Midwest Consortium

Our blog has moved! MidwestConsortium.org

2009-03-02T11:45:00.005-06:00

We've migrated our website to Joomla!, an open-source content management system. Joomla! has an integrated blogging feature, so we started blogging directly onto our own network.

All of these posts have been archived on our new website, leaving this blog essentially obsolete, now serving only as an archive of a previous incarnation of the Consortium and an advertisement to its current location.

Blogger.com, we will miss thee! Our first foray into the dizzying world of social media will not soon be forgotten.

Au Revoir.

Chase Beyer
AmeriCorps VISTA

Come see our new website at MidwestConsortium.org.

The scoop on IGD

2009-01-06T10:39:00.002-06:00

Hello fellow VISTA members. We are working on arranging an Intergenerational Dialogue for February. It would be great to chat about what the rest of you are doing for IGD, experiences, ideas, formats, etc. Does anyone else have concerns about making it a successful experience for everyone involved?
-sara

Future Directions

2008-11-13T08:00:00.005-06:00

I'm sharing some documents from the Obabma/Biden campaign web site that should give all of us some idea of the direction Obama will take the Corporation for National and Community Service under his administration. He's got a lot on his plate, of course, which may affect how well or how quickly he can implement these changes, but these documents give us a very good idea of his plans for service, service-learning, student leadership, social entrepreneurship, and leveraging the private sector to develop the nonprofit sector.

What you'll read in these documents are in sync with what Tracie Seabolt (our program officer) and others in Washington described to Gary when he was there a few weeks ago for the grantees meeting. This information can be particularly instructive as we look forward to our planning for the next big Corporation grant. It's fortuitous, I think, that we are getting such a wonderfully wide-open look at the direction our major funder is going, just in time for us to begin our serious planning for the next round of funding.

Obama's plan for service.doc (This is an outline of the plan for Service, excerpted from the Bluprint for Change, below)

National Service Plan Fact Sheet.pdf (This document sets out Obama's plan for service in more detail.)

Obama Blueprint For Change.pdf (This is Obama's whole plan for his administration. The info about service starts on p, 51. This document can also be downloaded from http://www.barackobama.com/issues/.)

And just to help us keep in mind where our organization's interests continue to intersect with the Corporation's, here is a link to the Consortium's Mission and Vision Statements, adopted at our member meeting last May, which are posted on our web site: http://midwestconsortium.org/mission.aspx.

If you have comments or suggestions or questions about these documents or our mission and vision, I hope you'll use the comments feature on the blog as a part of an organization-wide conversation about our future direction with the Corporation.

Thanks,
Deb Eisloeffel

Meeting Deadlines

2008-10-23T16:10:00.001-05:00

Time and time again, I ask my fellow VISTA Members - "What is the hardest thing about your job?" Each time I ask, I get a few new answers, but a definite curve exists along the lines of "Meeting deadlines." For new VISTA members and old, I could not agree more.

Sure there are some of us that were always johnny on the spot with our work. Some of us may have even worked hard enough to meet every deadline ahead of time. To these people, I say, congratulations and keep up the hard work. I recognize that even for these people, it's not easy to turn things in on time and one would be lying to say that it comes naturally. It takes effort to make deadlines and when one has no control over setting them, sometimes these deadlines seem unfair or downright unrealistic.

What's the answer then? Having served nearly two years now as a VISTA, all I can say is that we're all human and no one is perfect. Sure, this excuse may not buy you much when you are in the private sector, but I've always found that honey is much more rewarding than vinegar. Thus, whenever someone cannot meet a deadline, it is best to negotiate with the person who set the deadline. At minimum, inform them of your latency and make a dedicated promise to finish as soon as is humanly possible. Sometimes, it may not buy you any flexibility, but the deadline setter will at least understand that you meant well - this will affect future encounters, I assure you.

Other than that - remember two things:

1. Get started early on a project. Never leave it for last minute, for when you do, you're assured to have bumps, distractions, and new projects vie for your time. To ensure you meet the deadline, start now rather than later. Trust me - you'll be glad you did.

