I’ve just upgraded my computer files from MS Office 2003 to Office 2007. This had led to no small amount of existential angst on my part, since there are many changes in how things get done between the two versions, but overall, I think the upgrade was necessary and will lead to greater productivity. I had reached a point where a lot of the student files that I received were unable to be opened, since they were created on a newer version of Office/Word than I had available for my use. And my home computer, a Mac, runs Office 2008 for Mac. So, now I have to go and learn some new skills. Much fun will ensue!
But I have already found one very useful tool in the MS Office package, relating to Outlook. This venerable mail/scheduling program has more depth to it than simply delivering your mail. It can actually do things to your mail, and ease the burden you have of deleting the 30th post of the day letting you know you won the lottery in Nigeria, and offering to send you several million dollars if you will simply send them some basic information. Like your social security number, bank account number (so they can wire that money to you) and the names of all your kids. This is the “Rules and Alerts” entry in the program. It can automate functions for you to help organize all your email.
The “Rules and Alerts” menu is found under the basic “Tools” pull-down menu in the main Outlook screen. When you click on “Rules and Alerts,” it opens up a new screen in which you have a choice of two main tabs, one not surprisingly for “Rules” and the second for “Alerts.” We will open the tab for “Rules.” When you do, it brings up a screen that offers you a number of options, and you can read those over at your own leisure. But for now, let me use one example: you wish to have all of the Nigerian lottery emails sent to your "Junk Mail" folder without you having to take the time to do so one by one as they come in. So you can click on the line that says “Move messages with specific words in the subject to a folder.” Then click “next” on the bottom on the window. This brings up a second screen in which you can set the conditions for how you wish this to be done. Again, as an example, I will click on the line that says “with specific words in the subject.” You will note this instruction appears in the higher of two boxes in the window. Once you click that instruction, go to the lower box, and click the underlined words “specific words.” This opens a screen where you can type in the words you wish the system to track. For our purposes, type in the word “lottery.” Then, again that lower box, click on the word “specified” to denote which folder you want these emails to be sent. When the new window opens, click “Junk Email” and then “okay.” Once you do all this, you can click “next” on the screen. You will then be coached to list any exceptions to your rule. We don’t want one, so we leave everything unchecked and again click “next.” You will have to give this rule a name, so we call it “Lottery Rule.” Click on the box instructing the system to turn the rule on, and then click “Finish.” You are returned to the main “Rule” screen where your new rule appears in the window. Click “Okay” and your new rule is now operational. As every new email announcing your lottery winnings appears, it will be sent to your junk mail folder and will not appear in your main email window.
You can make all sorts of rules. You can make one so that all emails from your immediate supervisor are sent to its own menu, or are flagged for your attention. This is limited only by your needs and your creativity, but it can be a wonderful time saver. I no longer get much spam mail in my main window, and I can then just delete the contents of the junk mail folder once a day. It is a nice little feature, but not one I see a lot of people using. Consider taking a look at it. And if my instructions are confusing, here is a link to a video explaining how to create your own rules: http://www.brainstorminc.com/cbt/microsoft/help.php?file=outlook9
Monday, August 10, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Really Simple Syndication
I’ve just upgraded my computer to Office 2007 (from the 2003 version which most people here still use) and one of the better features in this upgrade is the addition of a RSS feed to my Outlook system. In the 2007 version of Outlook, the RSS feed is located in the folder menu, under your Inbox. If you click on the folder, it will open a message in your view screen describing the features it offers. It is then an easy operation to click and add RSS feeds to your Outlook system.
But that begs the question. What is an RSS feed? RSS stands for “really simple syndication” and it represents a means for websites to easily share headlines and stories from other sites. Those of us surfing the web then can use something called an “aggregator” to collect those feeds and read them at our leisure. The Outlook program has its own aggregator, so that it can collect stories from the sites you tell it to. In my case, I have stories that come in from MicroSoft on the use of PowerPoint, Excel, and Word, and I also have the New York Times, Washington Post and MSN news linked. The stories go into folders for each newspaper and program, and I can then open and read at my pleasure, or simply delete a story if I do not want to read it.
