WEBVTT 00:00:01.501 --> 00:00:03.870 The following content is provided under a Creative 00:00:03.870 --> 00:00:05.238 Commons license. 00:00:05.238 --> 00:00:07.474 Your support will help MIT OpenCourseWare 00:00:07.474 --> 00:00:11.544 continue to offer high quality educational resources for free. 00:00:11.544 --> 00:00:14.080 To make a donation, or to view additional materials 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:18.051 from hundreds of MIT courses, visit MIT OpenCourseWare 00:00:18.051 --> 00:00:22.956 at ocw.mit.edu. 00:00:22.956 --> 00:00:25.458 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK, so this is the second part of the class, 00:00:25.458 --> 00:00:27.861 and this the last for the semester. 00:00:27.861 --> 00:00:33.694 So I think we've traveled a lot. 00:00:33.694 --> 00:00:35.235 We see many difficult issues I think. 00:00:35.235 --> 00:00:37.037 And I want to give you credit, I think, 00:00:37.037 --> 00:00:41.508 for-- during the semester for being so open, and honest, 00:00:41.508 --> 00:00:45.245 and being able to engage into difficult issues. 00:00:45.245 --> 00:00:47.213 And each time that you guys were presenting you 00:00:47.213 --> 00:00:49.916 might remember me liking you to you 00:00:49.916 --> 00:00:52.786 to get deeper into personal issues 00:00:52.786 --> 00:00:54.054 and not just the abstract. 00:00:54.054 --> 00:00:56.890 And the reason is because I think you make a better 00:00:56.890 --> 00:00:59.759 case where everyone is of use you can bring 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:01.628 your own narrative into it. 00:01:01.628 --> 00:01:05.131 And I think it's-- overall I think it has worked and myself 00:01:05.131 --> 00:01:08.701 learned so much from the semester from listening to you, 00:01:08.701 --> 00:01:11.905 some of your own personal discoveries about yourself, 00:01:11.905 --> 00:01:15.775 about issues of race, language, gender, sexuality. 00:01:15.775 --> 00:01:18.111 And I give you lots of gratitude. 00:01:18.111 --> 00:01:20.847 It's risky, and because when you came here, 00:01:20.847 --> 00:01:22.782 you didn't know each other, most of you right? 00:01:22.782 --> 00:01:26.286 And yet to be able open yourself to the difficult questions 00:01:26.286 --> 00:01:29.021 and to give answers that were so thoughtful. 00:01:29.021 --> 00:01:33.193 And so-- many of them I didn't expect some of you 00:01:33.193 --> 00:01:36.628 to literally come out in this class, in a way. 00:01:36.628 --> 00:01:37.729 Right? 00:01:37.729 --> 00:01:40.100 So I thought that very well in this class. 00:01:40.100 --> 00:01:44.503 So I give you my respect for that. 00:01:44.503 --> 00:01:48.475 So I'm going to end passing to you. 00:01:48.475 --> 00:01:49.709 AUDIENCE: Yeah. 00:01:49.709 --> 00:01:51.544 MICHEL DEGRAFF: You get a little while more, 00:01:51.544 --> 00:01:55.315 maybe you've got things that you feel 00:01:55.315 --> 00:01:57.417 you take with you to the next steps 00:01:57.417 --> 00:01:59.119 so that you feel that all this will come 00:01:59.119 --> 00:02:02.322 after you this class might benefit from anything that you 00:02:02.322 --> 00:02:05.191 want share, in terms of your learning 00:02:05.191 --> 00:02:08.294 experience in this class, and how you think 00:02:08.294 --> 00:02:12.532 can bridge those gaps that we've seen because 00:02:12.532 --> 00:02:15.168 of our societies, our families? 00:02:15.168 --> 00:02:17.670 So I wasn't here last Thursday but I watched 00:02:17.670 --> 00:02:20.667 the video of the whole class. [inaudible] too, 00:02:20.667 --> 00:02:24.277 actually really impressed by how you guys brought up 00:02:24.277 --> 00:02:25.612 your personal issues. 00:02:25.612 --> 00:02:28.748 And so but these are going to have worked on. 00:02:28.748 --> 00:02:30.350 I assume you have to make some. 00:02:30.350 --> 00:02:34.988 For this class-- for this class 40 minutes or so 00:02:34.988 --> 00:02:37.557 you have to be something to bring out. 00:02:37.557 --> 00:02:40.260 We'll go to Nicky. 00:02:40.260 --> 00:02:41.427 You're going to take a pass? 00:02:41.427 --> 00:02:43.329 OK we'll go to Edna. 00:02:43.329 --> 00:02:44.797 AUDIENCE: She's quicker with words. 00:02:44.797 --> 00:02:49.636 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Yeah. 00:02:49.636 --> 00:02:52.491 AUDIENCE: So I'm not sure if I fully understand what 00:02:52.491 --> 00:02:53.740 I'm supposed to say, but I'm-- 00:02:53.740 --> 00:02:54.841 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Anything. 00:02:54.841 --> 00:02:56.242 AUDIENCE: --going to say what I was thinking. 00:02:56.242 --> 00:02:59.045 So for me personally throughout this class I think I realized-- 00:02:59.045 --> 00:03:02.443 I explored myself and my identity way more, 00:03:02.443 --> 00:03:04.984 and I think I was forced to ask questions about myself that I 00:03:04.984 --> 00:03:06.853 hadn't. 00:03:06.853 --> 00:03:08.388 And for me the main thing I realized 00:03:08.388 --> 00:03:12.444 is like how uncomfortable I am with being multiracial. 00:03:12.444 --> 00:03:14.027 I enjoy being multiracial but I didn't 00:03:14.027 --> 00:03:16.629 realize that there's parts of me that don't necessarily 00:03:16.629 --> 00:03:20.867 fit together, and how I don't really see myself as one 00:03:20.867 --> 00:03:22.702 certain race, or whatever. 00:03:22.702 --> 00:03:28.374 And I think the things that with that were our personal essays, 00:03:28.374 --> 00:03:31.644 and definitely free writing assignments 00:03:31.644 --> 00:03:34.147 that one of the guest professors had us do, 00:03:34.147 --> 00:03:35.409 that got pretty deep. 00:03:35.409 --> 00:03:36.783 And I was kind of like, oh crap I 00:03:36.783 --> 00:03:38.949 have to write at 9:30 in the morning, when she first 00:03:38.949 --> 00:03:39.619 said that. 00:03:39.619 --> 00:03:42.589 But then I really enjoyed it. 00:03:42.589 --> 00:03:47.393 And I think like maybe bringing out more multi-racial topics 00:03:47.393 --> 00:03:49.996 next year would be beneficial to people 00:03:49.996 --> 00:03:55.134 to know that that was a problem with themselves. 00:03:55.134 --> 00:03:57.103 And I think also a really interesting topic 00:03:57.103 --> 00:03:58.471 that we went over was-- 00:03:58.471 --> 00:04:00.106 I think-- What did we call it? 00:04:00.106 --> 00:04:01.241 Faking? 00:04:01.241 --> 00:04:04.444 Passing, passing-- and how it's a privilege. 00:04:04.444 --> 00:04:08.281 And talking about like all the controversial issues on that 00:04:08.281 --> 00:04:10.550 and don't think I really also thought about that 00:04:10.550 --> 00:04:11.618 before this class. 00:04:11.618 --> 00:04:14.120 So that was something I benefited from. 00:04:14.120 --> 00:04:17.490 MICHEL DEGRAFF: So you say faking instead of passing? 00:04:17.490 --> 00:04:18.858 AUDIENCE: Yeah. 00:04:18.858 --> 00:04:21.461 And it reminded of a comment Cynthia made back then, right? 00:04:21.461 --> 00:04:22.996 That often, when we think of passing 00:04:22.996 --> 00:04:26.599 we think of it as something which is negative-- 00:04:26.599 --> 00:04:27.834 AUDIENCE: Yeah. 00:04:27.834 --> 00:04:28.968 MICHEL DEGRAFF: But contained in that point, which 00:04:28.968 --> 00:04:30.884 I remember very well, I thought very important 00:04:30.884 --> 00:04:33.606 that passing should not be viewed from that perspective. 00:04:33.606 --> 00:04:35.508 I say to that point that we can think 00:04:35.508 --> 00:04:39.812 of passing as a normal survival strategy in a way. 00:04:39.812 --> 00:04:40.380 So maybe-- 00:04:40.380 --> 00:04:41.781 AUDIENCE: Yeah. 00:04:41.781 --> 00:04:46.772 MICHEL DEGRAFF: That's a nice segue to think of [inaudible].. 00:04:46.772 --> 00:04:48.688 AUDIENCE: I actually have another one I think. 