2. Whenever starting out on a project or knowing that you have to meet a deadline for a report, always draw up an outline and time line. These can be extremely simple, but they will serve their purpose in making your life easier. Organization is key and if you already have it when you start the endeavor, it will be smooth sailing from then onto the deadline.

VISTA Members are asked to do much for very little, but all of you are more than capable of giving it your best effort. Your supervisors, the Consortium Office, and you, yourself, should expect nothing less. I will be here to assist you in that journey, so make it a habit to call me or email me.

Best of Luck, VISTA Members!

Balancing the Whole World on Your Shoulders....

2008-10-15T17:34:00.003-05:00

If you have ever felt like this, then you have been officially welcomed to VISTA. We all spend our days piling through reports, analyzing data, talking with students, collaborating with community partners, and finding ways to please our superiors. This is just part of the job, right? Well, perhaps a part of the job, but certainly not all of it. If it is, then you aren't getting the full VISTA experience that you should be getting.

As we serve our year as VISTA Members, we stumble around for the first three months finding our niche and deciding what projects will be worth our while. Sometimes, this process can take a little longer if we're in a situation that has its own nuances and complications. Hopefully, by the fourth month, you are engaging in some meaningful experiences and building those partnerships that you've been striving to build since you began. Most Service-Learning VISTA Members, depending upon their start dates, will experience an ebb and flow pattern that mirrors the semester flow at our institutions. What we fail to do in most cases is plan for the ebbs and flows so that we aren't left with too little to do when there seems to be a slow-down nor are we overwhelmed when things pile up on us.

Thus, the key to having a good year and a positive VISTA experience is planning. Do it whenever you can. Keep an accessible and useful calendar on you or on your computer; use social media to remind yourself of upcoming events or important deadlines where you'll need to have x, y, and z submitted. Whatever you do, always keep your plans handy so that when someone asks for a bit of your time, you will have an updated, realistic outlook of your schedule and can plan accordingly and with accuracy. Don't schedule yourself to the point that you exhaust yourself and burn out, but don't leave gigantic gaps where you could be strengthening a partnership or building repore with the students or administration. Do whatever it takes to keep to that schedule and remember to take time to reward yourself following any big victories.
After all, you deserve it.

Finally remember - Though it may feel like you're balancing the whole world on your shoulders, you have 17 other team members and a leader who might just make the load a little lighter.

Good Luck, VISTA Members!!!

Volunteer Efforts and other things

2008-10-13T07:52:00.006-05:00

What does volunteering mean? (At least in my eyes)
Growing up on a small farm in Ohio, my parents insisted that my siblings and I participate in numerous school and non-school related activities (see Boy Scouts, 4-H, Church Youth Group, etc.). No doubt they were trying to "keep us out of trouble." While some, with me would argue the results of that, I can say that they did have a profound impact on me. The most visible I can see from a personal standpoint is this idea of volunteerism. At all these functions, the leaders, the adults and younger individuals as well were volunteering their time and efforts for the common good. That was a deciding factor when I was an under-graduate to pursue a program not unlike the VISTA program, more specifically for me though was wanting to participate in "Teach for America." While that program did not pan out, primarily as there are not alot of opportunities with them in Nebraska, the VISTA experience has been astounding.
My mother was a VISTA in the, well a while ago, and so I was aware of the program, and the good that came about as a result.
I feel I lucked out by having the opportunity to be a VISTA with the Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education and with the director, Dr. Gary Heusel. The Consortium is an immensely vital and integral resource and database for its members and for service-learning in general not only in the Midwestern region of the United States but also throughout the country. There is even interest by some of our VISTA in international service-learning. The projects and sheer number of students that participate in our projects speak for themselves. I could go on and on about the Consortium, but I will defer more information to our really cool website, www.midwestconsortium.org. Here you can find these numbers and links to the cool projects and our member sites.
Back to the subject of what is volunteering, at least to me. Recently I have had the opportunity to volunteer with numerous agencies across the Lincoln area. Some of the opportunities are more challenging than others, more so from an emotional standpoint, and all are fun, because of the mission driven ideal of helping people, and of contributing something positive back to society. There are numerous ways to volunteer and numerous opportunities in any community in the United States, and most importantly there are numerous needs and causes to volunteer for. There are several websites with volunteer opportunities across the Midwest and even the U.S. One that I use on occasion is www.idealist.org. Also through the various social media sites, there are listings. One growing in popularity and useage is through Facebook called I Volunteer, which lists opportunities and allows for individuals to log their activity.
And in conclusion, my personal belief on giving something back stems from these interactions I had growing up in the Boy Scouts and in 4-H. There were numerous camps and events with volunteers, both young and old, who took time out of their busy lives to contribute something positive back to society, and I can't help but do the same.

