2020(S08) Lecture:week 2: Difference between revisions
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'''Instructions:''' Last week you tried to understand a tape recorder by considering the components and subcomponents that operate inside it. Today you will demonstrate your understanding of the machine by re-assembling it from those components...''"what I cannot create, I do not understand."'' and all that...Take a careful look at your parts list and your notes from last time. '''The team that can reassemble their tape recorder from the greatest number of parts will win this challenge.''' You have 1/2 an hour to work on this task.<br> | '''Instructions:''' Last week you tried to understand a tape recorder by considering the components and subcomponents that operate inside it. Today you will demonstrate your understanding of the machine by re-assembling it from those components...''"what I cannot create, I do not understand."'' and all that...Take a careful look at your parts list and your notes from last time. '''The team that can reassemble their tape recorder from the greatest number of parts will win this challenge.''' You have 1/2 an hour to work on this task.<br> | ||
At the end of the 1/2 hour we will spend some time tallying the successes of the groups and discussing the exercise in terms of scientific vs engineering efforts. <br> | At the end of the 1/2 hour we will spend some time tallying the successes of the groups and discussing the exercise in terms of scientific vs engineering efforts. <br> | ||
'''Before you leave today:''' Spend 5 minutes to complete your response | '''Before you leave today:''' Spend 5 minutes to complete your response log entry. In your response, you should note: | ||
* what the activity was | * what the activity was | ||
* why you think it might have been included in this class | * why you think it might have been included in this class | ||
* if the activity helped you think about: | * if the activity helped you think about: | ||
** | ** ways to make biology easier to engineer | ||
** | ** consequences of successfully engineering biology | ||
** | ** clever ways nature solves physical challenges | ||
** | ** ways nature innovates | ||
*if the activity has given you any new tools/considerations that could be useful for your project. | *if the activity has given you any new tools/considerations that could be useful for your project. | ||
Upload these responses to | Upload these responses to the lecture response log in the homework dropbox that's [https://stellar.mit.edu/S/course/20/sp08/20.020/homework/index.html?toolset=hidden here] | ||
==For next time== | ==For next time== | ||
Look again at the [http://www.nature.com/nature/comics/syntheticbiologycomic/index.html Adventures in SB] as well as the original storyboard that's [http://openwetware.org/wiki/Image:Comic.sketch.jpg here]. This storyboard was sketched on regular paper by Drew as he was flying from one place to another. You should give some thought to the two chapter script you're working on and think about ways to sketch a [http://www.answers.com/topic/storyboard?cat=biz-fin storyboard] from it. This will prepare you for work in the studio tomorrow. Please print out your script to bring to the studio tomorrow as well as upload the script to your personal design portfolio that's [https://stellar.mit.edu/S/course/20/sp08/20.020/homework/ here]. | Look again at the [http://www.nature.com/nature/comics/syntheticbiologycomic/index.html Adventures in SB] as well as the original storyboard that's [http://openwetware.org/wiki/Image:Comic.sketch.jpg here]. This storyboard was sketched on regular paper by Drew as he was flying from one place to another. You should give some thought to the two chapter script you're working on and think about ways to sketch a [http://www.answers.com/topic/storyboard?cat=biz-fin storyboard] from it. This will prepare you for work in the studio tomorrow. Please print out your script to bring to the studio tomorrow as well as upload the script to your personal design portfolio that's [https://stellar.mit.edu/S/course/20/sp08/20.020/homework/ here]. | ||
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Once the ground rules for discussion are set, someone should distribute the red cards, one to each player, face down. Either way someone should begin by summarizing their story and the relevant information and issues. If conversation slows down or needs some motivating, the challenge cards can be used. '''By the end of the 30 discussion your group should be able to cluster the stories, issues, and information in some way that makes sense to everyone.''' This means physically moving the cards for related ideas and positions into piles. | Once the ground rules for discussion are set, someone should distribute the red cards, one to each player, face down. Either way someone should begin by summarizing their story and the relevant information and issues. If conversation slows down or needs some motivating, the challenge cards can be used. '''By the end of the 30 discussion your group should be able to cluster the stories, issues, and information in some way that makes sense to everyone.''' This means physically moving the cards for related ideas and positions into piles. | ||
===Phase 4: policy position=== | ===Phase 4: policy position=== | ||
Everyone will be given a Policy Position ballot in which they can indicate their level of support for each of the four possible positions. The ballots will be collected and tabulated by one member of the group. Look for common ground in your policy positions or develop a response that better represents any consensus reached by discussion. If you would like to upload your group's response to the Play Decide website, the URL is [http://www.playdecide.org/ here]. | Everyone will be given a Policy Position ballot in which they can indicate their level of support for each of the four possible positions. The ballots will be collected and tabulated by one member of the group. Look for common ground in your policy positions or develop a response that better represents any consensus reached by discussion. If you would like to upload your group's response to the Play Decide website, the URL is [http://www.playdecide.org/ here].<br><br> | ||
