Ethos: The Practical Ethics Blog

Hello,

As the summer ends, many of your are completing your final course requirements. It might be an internship, a thesis or dissertation, or some other kind of project. And as the prospect of finishing your education gets closer and closer, you will begin to worry more and more about finding a job and establishing your career. Below are some helpful steps you can take to set you on the right path.

First, if this is a rather new endeavour, start by scheduling an appointment with your institution’s Career Service Centre. They will have a set of resources for those of you new to curriculum vitae and resume building, networking, career counselling, etc.

Second, sign-up for job search engines that are applicable to you. These engines deliver job ads via email. Set your default to receive a digest of job adds each day or week. For example, www.idealist.org is a well-known job and networking website with a progressive and environmental cast. If you are looking for this sort of work, then checking Idealist daily is a wise move.

Third, bookmark the Employment Opportunities web pages for organizations you would like to work for. Check these pages weekly. For example, if you wanted to work for the Mass. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), you would consistently check their Job Opportunities page at www.mspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aboutus_Job_Opportunities.

Fourth, if you have not already done so, seek out paid, stipend or volunteer internships. The right internship offers not only experience, but excellent networking possibilities as well. Non-profits and government agencies are particularly prone to using internships to vet candidates for jobs that are not yet advertised. See for example the Defenders of Wildlife web page with information on internships, www.defenders.org/about/interns.html.

Fifth, a job-search is full-time work. Don’t put yourself between a rock and a hard place by plunging into a full-time job search before you get your ducks in a row. Prioritize finishing the degree, and organize your life for a full-time search. As soon as your degree requirements are completed, then plunge into the job search with vigour!

Cheers, Bill

William Lynn :: Aug.18.2008 :: Student Space :: No Comments »

Question: What computer should I buy?

Choosing the right computer platform is a personal and institutional decision. The machine and its software has to work for you, as well as integrate into the network of hardware and software applications of your department and institution.

I cannot tell you what is right for your particular circumstance. I will, however, share with you my personal experience.

I was forced to switch from Mac to Windows when I took my first job in the academy. And over the last ten years, I navigated the minefield of Windows software and hardware with some success, as well as much frustration. I have also watched my students struggle with similar issues.

A couple of years ago I began writing about my disappointments with Windows software and hardware. I grew tired of crashes, hangs, bad design and endless clicks. The recent comments of Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s Chief Executive, that people buying the Vista OS can downgrade to XP ‘for free’ underscores my point.

So I recently made a switch back to Apple and bought a MacBook Pro with OS X Leopard. I’m extremely pleased I did. I chose a 15″ screen, a 1/2 terabyte time capsule. I supplemented this with a widescreen monitor, as well as a wireless keyboard and mouse. I also had 4 GB of memory installed.

The current iteration of OS X is vastly superior to XP — from the GUI, to the program architecture, to the interoperability with the web. Indeed, I am a bit astonished at the difference. I have not used Vista, but what I hear and see from my students (and Ballmer) does not reassure me. Indeed even Microsofts’ flagship software — Office — works better on a Mac.

If you are or will be a university student or professor, you may be thinking about switching from Windows to Apple. If you do, here are a few resources that may be of help along the way.

Apple’s overview on moving from Windows to OS X. Great place to start.
www.apple.com/getamac/movetomac

Even better, Apple’s Switch 101
www.apple.com/support/switch101

Little Machine’s O2M (Outlook to Mac) software. Before you give it a whirl, make sure you set your dates and times to American standard. World time and Canadian date formats gum up the works.
www.littlemachines.com

Once you’ve accomplished the basics, ThinkMac has a switching guide that takes you to the next step.
ThinkMac.net

For a list of the best open source Mac software, try:
OpenSourceMac.org.

For a complementary list of the best Mac software (open source or not), try:
BestMacSoftware.org.

For a list of portable applications you can use on a usb key with your mac, try:
FreewareOSX.com.