00:04:48.688 --> 00:04:49.789 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Say it again? 00:04:49.789 --> 00:04:51.539 AUDIENCE: Nothing, can I have another one? 00:04:51.539 --> 00:04:59.475 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Sure of course. [inaudible] [laughter] 00:04:59.475 --> 00:05:01.100 AUDIENCE: So I guess it's sort of hard, 00:05:01.100 --> 00:05:03.369 I think it sort of takes a lot of reflecting-- 00:05:03.369 --> 00:05:04.771 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Yeah. 00:05:04.771 --> 00:05:07.707 AUDIENCE: Sort of think about all that that we've discussed. 00:05:07.707 --> 00:05:11.344 Sort of a quick note, one of things that this class has 00:05:11.344 --> 00:05:16.215 sort of solidified for me is the importance of conversations. 00:05:16.215 --> 00:05:20.653 And so I think most of learning that I've done in this class 00:05:20.653 --> 00:05:24.957 and other sort of seminar based classes sort of pales 00:05:24.957 --> 00:05:27.460 in comparison-- or what I've learned in my technical courses 00:05:27.460 --> 00:05:28.834 pales in comparison to the things 00:05:28.834 --> 00:05:32.031 that I learn in classes like this 00:05:32.031 --> 00:05:35.268 because at the end of the day, I think most of the learning 00:05:35.268 --> 00:05:37.136 comes from those around you. 00:05:37.136 --> 00:05:38.471 Class needs this. 00:05:38.471 --> 00:05:41.741 So, experiences that they have more so 00:05:41.741 --> 00:05:45.144 than what you learn in these technical classes. 00:05:45.144 --> 00:05:47.880 There's a saying that says five years after you graduate 00:05:47.880 --> 00:05:51.484 you won't remember 90% or whatever of what 00:05:51.484 --> 00:05:52.885 you learned in college. 00:05:52.885 --> 00:05:55.455 But I think what you do remember is 00:05:55.455 --> 00:05:57.724 these sort conversations that boil down 00:05:57.724 --> 00:06:01.060 to personal experiences. 00:06:01.060 --> 00:06:04.430 And so I think, again, there is a challenge 00:06:04.430 --> 00:06:06.966 in this world of sort of approaching 00:06:06.966 --> 00:06:12.171 people who aren't really willing to have these conversations. 00:06:12.171 --> 00:06:14.874 But sort of changing yourself is the first step. 00:06:14.874 --> 00:06:17.577 And I think if everyone sort of makes this, or has 00:06:17.577 --> 00:06:21.914 this realization, takes a step toward making this change, 00:06:21.914 --> 00:06:23.483 It's very idealistic, but I think 00:06:23.483 --> 00:06:24.984 the world be a better place. 00:06:24.984 --> 00:06:28.054 And so I think that's probably one thing that I've 00:06:28.054 --> 00:06:31.858 gotten from this class. 00:06:31.858 --> 00:06:34.360 AUDIENCE: Go man. 00:06:34.360 --> 00:06:41.033 AUDIENCE: Bouncing off of what Burk said, 00:06:41.033 --> 00:06:44.604 I think one way in which I would like to see his class grow is 00:06:44.604 --> 00:06:49.175 the integration of having some sort of conversation like open 00:06:49.175 --> 00:06:54.280 discussion instead of debate with someone who does not come 00:06:54.280 --> 00:06:59.385 from a similar theological-- not theological-- 00:06:59.385 --> 00:07:00.319 AUDIENCE: Ideological. 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:01.421 AUDIENCE: Thank you. 00:07:01.421 --> 00:07:03.289 Ideological background as opposed to people 00:07:03.289 --> 00:07:08.261 in this class, to try to see and sort of gain practice 00:07:08.261 --> 00:07:10.730 in having a session with someone who 00:07:10.730 --> 00:07:15.201 is a lot different from you, and developing a common trust, 00:07:15.201 --> 00:07:18.371 and come to see each other's viewpoints 00:07:18.371 --> 00:07:24.177 in a way that would be more informative than what 00:07:24.177 --> 00:07:30.516 one could do among a set like-minded individuals. 00:07:30.516 --> 00:07:31.617 AUDIENCE: Let's see. 00:07:31.617 --> 00:07:35.588 So one thing that I enjoyed about this class 00:07:35.588 --> 00:07:37.623 I can distinctly remember one class 00:07:37.623 --> 00:07:40.626 that literally blew my mind I think I turned to Sonny 00:07:40.626 --> 00:07:42.562 and was like, oh my gosh. 00:07:42.562 --> 00:07:44.997 And that was when we interrogated 00:07:44.997 --> 00:07:47.666 what MIT was as an institution and where 00:07:47.666 --> 00:07:51.571 we sit in this hierarchy of social-- 00:07:51.571 --> 00:07:55.107 in the social hierarchy in the US. 00:07:55.107 --> 00:07:57.844 And I think when coming to MIT I was 00:07:57.844 --> 00:08:00.947 willing to give the institution a free pass a lot 00:08:00.947 --> 00:08:03.216 because I felt that I was getting 00:08:03.216 --> 00:08:05.017 a lot from the experience. 00:08:05.017 --> 00:08:07.854 But I think now that I'm senior and all the seniors here 00:08:07.854 --> 00:08:10.685 graduate-- last day of class with you 00:08:10.685 --> 00:08:13.226 guys-- now that I'm at this point where I can think back 00:08:13.226 --> 00:08:15.862 on what MIT has done for me and what 00:08:15.862 --> 00:08:18.064 and how it functions I think I'm better 00:08:18.064 --> 00:08:24.470 poised to think more critically about the institutions I choose 00:08:24.470 --> 00:08:32.477 to join future for postgraduate education and after. 00:08:32.477 --> 00:08:34.480 AUDIENCE: So I took this class as a challenge 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:36.115 to myself because at the beginning, 00:08:36.115 --> 00:08:39.217 I knew about the prejudices and stereotypes 00:08:39.217 --> 00:08:42.488 that I had been taught, and I wanted to get rid of them. 00:08:42.488 --> 00:08:44.891 And I think this has helped a lot with that 00:08:44.891 --> 00:08:47.527 just by hearing everyone else's perspectives from the readings, 00:08:47.527 --> 00:08:51.831 from looking at the world, by taking a step back 00:08:51.831 --> 00:08:54.267 and looking at things as they are 00:08:54.267 --> 00:08:58.504 and not how we were specifically taught that they are. 00:08:58.504 --> 00:09:00.940 And I really appreciate that. 00:09:00.940 --> 00:09:05.444 I want to- from here on I want to move forward 00:09:05.444 --> 00:09:11.017 and try to figure out how to be an ally 00:09:11.017 --> 00:09:12.785 from an asian-american perspective 00:09:12.785 --> 00:09:16.923 because a lot of the times asian-american families 00:09:16.923 --> 00:09:19.625 try to be the status quo. 00:09:19.625 --> 00:09:23.262 Like my parents have always taught to try to be, 00:09:23.262 --> 00:09:27.934 not explicitly, but implicitly try to be as white as you can. 00:09:27.934 --> 00:09:31.704 And I think that that was a really difficult lesson 00:09:31.704 --> 00:09:34.407 to go through, and then come to a place like MIT which 00:09:34.407 --> 00:09:37.109 is so diverse and which has so many different backgrounds. 00:09:37.109 --> 00:09:39.445 And so come in thinking there's a hierarchy where 00:09:39.445 --> 00:09:41.213 there isn't and now going forward, 00:09:41.213 --> 00:09:47.553 trying to break that down. 00:09:47.553 --> 00:09:49.655 AUDIENCE: Related to what you said actually 00:09:49.655 --> 00:09:53.759 is this concept of being multi-racial, and interrogating 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:55.261 that for yourself. 00:09:55.261 --> 00:09:58.931 But also within a context of being in a society 00:09:58.931 --> 00:10:03.836 of multiple races, and understanding the spaces that 00:10:03.836 --> 00:10:06.906 exist for meaningful conversations 00:10:06.906 --> 00:10:10.176 across cultural, and ethnic, and other sometimes 00:10:10.176 --> 00:10:13.145 just socially constructed boundaries 00:10:13.145 --> 00:10:16.315 that don't necessarily need to be boundaries. 00:10:16.315 --> 00:10:21.454 And I remember in one conversation Cynthia actually 00:10:21.454 --> 00:10:27.727 really challenged this idea of forming alliances especially 00:10:27.727 --> 00:10:31.030 between historically, systematically 00:10:31.030 --> 00:10:33.299 oppressed groups. 