Theme brainstorm

[Artur F. Silva]

At 15:23 16-06-2001 +0200, Michael M Pannwitz wrote:
>Dear Laurel,
>I always start the training with an open space in which people
>experience themselves in the role of participants. In a couple of
>instances there was time to discover the theme of the open space on
>the evening of the day before DAY 1. Even though that did not seem to
>influence the "flavor" of the os it did give the participants a
>chance to experience a process of arriving at a theme jointly.
>This is a "complete" os including documentation "convergence" and
>action planning over 1,5 days. And it starts immediately at the very
>beginning of the training after an only 5 Minute overview of the
>total training design.
>The next phase is an open space reflecting on their experiences, open
>space on open space.
>The next phase is an open space with the theme "I as an open space
>facilitator" which participants design from A through Z, facilitate,
>et.
>So it is 3 open space events in a row spread over 3,5 days, ideally
>4,5 days. In other words, participants spend more than 90% of the
>time in open space. No lectures, no inputs.
>Usually, there are 40 to 50 participants and it works beautifully.
>To satisfy the participants desire for information, etc, we set up an
>open space-library, an open space-cinema and an open space-nuts and
>bolts room and an open space-handbook room (there is loads of
>material for everyone to organize their own handbook).
>During the entire training there are posters "questions" and
>"answers" which are dealt with in a 1,5 hour session towards the end
>of the training (most of the questions will have found answers in the
>course of the training).

YES! This is a design for OS training that is compatible with OS
principles, as I see them. No "lectures", no "teaching" (that always
"close" the space), but helping participantes to fell and learn OST
in an open space environment.

Thanks and congratulations, Michael.

Regards

Artur

PS: Did I ever tell you that, in my opinion, "teaching" is the WORST
way to obtain LEARNING from students or participants? And I am also
thinking more and more that "less is more" is a "general law of Spirit",
(as Harrison would say). Beware of all methods where the facilitator
"facilitates to much" in a "paternalistic" way - as if participants were
little children that we must teach and guide - which, by the way, is the
wrong way even with little children...

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