RSS was actually invented by Netscape as a means to have an XML format to obtain news stories from other sites (because if they relied only their own reporters, of which they had few if any, there would be no stories to post). In order for a web story to be able to become an RSS feed, it has to have certain characteristics, which for the purpose of this article I need not describe (but which can be seen at http://webdesign.about.com/od/rss/a/what_is_rss.htm). What we are concerned with is adding the feed to our Outlook system, and for that purpose let me quote the system:
“Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a way for content publishers to make news, blogs, and other content available to subscribers. You can view RSS content in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007. Using RSS, publishers can make content and updates available for download by subscribers automatically. The content on all Web sites is not available as an RSS Feed, but the list is growing daily.
How does RSS work in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007?
RSS readers, such as the one built into Office Outlook 2007, allow you to subscribe to RSS Feeds and then read content or follow links for additional information. Whenever you see a link to a feed, or an RSS icon such as the one at the top of this page, just click. Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 will automatically subscribe you to that RSS Feed.
Get started
Using Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 to subscribe to an RSS Feed is quick and easy and does not involve a registration process or fee. After you subscribe to an RSS Feed, headlines will appear in your RSS folders. RSS items appear similar to mail messages. When you see a headline that interests you, just click or open the item. For more information, read how to add an RSS feed to Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 and how to read your subscribed RSS feeds. Below is a sample of the many feeds you can subscribe to from around the world. Click on the links that interest you and Outlook will subscribe to them.”
This is an easy way for you to keep up with all new feeds from whatever sites you frequent, and I highly recommend you take advantage of this tool to do so. It is a huge timesaver.
But that begs the question. What is an RSS feed? RSS stands for “really simple syndication” and it represents a means for websites to easily share headlines and stories from other sites. Those of us surfing the web then can use something called an “aggregator” to collect those feeds and read them at our leisure. The Outlook program has its own aggregator, so that it can collect stories from the sites you tell it to. In my case, I have stories that come in from MicroSoft on the use of PowerPoint, Excel, and Word, and I also have the New York Times, Washington Post and MSN news linked. The stories go into folders for each newspaper and program, and I can then open and read at my pleasure, or simply delete a story if I do not want to read it.
RSS was actually invented by Netscape as a means to have an XML format to obtain news stories from other sites (because if they relied only their own reporters, of which they had few if any, there would be no stories to post). In order for a web story to be able to become an RSS feed, it has to have certain characteristics, which for the purpose of this article I need not describe (but which can be seen at http://webdesign.about.com/od/rss/a/what_is_rss.htm). What we are concerned with is adding the feed to our Outlook system, and for that purpose let me quote the system:
“Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a way for content publishers to make news, blogs, and other content available to subscribers. You can view RSS content in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007. Using RSS, publishers can make content and updates available for download by subscribers automatically. The content on all Web sites is not available as an RSS Feed, but the list is growing daily.
How does RSS work in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007?
RSS readers, such as the one built into Office Outlook 2007, allow you to subscribe to RSS Feeds and then read content or follow links for additional information. Whenever you see a link to a feed, or an RSS icon such as the one at the top of this page, just click. Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 will automatically subscribe you to that RSS Feed.
Get started
Using Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 to subscribe to an RSS Feed is quick and easy and does not involve a registration process or fee. After you subscribe to an RSS Feed, headlines will appear in your RSS folders. RSS items appear similar to mail messages. When you see a headline that interests you, just click or open the item. For more information, read how to add an RSS feed to Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 and how to read your subscribed RSS feeds. Below is a sample of the many feeds you can subscribe to from around the world. Click on the links that interest you and Outlook will subscribe to them.”
This is an easy way for you to keep up with all new feeds from whatever sites you frequent, and I highly recommend you take advantage of this tool to do so. It is a huge timesaver.
Monday, July 27, 2009
RAGBRAI and Education?
I’ve just returned from riding my 5th straight RAGBRAI. For those who do not know what this is, it is the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. This is the nation’s largest and oldest cross-state bicycle ride, attracting between 12-13,000 riders per day each day of its week-long length, along with another 12,000 support personnel. The ride wends its way from the west side of Iowa at the Missouri River (this year beginning at Council Bluff, and ending at the east side of the state and the Mississippi River (this year at Burlington). I ride with a couple of other Palmer faculty and administrators as part of the larger Bicyclists of Iowa City. But as I rode those long miles (449 this year), it gave me time to think of some lessons from RAGBRAI which could equally apply to education.