00:10:33.299 --> 00:10:35.868 And in a class like Black Matters 00:10:35.868 --> 00:10:41.140 I think that we actually think about people who don't identify 00:10:41.140 --> 00:10:43.909 as black, and who may not be read as black in society, 00:10:43.909 --> 00:10:46.445 and we've engaged critically with the issues 00:10:46.445 --> 00:10:49.115 that they face as well. 00:10:49.115 --> 00:10:53.285 When we talked about immigration from Mexico, and in other times 00:10:53.285 --> 00:10:56.555 where I insist upon interjecting indigenous 00:10:56.555 --> 00:10:59.325 North American issues into the conversation. 00:10:59.325 --> 00:11:01.327 But there seems to be space for all of that, 00:11:01.327 --> 00:11:05.097 and so what I want to take away from all of these discussions 00:11:05.097 --> 00:11:11.404 is how can we create meaningful alliances, and be allies, 00:11:11.404 --> 00:11:13.973 and how can we collaborate between groups 00:11:13.973 --> 00:11:19.111 who are distinct and different, and face similar challenges 00:11:19.111 --> 00:11:24.617 in this society, but also have really specific perspectives 00:11:24.617 --> 00:11:27.153 and experiences, and future goals. 00:11:27.153 --> 00:11:29.922 So the idea of collaborations, especially 00:11:29.922 --> 00:11:31.524 among historically oppressed groups 00:11:31.524 --> 00:11:33.259 is one that I want to continue thinking 00:11:33.259 --> 00:11:37.697 about outside of this class. 00:11:37.697 --> 00:11:39.532 AUDIENCE: A lot of what I was thinking about 00:11:39.532 --> 00:11:42.268 during this class for me personally 00:11:42.268 --> 00:11:47.139 was comparing and contrasting because I come from a very-- 00:11:47.139 --> 00:11:48.074 I'm from Zimbabwe. 00:11:48.074 --> 00:11:49.875 So there's not a lot of diversity, 00:11:49.875 --> 00:11:52.672 and this is an entirely new experience to me, 00:11:52.672 --> 00:11:54.046 so a lot of what I were doing was 00:11:54.046 --> 00:11:57.383 comparing my past, my history, my experiences 00:11:57.383 --> 00:12:00.920 with you guys experiences and everything around me, 00:12:00.920 --> 00:12:03.589 and thinking about for instance, in the readings 00:12:03.589 --> 00:12:05.224 how they analyzed different situations, 00:12:05.224 --> 00:12:07.827 the situation in America, the situation in Haiti. 00:12:07.827 --> 00:12:10.329 And thinking about where these things are connected 00:12:10.329 --> 00:12:11.697 how they are different. 00:12:11.697 --> 00:12:13.966 What could have been done what should be done? 00:12:13.966 --> 00:12:18.504 And I think I rarely thought about issues like this 00:12:18.504 --> 00:12:20.272 before this class, and now I'm starting 00:12:20.272 --> 00:12:23.042 to think about it more, especially in education. 00:12:23.042 --> 00:12:27.646 I'm really interested in education, and how we can help 00:12:27.646 --> 00:12:31.283 teach people in the future how to use their skills that they 00:12:31.283 --> 00:12:34.186 learn, how to think about, how to approach certain problems 00:12:34.186 --> 00:12:38.390 in a way that challenges them, and also challenges the status 00:12:38.390 --> 00:12:41.327 quo, and challenges the hierarchies that are set up. 00:12:41.327 --> 00:12:44.396 So personally, I think that this class definitely 00:12:44.396 --> 00:12:46.832 helped me think a lot more, and I 00:12:46.832 --> 00:12:49.201 hope that in future it will help a lot more people think 00:12:49.201 --> 00:12:52.238 about their actions, think about what they're saying, 00:12:52.238 --> 00:12:54.073 think about what they're doing, and think 00:12:54.073 --> 00:12:56.175 about how they can help and how they 00:12:56.175 --> 00:12:58.110 can engage their communities. 00:12:58.110 --> 00:12:59.578 For instance, I remember when we're 00:12:59.578 --> 00:13:04.150 talking about how we came to MIT we might graduate, 00:13:04.150 --> 00:13:06.352 and then what are we going to do would we 00:13:06.352 --> 00:13:08.873 go back to the communities where we come from? 00:13:08.873 --> 00:13:10.289 How we are going-- how do you plan 00:13:10.289 --> 00:13:12.324 to affect those communities? 00:13:12.324 --> 00:13:15.661 Do you go back as experts, or do we go back as one of them, 00:13:15.661 --> 00:13:17.196 do we to fit in? 00:13:17.196 --> 00:13:18.697 Questions like that are definitely 00:13:18.697 --> 00:13:22.168 things that we should think about, and I think 00:13:22.168 --> 00:13:24.539 are very important. 00:13:24.539 --> 00:13:26.205 AUDIENCE: Yeah I think the biggest thing 00:13:26.205 --> 00:13:30.109 for me was learning about what we were learning, 00:13:30.109 --> 00:13:33.846 but then thinking back to how I grew up in a really white area, 00:13:33.846 --> 00:13:36.849 and I was always taught there is one correct way to speak, 00:13:36.849 --> 00:13:41.654 there is like one correct way to teach kids. 00:13:41.654 --> 00:13:45.391 And thinking back now with all this information 00:13:45.391 --> 00:13:48.961 how damaging that really is, and how it it's 00:13:48.961 --> 00:13:51.797 not really about the language, and it's not really about 00:13:51.797 --> 00:13:54.733 how we speak it's more about marginalizing groups 00:13:54.733 --> 00:13:56.936 that might speak that way. 00:13:56.936 --> 00:14:02.441 And it's just thinking about how my entire school system was 00:14:02.441 --> 00:14:07.379 based on what they thought was correct, and was telling us 00:14:07.379 --> 00:14:08.981 what we should think is correct, and I 00:14:08.981 --> 00:14:13.652 think coming out of this hopefully 00:14:13.652 --> 00:14:17.923 we can try to change some of that in the school systems 00:14:17.923 --> 00:14:21.393 because it can really affect how kids 00:14:21.393 --> 00:14:25.731 view the world as they grow up. 00:14:25.731 --> 00:14:28.033 AUDIENCE: I think one thing I gained from this class 00:14:28.033 --> 00:14:35.040 is, I guess, verification of the idea that listening is very 00:14:35.040 --> 00:14:37.943 important, and there's kind of various ways 00:14:37.943 --> 00:14:39.011 you can think about it. 00:14:39.011 --> 00:14:40.479 Just in the context of this class, 00:14:40.479 --> 00:14:45.384 whether it's listening to other people share their experiences, 00:14:45.384 --> 00:14:48.621 and really taking in and understanding 00:14:48.621 --> 00:14:52.558 how they fit in within whatever social hierarchy, 00:14:52.558 --> 00:14:54.827 or whatever kind of issue we're discussing. 00:14:54.827 --> 00:14:57.663 And seeing how it's kind of played a role in their lives, 00:14:57.663 --> 00:15:00.766 and kind of seeing how you could apply it to either better 00:15:00.766 --> 00:15:04.670 someone else's life, improve your own interaction 00:15:04.670 --> 00:15:05.871 with the world in some way. 00:15:05.871 --> 00:15:09.041 Or whether it's listening in terms of language. 00:15:09.041 --> 00:15:12.177 We talked a lot about language and how 00:15:12.177 --> 00:15:15.247 certain modes of speaking are somewhat marginalized. 00:15:15.247 --> 00:15:18.784 So ensuring that as you go forward you really 00:15:18.784 --> 00:15:21.987 listen to people regardless of how they present their ideas, 00:15:21.987 --> 00:15:24.523 or present their thoughts, or whether it's 00:15:24.523 --> 00:15:26.625 listening as far as engaging people who 00:15:26.625 --> 00:15:29.161 have opposing opinions as you. 00:15:29.161 --> 00:15:31.090 Really understanding that in order 00:15:31.090 --> 00:15:32.464 to strengthen your own positions, 00:15:32.464 --> 00:15:35.067 and really understand why it is that you think the way it is. 00:15:35.067 --> 00:15:37.202 You have to be able to listen to people who think 00:15:37.202 --> 00:15:39.271 in a different way than you. 00:15:39.271 --> 00:15:41.740 So yeah, I've just seen a lot of different things 00:15:41.740 --> 00:15:46.445 in this class that speaks to the importance of listening. 