'''Before you leave today:''' Spend 5 minutes to complete your response | '''Before you leave today:''' Spend 5 minutes to complete your response log entry. In your response, you should note: | ||
* what the activity was | * what the activity was | ||
* why you think it might have been included in this class | * why you think it might have been included in this class | ||
* if the activity helped you think about: | * if the activity helped you think about: | ||
** | ** ways to make biology easier to engineer | ||
** | ** consequences of successfully engineering biology | ||
** | ** clever ways nature solves physical challenges | ||
** | ** ways nature innovates | ||
*if the activity has given you any new tools/considerations that could be useful for your project. | *if the activity has given you any new tools/considerations that could be useful for your project. | ||
Upload these responses to | Upload these responses to the lecture response log in the homework dropbox that's [https://stellar.mit.edu/S/course/20/sp08/20.020/homework/index.html?toolset=hidden here] | ||
==For next time== | ==For next time== | ||
Team behavior can often be characterized as either | Team behavior can often be characterized as either | ||
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*'''"conflicted,"''' i.e. lots of ideas are generated about how to solve the group's task but no ownership of any one course of direction means less gets done. Conflicted teams are characterized by low energy and/or repeat re-negotiation of the agreed path. | *'''"conflicted,"''' i.e. lots of ideas are generated about how to solve the group's task but no ownership of any one course of direction means less gets done. Conflicted teams are characterized by low energy and/or repeat re-negotiation of the agreed path. | ||
*'''"cohesive,"''' i.e. each member feels valued and contributes their best to a well-defined task. Cohesive teams are inclusive in their decision making, show a commitment by each member to complete the task at hand, and conflict is not seen as an unhealthy "win/lose" situation. | *'''"cohesive,"''' i.e. each member feels valued and contributes their best to a well-defined task. Cohesive teams are inclusive in their decision making, show a commitment by each member to complete the task at hand, and conflict is not seen as an unhealthy "win/lose" situation. | ||
To think more about your contribution to the team as you played Decide, and evaluate the team dynamics according to these three broad catagories. It's likely your team behavior had elements of each, and you can elaborate on these ideas by adding another paragraph to your response | To think more about your contribution to the team as you played Decide, and evaluate the team dynamics according to these three broad catagories. It's likely your team behavior had elements of each, and you can elaborate on these ideas by adding another paragraph to your response log entry that you started in class on Thursday. |
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Week 2 Tuesday
Challenge: extra credit for extra parts?
Instructions: Last week you tried to understand a tape recorder by considering the components and subcomponents that operate inside it. Today you will demonstrate your understanding of the machine by re-assembling it from those components..."what I cannot create, I do not understand." and all that...Take a careful look at your parts list and your notes from last time. The team that can reassemble their tape recorder from the greatest number of parts will win this challenge. You have 1/2 an hour to work on this task.
At the end of the 1/2 hour we will spend some time tallying the successes of the groups and discussing the exercise in terms of scientific vs engineering efforts.
Before you leave today: Spend 5 minutes to complete your response log entry. In your response, you should note:
- what the activity was
- why you think it might have been included in this class
- if the activity helped you think about:
- ways to make biology easier to engineer
- consequences of successfully engineering biology
- clever ways nature solves physical challenges
- ways nature innovates
- if the activity has given you any new tools/considerations that could be useful for your project.
Upload these responses to the lecture response log in the homework dropbox that's here
For next time
Look again at the Adventures in SB as well as the original storyboard that's here. This storyboard was sketched on regular paper by Drew as he was flying from one place to another. You should give some thought to the two chapter script you're working on and think about ways to sketch a storyboard from it. This will prepare you for work in the studio tomorrow. Please print out your script to bring to the studio tomorrow as well as upload the script to your personal design portfolio that's here.
Week 2 Studio
Part 1: WHAP! BAM! Gadzooks!
Begin today by reading the following script and looking at the associated storyboards that are here. Next, think about how to storyboard your script. You do not need any fancy animation tools and there's no extra credit for finishing first or for fancy images. Ideally you'll use no more than 4 sheets of paper to fully sketch your script. Please be sure your name is on all the pieces of paper. You have up to an hour to complete your sketches.
When you have completed your sketches, find a place on the wall to hang your work, and then spend 1/2 an hour walking around the room checking out what others have done.