1. Training matters. When I first began riding this year, back in March, I felt sore and uncomfortable during my initial rides. But I kept plugging away, riding 12 or 14 miles per day, not too much, and within a few weeks my legs felt better, my derriere was not hurting, and my wind got better. Now, I can ride for miles on end and I was able to finish the daily rides, even those of 80 miles, by just past noon each day. I am not skinny, for sure but I never ended up feeling too tired. Point being, the more we engage ourselves in what we do, the more comfortable we get at it, whether it is teaching, engaging in clinical practice, or our other work. Practice really does make perfect.
2. Working with a group matters. I think we see this best in the peloton of the Tour de France. In the peloton, it has been found that the energy need to keep riding at race pace is 40% less than that of a break-way group of smaller riders. Over the course of a 100-mile ride, that leaves the peloton with a huge energy surplus compared to the lead group as the race comes to its final miles, and invariably the peloton swallows up that lead group a few miles from the end, leaving the race wide open for sprinters who have huge amounts of energy left for the final 500 meters. Same in education, collaboration with your colleagues can lessen your own work load, can provide you assistance and can leave you with energy to devote to your own interests. We have a great wealth of talent in this institution, and collaborating with our colleagues is but one way to help you actualize your own abilities and talents.
3. Planning matters. RAGBRAI is a daily grind leading to a good result: completion of the ride. It requires a rider, especially one like me who is at best modestly competent on a bike, to think about the best way to complete the ride. Each day is marked by benchmarks- towns are so far apart, and nutrition is important. Do I eat first and ride, or ride for 10 miles and then eat? Should I get out early and avoid heat and wind or ride a bit later and avoid crowds? Even my thinking matters- if I start out thinking, wow, I have 76 miles to ride today, it sounds daunting. Maybe it is better to think, it is 12 miles to the next town; then, when I get to that town, I think now it is 10 miles to the next town. Breaking it down that way can reduce the larger tension of knowing I will be in saddle all day long. The obvious corollary here is in the work we do- when we look at the larger picture it can stop us cold and we might never even get started because what we plan to do is so complex. But looking at smaller pieces of our plan, and meeting each part, leads to small success but helps keep momentum.
4. You can do the impossible. This is some of what I saw this year on the route: a man riding RAGBRAI on a bicycle without a seat, so that he had to stand and ride the entire distance. People riding RAGBRAI on unicycles- how do they get up the hills? People roller blading RAGBRAI. A woman who was running the entire route, on a daily basis- that averages to 70 miles per day! A man riding a bicycle with a sail on in, the so-called Pterosail. People on single, fixed gear bicycles. 80-year old women riding the route. A 5-year old riding. If you set your mind to something and you work to make it happen, more often than not it will, it will.
I know the above may seem banal, but in fact I find that it posits a nice mechanism for helping me to accomplish my goals and to keep continually updating my abilities. It is a microcosm of a larger worldview, but one I find helpful. It helps me have faith in myself.
Ride on!
1. Training matters. When I first began riding this year, back in March, I felt sore and uncomfortable during my initial rides. But I kept plugging away, riding 12 or 14 miles per day, not too much, and within a few weeks my legs felt better, my derriere was not hurting, and my wind got better. Now, I can ride for miles on end and I was able to finish the daily rides, even those of 80 miles, by just past noon each day. I am not skinny, for sure but I never ended up feeling too tired. Point being, the more we engage ourselves in what we do, the more comfortable we get at it, whether it is teaching, engaging in clinical practice, or our other work. Practice really does make perfect.
2. Working with a group matters. I think we see this best in the peloton of the Tour de France. In the peloton, it has been found that the energy need to keep riding at race pace is 40% less than that of a break-way group of smaller riders. Over the course of a 100-mile ride, that leaves the peloton with a huge energy surplus compared to the lead group as the race comes to its final miles, and invariably the peloton swallows up that lead group a few miles from the end, leaving the race wide open for sprinters who have huge amounts of energy left for the final 500 meters. Same in education, collaboration with your colleagues can lessen your own work load, can provide you assistance and can leave you with energy to devote to your own interests. We have a great wealth of talent in this institution, and collaborating with our colleagues is but one way to help you actualize your own abilities and talents.