Version Tracker and MacUpdates will help you find other applications, plugins, scripts, etc.
VersionTracker.com
MacUpdate.com

And if you like to keep up with Apple innovations and gossip, look to Apple Insider.

Finally, if you prefer a paper guide, try David Pogue’s Switching to Mac (2008).

If you will be studying in a windows environment, you can install Parallels desktop or use Apple’s BootCamp to run XP and windows programs. Since OS X is built on an open source core, many open source programs made for Unix or Linux will also work on the Apple through the use of the X11 emulator that comes with your Apple. Both Parallels and X11 are easy to use.

If it is of help to you, here’s a taste of what I’m running on my MacBookPro today. I’ve tried to build on a bundle of native Apple software, supplemented with other open source and proprietary software.

OS X Leopard
Coda (Dreamweaver alternative)
Cyberduck (ftp client)
Firefox and Safari (browsers & IE alternatives)
Address Book, iCal and Mail (Outlook alternative)
Google Earth
Inkscape (photoshop alternative)
iPhoto (Picassa alternative)
iTunes (of courese)
KeePassX
Kompozer (Dreamweaver alternative)
MarsEdit (blog editor)
NeoOffice (Microsoft Office alternative)
iWork (Microsoft Office alternative)
Sente (Endnote alternative)
Skype and iChat
SyncDifferent (usb syncronization)
UnArchiver (WinZip alternative)
VLC (Windows Media Player alternative)
Xee (image browser)

I hope my experience is of some help to you, and good luck with your computer purchase

cheers, Bill

William Lynn :: Aug.05.2008 :: Student Space :: No Comments »

Lisa Brown recently shared some excellent advice on planning and writing a research project.

Many of the readers of this blog are spending the summer writing their research project, thesis or dissertation.

One way of implementing her advice is to form a writing support group. Here are a few suggestions that I’ve accumulated over time.

1. Meet every two or three weeks. Weekly is too often, once a month is too long.

2. Take turns providing a writing sample for the group to read and critique. The sample must not be too long, and should be distributed well ahead of your meeting time.

3. Feedback on the clarity and content of your writing is an obvious benefit. Less appreciated is how reading and critiquing the work of another sparks new ideas about your own interpretation and expression.

4. Distinguish between questions of expression (e.g. how to say something) and conception (e.g. theory, method, data sources).

5. Get an experienced writer to attend some of your meetings. This can be a professor, editor, senior grad student, etc. The trick is getting the right person with the right experience for the topic under consideration.

6. Someone (or two) must take responsibility for planning and organizing the meetings. Great ideas and meetings can fizzle out for lack of organization and preparation.

7. Meet in a venue that facilitates your dialogue and has a minimum of disruptions.

I hope these suggestions are of some help, and good luck in writing up your research!

cheers, Bill

William Lynn :: Jul.02.2008 :: Student Space :: No Comments »

Question: Are there ways to plan and write a research paper so that I’m not so stressed all the time?

Planning, writing and researching an academic project can be overwhelming. But there are ways to prepare for a large paper without succumbing to down-to-the-wire anxiety that is common among students. Below are some suggestions that are designed to help students feel in control of their project.

1) Outline
The best way to start any major project is with an outline. Having a very basic structure will be immensely helpful in executing the project from beginning to end. Your outline will change as you write and research, but having a place to begin will help you think about your project as a whole, and as individual pieces of a whole. Once you know what your project topic is (and you’ve done some very preliminary research) you should be able to create a basic outline in as little as 20 minutes. Remember, this initial outline doesn’t have to be perfect. It is simply meant to help you plan and envision your project.

