Thank you everyone for an amazing class

I just want to say thank you to everyone for making each and every class so enjoyable. Everyone was always so enthusiastic about the material and their projects that i looked forward to going to class every week. I was also so moved and inspired by everyone's presentations.

Patrick, I just want to say that I shared Elaine's video on facebook and plan on donating in the near future. She is an amazing woman and i hope that everything works out for her.

Jennifer, thank you so much for introducing us to Hugues. His story and his thoughts on life are truly inspiring. Thank you also for being brave and using Creativist for your poject. It was great to see the different ways in which in can be used.

Patrick, thank you for bringing humor into your project. I know that i often think that projects have to be serious but humor is a great way to bring people together and foster connections.

Natalie, thank you for sharing a piece of yourself in your project. I thought that the personal piece really added to the project.

Kate, thank you so much for sharing your personal experiences with pain. My grandmother lived most of her life with Fibromyalgia so i really connected with a lot of the things that you talked about in your presentation. I cannot wait to look at your creativist presentation in its entirety. 

Liz, thank you for exploring alternative education methods. I have been interested in homeschooling for awhile and it was great to hear personal stories and reflections on homeschooling.

Paula, thank you for challenging us and forcing us to move out of our comfort zone.

Here is the video that I created for our project in case anyone wants to watch it again.

HERE I COME SUMMER

Last Post

Well, I am not quite sure that I can put into words about how I felt this class was and went. I am happy for it to come to an end because of obvious reason but at the same time I will miss the class room setting and most of all the people and Professor G which made this class that I was not quite sure how it was going to go but in the end I have not only gained important knowledge that I would have not been able to get anywhere else but I have learned that going out of your comfort zone and everything is going to be alright. It is fun to take risks and try something new and in the class we were all able to do this in various ways we did our presentations. I enjoyed everyone projects very much and now have more tools on my belt that I can use in furthering my education. I am glad that I got to be part of such a great group and such an interesting class. Some of you I may see in upcoming classes but some I will not. I hope your journey towards becoming social workers are filled with interesting stories that will help and inspire others in the profession, this is Patrick Johnson from channel 1 ½ signing off.

 

Fly high

Last Thoughts

I know when I introduced myself at the beginning of this class I said I wanted to take a class to get used to being back in the 'role' of a student and give myself some preparation for graduate school. While those things are kind of true it was sort of a glib comment and I knew I was drawn to taking this class for it's topic and objectives. I learned so much from all of you, the guest speakers, our professor, Sean, Muhsana, etc. and I will be heading off to school feeling more inspired and armed with more creative and effective ways to undertake research. I felt more comfortable and confident in my writing than I ever have before and I know that the openness and encouragement that was part of the blog had a huge influence on that. I know we were all collectively a bit nervous about putting together our presentations and I was so impressed with what everyone offered. It cemented the idea that this is such an important and effective way to show the implications of narrative and qualitative research.

I am equally impressed by the fact in one way or another you are all managing school, families, kids, jobs, career changes, and additional projects with all your other responsibilities. I know Maine will be so much better off having all of you in the field of social work! I hope to keep up with all the projects you are working on when I'm in Maine (Hope House, housing initiative for homeless vets, Center for Grieving Children, etc.)

If anyone finds themselves in the UK in the next year you are always welcome to come stay with me in Leeds where I'll be doing my Master's in International Health :-) My email is kpmcilhenny@gmail.com.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

final thoughts

My expectation of how this class was going to be was entirely different from what it actually was, it was honestly better than what I expected. I initially decided to take a summer course to lighten my load in the fall  and help prepare myself for the grad school life. I feel like this was the perfect course to not only prepare me for the fall semester, but it really got me excited for my entire grad school experience. I have so many ideas now and am open to trying new things. I learned something new from everyone's presentations and I see that their are endless amounts of options when doing an oral history project. Some of the highlights for me was the book The Warmth of our Suns. I felt like I was able to relearn and gain more of an understanding of the great migration through the personal stories incorporated in the book. The process of using iMovie and using media in general was another highlight of the class. I learned so much through trial and error and I am at the point where I just want to learn more and figure what else is out their to use for future presentations. This has been a great class and I am looking forward to the fall semester. However, I am really looking forward to the next 2 weeks off!!! I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer..

