SPRING 2012- WEEK 3 (3/18/12)
Guest Speaker for Interview Workshop: Sahar Muradi
This week, we had a busy agenda. Here's what we did:
Agenda:
1. Icebreaker: Animal Sounds
2. Introduction to Interview workshop, quick recap on DREAM Act event on Sat., March 17th
3 Discuss short stories from family members (from HW)
4. Sahar Muradi on interviewing
5. Debrief Sahar/writing in Reflection Journals, homework assignments, announcements
Icebreaker Description:
Animal Sounds: Each person goes around and count off from 1-4 (1=pig, 2=chickens, 3=cows, 4=sheep). Each “animal” makes sound with eyes closed and tries to find group by identifying the sounds.
(*We then used these "animal" groups during the session's discussion and activities.)
(*We then used these "animal" groups during the session's discussion and activities.)
Recap of DREAM Act workshop on Saturday, March 17th, sponsored by CPA
Here's an overview of the information from the workshop: (By: Linda)
Three items of the DREAM Act trying to get passed this year:
1. DREAM Fund- private scholarship (created by Senator Moya)
2. New York State DREAM Act (public)- TAP (Tuition Assistance Program), CUNY/SUNY/state funded
-- Utilize public taxpayer money
-- would only increase TAP budget by 2%, if passed
3. Regents Bill- 529 Savings Account
Here's more information from the "Equal Opportunity to Education for All" Workshop:
DREAM Act- Fact Sheet in English | |
File Size: | 111 kb |
File Type: |
DREAM Act- Fact Sheet in Chinese | |
File Size: | 304 kb |
File Type: |
Contact Governor Cuomo | |
File Size: | 81 kb |
File Type: |
Family Member Interviewing Discussion:
*Led by Nick
In our animal groups, the students discussed how their interview with their family members went; answering questions like: How was the process? Was it difficult/easy? Was the interviewee open to talking? How did you ask your questions? How many questions?
Each group had to come up with answers to two things: 1. What was the most interesting question you asked? 2. What was the most interesting thing you learned from your interviewee?
Some answers were:
1. Why did you come to the US? How did you feel about this country when you first arrived? Do you want to stay in the US or go back to China?
2. Her cousin had a hard time learning English and communicating when he first came to the US; Her father came to America to have a good future for him and his family; Her grandmother was in the US and sponsored other members of the family to come to the US for a family reunion; His great grandfather came to the US when he was in his 20s; During her interview with her father, she found out that her father thought the mailbox in the US was a garbage can when he first came; His father feels if he were to work at a different company, he would get paid more
Sahar Muradi's Interview Workshop:
To start off, Sehar had the students go around introducing themselves and say one thing they wanted to get out of the workshop. Some answers were: How to shorten an interview with someone who is talkative? How do you get someone who isn't willing to share or answer questions, to get them to share more?
Pair/Share #1: For an icebreaker, mentees partnered up (one group had 3 mentees) and interviewed each other about their early childhood without writing notes. Then, we had a discussion about the questions the students asked and the answers they received.
Some questions were: What was your best memory? Who did you spend your childhood with? What was your first language? How many siblings do you have? What did you like to do when you were younger?
Strategies to follow, to get from interviewee:
Details
Examples
Anecdotes
Pair/Share #1: For an icebreaker, mentees partnered up (one group had 3 mentees) and interviewed each other about their early childhood without writing notes. Then, we had a discussion about the questions the students asked and the answers they received.
Some questions were: What was your best memory? Who did you spend your childhood with? What was your first language? How many siblings do you have? What did you like to do when you were younger?
Strategies to follow, to get from interviewee:
Details
Examples
Anecdotes
Activity #2: In groups (Chicken: Suzanne, Terran, Ru, Amy; Pig: Fang, Ke Xin, Zhoufeng, James; Cows: Ming, Ann, Kily), the students came up with answers to the following prompts: 1. (Things to do to) Prepare for interview, 2. Elements of a good question/good interviewer, 3. Post interview actions
Then, each group went around giving their answers and got one point if their group was the only one came up with the answer.