2) Scheduling
Once you have an outline prepared, it’s time to pull out the calendar. Mark the start and end date of your project so you have a clearly delineated length of time in which to work. Then, using the outline you created in step 1, plug in deadlines for yourself. (My own preference is to create due dates every Friday on which a rough draft of each section from my outline is “due.”) This forces you to create bite-sized chunks of work that you can complete in a single week. Give careful thought to your own particular process. For instance, do you prefer to complete research before writing? Do you prefer to combine the process of research and writing? Do you feel the need to go in order, or would it be best to start in the middle? Don’t forget to allow time for your mentor to look at a rough draft, give yourself time for revisions, and plan ahead for unforeseen circumstances (an illness, an unexpected vacation, and the inevitable days of procrastination.) Most importantly, make the calendar extremely realistic. Give yourself more time than you’ll need for each part of the project. Be realistic about when you’ll need breaks.

3) Obstacles

Your biggest challenge as a writer/researcher is not your deadline; nor is it finding sources, compiling information, or writing. Your biggest obstacle is yourself. You will face many of your own insecurities as you work your way through this process. I call these insecurities “the demons.” Demons are the thoughts in your head that tell you you’ll fail. They tell you you’re dumb, you’re a bad writer and no one will want to read your work. The best way to combat the demons is threefold: 1) begin to think of them as entities that are separate from yourself so you can easily dismiss the destructive thoughts. 2) identify, as specifically as possible, what these demons are telling you so that you can recognize your personal demons in the future. 3) gather a toolbox of skills to fight against the demons (the calendar is a start that process. I’ll get to a few more in a moment.)

Here are some examples of demons: I have no expertise; I can’t explain things well; I’m dumb; This is going to be really bad; Who do I think I am?

Sometimes demons disguise themselves as angels. They do this by appearing to be encouraging, when in actuality, they create an environment where you feel paralyzed. Here are some examples of demons disguised as angels: Each word/sentence has to be right; This is going to be the best thing I’ve ever written; This has to be good enough to publish; I have to do something no one has ever done before.

You’ll notice that while these things may at first appear empowering, they actually put so much pressure and expectation on you that you’ll be terrified of making mistakes. That means you will have trouble finding the confidence to write.

4) The Writing Process

Here are a few skills to help combat the demons, writer’s block, and general writing anxiety.

“Keep your hand moving”

Blank pages are daunting, so force yourself to fill up the page with your words, even if your word choice, sentence structure and grammar are atrocious. You’ll fix that stuff later. For now, just get the ideas down on paper. Your demons will probably tell you that what you are writing is bad, but don’t forget that your first draft is SUPPOSED to be bad. That’s why they call it a first draft. A bad first draft is the only way you get to a good second draft and a great third draft. Keep your hand moving without judging your writing. You’ll be surprised to find that, once you clean it up in the second draft, a good portion of it will be useable.

“Follow inspiration”

Don’t feel obligated to start the beginning. Start where you feel inspired, even if that means writing the conclusion before you’ve written anything else. I often choose to write my introduction at the end. Take breaks from sections that are driving you crazy, and procrastinate by using other parts of your paper. If you don’t feel like writing, go to the library and do more research. If your brain is fried, work on the bibliography. Don’t let your calendar constrict you. Use it as a guide, but make changes when needed.

“Free write”

Pick a particular topic from your paper — one that you are stuck on, inspired by, fearful of, or curious about — and just write. Without doing any additional research, write for at least 10-15 minutes and see what comes out. You may be surprised by how much you already know, or you may go in an unexpected direction. It will also help you clarify where you need to do a bit more research. Most importantly, don’t judge your writing. Just write and see what you come up with.

“Communicate with your mentor”

Tell your mentor what you need from him or her. Don’t wait for them to tell you how to complete your project. Be clear and upfront from the beginning about how they can help you, what you expect from them and where you think you need the most guidance. If you think it will be helpful, share your calendar with them (make sure they understand it is a loose structure that is only meant to guide you.) By utilizing your mentor in this way, you will actually be teaching yourself how to be your own mentor, a skill that will be useful during future projects in school and throughout your career.