00:15:46.445 --> 00:15:47.980 AUDIENCE: I think what this class 00:15:47.980 --> 00:15:52.451 has made me call into question a lot is my lack of analysis 00:15:52.451 --> 00:15:57.909 of my racial background because I'm Japanese-American. 00:15:57.909 --> 00:15:59.325 It's not really something that I'm 00:15:59.325 --> 00:16:03.595 forced to address all the time because no one's really calling 00:16:03.595 --> 00:16:05.731 that much attention to it because neither one 00:16:05.731 --> 00:16:12.071 of those groups is really that attacked in modern society 00:16:12.071 --> 00:16:14.173 for being a racial group. 00:16:14.173 --> 00:16:17.343 And something I didn't really even think, 00:16:17.343 --> 00:16:18.544 my mom is an immigrant. 00:16:18.544 --> 00:16:20.045 I didn't really address that ever 00:16:20.045 --> 00:16:25.184 because no one was calling in to question her immigration here. 00:16:25.184 --> 00:16:28.120 And that also leads to a lot relating 00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:34.426 to how the opinions of other people, and especially 00:16:34.426 --> 00:16:36.595 my very conservative extended family, 00:16:36.595 --> 00:16:40.232 and how their opinions about certain things 00:16:40.232 --> 00:16:43.168 such as immigration are relying on people being 00:16:43.168 --> 00:16:46.071 of certain races, and being from certain places because it 00:16:46.071 --> 00:16:49.608 isn't something that they've ever seen negatively 00:16:49.608 --> 00:16:50.943 about my family. 00:16:50.943 --> 00:16:54.146 But it is something that's a cornerstone of why 00:16:54.146 --> 00:16:57.016 my family exists. 00:16:57.016 --> 00:17:03.255 So I think things like that, having people address 00:17:03.255 --> 00:17:06.759 their own identities, and their own backgrounds 00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:08.394 and how that's affected how they see 00:17:08.394 --> 00:17:10.695 everything else in their interactions with other people 00:17:10.695 --> 00:17:15.060 I think is a really great part of this course. 00:17:15.060 --> 00:17:17.435 AUDIENCE: I'm having trouble just to lay everything down, 00:17:17.435 --> 00:17:19.938 but I guess one big takeaway from this class 00:17:19.938 --> 00:17:23.675 was accepting that there is no one right 00:17:23.675 --> 00:17:30.182 way to exist as a human across individuality, race, and class, 00:17:30.182 --> 00:17:31.116 and things like that. 00:17:31.116 --> 00:17:33.752 And that was a realization that I 00:17:33.752 --> 00:17:37.089 think I came to in this class. 00:17:37.089 --> 00:17:38.824 And it all goes back to the importance 00:17:38.824 --> 00:17:40.592 of interrogating your beliefs, and why 00:17:40.592 --> 00:17:42.561 you think the ways that you do. 00:17:42.561 --> 00:17:45.330 And it's really eye-opening and I think 00:17:45.330 --> 00:17:46.465 that it's really important. 00:17:46.465 --> 00:17:49.268 You have to open yourself up to that 00:17:49.268 --> 00:17:51.737 and it takes a certain level of vulnerability. 00:17:51.737 --> 00:17:56.975 I wasn't expecting to come out in this class at all, 00:17:56.975 --> 00:17:59.645 but I did because this was a place where I felt safe, 00:17:59.645 --> 00:18:01.547 and it was really surprising that I felt 00:18:01.547 --> 00:18:04.116 so safe in this environment. 00:18:04.116 --> 00:18:08.987 And I think that's something we need to recreate elsewhere. 00:18:08.987 --> 00:18:11.690 A lot of people I would like to take for this in the future 00:18:11.690 --> 00:18:14.326 is therapy who are seniors taking this class, 00:18:14.326 --> 00:18:15.794 what do you do now? 00:18:15.794 --> 00:18:18.430 What class do you take next, or what actions 00:18:18.430 --> 00:18:21.233 can you take because of what you've learned in this class? 00:18:21.233 --> 00:18:22.868 I think something that maybe they 00:18:22.868 --> 00:18:25.104 could have it in this is thinking about concrete ways 00:18:25.104 --> 00:18:26.738 to actually do stuff. 00:18:26.738 --> 00:18:29.942 Because we had Professor Chomsky in here on Tuesday and he said, 00:18:29.942 --> 00:18:32.811 almost anything, is the answer to what do we do. 00:18:32.811 --> 00:18:36.895 So maybe having some sort of an initiative coming out of this 00:18:36.895 --> 00:18:40.547 class is to make tape just at MIT for just impulsive 00:18:40.547 --> 00:18:46.058 [inaudible].. 00:18:46.058 --> 00:18:48.026 AUDIENCE: So kind of piggybacking off 00:18:48.026 --> 00:18:49.995 of what Chris said, I think the most 00:18:49.995 --> 00:18:52.297 those meaningful conversations and talks 00:18:52.297 --> 00:18:58.737 that we've had for me, where when we talked to professors, 00:18:58.737 --> 00:19:01.907 people all over Cambridge who were using 00:19:01.907 --> 00:19:06.178 their own backgrounds, their own field of study, 00:19:06.178 --> 00:19:08.380 and they're making tangible changes. 00:19:08.380 --> 00:19:09.581 It's Christmas day. 00:19:09.581 --> 00:19:13.318 So for example, when we watch the virtual reality 00:19:13.318 --> 00:19:18.223 kind of simulation in terms of the Israeli-Palestinian 00:19:18.223 --> 00:19:19.825 conflict. 00:19:19.825 --> 00:19:22.895 And I feel like those conversations and the fact 00:19:22.895 --> 00:19:25.264 that I have had the privilege of taking 00:19:25.264 --> 00:19:28.967 this class in my semester has really kind of driven me 00:19:28.967 --> 00:19:35.507 to really to take action outside of MIT, 00:19:35.507 --> 00:19:38.177 and hopefully in the future back at MIT. 00:19:38.177 --> 00:19:42.014 And to really take that with me in my specific field 00:19:42.014 --> 00:19:48.720 of medicine, and how these various identities can really 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:57.596 affect people's health care, and that's life or death. 00:19:57.596 --> 00:20:01.800 And so I feel like that is really been eye-opening for me 00:20:01.800 --> 00:20:06.605 and that's driven me to action. 00:20:06.605 --> 00:20:10.576 AUDIENCE: Yeah, I think for me, from this class 00:20:10.576 --> 00:20:14.780 has made me more aware of how many things they go through. 00:20:14.780 --> 00:20:18.717 Compared to what I didn't know about the Haitian Revolution 00:20:18.717 --> 00:20:20.586 as it occurred. 00:20:20.586 --> 00:20:24.756 And I didn't really know how to question during the time. 00:20:24.756 --> 00:20:28.160 But it's all things that we are taught just 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:30.195 because a lot the history that we 00:20:30.195 --> 00:20:34.533 learn is taught from a very westernized perspective. 00:20:34.533 --> 00:20:36.668 So I feel like it's very important 00:20:36.668 --> 00:20:40.305 that this class teaches that there's always many ways 00:20:40.305 --> 00:20:44.910 to view certain things, and there's many things that aren't 00:20:44.910 --> 00:20:52.618 necessarily taught just because society just doesn't want us 00:20:52.618 --> 00:20:54.653 to know about these things, so that we 00:20:54.653 --> 00:20:58.457 could learn from this, yeah. 00:20:58.457 --> 00:21:00.993 AUDIENCE: I think similar to what Hermann was saying, 00:21:00.993 --> 00:21:04.062 I think this class is really about the idea 00:21:04.062 --> 00:21:05.697 of taking action. 00:21:05.697 --> 00:21:11.270 In a lot our readings passivity was just there all the time. 00:21:11.270 --> 00:21:14.373 People I remember it, the need to settle down, 00:21:14.373 --> 00:21:19.711 or afternoon it's just like, oh that's really strange 00:21:19.711 --> 00:21:22.347 but I guess the way things are. 00:21:22.347 --> 00:21:25.651 He noticed that things were wrong but he didn't anything, 00:21:25.651 --> 00:21:29.321 so I think just trying to take action, 00:21:29.321 --> 00:21:33.425 and Megan you mentioned interrogating yourself 00:21:33.425 --> 00:21:34.960 is an important way to do it. 