This is a picture of some volunteers participating in the "Huskers Helping the Homeless" events for the Matt Talbot Outreach Kitchen. (This picture is from google.com)
.

2008-10-01T13:19:00.003-05:00

Adjustments of importance to the RFP for the Social Media Grant

1) The November 14, deadline is the date we will begin reviewing proposals. We will review proposals and allot monies until the $75,000 is spent.

Rationale for change: The rolling deadline does take some of the competitiveness away but it allows us to begin learning how social media can really benefit getting people involved in service-learning and how social media can be utilized to support reflection on the service-learning while it is occurring and after a project is completed.

2) Student Stipends can be utilized to pay for student assistants. This is not really a change but a clarification and strong suggestion that including a student assistant in a project would provide extra support to the faculty/staff member teaching the class or advising the student organization. The student assistant should be extremely knowledgeable about the use of social media. The student assistant would be most likely the individual involved in getting additional students engaged if it is not a class assignment which is mandatory for all students. The student assistant could be the person to monitor reflection and feedback if the faculty member chooses the right assistant and prepares them for this task. A specific project could have a student assistant as a line item in the budget. If a member institution has two or more individual projects the institution can also apply for a student assistant to assist in coordinating the social media grant for the office.

3) Proprietary systems like Black board or D2L cannot be utilized for reporting on the social media grant. We have to use a system that can be linked directly to our web 2.0 site portal with an RSS feed and we do not know of a way to do a feed from a proprietary site such as those utilized by individual institutions. This is a grant and intended to help many people learn how to utilize social media for service-learning. The Corporation offered the funds because they did not know the best way to proceed and wanted some people to help them learn. We are going to involve those who offer proposals for additional learning.

"Advancing Collaboration" The Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education 5th Annual Conference in Brookings, South Dakota

2008-09-30T11:06:00.003-05:00

Day 3, Final Day

First, apologies for the late post for the last day. A hectic weekend and no Internet access contributed to the delay.

Once again the day began with a very enjoyable breakfast followed with a very interesting and unique lecture by Michelle Dunlap. I was again playing the role of camera man, but did manage to listen and and capture most of the message and ideas she was conveying. I found her anecdotal stories to be of great interest.
Following the opening session the attendees were again regaled with numerous sessions about the many faucets of service-learning and programs within the institutions. I attended two different sessions during this time to again capture and dialogue via the video camera these issues. One of the sessions was again put on by Michelle Dunlap while the second dealt with technical questions and concerns with social media. I found it very interesting the perspectives on social media and how they have been and could be incorporated into existing infrastructure to strengthen and promote that particular program. It was also refreshing to see individuals who by their own admission are entirely unfamiliar with such technology so eager to explore and check them out for themselves.
At the conclusion of these sessions was again another wonderful lunch. For me, however the conference was over as I had to make Silver Creek, Nebraska by 3:30. Another consideration was that I was also out of "film" for our little camera and so my days as a cameraman came to an end.
Overall I found the conference to be very enlightening and interesting and I am looking forward to utilizing my newly found knowledge in the areas of service-learning I deal with.
(Also to see if my video footage and pictures will be of use and came out cleanly!)