Many students feel helpless when they take on a large project. They carry free-floating anxiety when they are writing, a feeling they can’t even shake when they take breaks. They become paralyzed when they face a blank page or computer screen. But by developing a structure via your calendar, you will feel more in control, and will be able to relax when you have scheduled time to procrastinate. Further, by allowing yourself to make mistakes, to be less than perfect, and to have realistic expectations, the tasks ahead will be that much easier.

Lisa Brown :: May.26.2008 :: Student Space :: 4 Comments »

Question: Are there tips for managing email when in college or university?

The email accounts provided by colleges and universities are for your use while you are in school. This is the official address to which most professors and the school will send email. You can recognize this email address by the suffix ‘.edu’.

You have two basic choices regarding your educational email account. First, you can use it as your primary account to conduct all your business and communications. Second, you can use this account for school purposes only, and use a personal account for non-school activities.

Please note that except in the largest or richest of institutions, once you complete school, your educational account is closed. Relying on your educational account can often lead to significant loss of information if its cancelation catches you unaware. At some point, and often at an inconvenient time and with little notice, your address and stored mail will be purged.

It is for the above reason that I recommend the second choice — using both educational and personal email accounts.

Using multiple accounts can seem like additional work. If you have more than two or three accounts to check, that may be true. Still, there are solutions that take but a few extra steps. Use the one that works best for you.

If you are using webmail only, take the following steps.

1. Be sure you have a working personal email account. These can be free (e.g. gmail.com) or for a fee (e.g. mail.com).

2. Set your educational account to automatically transfer messages to your personal account.

3. If you have them, transfer your previous emails from your educational account to your personal account.

Hint: The downside to this option is that when you send mail, you will not be using your educational address. Some institutions may block email whose send and reply address are not the same.

To solves the downside noted above, use an email client (e.g. Eudora, Mail, Outlook, Thunderbird), simply take the following steps.

1. Set up an account profile on your email client for each of your email accounts.

2. Use your email client to receive, access and store your email on your computer.

3. Use your email client to upload email using your educational or personal account.

Hint: You will need your username, password, pop and stmp server address to set up these profiles. If you want to maintain maximum flexibility and access, use a email client like Eudora, Mail or Thunderbird.

For technical support on how to do all this, please contact your service provider.

For example: I have my own web space, the domain www.practicalethics.net. This allows me to have my own professional email address. I set up my educational account to automatically transfer messages to my practical ethics account. That way when I download my email into Mail (OSX), or view it via the web, it is all in one place. Nor can it be accessed or erased by a third party. And because I use Time-Machine with Time-Capsule (OSX), my mail is automatically backed up every hour, every day, every week, every month. So when my drive recently died, I was able to recover all my mail going back to 1997!

I wish I had read something like this before the University of Minnesota erased my .edu account. And I hope this column helps you manage your email both during and after school.

Cheers, Bill

William Lynn :: May.19.2008 :: Student Space :: 2 Comments »

Question: What is the point of course evaluations?

When students and professors really care about education and educating, course evaluations can be very helpful.

The most obvious advantage is identifying elements of a course to keep, jettison or improve upon. As importantly, course evaluations are an opportunity for students and professors to dialogue about the meaning and significance of education. Course evaluations can help a department or program monitor its quality, and identify areas needing collective improvement. Sometimes evaluations are a flag that alerts the community to a professor in personal difficulty, making it possible to intervene in helpful and respectful ways.

Speaking for myself, I take course evaluations very seriously. I use student comments to triangulate on improvements to syllabi, assignments and tests. As a matter of best practice, I do this in every course each and every year. I also expressly designed my evaluations to elicit a range of quantitative and qualitative data that is germane to each course.

The topics I am especially interested in student’s reflecting upon are listed below. I suggest that they dig out the syllabus to remind themselves of the course’s intentions and content. This helps them write as specific and relevant feedback as possible.