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:36.461 And I really liked first assignment, 00:21:36.461 --> 00:21:38.330 which was the linguistic autobiography, 00:21:38.330 --> 00:21:42.634 and I felt that just thinking of my whole life in terms 00:21:42.634 --> 00:21:46.438 of the languages I grew up with, reading, writing, 00:21:46.438 --> 00:21:48.473 and how they were presented to me 00:21:48.473 --> 00:21:53.779 was a really good way just to look into my own self. 00:21:53.779 --> 00:21:56.348 What I think would have been, would be better, 00:21:56.348 --> 00:22:00.552 in future versions of class would be maybe talking together 00:22:00.552 --> 00:22:02.254 in smaller groups. 00:22:02.254 --> 00:22:02.982 Would be harder. 00:22:02.982 --> 00:22:04.523 I guess I think it's just easier just 00:22:04.523 --> 00:22:08.827 to talk about yourself that way for some people 00:22:08.827 --> 00:22:11.163 are more comfortable, I think. 00:22:11.163 --> 00:22:13.965 The only time we got to that was last Tuesday we 00:22:13.965 --> 00:22:19.271 had Professor Olive ub here, and we worked in groups of three, 00:22:19.271 --> 00:22:20.572 and that was really cool. 00:22:20.572 --> 00:22:22.774 AUDIENCE: OK, thank you, thank you. 00:22:22.774 --> 00:22:27.713 I think so what's adjusted also, you mean like a [inaudible].. 00:22:27.713 --> 00:22:30.482 So what Chris said we can try together 00:22:30.482 --> 00:22:34.263 because this class I hope will be often many, many, 00:22:34.263 --> 00:22:38.990 many, many times again here, [inaudible] I hope. 00:22:38.990 --> 00:22:43.722 Actually thinking of next year, I might do it with 00:22:43.722 --> 00:22:44.296 [inaudible].. 00:22:44.296 --> 00:22:47.299 So from that perspective maybe you guys 00:22:47.299 --> 00:22:49.835 could share with me what you think 00:22:49.835 --> 00:22:51.837 will be done to implement what you guys think 00:22:51.837 --> 00:22:55.901 in terms of taking this knowledge into action. 00:22:55.901 --> 00:22:57.275 Because throughout the semester I 00:22:57.275 --> 00:23:00.879 was struggling with what kind of project do I assign? 00:23:00.879 --> 00:23:02.814 Because I often felt that it would 00:23:02.814 --> 00:23:06.084 be so nice to do a project that puts you guys in the world, 00:23:06.084 --> 00:23:08.687 not just writing an essay. 00:23:08.687 --> 00:23:10.749 And I try to see what-- 00:23:10.749 --> 00:23:12.290 Something could come up spontaneously 00:23:12.290 --> 00:23:16.161 from you that could bond in to out of space. 00:23:16.161 --> 00:23:19.765 So how would you advise me in next cycle of this course 00:23:19.765 --> 00:23:21.400 to make that happen? 00:23:21.400 --> 00:23:25.937 To do projects, maybe throughout the semester only 00:23:25.937 --> 00:23:28.440 or optional projects that would really 00:23:28.440 --> 00:23:30.075 turn knowledge into action? 00:23:30.075 --> 00:23:34.379 OK so it's getting that, and then that. 00:23:34.379 --> 00:23:35.781 AUDIENCE: So, maybe some things-- 00:23:35.781 --> 00:23:37.783 I still think you should have the essays because 00:23:37.783 --> 00:23:41.086 at least for me they were pretty beneficial in exploring myself, 00:23:41.086 --> 00:23:43.321 but maybe instead of having the essay revision, 00:23:43.321 --> 00:23:45.290 although I think revising essays is important, 00:23:45.290 --> 00:23:47.559 I think that can be done throughout your essay process 00:23:47.559 --> 00:23:48.420 instead. 00:23:48.420 --> 00:23:50.128 And maybe like putting in a project where 00:23:50.128 --> 00:23:53.965 you have to create a policy, or like a lesson plan, 00:23:53.965 --> 00:23:58.336 or something like that, and then present that. 00:23:58.336 --> 00:24:00.305 And maybe even have a plan of action of who you 00:24:00.305 --> 00:24:01.907 would go to talk to about this? 00:24:01.907 --> 00:24:03.775 I think if you just come up with a plan it 00:24:03.775 --> 00:24:07.512 can be pretty philosophical, or just an idea 00:24:07.512 --> 00:24:09.181 and will never be done with it, what 00:24:09.181 --> 00:24:11.216 would be your next step now you have an idea, 00:24:11.216 --> 00:24:12.884 how do you implement it? 00:24:12.884 --> 00:24:15.153 And then also, something I forgot mention before, 00:24:15.153 --> 00:24:17.255 but I thought I was really useful about this class 00:24:17.255 --> 00:24:19.458 was when we went to go to the movies 00:24:19.458 --> 00:24:21.460 all together on a Saturday. 00:24:21.460 --> 00:24:25.096 At first I was like, oh crap, now I have to like allot time, 00:24:25.096 --> 00:24:27.199 but I actually really enjoyed that 00:24:27.199 --> 00:24:30.068 and was hoping the conversation would keep going. 00:24:30.068 --> 00:24:34.239 So maybe having more things outside the class, 00:24:34.239 --> 00:24:37.375 because I think it's really hard to explore all the things 00:24:37.375 --> 00:24:40.345 that we want to do in an hour and a half. 00:24:40.345 --> 00:24:42.280 So maybe having somewhere-- 00:24:42.280 --> 00:24:43.748 I don't know what types of places 00:24:43.748 --> 00:24:45.750 you can go to-- but maybe going to an inner city 00:24:45.750 --> 00:24:48.453 school in Boston together, and seeing how it's taught there, 00:24:48.453 --> 00:24:49.654 and what you would change? 00:24:49.654 --> 00:24:51.654 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK, that's good to hear actually 00:24:51.654 --> 00:24:54.092 because one thing I'm toying with the Fox, Mr. Harald, 00:24:54.092 --> 00:24:56.528 is to see whether we could change the format, instead 00:24:56.528 --> 00:25:00.332 having a hour and a half to add once a week from three hours. 00:25:00.332 --> 00:25:03.502 In the past I tried that because of the schedule for MIT 00:25:03.502 --> 00:25:06.505 it's hard for students to enroll with a three hour class. 00:25:06.505 --> 00:25:07.666 when they graduate. 00:25:07.666 --> 00:25:09.207 So we stepped away from that, but now 00:25:09.207 --> 00:25:11.710 I don't whether we should do that. 00:25:11.710 --> 00:25:15.313 In admitting with three hours we could go someplace else. 00:25:15.313 --> 00:25:17.482 AUDIENCE: Yeah, I that might be beneficial. 00:25:17.482 --> 00:25:21.052 I know negotiation at Sloan does it at Thursday at 5:00 00:25:21.052 --> 00:25:22.387 or something like that. 00:25:22.387 --> 00:25:24.055 So it's hard to schedule a three hour class during the day, 00:25:24.055 --> 00:25:25.624 but if you do it as a night session. 00:25:25.624 --> 00:25:28.093 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK, OK, OK. 00:25:28.093 --> 00:25:29.427 Thank you for saying that Alisa? 00:25:29.427 --> 00:25:32.430 I will report back to Colton and see what-- 00:25:32.430 --> 00:25:34.342 So it goes Dana, then Sarah then Jackie. 00:25:34.342 --> 00:25:35.800 AUDIENCE: Well its related directly 00:25:35.800 --> 00:25:36.883 she just said about time-- 00:25:36.883 --> 00:25:37.936 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK, OK. 00:25:37.936 --> 00:25:39.070 AUDIENCE: It's just like a short thing, 00:25:39.070 --> 00:25:40.944 but having a class at 5:00 would be difficult 00:25:40.944 --> 00:25:42.474 because there is a lot of athletes 00:25:42.474 --> 00:25:45.977 who participate because they practice from 5:00 to 7:00. 00:25:45.977 --> 00:25:47.546 MICHEL DEGRAFF: I see, I see, OK. 00:25:47.546 --> 00:25:49.514 AUDIENCE: Yeah there's another section at 7:00 00:25:49.514 --> 00:25:50.315 I'm pretty sure. 00:25:50.315 --> 00:25:51.060 So. 00:25:51.060 --> 00:25:53.018 AUDIENCE: Closing class are from 7:00 to 10:00. 