Enjoy the View! Slow Down and Make Technology Work for You

1. Enjoy the View! Slow Down and Make Technology Work for You Cheryl Schultz The University of Iowa NACADA Annual Conference October 3, 2008 Code: 140

2. Overview • What is the Slow Movement? • What are the pros and cons of “slow” vs. “fast”? • How can we incorporate slow into our work settings? • How can we use technology to help us slow down? • How can we integrate slow into interactions with students?

3. What is The Slow Movement • A Slow Revolution: • “Realizing the price we pay for unrelenting speed, people all over the world are reclaiming their time and slowing down the pace – and living happier, more productive, and healthier lives.” – Carl Honoré, author, In Praise of Slowness Slow Fact: At a fast food restaurant, the average meal lasts 11 minutes.

4. The idea of Slow is not new… • Plautus, a Roman playwright (200 BC): The gods confound the man who first found out How to distinguish the hours – confound him, too Who in this place set up a sundial To cut and hack my days so wretchedly Into small pieces! • Gulliver’s Travels (1726) • Bookbinders Strike in Paris (1776) 8 hours for work, 8 hours for sleep, 8 hours for what we will! • Henry David Thoreau (1845) • Arts & Crafts Movement (late1800s) Slow Fact: In the late 1700s Ben Franklin predicted we would work no more than 4 hours per week!

5. What aspects of our lives can be influenced by The Slow Movement? • Food • Cities/Government • Mind, Body & Medicine • The Workplace • Family & Children Complimentary cereal buffet Monthly massages Free coffee drinks Photos courtesy of www.geonetric.com Slow Fact: The United Nations declared leisure a basic human right in 1948.

6. Brainstorm Question:What are the pros & cons of slow? Fast? Slow Fact: Research shows that the repetitive nature of using knitting needles can lower heart rate and blood pressure.

7. How can we personally incorporate slow into our work as advisors? • Think of it as “cooling down” instead of “slow.” • Identify a Keystone Period. • Limit email/work on nights and weekends. • Remember the Power of the Blue Sky. Slow Fact: According to CareerBuilder.com, 43% of working moms would take a pay cut if it meant spending more time with their children.

8. Oprah’s Breathing Spaces Photos from O Magazine, December 2007, January 2008

9. How can we use technology to help us become more slow? • Office-Wide • Outlook Calendar System • SWIPE Student Sign-In System • MSN Instant Messaging Slow Fact: Americans fail to use 20% of their paid time off annually.

10. Email Templates for Common Questions • “I just registered and I didn’t get any of the classes that I wanted!” • “Is it okay if I drop this class and I’m below full-time?” (and the deadline is tomorrow!) • “I’m going to take Microeconomics online. Do you think that’s okay?” • “I got this email about Honors. What does it mean?” Slow Quote: “The 21st century student has become a disciple of hurry.” - Carl Honoré

11. Registration Email Registration is all about problem solving. On the day you register, do your best to get a schedule of at least 12 hours that will work for you. If you end up with different classes than those we discussed, come in to see me and we can talk about alternates that help you progress toward your goals.  Also, most students who persistently check ISIS and work closely with their advisor will eventually end up with a satisfactory schedule of classes.Here are some steps you can follow to get that great schedule: • Register for classes on time on your registration day! • Watch ISIS over the next week for openings in the classes you still want & make adjustments. • Come see me if things haven't worked out a week after you register. • Continue checking ISIS over the summer. • If you're not in the class your want by the beginning of the Fall term, attend the class you want on the first day with an add slip, and follow the procedures to add it. Most students will end up a very satisfactory schedule by following these steps, especially if they work closely with their Academic Advisor. Keep me posted on your changes – I’m here to help!

12. Drop Deadline Email If you are considering dropping a class and doing so would leave you with fewer than 12 sh (required for full-time status), there are three majors issues to consider. • 1 - Financial Aid: Do you have any scholarships or loans that require you to be full time? You should verify this with the Financial Aid office in 208 Calvin. • 2 - Health Insurance: Does your policy require you to be full time for the entire semester? Some policies provide coverage if you are dropping for academic reasons, but some do not. When you call, let the provider know that in a few weeks you will be registering for a full-time schedule for next semester. • 3 - Progress Towards Graduation: Where will this leave you with respect to how many hours you still need to complete your major and graduate? If you decide that it is in your best interest to drop, you can print a drop slip off from the Registrar's website. http://www.registrar.uiowa.edu/forms/ You will need your instructor's signature and mine (doesn't matter who signs first) and the slip needs to be returned to 17 Calvin by 4:30 on 10/31. There will be a $10 charge to drop the course. I have drop-in hours today until 4:00, Friday 2:30-4:00, and Monday 11:00-12:30 and 2:30-4:00, or you can call for an appointment.