-Natalie

WOW.. What a Journey it has Been!!

So I had to follow Jess' lead on the photo, this is about how I am feeling after this semester! I have taken four classes this summer and after many sleepless nights and all the 'running' Ive been doing I am feeling like I just ran a marathon! 

With that said this was the most amazing class I have taken! I love Dr. G's teaching methods and really feel that you do get out of a class what you put into it. I have given this class my all and it hasn't felt like work at all because it was so amazing and inspiring to have been in a class with all of you. I have learned so much from each of you and feel privileged to have met you all.

I stayed up late last night working on my part B and C, knowing I have one more final to get in by Friday for another class- but I slept until 10 am this morning! The first 8 hours of sleep in a long time and it felt GREAT! I hope that all of you take some time to yourselves now that classes are over for a few weeks, enjoy what we have left of the summer and be proud of the work that was accomplished! 

I know my daughter will be pleased after Friday now that classes will be over! She reminds me all the time how much she hates the fact I have so much homework to do, but she also sees that school is important and that you must work hard to accomplish great things. Though she hates it she knows that I am doing all this so that I can help people, and so that I can provide a better life for my family. 
 
In the end I have really mastered the art of multitasking, trying to be a mom, wife student, worker, and the list goes on.  I sit back and reflect on how great it was to have that 'down' time to go to class each week to sit and hear such wonderful stories from all of you and Dr. G. There was really great work being done, we should all be proud of the work we accomplished, the stories we heard and shared, and we learned how to use computer software (well for some of us)! 

So now that the rain has stopped and hopefully no one's basements are flooded, the day is bright and beautiful and I hope you all enjoy your time!

 Thanks for sharing the last seven weeks in a class with us all!

Okay, so this is slightly how I am feeling right now. BTW I'm Steve Carell on the end! I am so happy that I signed up for this class. Knowing how amazing Dr. G is I really expected no less. However, I am not sure I would have expected to meet so many new amazing people. The past two years I was on a track in undergrad where by mid last year I felt like I knew each and every one of them. Coming in to this class there were many new faces. I feel that I was pleasantly surprised as well as inspired by each of you. This is hopefully a sentiment to the trajectory of my experience in the MSW program (i.e. a bunch of over achievers!) I say that jokingly, but I truly appreciate being able to take classes with people who want to make a difference in the world and are not just trying to get a grade. 

Thank you! 

How I spent my Summer Vacation

Having summer off is one of the perks of teaching, therefore friends were perplexed when I told them my first summer as a Professor would include teaching a 7 week course. At the request of the then Assistant Dean, I proposed this course 4 years ago when I was teaching at University of Texas at Austin as a doctoral student. I was disappointed when I was not able to teach the course though excited to offer it this summer at USM. I checked every other day to see if the enrollment would meet the required number for a course offering. I was relieved when we had 10 enrolled students and the course was a go. Teaching this class has been a blast - and along with you all I have learned a great deal and I walk away inspired by your work.

Each of you invested a great deal of time and effort in your projects. You encouraged each other offered suggestions and resources. You took risks and experimented, pushing yourselves into new territory, using creativity and being flexible. The results were impressive, and you all should feel proud! We all felt connected to the people in your stories - and after all, making connection is what it is all about. I am excited to see where you go from here. Some of you mentioned you are interested in furthering your work, and if so keep me posted, I am happy to help.

So when people ask me how I have spent the summer vacation I tell them how lucky I am to be able to teach this class.

It has been a joy to get to know you all and be part of your learning process. Enjoy the remaining weeks of summer and hope to see you in the Fall!

So last week I was in Chicago attending the National Summit on Authentic Youth Engagement where I had the opportunity to present on using your story to create policy change. It was such a great conference where there were so many great presenters! I wanted to share the resources with you so that you can learn what I have from attending. 
 There were about 500 people in attendance, from Jim Casey Fellows, to Policy Advocates in DC and much, much more... 
On the second day we had a great presenter who was inspiring to listen to. He is such a great advocate or youth, education and not giving up! Here is the video he showed us before his speech, I have yet to see a clip of the conference with the presentations but I know it is coming! I will share once I have it...