00:25:53.018 --> 00:25:54.519 MICHEL DEGRAFF: 7:00 to 10:00, yeah. 00:25:54.519 --> 00:25:55.220 AUDIENCE: Yeah. 00:25:55.220 --> 00:25:56.354 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK. 00:25:56.354 --> 00:26:00.325 AUDIENCE: Yeah we were talking about projects. 00:26:00.325 --> 00:26:02.827 And I think that could definitely work in this course, 00:26:02.827 --> 00:26:07.858 and I think one thing that I've really wanted is to be able 00:26:07.858 --> 00:26:10.368 to affect change in this-- within the context of this 00:26:10.368 --> 00:26:15.874 course and sort of have a reason to do so based on everyday's-- 00:26:15.874 --> 00:26:17.642 I would like to go into school and say, 00:26:17.642 --> 00:26:20.946 let me try my at teaching kids in this way 00:26:20.946 --> 00:26:23.949 and see if it actually works there. 00:26:23.949 --> 00:26:26.818 So if you wanted to organize that sort of thing 00:26:26.818 --> 00:26:29.521 it could be cool to also work in small groups 00:26:29.521 --> 00:26:31.189 and we diversify the-- 00:26:31.189 --> 00:26:35.060 I mean we have a ton of courses in here, 00:26:35.060 --> 00:26:37.862 but I think there's a lot of working, going out 00:26:37.862 --> 00:26:39.831 into the real world and I think-- 00:26:39.831 --> 00:26:41.166 I mean this is just me agreeing. 00:26:41.166 --> 00:26:45.036 I think a three hour course could be good. 00:26:45.036 --> 00:26:48.006 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK. 00:26:48.006 --> 00:26:49.474 Sarah? 00:26:49.474 --> 00:26:51.676 AUDIENCE: So I just think add stems 00:26:51.676 --> 00:26:53.111 from what Colin said about talking 00:26:53.111 --> 00:26:55.880 to someone with a different ideological perspective 00:26:55.880 --> 00:26:58.516 than yourself, so maybe having students 00:26:58.516 --> 00:27:01.820 go in groups of two [inaudible] out into world and maybe 00:27:01.820 --> 00:27:04.489 interview someone, or share some of the information 00:27:04.489 --> 00:27:06.458 about the Haitian Revolution should have, 00:27:06.458 --> 00:27:09.928 it was like one of visionary revolutions to have. 00:27:09.928 --> 00:27:11.463 [interposing voices] 00:27:11.463 --> 00:27:12.597 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Yeah, yeah. 00:27:12.597 --> 00:27:14.180 AUDIENCE: Something along those lines. 00:27:14.180 --> 00:27:15.467 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK, OK, OK. 00:27:15.467 --> 00:27:16.929 So going back to the last point. 00:27:16.929 --> 00:27:18.470 So in terms of going into the schools 00:27:18.470 --> 00:27:20.182 I have some good news, which is that, I 00:27:20.182 --> 00:27:22.807 think I should have [inaudible] with you about this new program 00:27:22.807 --> 00:27:25.243 that has been launched in the Boston public school, 00:27:25.243 --> 00:27:26.444 this new program. 00:27:26.444 --> 00:27:29.981 And Vindlam Khan actually she's I think Chinese, 00:27:29.981 --> 00:27:33.018 and she actually, she launched-- she had launched 00:27:33.018 --> 00:27:34.452 the program in Chinese and English 00:27:34.452 --> 00:27:36.254 can be introduced as going reasonable well, 00:27:36.254 --> 00:27:37.555 from what I hear. 00:27:37.555 --> 00:27:41.793 And then she's also responsible launching this Creole 00:27:41.793 --> 00:27:43.261 to English learning program. 00:27:43.261 --> 00:27:45.430 And she has offered that if there 00:27:45.430 --> 00:27:47.599 are students in this class and other classes 00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:52.103 at MIT if they want to come and volunteer, and take advantage 00:27:52.103 --> 00:27:55.874 of that new program in terms of doing research that's 00:27:55.874 --> 00:27:57.742 socially based, or empirically based, 00:27:57.742 --> 00:27:59.110 or even like [inaudible]. 00:27:59.110 --> 00:28:00.512 Measuring students learning games 00:28:00.512 --> 00:28:03.014 she would be happy to work with you. 00:28:03.014 --> 00:28:05.583 There's one student in the other class 00:28:05.583 --> 00:28:08.463 posted it's [inaudible] with the [inaudible] twice, 00:28:08.463 --> 00:28:11.632 and was to be going on a weekly basis 00:28:11.632 --> 00:28:14.631 to the meetings who try understand how they are 00:28:14.631 --> 00:28:17.589 creating this new program where there would be I 00:28:17.589 --> 00:28:19.942 think half kids who speak creole and half who 00:28:19.942 --> 00:28:21.499 don't speak creole. 00:28:21.499 --> 00:28:23.234 And this would be truly bilingual, 00:28:23.234 --> 00:28:28.139 so you get American or other of these kids learning creole 00:28:28.139 --> 00:28:30.175 and get the Haitian creole kids. 00:28:30.175 --> 00:28:32.711 We've got to include both the English and bigger English, 00:28:32.711 --> 00:28:36.848 so I think it's really I think very radical move 00:28:36.848 --> 00:28:37.949 for the government school. 00:28:37.949 --> 00:28:39.573 They've had other programs of that sort 00:28:39.573 --> 00:28:42.353 but never one involving the non-imperial language. 00:28:42.353 --> 00:28:46.591 Typically it's Spanish-English, French-English, 00:28:46.591 --> 00:28:48.526 Chinese-English, but it's the first time 00:28:48.526 --> 00:28:50.829 that they are doing one that includes 00:28:50.829 --> 00:28:53.732 a language like Haitian Creole that's been over the years 00:28:53.732 --> 00:28:56.334 as you know [inaudible] history. 00:28:56.334 --> 00:28:58.503 So we're excited, we've hit some push back 00:28:58.503 --> 00:29:02.307 including push back back from Haitian parents, some of them 00:29:02.307 --> 00:29:05.310 would prefer to have it in French, as you can imagine. 00:29:05.310 --> 00:29:10.749 They don't speak French, it's a difficult neo-colonial 00:29:10.749 --> 00:29:15.487 [inaudible] into an imperial language, so to speak. 00:29:15.487 --> 00:29:18.022 But I think there has been some good progress on that front. 00:29:18.022 --> 00:29:21.192 Noam Chomsky was here, Tuesday he 00:29:21.192 --> 00:29:23.795 had an interview which I put on my Facebook page-- 00:29:23.795 --> 00:29:27.165 I can show it to you-- where it goes me, 00:29:27.165 --> 00:29:35.707 him, and I think that's [inaudible] together 00:29:35.707 --> 00:29:38.743 from Mexico, but he grew up in California. 00:29:38.743 --> 00:29:41.513 And this was a very interesting exchange between the two of us. 00:29:41.513 --> 00:29:45.216 Where Chomsky might be important of promoting these so 00:29:45.216 --> 00:29:46.851 called [inaudible] support for really 00:29:46.851 --> 00:29:50.421 of duration of the [inaudible]. 00:29:50.421 --> 00:29:53.124 So, I think those are good suggestions, 00:29:53.124 --> 00:29:55.627 those are very good suggestions. 00:29:55.627 --> 00:29:59.197 And since Harrell is from a background in computation, 00:29:59.197 --> 00:30:02.967 and as we saw doing the project on involving virtual reality 00:30:02.967 --> 00:30:09.107 that might be another part where we can do action in the course. 00:30:09.107 --> 00:30:11.743 AUDIENCE: With the-- just based off like the Fox Harrell 00:30:11.743 --> 00:30:15.113 computation part, I thought it was really interesting learning 00:30:15.113 --> 00:30:16.381 about what he was doing. 00:30:16.381 --> 00:30:18.835 I think if there was-- but I don't know if this 00:30:18.835 --> 00:30:20.084 is where you're going, but it. 00:30:20.084 --> 00:30:21.820 I think there was a more of a requirement 00:30:21.820 --> 00:30:23.822 to do more computation based things I probably would 00:30:23.822 --> 00:30:25.072 straight away from this class. 