Here's what they came up with:
1. (Things to do to) Prepare for interview:
Chickens: Dress Nice; Practice your behavior/actions; list questions to ask; anticipate interviewer's questions
Pigs: Make appointment; come up with goals; research background information
Cows: Bring recorder or notebook; Find good place for interview (that is comfortable for interviewee)
2. Elements of a good question/good interviewer:
Pigs: Open-Ended questions (Eg: What is your best memory?); Clarification questions (ask to rephrase questions); Follow-up questions (to get more information); focus on your goals (direct back to goals by asking a question on your list); have back-up plan (more questions); smile, be comfortable, ask easy questions first then progress to harder questions, be warm; give interviewee choice to not have to answer uncomfortable questions
Cows: Be sympathetic: "I think I understand."
Chickens: Start formally then casual (after a while)--> *suggestion is to start casual such as talking about the weather, etc. then start asking personal questions
3. Post interview actions:
Cows: Thank the person; read over notes; transcribe recordings; be friends; give gift or send thank you note; show interviewee project
Pigs: Follow-up; get contact information
Chickens: Shake hands; give farewell statements; feedback
***At the end, there was a three-way tie with everyone having four points. Everyone won!
Pair #2: Sehar and a mentee did a final partner interview trying to utilize information from the workshop.
Sahar's final tips:
- What worked in this interview? Follow-up questions, was encouraging/friendly, kept eye contact/had good body language
- What still needed work? Need to expand on questions (ask open-ended questions) and get interviewee to tell stories
Then, each group went around giving their answers and got one point if their group was the only one came up with the answer.
Here's what they came up with:
1. (Things to do to) Prepare for interview:
Chickens: Dress Nice; Practice your behavior/actions; list questions to ask; anticipate interviewer's questions
Pigs: Make appointment; come up with goals; research background information
Cows: Bring recorder or notebook; Find good place for interview (that is comfortable for interviewee)
2. Elements of a good question/good interviewer:
Pigs: Open-Ended questions (Eg: What is your best memory?); Clarification questions (ask to rephrase questions); Follow-up questions (to get more information); focus on your goals (direct back to goals by asking a question on your list); have back-up plan (more questions); smile, be comfortable, ask easy questions first then progress to harder questions, be warm; give interviewee choice to not have to answer uncomfortable questions
Cows: Be sympathetic: "I think I understand."
Chickens: Start formally then casual (after a while)--> *suggestion is to start casual such as talking about the weather, etc. then start asking personal questions
3. Post interview actions:
Cows: Thank the person; read over notes; transcribe recordings; be friends; give gift or send thank you note; show interviewee project
Pigs: Follow-up; get contact information
Chickens: Shake hands; give farewell statements; feedback
***At the end, there was a three-way tie with everyone having four points. Everyone won!
Pair #2: Sehar and a mentee did a final partner interview trying to utilize information from the workshop.
Sahar's final tips:
- What worked in this interview? Follow-up questions, was encouraging/friendly, kept eye contact/had good body language
- What still needed work? Need to expand on questions (ask open-ended questions) and get interviewee to tell stories
For more pictures, click here.
Biography: From Kabul to Elmhurst, from rural Massachusetts to the East Village, Sahar Muradi writes to make sense of a snaking path. She is co-editor of One Story, Thirty Stories: An Anthology of Afghan American Literature (University of Arkansas Press, 2010) and on the editorial board of the forthcoming Boundaries and Borders, An Anthology of Women of Color. For several years she worked in the nonprofit sector in Afghanistan, and most recently ran a high school youth development program in NYC, including at Pace High School in Chinatown. She received her MPA in international development from NYU and her BA in creative writing from Hampshire College.
Much of Sahar’s writing focuses on themes of home and identity. As an immigrant living in a city of immigrants and within a neighborhood where urban development is uprooting the re-rooted, she is especially interested in the layering of displacement experiences and the role of writing in reconciling those experiences. (Bio from Open the City Blog)
THANK YOU SAHAR MURADI for your expertise and your fun and interactive interviewing workshop. Your workshop was very comprehensive and engaging, and there was so much creative energy in the room.
Much of Sahar’s writing focuses on themes of home and identity. As an immigrant living in a city of immigrants and within a neighborhood where urban development is uprooting the re-rooted, she is especially interested in the layering of displacement experiences and the role of writing in reconciling those experiences. (Bio from Open the City Blog)
THANK YOU SAHAR MURADI for your expertise and your fun and interactive interviewing workshop. Your workshop was very comprehensive and engaging, and there was so much creative energy in the room.
Homework: Redo family member interview incorporating 3 things to do in an interview based on Sahar's workshop. Send interview questions and short story to: [email protected]. Be prepared to discuss in the next session.