Dr. Steve Perry’s heart pumps passion and produces positive change. Featured on CNN's Black in America series, Dr. Perry is the most talked-about innovative educator on the scene today.  Perry is the founder and principal of what U.S. News and World Report has cited as one of the top schools in the country, Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut. Capital Prep has sent 100 percent of its predominantly low-income, minority, first-generation high school graduates to four-year colleges every year since its first class graduated in 2006.  
Perry is in a hurry to transform the community. Born into his family’s third generation of poverty on his mother’s 16th birthday, Perry believes that the success of a life is determined by where you end, not where you start.  It is this philosophy that inspired him to transform the lives of poor and minority children by providing them with access to a college education. 
Dr. Steve Perry is a strong advocate of personal and civic responsibility in all aspects of life. He emphasizes the social issues that aim at building up both the individual and the community so that the next generation can be better contributing members of society. When Perry speaks, he reaches the heart of his audience to motivate change in themselves and their community.  His secrets to success and calls to action are revealed in his new book, “Push Has Come To Shove: Getting Our Kids The Education They Deserve – Even If It Means Picking A Fight.” 
In addition to being the principal of Capital Preparatory Magnet School, Dr. Perry, MSW is an Education Contributor for CNN and MSNBC, an Essence Magazine columnist, best-selling author, and host of the #1 docudrama for TVONE “Save My Son.”

Course of Action with Dr. Steve Perry.

 






Other GREAT speakers include this AMAZING young lady who uses her voice and artistic skills to tell stories.
Her words are so powerful and her story so inspiring... I hope you enjoy this poem as much as I did.
(Click on each picture for a different link). 
ENGAGE. EQUIP. INSPIRE.
"I am STRONGER than I ever imagined. BOLDER than I ever thought possible. CONFIDENCE in what is greater... I was born to be GREAT..." -Stronger: An Inspirational Journal by Crystal L. Williams
  

One of the topics that came up numerous times was about social justice and civil rights, many made comment about the Civil Rights Movement how it was youth that were gathered in some states to march and come together to promote change. Other topics were around the Great Migration and how powerful that movement was, again people stepping forward for change. It made me think of The Warmth of Other Suns, and how powerful Wilkerson is in gathering the stories to tell us of the amazing courage of Ida Mae, George Swanson Starling, and Robert Joesph Pershing Foster, as they journey away from all they knew for something better. The struggles and terror they faced as they made that journey and the hardships they over came along the way. One of the people at the conference made the analogy of youth in care coming together with those who took part in the Civil Rights movement and other movements that have taken place in our past, to learn from them, to share stories of their journey- I think that would be such an amazing story to be captured. The history that can be captured, the knowledge that could be learned and the connections that could be made.

As we read in the Chambon chapter, that "social work operates on the fine hinges between micro-events and historical, political and cultural circumstances, and relies on everyday processes of articulation. Social work mobilizes different levels of reality. It requires precise, carefully documentation and simultaneously rest on personal and collective imagery and memory. Social work, as a field, is made of material conditions and social imagination." (Chambon,p 600).

I think this is very true, as social workers we play many different roles; teachers, political advocates, case manager, broker, organizer and facilitator to name a few... We can use our voice, our history, passion and art to advocate and bring awareness. 
As the semester comes to an end I reflect on my groups project, and I am so glad that we had an opportunity to do this project. Capturing the stories of others, using those stories to create something or bring awareness to some thing is so powerful. The connections that we make with those we work with are so powerful, I learned so much from all of you in class and so much from those we spoke with. After conducting my interviews I went back to one of the men I interviewed to show him the video and He told me that after our interview/discussion he and his friend sat for hours after I left talking about their memories, about their childhood and the things they miss about home. I was initially worried that in some way the interview had caused him to be upset and he assured me that it was not, they really enjoyed reminiscing on the past. He said that I "took him way, way back to Mexico and his friend to Columbia. Others that I spoke with shared thing about their past as well, their place of origin and what a Home Means to them. 

I want to share the poem that a friend wrote for me on "What is a Home" it is on the video and I will hand it around during the presentation but wanted to share it here as well. 

What Makes A Home?
What makes a home?
Walls to contain?
Doors to open
Or close and lock?
Windows to see in
Or out?
A place to lay your head
At the end of the day
When weariness takes hold?
A bench in the park
When the shelter was too frightening?
A friend’s couch for a night
When the park grew too cold
And the eyes in the night
Watched you there?