00:30:25.072 --> 00:30:26.043 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK. 00:30:26.043 --> 00:30:28.459 AUDIENCE: Because, so I'm not like the stereotypical major 00:30:28.459 --> 00:30:30.195 here, I'm a business major, I think 00:30:30.195 --> 00:30:31.963 I would been slightly intimidated if there 00:30:31.963 --> 00:30:34.666 was a CMS type project in here. 00:30:34.666 --> 00:30:37.620 So maybe making that one of the facets of what you can do, 00:30:37.620 --> 00:30:38.536 but not a requirement. 00:30:38.536 --> 00:30:39.804 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK, that's OK. 00:30:39.804 --> 00:30:40.429 AUDIENCE: Yeah. 00:30:40.429 --> 00:30:42.345 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Yeah, good for you, thank you. 00:30:42.345 --> 00:30:43.141 AUDIENCE: Yeah. 00:30:43.141 --> 00:30:45.810 CYNTHIA: I think also taking advantage of the learning 00:30:45.810 --> 00:30:48.446 styles of the students in the class could be interesting. 00:30:48.446 --> 00:30:50.682 So maybe doing more creative projects, 00:30:50.682 --> 00:30:52.784 or doing projects that people feel 00:30:52.784 --> 00:30:56.688 like allows them to use their best skills 00:30:56.688 --> 00:30:58.156 and actually have fun I feel like-- 00:30:58.156 --> 00:31:00.124 MICHEL DEGRAFF: So tell me Cynthia if you could 00:31:00.124 --> 00:31:03.661 a project that was creative what would you have done? 00:31:03.661 --> 00:31:08.166 Just to the extent of what you could think of in the future? 00:31:08.166 --> 00:31:09.901 CYNTHIA: Just off the fly I maybe would 00:31:09.901 --> 00:31:15.907 have made a fucking 10 foot tall papier-mache person 00:31:15.907 --> 00:31:21.579 and written stuff all over it and then put it in lobby 10. 00:31:21.579 --> 00:31:22.647 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK, OK. 00:31:22.647 --> 00:31:24.396 AUDIENCE: Like negative comments or like-- 00:31:24.396 --> 00:31:26.851 CYNTHIA: Anything, just like stuff that's interesting. 00:31:26.851 --> 00:31:28.253 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK, and then they 00:31:28.253 --> 00:31:30.889 would have to the part that includes communication 00:31:30.889 --> 00:31:32.557 of some sort. 00:31:32.557 --> 00:31:34.158 So how would do that, so you do that 00:31:34.158 --> 00:31:36.728 and have a paper describing why you did it, 00:31:36.728 --> 00:31:39.163 the mission of what you've done and the objective 00:31:39.163 --> 00:31:40.331 it's trying to accomplish? 00:31:40.331 --> 00:31:42.233 CYNTHIA: I mean if it just like a black body 00:31:42.233 --> 00:31:44.135 or like a brown body of some sort 00:31:44.135 --> 00:31:46.204 I would even just to leave markers and stuff 00:31:46.204 --> 00:31:48.172 for other people to put messaging on it 00:31:48.172 --> 00:31:49.874 I feel like would be giving-- 00:31:49.874 --> 00:31:51.709 I think art is a great way to give people 00:31:51.709 --> 00:31:54.979 an entry into having this conversation. 00:31:54.979 --> 00:31:56.281 It would be an artifact. 00:31:56.281 --> 00:31:57.949 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Excellent, excellent I'm 00:31:57.949 --> 00:32:00.612 so glad this is being recorded so that way we have this. 00:32:00.612 --> 00:32:02.153 No really, so that way we have this-- 00:32:02.153 --> 00:32:03.855 I can watch it with Fox, Carol and we 00:32:03.855 --> 00:32:06.991 then we can play around with the idea, it's great too. 00:32:06.991 --> 00:32:11.062 Actually, anyone has concrete suggestions like that? 00:32:11.062 --> 00:32:11.949 So they told you-- 00:32:11.949 --> 00:32:14.032 AUDIENCE: So my class one of those I don't-- maybe 00:32:14.032 --> 00:32:17.035 you've taken it, Psychology of Gender and Race? 00:32:17.035 --> 00:32:17.535 No? 00:32:17.535 --> 00:32:18.803 OK. 00:32:18.803 --> 00:32:22.740 This [inaudible] psychologist who works in local area, 00:32:22.740 --> 00:32:25.043 I think her first name is Shiby I forget her last name. 00:32:25.043 --> 00:32:30.381 But part of the class is training or doing mock training 00:32:30.381 --> 00:32:33.851 on how do you present cultural awareness presentations. 00:32:33.851 --> 00:32:36.721 Where you go with-- you basically 00:32:36.721 --> 00:32:39.043 form a group of students and kind of teach 00:32:39.043 --> 00:32:42.593 the other students her role play and how to college frat, 00:32:42.593 --> 00:32:45.573 members of a college frat or sixth graders 00:32:45.573 --> 00:32:48.032 out of a local Boston public school 00:32:48.032 --> 00:32:53.671 about how some things that they could be doing 00:32:53.671 --> 00:32:56.007 may be disparaging to minority groups, 00:32:56.007 --> 00:32:58.443 and it could be interesting having a conversation with her 00:32:58.443 --> 00:33:00.011 to see what things she incorporates 00:33:00.011 --> 00:33:01.946 into those presentations and if that would be 00:33:01.946 --> 00:33:03.281 useful inside of Black Matters. 00:33:03.281 --> 00:33:07.285 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK, that would be useful, be very useful. 00:33:07.285 --> 00:33:07.952 Dana? 00:33:07.952 --> 00:33:09.787 No I was-- I'm done. 00:33:09.787 --> 00:33:14.659 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK. [laughter] 00:33:14.659 --> 00:33:16.627 AUDIENCE: With the wiki that I think 00:33:16.627 --> 00:33:18.596 was a new thing this semester, I think, 00:33:18.596 --> 00:33:21.299 it's another way for us to communicate as students, 00:33:21.299 --> 00:33:23.162 it would be great because just maybe someone 00:33:23.162 --> 00:33:25.203 said something to you that was really interesting 00:33:25.203 --> 00:33:26.804 and you only have their email. 00:33:26.804 --> 00:33:28.206 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Right. 00:33:28.206 --> 00:33:30.808 AUDIENCE: It's hard to get in contact so maybe an opt-in way 00:33:30.808 --> 00:33:32.043 to have-- 00:33:32.043 --> 00:33:35.513 MICHEL DEGRAFF: So the wiki didn't really work, huh? 00:33:35.513 --> 00:33:36.914 Why does the wiki not work? 00:33:36.914 --> 00:33:37.849 AUDIENCE: It's hard. 00:33:37.849 --> 00:33:39.317 AUDIENCE: It's not a good platform. 00:33:39.317 --> 00:33:41.319 MICHEL DEGRAFF: The wiki is not a good platform, 00:33:41.319 --> 00:33:44.660 all because we have you here. [laughter] The wiki not 00:33:44.660 --> 00:33:48.517 a good platform, I heard that as well in my other class, 00:33:48.517 --> 00:33:50.495 the students say, we don't like the wiki. 00:33:50.495 --> 00:33:51.429 AUDIENCE: Yeah. 00:33:51.429 --> 00:33:53.424 AUDIENCE: Yeah. [interposing voices] 00:33:53.424 --> 00:33:55.132 AUDIENCE: What about like a Slack Channel 00:33:55.132 --> 00:34:00.316 or something like where you be more-- [interposing voices] 00:34:00.316 --> 00:34:02.607 AUDIENCE: Or like a Facebook, something that we already 00:34:02.607 --> 00:34:04.742 all use and wouldn't have to go out our way to use. 00:34:04.742 --> 00:34:05.810 AUDIENCE: Yeah. 00:34:05.810 --> 00:34:08.012 AUDIENCE: Yeah. 00:34:08.012 --> 00:34:09.781 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Who had their hand raised? 00:34:09.781 --> 00:34:11.349 Was there a hand raised over here? 00:34:11.349 --> 00:34:13.985 Was it Shope, was your hand raised? 00:34:13.985 --> 00:34:15.719 Oh, OK. 00:34:15.719 --> 00:34:17.021 AUDIENCE: Yeah sure. 00:34:17.021 --> 00:34:20.324 So first, you were asking what kind of projects right? 00:34:20.324 --> 00:34:23.027 So from the teaching perspective, 00:34:23.027 --> 00:34:26.197 I think after the classes last week I'm 00:34:26.197 --> 00:34:30.735 learning about open and fixed mindset. 00:34:30.735 --> 00:34:32.804 Something that would have been interesting 00:34:32.804 --> 00:34:36.139 as the project would be to create a curriculum, just 00:34:36.139 --> 00:34:40.645 a lecture or a workshop for an age group, whatever age, 00:34:40.645 --> 00:34:43.748 it could be college, it could be lower 00:34:43.748 --> 00:34:48.119 and try to implement the like teaching 00:34:48.119 --> 00:34:53.224 techniques that we learned to foster a more open mindset. 