11.15 Practice focus group

We practiced the focus group talk.  We went through the intro (the hardest) and paid attention to setting up the fact that the group was: about getting input for the WC strategic plan, checking in with stakeholders (and coaches are IMPORTANT stakeholders), talking about INPUT and collecting information (rather than feedback), and so on.  I am hoping you took good notes.  The intro certainly got better each time we did it.  I am thinking this is going to go very well!

We also talked over the purpose of the writing icebreaker (to get the group to feel and think like a GROUP => to build/enhance the communication dynamic).  Buiding a card house sounded like a good activity to me - though it might need an "obstacle" (interference from the moderator) the group needs to overcome/solve together to make it better serve the function of the "icebreaker".

In the writing prompt - make sure to emphasize the vision for the KEAN writing center.  You might want to do a little more tweaking with the prompt as Joe and I drafted it to make sure it directs subjects to the features of WC you want to learn about.

We did the writing activity and practiced protocols for "harvesting" the writing.  Go around the circle a MINIMUM of three times.  Second/third time thoughts are the "warmed up" ones.  They often reflect the synergy of the group more so than the first comments. Ask for associations and connections.  Get a BIG list.  Make sure you have your :"fishing:" list in your head or on paper so if that language isn't showing up you can get a response to the groups feelings about key activities/services we have "assumed" as central to the Kean Writing Center.

I think we decided to set up the break by thinking about groupings/categories for the big messy list harvested from the writing.   Either that - or have the group brainstorm (while looking at the list) categories - and  have the note taker re-write the list in terms of the categories over the break. Think some more about what you want to do for this one.

You might also do some work thinking about what kinds of categories should be there.  We got kind of stuck on this (we made up categories without really looking at our big messy list) => maybe one important outcome of this focus group will be a kind of baseline category list - or at least that you will get an idea of what kinds of categories turn up.  These categories, the numbers of items in them, and their ranking will be the basis for the objectives  in the strategic plan.

You will be great.  I hope to show up by about 3:15.  See you then.

For Tuesday, 11.22
I will look over the rubrics.
We will talk over data from the first focus group, talk about protocols for analysis, and decide on a format for the "write up"
First drafts of GA reports are due 11.29 (discussion of initial objectives, rationale for revised objectives and a bullet pointy-draft so far of what will be in the discussion + recommendations).