You made our house a home
When you needed a home
When you needed family

It was a big house of many rooms
And a lawn to mow
Dogs in the yard
Apple pie in the oven
Show tunes bouncing down the stairs
From my your room
It was safe and warm
And we learned about each other

Love makes a home
P.B - 8/2/14

References:

Jim Casey Youth Engagement Initiatives: http://jimcaseyyouthengagement.org/conference-resources

http://www.imaginenationskreative.com/

Social Work and the Arts: Chambon article p. 591-602.

Wilkerson, I. (2010). The Warmth of Other Suns. New York: Random House.

 

Stories

The importance of stories has been the heart of this class. Through class discussions and through several of the readings including The Warmth of our Suns, history has been told through the stories people have lived to share. I never realized to this extent how important someone's story is and how important it is to listen. Going through the audio I have gathered over the course of this class, I have listened to it over and over and find that each time I took away something new.

My oral history project was originally around DHS and the changes that have occurred over the past 10 years. I originally thought I would pull demographics from each year after 2005 and gradually show how the school has become more diverse. Since changing the idea to include my personal experiences I am realizing that I am telling part of my story, which is a bit frightening. Now that I have incorporated my story into this oral history project, I am interested in listening to others with similar stories and find out if their were similar experiences to my own.

Whether or not I continue on with this project for research, I have learned how important it is to listen to someone's story when working with people.

-Natalie

 

 

 

 

Link to my project

Hi all,
Here is the link to my Creatavist project about Hugues and his life here in Portland:

From Burundi to Portland: A story of resilience and adventure








(Please forgive the somewhat choppy audio clips--I'm still learning how to use Audacity to edit audio files!)

I would definitely encourage you to check out Creatavist. I found it to be really user-friendly, and I loved the flexibility it gave me to add things like references, pop-ups, etc. so the flow of the main narrative wasn't disrupted.

As I mentioned this morning, I feel like I got so much more out of this project than I had expected. Not only did I get to learn a lot more about Hugues than I had known, despite having met him almost a year ago, but I really experienced the beginning of a shift in my mindset from the PR/advertising world that's been my life for two decades (almost as long as Hugues has been alive!) to social work. In advertising, the end goal is always to persuade--so an interview like this, even if unscripted, would be guided by questions that lead to soundbites that help promote a particular, predetermined point of view. I wasn't conscious of it immediately, but I realized over the course of my interview with Hugues that I was expecting a particular story to emerge--one that I could use to help support the work of Hope Acts. I was definitely thinking in storyboards--short scenes that would be melded together into a compelling story of resilience and determination that I could share with potential donors and others to further the important work we're doing.

I don't think this was a bad goal---certainly, the work we do benefits Hugues and others like him--but it wasn't about Hugues. Fortunately, Hugues is not at all shy, and so he took control of the interview without even realizing it--my list of questions sat in my lap as I listened to the story he wanted to tell me. The truth is, he answered most of the questions I had prepared without being asked--but he also gave me so much more information that I would have learned if I had stuck to my script. Being able to be present in that moment and know it was more important to listen than to take back control of "my" interview was perhaps my greatest success of this project. That approach is going to be crucial as I begin my work in a few weeks with people with Alzheimer's, where I suspect I will often have to cede control of the conversation in order to be sure their voices are heard.

This class, and this project, has opened my eyes in so many ways to the possibilities for my academic and field work for the next two years, and beyond. I am really excited about the opportunity to weave storytelling into my field work and, perhaps, my thesis--and to find creative ways of sharing personal narrative with others.

Thank You!

Hey all! I wanted to say thank you for the great and unique class this summer. It was awesome to have such a genuine group of people to learn from and share my ideas with. Today’s class was fantastic and I’m really looking forward to our session on Wednesday. This short class has been an awesome experience, and I hope to see some of you next semester. I want to wish all of you the best with your goals and I hope to possibly hear more stories that you bring to light. Best-Patrick Hart

Oh, here is a link that I created in the hopes of helping Elaine a bit more. If you happen to be on FB or some other social media, help me share her story by posing and sending it to your friends and family. Thanks again!

http://www.gofundme.com/ccu0vs