"Advancing Collaboration" The Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education 5th Annual Conference in Brookings, South Dakota

2008-09-25T22:58:00.001-05:00

Day 2

Today was a very interesting and at times entertaining day at the conference. For me it started when Dr. Heusel, the fearless and noble director for the Consortium, and I headed off on a journey for a digital video camera which would enable to us to record details, stories, and dialogue from the days events. We managed to find a suitable camera at the local Wal-Mart and were off to the conference site on the campus of South Dakota State University and their Student Union.
First a comment about the campus. SDSU has simply an amazing campus, ideally suited for a campus that some might term the middle of nowhere in the middle of nowhere (an actual quote from a conference attendee). But the pristine nature and complex architecture of the buildings lends the campus to the quintessential Midwestern university campus. I personally find the campus very inviting and unique and worth the trip if you ever have the opportunity to explore it.
Back to the conference. First on the agenda for the day was very filling and delicious breakfast followed by a unique opportunity for the attendees in the opening keynote by the one and only, Andrew Furco. A very interesting look into service-learning in deed.
Following the breakfast we were indulged with numerous sessions ranging from the usage of social media to interact and incorporate service-learning to the use of alternative spring breaks to enhance the role and visibility of it.
A little side note with the video camera. So we got the video camera, got it hooked up, read the directions and then realized that no cartridges or memory cards were included. So needless to say I had to trek back up the hill to the local Radio Shack to purchase proper disks or whatever in which to use our new gadget. But no worries the camera was soon up and running.
My first group of interviewees was a group of Exercise Science majors from Wayne State University in Wayne, Nebraska. Basically what I was looking for in my brief stint as a camera man was what they were getting out of the sessions, where they were from and how they could incorporate this newly found knowledge into real time situations and programs. This particular group had very profound experiences and genuinely enjoyed the sessions they had attended thus far.
One of the afternoon sessions focused on the Consortium's recently awarded grant from the Corporation dealing with Social Media. Now of course this was a very lively and active session, with arguments both for and against the usage of such advancing and innovative technology in which to enhance service-learning. But the data is there. In an ever changing and evolving world as facilitators, administrators, and all others interested in these projects and programs to address social issues we must go where the people are. And there are numerous social media venues in which numerous really cool and exciting things are going on to promote and facilitate positive social change on very dynamic social justice issues, and the usage of such social media technology can do nothing but further such a mission.
In the early evening the attendees were regaled at the universities art museum by a series of really AWESOME poster presentations. I tried to reach all of them but I am sure I missed some. After this we were honored by the presence of a group of local Native Americans who performed a series of drum and dance routines accompanied by singing and chants. It was a very unique experience and I found it to be AWESOME! (On a side note I find it to be very interesting all of the AWESOME events the attendees were able to partake in, so perhaps it is the word of the day)

This concluded our day, but not the conference, as tomorrow promises to be full of even more very good and thought provoking sessions and addresses!

"Advancing Collaboration" Midwest Consortium 5th Annual Conference, Brookings South Dakota

2008-09-24T21:45:00.001-05:00

Day 1

Today saw a meeting of the minds at the annual meeting prior to the kickoff for the "festivities" for the conference. I only caught a glimpse of the meeting as fog delayed my arrival. Still it was a very interesting discussion concerning the use of social media in advancing and enhancing the service-learning going on at our member institutions. Several very intriguing and thought-provoking discussions concerning the differentiation between Service and Learning and the merger of the two, as well as the distinction between co-curricular and academic service-learning. A fellow VISTA, Charles Coley remarked on the inclusion across boundaries, (which happens to be the name for our grant, Students Beyond Boundaries). For example it is a connection and a networking tool to enhance and further the mission of whichever particular topic or course is the medium.
Another interesting component of the conference was of course the networking. There are so many cool people doing so many cool things to further the mission and goals of both service-learning and the consortium. IT IS AMAZING the work that is going on. To read some of this work please visit our consortium wiki, the site will follow.

Dinner was awesome we ate at the Ram which is located in downtown Brookings. If you visit Brookings, you must visit.

