- 3rd July -
Today, Max and Conchita introduce the Design Thinking Method to us in more detail, after keynote speakers Sarah Larsson, an IB alumnus working in Kenya, and Rocco Falconer, founder of Planting Promises.
Sarah left us thinking with her story of how her inexperience and curiosity gave her the greatest advantage in the place she was. The ability to listen is such an important skill - if you want to solve a problem, what you know isn't nearly as important as what people can tell you.
A striking message about empathy: Empathy isn't putting youself into someone else's shoes - it is knowing how they feel in their own shoes. What another person thinks and feels, in their situation, their life, given their collective experiences and upbringing, and everything else that makes them an individual. There is a crucial difference between the two, and it is one that we often neglect to our loss.
In between speaker sessions at the hall and work with our groups, or lunch/dinner breaks, there are bits of free time for us to mix around with othere people, explore the place, or simply sit on the grass in the open centre quad of the university. Everyone just looks so in place, finding their spots and corners and settling down in various groups.
In our GATs today, we learn how to observe and interview with the 'Empathy Diagram'. We also come up with a situation we want to change, and later move on to the 'Define' step, where we clearly imagine an individual who needs what we might offer, what they say and how they might think, and what insights we can get from those.
Today's theme was engagement through Sports, and we were brought to the public swimming pool to cool off. I don't think I'd been in a swimming pool that cold before - most of us just stayed in for a few minutes and came back out.
We got a football from somewhere, went across the road where there was a really nice football pitch, and just got into teams and had an absolutely great game - one of the best things in the conference so far. Sports can certainly bring people together.
Have I mentioned that the food is great? If I haven't, yes, the food is great.
Today, Max and Conchita introduce the Design Thinking Method to us in more detail, after keynote speakers Sarah Larsson, an IB alumnus working in Kenya, and Rocco Falconer, founder of Planting Promises.
Sarah left us thinking with her story of how her inexperience and curiosity gave her the greatest advantage in the place she was. The ability to listen is such an important skill - if you want to solve a problem, what you know isn't nearly as important as what people can tell you.
A striking message about empathy: Empathy isn't putting youself into someone else's shoes - it is knowing how they feel in their own shoes. What another person thinks and feels, in their situation, their life, given their collective experiences and upbringing, and everything else that makes them an individual. There is a crucial difference between the two, and it is one that we often neglect to our loss.
In between speaker sessions at the hall and work with our groups, or lunch/dinner breaks, there are bits of free time for us to mix around with othere people, explore the place, or simply sit on the grass in the open centre quad of the university. Everyone just looks so in place, finding their spots and corners and settling down in various groups.
In our GATs today, we learn how to observe and interview with the 'Empathy Diagram'. We also come up with a situation we want to change, and later move on to the 'Define' step, where we clearly imagine an individual who needs what we might offer, what they say and how they might think, and what insights we can get from those.
Today's theme was engagement through Sports, and we were brought to the public swimming pool to cool off. I don't think I'd been in a swimming pool that cold before - most of us just stayed in for a few minutes and came back out.
We got a football from somewhere, went across the road where there was a really nice football pitch, and just got into teams and had an absolutely great game - one of the best things in the conference so far. Sports can certainly bring people together.
Have I mentioned that the food is great? If I haven't, yes, the food is great.
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