3. Planning matters. RAGBRAI is a daily grind leading to a good result: completion of the ride. It requires a rider, especially one like me who is at best modestly competent on a bike, to think about the best way to complete the ride. Each day is marked by benchmarks- towns are so far apart, and nutrition is important. Do I eat first and ride, or ride for 10 miles and then eat? Should I get out early and avoid heat and wind or ride a bit later and avoid crowds? Even my thinking matters- if I start out thinking, wow, I have 76 miles to ride today, it sounds daunting. Maybe it is better to think, it is 12 miles to the next town; then, when I get to that town, I think now it is 10 miles to the next town. Breaking it down that way can reduce the larger tension of knowing I will be in saddle all day long. The obvious corollary here is in the work we do- when we look at the larger picture it can stop us cold and we might never even get started because what we plan to do is so complex. But looking at smaller pieces of our plan, and meeting each part, leads to small success but helps keep momentum.
4. You can do the impossible. This is some of what I saw this year on the route: a man riding RAGBRAI on a bicycle without a seat, so that he had to stand and ride the entire distance. People riding RAGBRAI on unicycles- how do they get up the hills? People roller blading RAGBRAI. A woman who was running the entire route, on a daily basis- that averages to 70 miles per day! A man riding a bicycle with a sail on in, the so-called Pterosail. People on single, fixed gear bicycles. 80-year old women riding the route. A 5-year old riding. If you set your mind to something and you work to make it happen, more often than not it will, it will.
I know the above may seem banal, but in fact I find that it posits a nice mechanism for helping me to accomplish my goals and to keep continually updating my abilities. It is a microcosm of a larger worldview, but one I find helpful. It helps me have faith in myself.
Ride on!
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Six Secrets of Change
A new book by Michael Fullan (1) looks at how leaders help organizations go through change. The six processes he described address what he refers to as large-scale reform, wherein the goal is to change whole systems or organizations. He notes that these six “secrets” are synergistic, feeding upon one another, and that they are heavily nuanced. By this he means that they require thought and consideration before being used. He suggests a need for motivational embedding, in order to motivate people to invest time and energy to get results. Finally, he notes the presence of tension, wherein a good leader will keep all of these six secrets in balance.
His secrets, in short are:
- Love your employees. An institution or organization should invest as much energy toward its employees as it does its customers. Translated to an educational setting, this would mean as much energy toward the faculty and staff as it does toward its students. And he places great importance on continual learning, so that people also continue to find meaning in their work and to their relation to their company or institution.
- Connect peers with purpose. Fullan discusses what he calls the “too tight – too loose” dilemma. This is the attempt to find balance between how much you delegate power during times of change; people may feel constrained if you tighten requirements too much, but if you let power devolve too far you may get uneven results. He suggests that it is necessary for leaders to build strategies that encourage what he calls purposeful peer interaction. People enjoy working with their peers and this can foster learning that leads to results.
- Capacity building prevails. This is where leaders invest in developing individuals and group efforts to enhance the efficacy of the group as a whole. People learn new skills and competencies and as a result undergo new motivation. Doing so requires a leader to avoid intimidation and negative judgment, but also to rely on peers to help drive the process.
- Learning is work. He feels that there is too little learning going on in formal training courses that institutions offer, and not enough that occurs while actually doing the work. He feels that good institutions link working and learning very effectively.
- Transparency rules. It is necessary for institutions to have clear and regular discussions of results, and continual access to practice. He states that continuous improvement is not possible without good data, which is part of being transparent. Finally, he suggests that transparency creates positive pressure to do better.
- Systems learn. He feels that systems can learn, and that using these processes you will increase both knowledge and commitment. But to do so, people need to have their motivation constantly stimulated so that it is deepened.
His text goes on to expand upon each of these ideas, and I found it a fascinating read that suggests new approaches we can all use in addressing change.
NOTE: I will be off campus next week so the next post will occur the week after. RAGBRAI beckons.
References
1. Fullan M. The six secrets of change. San Francisco, CA; Jossey-Bass, Inc., 2008
His secrets, in short are:
- Love your employees. An institution or organization should invest as much energy toward its employees as it does its customers. Translated to an educational setting, this would mean as much energy toward the faculty and staff as it does toward its students. And he places great importance on continual learning, so that people also continue to find meaning in their work and to their relation to their company or institution.
- Connect peers with purpose. Fullan discusses what he calls the “too tight – too loose” dilemma. This is the attempt to find balance between how much you delegate power during times of change; people may feel constrained if you tighten requirements too much, but if you let power devolve too far you may get uneven results. He suggests that it is necessary for leaders to build strategies that encourage what he calls purposeful peer interaction. People enjoy working with their peers and this can foster learning that leads to results.
