Meeting Location: Oakland HUB, 2323 Broadway
Time: 10 am to 1 pm
Class Leader: Edwin
Class Story Teller:
Lesson: Lesson 1, readings and workbook.
1. Meeting Space
We are set to meet at the Oakland HUB next Saturday.
Rabi’a is having some difficulty with getting permissions to use her space there for the following weeks. As a backup we should look for other meeting options just in case it falls through... Hopefully we can meet there since it is a beautiful space.
Another option Rabi’a says that we can use her apartment. There is a wall where we can post to. See http://j.mp/1Gtiktt
2. Definitions of Empathy
At the last meeting the issue of the definitions came up. We saw that it can be complex. We were using design principles to work toward a shared and simple definition. Here is a link to a page with definitions I’ve put together. http://bit.ly/J6fK91
I’m attaching a simple definition or description of empathy by Carl Rogers that I like. When we do interviews, it might be good to ask people how they understand empathy and work from their understanding. Sometimes asking for a metaphor of empathy can be enlightening.
3. Practicing Empathic Listening at Next Meeting
At the meeting we talked about how, we as a team, need to create an empathic team environment and model it. We want to create an empathic team where everyone is fully listened to and heard. One of the most accessible ways to create an empathic environment that I know is empathic listening. So, at the next meeting we will practice empathic listening for 30 minutes.
Attached is a guide for how we will do that. Here are some videos of empathy circles that I have hosted. http://j.mp/QESX9A
4. Do Interview(s) for Next Week
For next week, do one or more 15+ minute interviews with family members, friends, etc, regarding our design question. How might we nurture more empathy in families?
Attached is the Empathy FIELDGUIDE from the D.school, that you can use to guide your interviews.
The interviews should be typed up since we will use them in further classes.
Here is a list of possible questions to ask. You can come up with more and we will add them to the list. http://j.mp/1QCbFwx
We will each present a short synopsis of our interview at the next meeting
5. Read Lessons 1 and 2 for the next meeting.
We are still on Lesson 1 next week but it would be good to get familiar with lesson 2. They are located here also with other pdf files. http://j.mp/1ePIuu3
6. Review the human-centered design Literature
Here are some links to material. This is a private space for material about design I’ve gathered.. http://tinyurl.com/EmpathyDesign
Check out various introductory videos here. http://j.mp/1JkO8j3
I like this old video of IDEO on redesigning the Shopping Cart
We are doing the same process but redesigning the family to have more empathy.
Here is an interesting article I just saw.
Teaching Empathy Through Design Thinking
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-empathy-through-design-thinking-rusul-alrubail
“In an age of creators, makers, and innovators, we hear of the concept design thinking too often. What is design thinking? More importantly, can design thinking help you as an educator in your classroom?
Design thinking is a concept that centers around applying creativity and innovation to our actions, decision making, and problem solving as human beings. More significantly, it focuses on the impact that this creative and innovative thinking has on individuals. As a concept, design thinking can be used pedagogically to enhance our teaching practices. As a tool, it can be used to foster and teach empathy in the classroom.” (and the family)
Report on Meeting
1. We started with empathic listening – with introductions and check-in, which I feel worked well.
2. We shared our interviews.
3. We covered a variety of topics
4. Misha, would you be willing to type up your notes and email them to the team so we can add them to the team website?
5. Everyone, feel free to email your notes and thoughts on the meeting. We can add these to the team work website.
We also need to type up and post any interviews. http://j.mp/1ICuxcJ
6. Empathy Team Agreements:
We started discussing this. Overlaps with family agreements as well. I posted some of my notes on this here.
We can keep fleshing it out.
https://sites.google.com/site/empathyteamfamily/topics/team-agreements
7. The idea for empathy buddies calls came up.. we can have between meeting empathy buddy calls.
Home Work
1. Interview someone new about the role of empathy in their family.
Can just be a short 15 minute interview to hear their story or narrative. We will share 2 minute reports at the next meeting on your interview. Report should be typed up so that we can add it to our website list of interviews.
2. Class 2: see http://j.mp/1KqbCFh
a. Read Class 2 readings
b. Print and bring Class 2 workbook to next meeting. We will work through this at the meeting.
3. We need to have everyone lead a meeting. Check the schedule and sign up for being class leader for a meeting. You can team up with someone. see