Part three OST with children and families

Artur F. Silva artsilva at mail.eunet.pt
Mon Jan 29 00:06:33 PST 2001


At 18:57 28-01-2001 +0100, Nino Novak wrote:

>(Seems to me like the four principles and the law are just descriptions
>of _your_ _own_ attitude towards the participating people)

A really interesting idea, Nino. Seeing the 4 principles as "descriptions
of the facilitator's attitudes towards participants" would avoid
some of "my problems" with "whatever happens". Because in this
sense I completely agree.

I also think that the non verbal messages the facilitator passes to
participants, and then they pass among themselves, is maybe the
critical part of it all. This may also include the rythm and choice of
words more than the "content" of what the facilitator says. And, of
course, as you stated the "deep congruity between your (nonverbal)
attitude and the given "verbal description" of it". If I would have to
define the "best predictor" of good facilitation skills (as of good
parenthood, good teaching, even good people ) I would say
"congruity" and would add "as it is tacitly recognized by others".

Your message took my attention as I have been thinking about the
relations between what does a "facilitator" and what does a "parent"
to raise his children or a good teacher to facilitate the learning of
their students (instead of "teaching contents"). And I think that
as a parent attitudes and non verbal communication are much more
important than "words".

In a different discussion I wrote some days ago something I think
has a similar meaning. I would like to know if you, or any others,
would agree that we are talking about SIMILAR things (sorry for the
long quotation)

>In fact, from my experience, I would agree myself with the assertions I
>made before relating to Polanyi - and I think that they have important
>consequences for learning and education

[and for facilitation - I add now]

>. Some consequences:
>
>1) It is important to recognise that there is a tacit dimension in all
>knowledge, including scientific knowledge. This allows us to understand
>why it is so difficult to make a paradigm shift, to change old "mental
>models" (or "mental habitudes" - as we learn them mainly through practice
>and we may become addicted to them...), the main reason being that they
>are tacit, have been learnt in tacit mode, and even if we can make them
>explicit, the old tacit habitudes will persist, until they are eventually
>destroyed through new practices that will create a new tacit understanding
>(and not only through new "theory").
>
>2) In what concerns "know how" it is clear that it can be learnt through
>seeing and repeating/imitating others, though, through practice and
>directly in a tacit mode, even if later we must reflect on that - teaching
>or training in skills, as it is convecionally done, is not needed and can be
>couterproductive, as it doesn't empower participants enough - DOING
>and after REFLECTING on action is more effective (more about that
>when I will come to the "Reflective Practitioner").
>
>3) In some cases we may make explicit our tacit knowledge and this may
>accelerate the learning of others. But even in this case, what is
>transmitted is not Knowing or even Knowledge - the learner must act, have
>a practice of, so that he can create is own tacit knowing, that does not
>come only through theory.
>
>That is, by the way, the reason that real knowledge begins AFTER the
>students leave the school and begin "practicing". That is also the reason
>why "life long learning" is exactly THE CONTRARY of prolonging students
>life in schools (by Masters, PhD's etc, that immediately follow BAs, with
>no "practice" in between). That is also the reason why adults coming back
>to school is NOT the solution to "life learning" - life learning must be
>done through "reflective practice" and out of school. The mission of the
>school (as the mission of any parent) is to make himself "not needed any
>more", promoting INDEPENDANCE and capacity to learn how to learn
>(and how to share).
>
>In this line, I like more and more At's comment that what is external is
>always "information" and not knowledge. This is very in line with Piaget
>assertion that all learning implies "action", with Polanyi's idea of the
>need to create "personal knowledge". In these conditions, it is clear that
>in learning, content is not so important as context and interrelationships
>(or connectivity).
>
>4. But for me the most important point of the previous assertions is that
>they allow us to understand that when what is taught or said is in
>contradiction with the "tacit values and practices" of the
>teacher/parent/boss, what is learned is the implicit tacit meaning. (An
>example: a parent that says "we shall not lie" but lies everytime will
>"teach" their children to lie and cover the lies. This must be related
>with Bateston concept of "double binding", with the prevalence of Argyris
>and Schon Model 1, and also with the fact that parents and Churches are
>unable to teach moral values when themselves don't practice them.
>In fact the idea of "teaching moral values" is selfcontradicting.
>"Moral" comes from the latin "mores" and means habitudes that are
>learn by socialization. And values are always ethical (and not moral)
>and are gained through reflection on moral habitudes. A parent for
>instance has no need to teach moral principles - he has to always
>behave ethically - habitudues and values will be learn tacitly by children.
>
>5. Finally, if changing tacit knowing (old models, values and habitudes)
>is so difficult, one must question if "training" (in any disciplines or in
>anything really) has any real value to create the free energy that will
>allow for old tacit knowing to be "unlearnt" and so replaced by a new
>tacit knowing? In other words how can we facilitate personal,
>organisational or social "metanoias"?

I need not add that in my opinion the way to organisational metanoia
is "repeated OSTs" - this also helps (but is not enough) to individual
and social metanoias. I am still in search of ways for those...

Any comments or suggestions

Artur

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