- Capacity building prevails. This is where leaders invest in developing individuals and group efforts to enhance the efficacy of the group as a whole. People learn new skills and competencies and as a result undergo new motivation. Doing so requires a leader to avoid intimidation and negative judgment, but also to rely on peers to help drive the process.
- Learning is work. He feels that there is too little learning going on in formal training courses that institutions offer, and not enough that occurs while actually doing the work. He feels that good institutions link working and learning very effectively.
- Transparency rules. It is necessary for institutions to have clear and regular discussions of results, and continual access to practice. He states that continuous improvement is not possible without good data, which is part of being transparent. Finally, he suggests that transparency creates positive pressure to do better.
- Systems learn. He feels that systems can learn, and that using these processes you will increase both knowledge and commitment. But to do so, people need to have their motivation constantly stimulated so that it is deepened.
His text goes on to expand upon each of these ideas, and I found it a fascinating read that suggests new approaches we can all use in addressing change.
NOTE: I will be off campus next week so the next post will occur the week after. RAGBRAI beckons.
References
1. Fullan M. The six secrets of change. San Francisco, CA; Jossey-Bass, Inc., 2008
Monday, June 8, 2009
Team-Based Learning
Team-based learning is “an instructional strategy that is “based on procedures for developing high performance learning teams that can dramatically enhance the quality of student learning.” (1) Put another way, it is the use of small groups in college teaching. Most of us are familiar with small-group learning at some level, either by being a member of a small group in our education, or by fashioning them for use in a class that we teach. Why are we seeing a growth in such forms of teaching?
In part, I think it is due to the fact that younger learners are more conversant with technology, are less tolerant of lecture settings, and are tired of passive learning settings. Small groups not only enhance learning, but they also foster interpersonal skill development. And finally, small groups can be an exciting new method for teachers to use to help engage their learners. According to Fink, small-group learning is transformational, driving four separate kinds of transformation:
- Transforming small groups into teams
- Transforming technique into strategy
- Transforming the quality of learning
- Transforming the joy of teaching
Further, Fink also notes that there are three different ways to use small groups: casual use, cooperative learning, and team-based learning. Casual use represents the first use by an instructor, where perhaps after delivering a short lecture the instructor then asks students to pair up with the person sitting next tot hem to discuss a question or solve a problem. After allowing a short period of time to pass, the instructor then calls on some of those students to provide a response. Cooperative learning is a bit more complex. It requires advance planning, regular use of small groups, role assignment, and so on. However, it does not require any significant change in the current structure or format of the course in which it occurs. The small group activities simply are fit into that structure. The pinnacle, then, is team-based learning. Here, the structure of the course in changed in order to most effectively take advantage of what are now called learning teams. These teams require commitment from students and a desire to solve problems beyond the abilities of any single member. (1, p. 7)
Fink notes that for learning teams to be used, a course need only have a body of information that students need to understand, and that the students learning how to apply the content by solving problems or resolving issues. A classic example of this approach could be embodied in the small group process of problem-based learning in healthcare education. Lastly, Fink defines team-based learning as “a particular instructional strategy that is designed to (a) support the development of high performance learning teams and (b) provide opportunities for these teams to engage in significant learning tasks.” (1, p. 9)
It is likely we all use at least a small measure of team-based learning in our teaching; the question is how to systematize doing so at a higher level. The text by Michaelson, Knight and Fink provides a detailed examination in how to do so.
References
1. Michaelson LK, Knight AB, Fink LD, editors. Team-based learning: a transformatice use of small groups in college teaching. Sterling, VA; Stylus Publishing 2004:vi
In part, I think it is due to the fact that younger learners are more conversant with technology, are less tolerant of lecture settings, and are tired of passive learning settings. Small groups not only enhance learning, but they also foster interpersonal skill development. And finally, small groups can be an exciting new method for teachers to use to help engage their learners. According to Fink, small-group learning is transformational, driving four separate kinds of transformation:
- Transforming small groups into teams
- Transforming technique into strategy
- Transforming the quality of learning
- Transforming the joy of teaching
Further, Fink also notes that there are three different ways to use small groups: casual use, cooperative learning, and team-based learning. Casual use represents the first use by an instructor, where perhaps after delivering a short lecture the instructor then asks students to pair up with the person sitting next tot hem to discuss a question or solve a problem. After allowing a short period of time to pass, the instructor then calls on some of those students to provide a response. Cooperative learning is a bit more complex. It requires advance planning, regular use of small groups, role assignment, and so on. However, it does not require any significant change in the current structure or format of the course in which it occurs. The small group activities simply are fit into that structure. The pinnacle, then, is team-based learning. Here, the structure of the course in changed in order to most effectively take advantage of what are now called learning teams. These teams require commitment from students and a desire to solve problems beyond the abilities of any single member. (1, p. 7)
Fink notes that for learning teams to be used, a course need only have a body of information that students need to understand, and that the students learning how to apply the content by solving problems or resolving issues. A classic example of this approach could be embodied in the small group process of problem-based learning in healthcare education. Lastly, Fink defines team-based learning as “a particular instructional strategy that is designed to (a) support the development of high performance learning teams and (b) provide opportunities for these teams to engage in significant learning tasks.” (1, p. 9)
It is likely we all use at least a small measure of team-based learning in our teaching; the question is how to systematize doing so at a higher level. The text by Michaelson, Knight and Fink provides a detailed examination in how to do so.
