2 Education Questions

[Rhett Hudson/Chris Weaver]

Dear OSLIST,

The Open-Space-based mentoring program for new public school teachers in
North Carolina is moving forward in the planning with powerful synergy.  In
the near future I will post a detailed report.  I am most grateful for the
help I received on this list several weeks ago when the idea was born.

For now, I have two questions.

1.  REQUIRED ATTENDANCE?
Some Open Space meetings in the new mentoring program will be replacing
required coursework for one particular group of teachers.  This could mean
that these teachers are required to attend these Open Space meetings.  I
believe that from the teachers' point of view, OS will be a much-preferred
way of spending "class time" than anything else.  But I am aware that this
runs counter to the "By Invitation" nature of Open Space.  IS THIS A
PROBLEM?  HAVE OTHERS FACILITATED OPEN SPACE MEETINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED
WITHIN A LARGER STRUCTURE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT?  Or should we only
use OS meetings when they can be truly voluntary?

2.  CREDITS
We have an opportunity here to have students in a graduate program
participate in Open Space, WITH their designated faculty, and receive
university credits.  So far, so good...but we're working with six
universities and I KNOW there are bumps ahead in this road.  HAS ANYONE
PULLED THIS OFF?  WHAT DID YOU, OR WOULD YOU, SAY TO A UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT
HEAD ABOUT THE "PREPARE TO BE SURPRISED" NATURE OF THE "CONTENT" OF SUCH
"COURSEWORK"?  What roadblocks lie ahead that I can't see yet?

Chris Weaver

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