13. Online Course Email I noticed that you are currently registered for the online version of Creative Writing (8C:23:EXW) and I just wanted to update you with some information. First of all, it is important to know that extra tuition is charged for the online sections.  Since you are taking 12 sh of regular courses plus Creative Writing, you would be charged full-time tuition plus an additional $230 per semester hour on top of what you are already paying.  So essentially it costs about an extra $700 to take Creative Writing in that format.  Second, I would encourage you to think about whether your personal learning style and preferences match well with an online class. To be successful, students must be very disciplined and motivated to complete the course on their own without the benefit of a formal meeting time and traditional classroom setting.  Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no.  But I've had many students struggle with these courses because it is easy to fall behind if you don't have the regular class to attend. Please let me know what you think about these issues and how they affect your schedule. If you decide to make changes, I would be happy to meet with you to discuss alternatives.

14. Dean’s List & Honors Congratulations on being named to the Dean's List for the fall semester! Being named to the list is a credit to your hard work and academic achievement. Based on your academic performance and the fact that you have both a UI and cumulative GPA of above 3.33, you are now eligible to be part of the University Honors Program. Honors offers a wide variety of services to students with everything from research opportunities and honors-sections of classes to service-learning events and the occasional free ticket to Hancher! To find out more about Honors, check out their website, and be sure to sign up for the email list-serv. It’s the best way to find out about all of the goings-on in Honors. http://www.uiowa.edu/~honors/general_info/stay_updated/index.html Enjoy the rest of your break, and best wishes for continued success in the spring!

15. Forms & Documents • Advising in a Nutshell • Things to do Before Registration • Things to do During Your 1st Semester • Adding and Dropping Classes • Chemistry Success Checklist Slow Fact: Research shows that the brain has two modes of thought and functions more effectively if given a chance to slow down from time to time.

16. Does Slow have a place in how we interact with students? • The challenge of repeating appointments • The consequences of e-mail advising • The methods we use to refer students • The value of reevaluating policies and procedures affecting students Slow Fact: The average American gets 90 minutes less of sleep per night compared to a century ago.

17. Can we encourage students to be slow? • Areas that deserve Slowness • Explaining the value of general education courses • Encouraging intentional decision making • Supporting study abroad, service learning, internships, etc. • Letter from the Dean of Harvard Slow Quote: “It is in his pleasure that man really lives. It is from his leisure that he constructs the true fabric of self.” – Agnes Repplier, American essayist.

18. Conclusion • “What the world needs, and what the Slow Movement offers, is a middle path marrying la dolce vita with the dynamism of the information age. The secret is balance: instead of doing everything faster, do everything at the right speed. Sometimes fast. Sometimes slow. Sometimes somewhere in between.” – Carl Honoré

19. Thanks for coming – enjoy the rest of the conference! Remember to slow down and enjoy the view! Contact Information: Cheryl Schultz cheryl-schultz@uiowa.edu 319.353.5700

20. Resources • Delaney, Mary. (2008). “What working moms miss and wish for.” http://www.cnn.com/2008/living/worklife/05/08/working.moms/index.html. Accessed May 8, 2008. • Honoré, Carl. (2004). In praise of slowness: How a worldwide movement is challenging the cult of speed. San Francisco: Harper Collins. • Kingsolver, Barbara. (2007). Animal, vegetable, miracle: A year of food life. New York: Harper Collins. • Lewis, Harry (2004). Slow down: Getting more out of Harvard by doing less. Letter to class of 2009. http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~lewis/SlowDown2004.pdf. Accessed on May 13, 2008 • Prentice, Steve. (2007). Cool down: Getting further by going slower. Ontario, Canada: John Willey & Sons. • Prentice, Steve. (2002). Cool time and the two-pound bucket. Toronto, Canada: Stoddart Publishing