References
1. Michaelson LK, Knight AB, Fink LD, editors. Team-based learning: a transformatice use of small groups in college teaching. Sterling, VA; Stylus Publishing 2004:vi
Monday, June 1, 2009
The American Public Health Association
I’ve been a member of the American Public Health Association for nearly 15 years now, and am among only perhaps a few hundred people from our profession to join and participate. I’d like to take a little time here to describe APHA and advocate for you to consider joining as a member of the Chiropractic Health Care section. Information I present here can also be found on the APHA website, at http://www.apha.org/.
APHA is the oldest and largest public health organization in the world, and has been in existence since 1872. As the website notes, “the Association aims to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats and strives to assure community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities and preventive health services are universally accessible in the United States.” Amongst its members are practitioners, educators and health care professionals of an amazing diversity, and this diversity includes several hundred chiropractors. The vision of APHA is a healthy global society, and it has worked ceaselessly to that end for more than a century. Its mission is to “Improve the health of the public and achieve equity in health status.” APHA gives voice to the underserved and the forgotten, ensuring that our efforts at improving national health leaves no one behind.
Advocacy is a major activity of APHA, and it regularly publishes legislative updates of its actions; the latest can be read at http://www.apha.org/NR/rdonlyres/74574D4F-4FC8-4920-8526-8B58259C2CF0/0/May2009LegislativeUpdate.pdf.
APHA has 25 sections, each comprised of major public health disciplines. Sections are the primary professional unit of APHA, and it is through its sections that much of its work is accomplished. I am pleased to note that one of the 25 sections is the Chiropractic Health Care section. As it is described on the website, the CHC “enhances public health through the application of chiropractic knowledge to the community by conservative care, disease prevention and health promotion.” The existence of this section is a result of the work of a number of people, but none more so than Dr. Rand Baird, who has been an APHA member for more than 25 years and was instrumental in growing the chiropractic membership. Palmer College has an active number of faculty and administrators among the members of this section.
It is important that we have this voice. Chiropractors serve on APHA’s Governing Council, and have made important input into public health policy. But our numbers are few and more should join. Please consider it. The investment of money pays off in influence, and our influence needs to be heard at the highest levels of our government. APHA can help make that happen.
APHA is the oldest and largest public health organization in the world, and has been in existence since 1872. As the website notes, “the Association aims to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats and strives to assure community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities and preventive health services are universally accessible in the United States.” Amongst its members are practitioners, educators and health care professionals of an amazing diversity, and this diversity includes several hundred chiropractors. The vision of APHA is a healthy global society, and it has worked ceaselessly to that end for more than a century. Its mission is to “Improve the health of the public and achieve equity in health status.” APHA gives voice to the underserved and the forgotten, ensuring that our efforts at improving national health leaves no one behind.
Advocacy is a major activity of APHA, and it regularly publishes legislative updates of its actions; the latest can be read at http://www.apha.org/NR/rdonlyres/74574D4F-4FC8-4920-8526-8B58259C2CF0/0/May2009LegislativeUpdate.pdf.
APHA has 25 sections, each comprised of major public health disciplines. Sections are the primary professional unit of APHA, and it is through its sections that much of its work is accomplished. I am pleased to note that one of the 25 sections is the Chiropractic Health Care section. As it is described on the website, the CHC “enhances public health through the application of chiropractic knowledge to the community by conservative care, disease prevention and health promotion.” The existence of this section is a result of the work of a number of people, but none more so than Dr. Rand Baird, who has been an APHA member for more than 25 years and was instrumental in growing the chiropractic membership. Palmer College has an active number of faculty and administrators among the members of this section.