Part 2: Robbing Peter to pay Paul
In the second part of today's studio, you should consider one of these two articles:
Both deal with costly inefficiencies and indirection. Land to make grain to feed livestock to feed us. Iron to make microbes to affect CO2 to affect global warming. You should spend 10 minutes reading one article then spend the rest of your time discussing the articles at your table. In your conversations you might want to
- list the "six degrees of separation" it takes to convert a resource into a commodity
- consider the cost or profit made along each connecting step
- brainstorm ways to reduce the inefficiencies and indirection
Your thinking about these business models will inform the reading you'll do for next time, helping you calculate a cost/benefit ratio for biofuel production.
For next time
Read the Department of Energy primer about Switchgrass pdf and then the news story in Nature pdf describing the backlash against plans to grow switchgrass for ethanol. Write a paragraph describing your ideas on switchgrass for ethanol production. Please bring your paragraph to lecture next week as well as upload it to your personal design portfolio that's here.
Time for completion: <1/2 hour of reading, <1/2 hour of writing.
Week 2 Thursday
Challenge: You decide
There are three topics on today's table: Climate Change, Nanotechnology, and Genetic Testing. Choose one topic of interest to you, find that game table to play "Decide." With a minimum of 4 people (or a maximum of 8 people) you can start to play. Everyone at the table will have
- one placemat/workboard describing the issue
- White story cards
- Green information cards
- Blue issue cards
- Red challenge cards
- Yellow cards to facilitate discussion
Phase 1: set-up
- Begin choosing a reader the topic's description that's written in the upper lefthand corner of each placemat
- Choose a different reader for the 4 policy positions that your group will ultimately decide between.
- Finally choose a different reader to read the discussion guidelines that are written in the bottom lefthand corner of each placemat.
Phase 2: learning
This phase will require ~30 minutes
- Each player should read the white story cards and choose 1 they find most compelling to keep on their placemat.
- Each player should read the green information cards and choose 2 they believe are the most significant to the story they've chosen. These cards can also be placed on their placemat
- Each player should read the blue issue cards and choose 2 they believe are the most significant to the story they've chosen. These cards should be placed on their placemat.
Phase 3: discussion
This phase will require ~30 minutes. There are many ways to structure the discussion but you can, as a group, decide
- if you would like a "free form" discussion in which players may participate in any order and yellow cards can be used to signal frustration with the speaker,
or
- if you would like a "round table" discussion in which conversation proceeds from player to player around the table and "talk money" can be used to talk out of turn (everyone has two "talk money" chits on their placemats).
Once the ground rules for discussion are set, someone should distribute the red cards, one to each player, face down. Either way someone should begin by summarizing their story and the relevant information and issues. If conversation slows down or needs some motivating, the challenge cards can be used. By the end of the 30 discussion your group should be able to cluster the stories, issues, and information in some way that makes sense to everyone. This means physically moving the cards for related ideas and positions into piles.
Phase 4: policy position
Everyone will be given a Policy Position ballot in which they can indicate their level of support for each of the four possible positions. The ballots will be collected and tabulated by one member of the group. Look for common ground in your policy positions or develop a response that better represents any consensus reached by discussion. If you would like to upload your group's response to the Play Decide website, the URL is here.
Before you leave today: Spend 5 minutes to complete your response log entry. In your response, you should note:
- what the activity was
- why you think it might have been included in this class
- if the activity helped you think about:
- ways to make biology easier to engineer
- consequences of successfully engineering biology
- clever ways nature solves physical challenges
- ways nature innovates
- if the activity has given you any new tools/considerations that could be useful for your project.
Upload these responses to the lecture response log in the homework dropbox that's here
For next time
Team behavior can often be characterized as either
- "fractured," i.e. one dominant member who pushes viewpoints and decisions, with or without some team members who are a supportive "clique." In fractured teams, you might hear, "yes but..." a lot or see passive agressive behavior where only 1/2 hearted attempts are made.
- "conflicted," i.e. lots of ideas are generated about how to solve the group's task but no ownership of any one course of direction means less gets done. Conflicted teams are characterized by low energy and/or repeat re-negotiation of the agreed path.
- "cohesive," i.e. each member feels valued and contributes their best to a well-defined task. Cohesive teams are inclusive in their decision making, show a commitment by each member to complete the task at hand, and conflict is not seen as an unhealthy "win/lose" situation.
To think more about your contribution to the team as you played Decide, and evaluate the team dynamics according to these three broad catagories. It's likely your team behavior had elements of each, and you can elaborate on these ideas by adding another paragraph to your response log entry that you started in class on Thursday.