Tommorrow is full of exciting and interesting lectures, sessions and posters presentations, so much more information and knowledge to go.

Students Beyond Boundaries Social Media Initiative

2008-09-23T10:38:00.000-05:00

(This was sent out to the listservs and official press releases yesterday)

South Dakota State University -- Brookings, SD; $450,000: The Midwest Consortium will partner with the Applied Information Management Institute and the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) chapters of member colleges and universities in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Western Iowa. The project, supported by Learn and Serve America, will employ social media tools such as PBWiki, Facebook, podcasts and Blogger to engage students in service, increase collaboration between students and communities, and leverage student energy and talent to strengthen neighborhoods. Students will work with community partners and lead community needs-assessment forums to develop service projects focused on alleviating poverty.

Aiming to tap the skyrocketing popularity of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace to promote social good, the Corporation for National and Community Service today announced $2.3 million in grants to use social media to engage college students in service to meet community needs.

The grants provide seed funding to six organizations to develop the next generation of technology innovations to support college student service. The grant program, the first of its kind by a federal agency, capitalizes on two emerging trends: the strong civic attitudes of today’s millennials and college students, and the explosion in use of social networking sites.

Read the rest of the story at

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=1144

2008-09-23T08:44:00.002-05:00

Conference Tomorrow

Wednesday through Friday we have the annual opportunity to interact with faculty, staff, some students and a few community leaders involved in service-learning at one or more of our member institutions. The majority of those who attend the conference are there because they want to learn more about service-learning so they can do a better job of assuring student learning is enhanced and community service is improved.

While we are all going to be tired from the preparations for the conference please do everything possible to get a good night's sleep tonight and be ready to listen and interact with conference participants for the next three days. This is a great opportunity to learn what is going on and be somewhat renewed with the knowledge that what we do is important.

Gary

Tweet Me!

2008-09-23T08:22:00.003-05:00

In the spirit of becoming a Social Media Expert (don't ever let anyone tell you that's possible - how do you become an expert on such a mobile --pardon the pun -- target?) But I'm getting started. Last night I finally signed on to Twitter.

If you're a Twitterite (a Tweeter? a Tweet Geek? This crowd has it's own specialized nomenclature!) and want to "friend" me, my user name is "deisloeffel." I can't go into much more detail at this point because I'm not entirely sure what to do next. I've also got a monstrous pile of conference details to attend to in the next 24 hours. I'll tweet my activity over the next few days during the conference, if I can manage it -- Watch me sing like a bird!

We'll talk more in Brookings.

Deb

Blogging from Boston

2008-09-18T22:00:00.001-05:00

I'm currently in Boston awaiting the beginning of a conference. On the flight here, I had several hours to ponder the actual implications or our social media grant. It goes without saying that social media will streamline service-learning projects across the Consortium. The greatest legacy of this project, however, will be actual sustainability--after all, the web is the greatest archive possible. To the point: the blogs recording service-learning projects will still exist and serve as reminders of this grant long after the students have graduated and moved to the next stage of their lives. Really amazing...

Anyhow, just a few thoughts from Boston. I, BTW, really dig our new office blog. It's keeping me connected even half a nation away.

Social Media Information

2008-09-18T10:48:00.001-05:00

Social Media as a platform to teach, engage, and learn. Several statistics support the usage of social media platforms for higher education.

In 2001, the PEW Internet and American Life Project estimated that over 17 million American teenagers use the internet, representing 73% of this age bracket with all considerations included.
In 2005 this number had risen to 87%
Facebook maintains 85% market share of 4-year U.S. universities
Facebook is the most-trafficked Social Media site in the world (comscore)
Microsoft paid $240 million for a 1.6% stake in Facebook
40 Billion page views a month on Facebook
64% of online teens ages 12-17 have participated in one or more among a wide range of content-creating activities on the internet.

Utilizing the various social media sites to create, maintain, and grow learning communities and opportunities is vital. When a majority of younger individuals in institutes of secondary and higher education are flocking to these sites as collaborators, educators and administrators we must adapt.