It is important that we have this voice. Chiropractors serve on APHA’s Governing Council, and have made important input into public health policy. But our numbers are few and more should join. Please consider it. The investment of money pays off in influence, and our influence needs to be heard at the highest levels of our government. APHA can help make that happen.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Organizational Culture in Higher Education
In the business community, the focus on organizational culture really took off in the 1980, with the publication of books like Peters and Waterman In Search of Excellence. But since that time, there has been little agreement on how to view culture, and a number of theories have evolved. What is incontrovertible is that culture does play a role in aiding and resisting change. Change is, of course, inevitable in education.
Institutions are influenced not only by outside forces (ie, the economy) but by inside forces as well. This internal dynamic “has its roots in the history of the organization and derives its force from the values, processes, and goals held by those most intimately involved in the organization’s workings.” (1) Decisions and actions are a reflection of the organization’s culture. For those that have been in the culture for some time, the cultural values are part of the air they breath, not often considered consciously but almost always followed nonetheless. It is only when we break the codes of our culture that we find ourselves aware that they are there. But culture is a driver in educational organizations, and as our challenges become more difficult that there is a need to look at culture as a means to help address these challenges.
Tierney notes that organizational culture encourages members to:
- Consider conflict in the broad canvas of organizational life
- Recognize contradictions that create organizational tension
- Implement decisions with an awareness of their role on the culture
- Understand the symbolic dimensions of decisions and actions
- Consider why different groups have different perceptions about performance
Thus, Tierney offers a framework for looking at culture. In this framework, he considers:
- Environment: how does the organizational define its environment and what is its attitude toward that environment?
- Mission: how do we define the mission, articulate it, and use it for decision making? How much agreement is there?
- Socialization: How do new faculty (or staff or administrators) becomes socialized? How do we find out what we need to know to survive and thrive in our new environment?
- Information: What is information, who has it, and how do I get it?
- Strategy: How are decisions made? Who makes them? What happens if I make a bad decision?
- Leadership: What does the organization wants from its leaders? Who are they? Are there informal leaders as well as formal ones?
Our culture is conveyed in the relationships we have with our colleagues, and how we view what we see happening. No organization can be immune to the effects of culture, and understanding it is critical to aiding in innovation and change.
References
1. Tierney WG. The impact of culture on organizational decision making: theory and practice in higher education. Sterling, VA; Stylus Publishing 2008:24
Institutions are influenced not only by outside forces (ie, the economy) but by inside forces as well. This internal dynamic “has its roots in the history of the organization and derives its force from the values, processes, and goals held by those most intimately involved in the organization’s workings.” (1) Decisions and actions are a reflection of the organization’s culture. For those that have been in the culture for some time, the cultural values are part of the air they breath, not often considered consciously but almost always followed nonetheless. It is only when we break the codes of our culture that we find ourselves aware that they are there. But culture is a driver in educational organizations, and as our challenges become more difficult that there is a need to look at culture as a means to help address these challenges.
Tierney notes that organizational culture encourages members to:
- Consider conflict in the broad canvas of organizational life
- Recognize contradictions that create organizational tension
- Implement decisions with an awareness of their role on the culture
- Understand the symbolic dimensions of decisions and actions
- Consider why different groups have different perceptions about performance
Thus, Tierney offers a framework for looking at culture. In this framework, he considers:
- Environment: how does the organizational define its environment and what is its attitude toward that environment?
- Mission: how do we define the mission, articulate it, and use it for decision making? How much agreement is there?
- Socialization: How do new faculty (or staff or administrators) becomes socialized? How do we find out what we need to know to survive and thrive in our new environment?
- Information: What is information, who has it, and how do I get it?
- Strategy: How are decisions made? Who makes them? What happens if I make a bad decision?
- Leadership: What does the organization wants from its leaders? Who are they? Are there informal leaders as well as formal ones?
Our culture is conveyed in the relationships we have with our colleagues, and how we view what we see happening. No organization can be immune to the effects of culture, and understanding it is critical to aiding in innovation and change.
References
1. Tierney WG. The impact of culture on organizational decision making: theory and practice in higher education. Sterling, VA; Stylus Publishing 2008:24
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