00:34:53.224 --> 00:34:55.793 That would have been a school project to explore. 00:34:55.793 --> 00:34:56.893 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK, great. 00:34:56.893 --> 00:34:59.664 OK so, Fenny, Dana and Edna. 00:34:59.664 --> 00:35:01.632 AUDIENCE: But mine is off of that. 00:35:01.632 --> 00:35:02.834 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK. 00:35:02.834 --> 00:35:05.369 AUDIENCE: OK, so I think that would be a good idea. 00:35:05.369 --> 00:35:08.061 Also we can still enlist the help of the professors who 00:35:08.061 --> 00:35:11.943 made these lectures because I think that will give us 00:35:11.943 --> 00:35:15.613 a little more-- when we actually go into these schools 00:35:15.613 --> 00:35:20.685 and say we'd like to bring this plan to you because have 00:35:20.685 --> 00:35:23.154 professor backing, we have this whole slew 00:35:23.154 --> 00:35:27.325 of research behind us. 00:35:27.325 --> 00:35:29.494 AUDIENCE: Another cool thing that you could do about 00:35:29.494 --> 00:35:34.866 community outreach, is I know one time a couple weeks ago 00:35:34.866 --> 00:35:39.604 in Amphibious Achievement we had a bunch of people from 00:35:39.604 --> 00:35:44.492 Chocolate City come in, and also it's-- there's a group-- 00:35:44.492 --> 00:35:46.844 it's like something something Latinas. 00:35:46.844 --> 00:35:50.047 And I don't know-- [interposing voices] Yes! 00:35:50.047 --> 00:35:52.517 And so they came in and Chocolate City came in and-- 00:35:52.517 --> 00:35:55.330 AUDIENCE: But you have to give some background about Chocolate 00:35:55.330 --> 00:35:58.890 City and Amphibious Achievement, make it self-contained. 00:35:58.890 --> 00:36:01.983 [interposing voices] So Amphibious Achievement 00:36:01.983 --> 00:36:07.632 is we-- it's a program at MIT and we work with Boston public 00:36:07.632 --> 00:36:11.702 high schoolers and it's an academic mentorship program, 00:36:11.702 --> 00:36:13.289 but also we just work with them to try 00:36:13.289 --> 00:36:14.872 to build their confidence, and we also 00:36:14.872 --> 00:36:19.076 help them apply to college, and things like that. 00:36:19.076 --> 00:36:23.430 But, and then Chocolate City is just like it's 00:36:23.430 --> 00:36:30.172 a living group here on campus, and it's African-American men 00:36:30.172 --> 00:36:33.224 and then-- say it again? 00:36:33.224 --> 00:36:34.625 AUDIENCE: Mujeres Latinas. 00:36:34.625 --> 00:36:38.763 AUDIENCE: That's a-- [laughter] 00:36:38.763 --> 00:36:42.700 AUDIENCE: --group of Latina women, 00:36:42.700 --> 00:36:46.871 and so they came in to talk to the high schoolers 00:36:46.871 --> 00:36:52.243 in Amphibious Achievement and we just had a discussion about how 00:36:52.243 --> 00:36:56.047 they feel about what they've been told they can and cannot 00:36:56.047 --> 00:36:59.183 do because of who they are. 00:36:59.183 --> 00:37:03.120 And it was really, really interesting for everybody. 00:37:03.120 --> 00:37:05.423 And I think that would be something cool to do-- 00:37:05.423 --> 00:37:07.358 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Do you have a Facebook page? 00:37:07.358 --> 00:37:10.928 AUDIENCE: We do, it's called Amphibious Achievement. 00:37:10.928 --> 00:37:11.862 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Right. 00:37:11.862 --> 00:37:14.065 That's great. 00:37:14.065 --> 00:37:16.701 Thank you, thank you. 00:37:16.701 --> 00:37:18.803 Actually, so which Facebook would be a better way 00:37:18.803 --> 00:37:21.606 to communicate instead the wiki. 00:37:21.606 --> 00:37:22.940 AUDIENCE: Yeah, yeah way better. 00:37:22.940 --> 00:37:24.342 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Way better. 00:37:24.342 --> 00:37:26.842 So maybe next year we create a Facebook page for the course. 00:37:26.842 --> 00:37:28.913 AUDIENCE: Yeah, a page for the course 00:37:28.913 --> 00:37:31.916 and then a messaging group for the students. 00:37:31.916 --> 00:37:34.752 OK, OK. 00:37:34.752 --> 00:37:37.588 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK, OK that was good idea, good idea. 00:37:37.588 --> 00:37:38.522 All right. 00:37:38.522 --> 00:37:40.091 I should maybe [inaudible] a page, 00:37:40.091 --> 00:37:42.460 a Facebook page for this group, and that way you guys 00:37:42.460 --> 00:37:43.327 can keep in touch. 00:37:43.327 --> 00:37:46.864 And if there are ways that-- even what [inaudible] has 00:37:46.864 --> 00:37:49.527 explained and then we should do other projects that might bring 00:37:49.527 --> 00:37:51.235 your strength and your knowledge together 00:37:51.235 --> 00:37:52.903 to bring actual change, that might be 00:37:52.903 --> 00:37:54.338 something we could figure out. 00:37:54.338 --> 00:37:56.674 But you would have be responsible for it. 00:37:56.674 --> 00:37:57.535 Colin? 00:37:57.535 --> 00:37:59.243 AUDIENCE: Bouncing off of your idea here, 00:37:59.243 --> 00:38:01.445 I think it would be really interesting to actually 00:38:01.445 --> 00:38:06.512 have one part of that would be a [inaudible] support literacy 00:38:06.512 --> 00:38:12.189 class, or presentation or something like that. 00:38:12.189 --> 00:38:14.992 Where you going to take a certain section of literature, 00:38:14.992 --> 00:38:17.094 maybe just one book like Madam Bovary, 00:38:17.094 --> 00:38:21.732 and dissect the ways in which the society in which it 00:38:21.732 --> 00:38:24.935 is embedded create the themes within it. 00:38:24.935 --> 00:38:26.437 A major thing inside of Madam Bovary 00:38:26.437 --> 00:38:29.273 is centered on this one woman who's 00:38:29.273 --> 00:38:32.743 married in countryside of France back in 1900s or 1800s, 00:38:32.743 --> 00:38:35.913 and she gets really depressed because she has nothing to do. 00:38:35.913 --> 00:38:39.617 And just explaining that she has no options for employment, 00:38:39.617 --> 00:38:43.387 and is stuck at home because that's what was expected 00:38:43.387 --> 00:38:44.655 of women back in that day. 00:38:44.655 --> 00:38:48.893 And dissecting both that cultural phenomenon 00:38:48.893 --> 00:38:55.433 and then examining how that may play out in today's terms 00:38:55.433 --> 00:38:58.069 with different patterns in society. 00:38:58.069 --> 00:38:59.837 MICHEL DEGRAFF: OK, good, goo. 00:38:59.837 --> 00:39:04.175 SO a statistic fact, you may have the last word. 00:39:04.175 --> 00:39:05.810 AUDIENCE: Wow, OK. 00:39:05.810 --> 00:39:08.612 So something that I was thinking about 00:39:08.612 --> 00:39:12.594 was what you had about having an art project, 00:39:12.594 --> 00:39:14.885 and I realized I'm not artistic at all, so I was trying 00:39:14.885 --> 00:39:16.821 to figure out what I would do if there was an art assignment. 00:39:16.821 --> 00:39:18.989 And I was thinking about something that's in a show, 00:39:18.989 --> 00:39:21.659 where like you put yourself up, you stand up there 00:39:21.659 --> 00:39:23.260 and then you have a projector screen, 00:39:23.260 --> 00:39:24.662 and you write words on it of what 00:39:24.662 --> 00:39:26.097 you don't like about yourself. 00:39:26.097 --> 00:39:27.483 And that could be instead of what 00:39:27.483 --> 00:39:28.899 we don't like of ourselves, things 00:39:28.899 --> 00:39:31.440 we've been told about ourselves based of our race, or gender, 00:39:31.440 --> 00:39:33.871 or sexuality, and also having things you would rather 00:39:33.871 --> 00:39:37.375 have been said, because what I really liked about this class 00:39:37.375 --> 00:39:38.743 was the self-exploration, so. 00:39:38.743 --> 00:39:39.877 MICHEL DEGRAFF: Good, good. 00:39:39.877 --> 00:39:43.053 All right guys so thank you so much.