• The order of topics and readings (e.g. Should the on ethics or scientific methods come before or after that of public policy? Why?)
• The time length of topics and readings (e.g. Would you like more time reading a particular author, or a particular subject? Why?)
• Other topics and readings (e.g. What other topics and/or readings would you like to have incorporated into the course?)
• The integration of my course-work (e.g. Does this courses inform and clarify other courses I teach? Is there a web of knowledge that is emerging?)
• The integration of program course-work (e.g. What are you thoughts on how this course informs other courses in the program?)

When my students fill out course evaluations completely and seriously, it is of substantial help to me and to future students. So a big thank you to those who take the time to do so!

If course evaluations can be so helpful, why then are many faculty and students cynical about them? To understand why, some straight talk about academic politics is in order.

Studies show there can be a direct correlation between a student’s evaluation’s of a course or professor, and their anticipated grade irrespective of the effort they put forth in the course. This situation is exacerbated by the increasing commodification of education. When higher education is approached as a commodity to be bought, it minimizes student’s participation in their own learning, and detracts from education as an apprenticeship to knowledge, a prerequisite for informed citizenship, and a forge of character.

Administrators frequently talk-up evaluations as a mechanism of quality control exemplifying an institution’s undying commitment to teaching. A rather odd claim given that there are few rewards in many of these same institutions for teaching well. The reality is that many professors are evaluated primarily (often solely) in terms of the scholarship they produce. If they take time away from producing the next research article to teach or advise well, they pay a price in job security or compensation.

For example, I once worked at an institution where all professors were ranked according to their teaching quality. This was determined by an absurdly short and irrelevant questionnaire in what amounted to a popularity contest. Unfortunately, it had dire results — the lowest ranking professors were fired. Not surprisingly, this approach drove down the quality of teaching. Students figured this out rather quickly, and would punish faculty for hard courses or low grades. And you can imagine what other professors thought when it came time to assign challenging reading, assignments or tests in our courses.

Even so, from what I have seen the vast majority of professors simply do their best, even in the face of difficult circumstances. There are also many institutions where teaching is prized. In my own experience, Green Mountain College and Vassar College stand out in this respect. These institutions have excellent faculty, along with administrators and institutional incentives that support them. In a similar vein, my students at Tufts have been especially wonderful — striving for their personal best and excelling in the face of rigourous demands. As you can see, I have been fortunate to work with great colleagues and students.

What then is the take-home message? I think the task for faculty and students is to approach course evaluations with mutual respect and responsibility. An open mind on the part of faculty, and fair contributions on the part of students, can together take us a long way.

Cheers, Bill

William Lynn :: May.05.2008 :: Student Space :: No Comments »

I am starting a new series of columns entitled Student Space.

Each year I answer hundreds if not thousands of emails. Many are from students who have pragmatic questions about coursework, computing, applying for a masters or doctoral program, finding a job after graduation, etc. Other questions are about additional readings, online resources, the nature of environmental studies or geography or human-animal studies, or distinctions about important terms like moral value and geocentrism.

When students write me, I ask that they treat their email as an open letter read in public. This way no one is surprised or hurt when I forward my response to an entire group. I forward my responses to others because they are likely to have similar or related queries, and a broader conversation is of benefit to everyone.

Even so, over the years students have asked me to put these thoughts into a ‘handbook’ where my advice is easily accessed. A column series on Ethos seems like the most accessible place to do this!

I hope that over time other faculty and students will contribute editorials to Student Space. If you would like to write for or comment on this series, please be in contact. Guidelines can be found on the editorial and column pages of this blog.

Remember, your advice and experience is welcome on Ethos.

cheers, Bill

William Lynn :: May.05.2008 :: Student Space :: No Comments »

So.

I facilitated a working group at Tufts the other day. It was a rewarding if long day. When I walked back to my car, I found this note on the window shield.

Am I a lucky professor to have such a thoughtful group of students or what!?

Thank you everyone!

‘;-)

Cheers.

William Lynn :: Oct.11.2007 :: Student Space :: No Comments »