Communicate better with moderator beforehand. 

Abductive

We should have grilled them harder. Hold them to account. 

Statistical

Attendance

50 total

Exploratory

In the future lets not be afraid to break things down.

Pack the audience with good questions in advance.
More of a different kind of preparation needed.  

Consistency

Corporate event format.

Step outside the framework and be legitimately ‘out there’. 

Switch format to ‘Jobfair’ first, ‘panel’ second. 

Consensus

lame

Too formal and political. 

Question

Background

Hypothesis

Experiment

Results

Conclusions

Deductive

Is there any validity to the intutive intersubjective sciences of ancient cultures?

Rich history of shamanism and alchemy.

Talk about these esoteric topics in an academic way, but doing justice to the subjective side through art. 

Drum jam,
Powerpoint aided lecture by two professors in different fields.  Followed by question and answer. 
Smudge sage.
Hugging people when they enter. 

Fine synthesis.  Community building in the room.

People like this stuff, and it was done well. 

Inductive

Indian Food

Lots of people found their power animal. 

Abductive

Experiential learning.  Not just a lecture.

Really really successful for different reasons.  Lots of preparation.  With professor speakers.

Statistical

Attendance.

3 faculty

50 total

Exploratory

Opening with ritual.
Quest for power animal.
Staring into your neighbors eyes for 120 seconds. 

Communitas

Supremely effective.

Consistency

Western civilization, overly logical ignoring these subtler attributes of the mind. 

Experiential learning. 

Break conventions of event formats

Truer academic exploration

It’s a big world out there. 

Consensus

“fail-proof”

Full of energy

Do more things like this.