Using OS in classroom (and community)

Homegrown Wisdom wendyj at supercity.ns.ca
Tue Jul 30 15:00:13 PDT 2002


Dear Julie, GraceAnn and all,

I, like you, am also rethinking my role in the light of Open Space. My
partner and I do community building work, some of which takes the form of us
initiating and organizing meetings of groups of people who care about
community. The vision of our organization -- "Homegrown Wisdom" -- is very
clear on a number of points:

***      the importance of the independent voices of people in community,
(not just the voices                     of institutions, agencies and
service providers who relate to people as clients, not citizens);
***      the importance of building community from the inside out;
***      our appreciative perspective that asks (like Doug Germann did last
week on this List)                     "What is the soul and spirit of your
community?"

These ideas and perspectives are all part of the unique gift that Homegrown
Wisdom brings to the world. Our vision is just that -- OUR vision. We spent
a long time developing and refinining it...in fact this process never ends.
And, of course, we DO have something unique to offer to other people about
community. When it comes to the synergy necessary to build community, ours
is only ONE vision. Everyone has their own vision, values and contribution
to make. It's the magical place where all this comes together that community
can happen.

One part of our work is the idea of  "The Community Commons" -- a
space/place where community builders can "cultivate community" -- sharing
their experiences, knowledge and resources for the common good. For the past
four months, we have organized monthly Open Space meetings in different
communities where people have talked about what's important to them about
community. We have developed a core of between 8 and 12 people who, we
believe, share some fundamental values with us and each other.

Each time, we have made a point of finding someone else to open and hold the
space for us, so that we can both participate fully. We will be doing this
again for a one-day retreat to address the "Issues & Opportunities related
toThe Community Commons". WE want things to move forward and have developed
a proposal for discussion; AND we recognize that other people may have other
ideas. Or the timing could be wrong. Or maybe there are people who should be
involved who aren't yet. There are many possible outcomes. MY challenge is
to hold the tension between articulating OUR vision and letting go of my
attachment to specific outcomes. It's an interesting experience. We have our
own intentions; and we also have confidence that this community will decide
what is right for it right now. Like you say, Julie "letting knowing
emerge".

Julie: It might be interesting to get someone else to open the space for
your class to allow you to participate, like anyone else. You could initiate
a discussion about this knowledge that you think you should share...It would
be very interesting to see what would happen. Will everyone come to your
group? Will some come to hear you and then tell others -- teaching each
other? Will no one come to your group? WOW! The possibilities are endless.
I'd like to be there just to see what happens! Maybe another alternative is
to write something down about the knowledge you believe you should impart.
That's what we did with The Community Commons Proposal...it served as a
starting point for our individual discussions with people and for the
collective discussion at our August retreat.

That's all for now. We have greatly appreciated everyone's contributions to
this List.

wendy & fredr'c
homegrown wisdom
seaforth, nova scotia
canada






----- Original Message -----
From: Julie Smith <jsmith at mosquitonet.com>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2002 2:46 PM
Subject: Re: Using OS in classroom


> Hi GraceAnn,
>
> I'm really new to OST, so I hope others with more experience will chime
> in here.  I'm also not a teacher, and have never taken an education
> course.  I really have no idea how I arrived at the place where I would
> be grappling with these questions, but here goes.....
>
> Your question gets right to the nub of what I've been trying to figure
> out.  Is it good and valid to Teach in the sense of imparting
> information from the teacher to the student?  (As you're talking about
> doing in the early parts of your class, using your booklet text as
> supporting material.)
>
> Or is it better to let go all the way and let things unfold as they
> will?
>
> I'm very tempted by the latter, but when actually in the classroom I
> feel the heavy hand of tradition and expectation molding me into the
> teacher mode.  (After all, if I'm not teaching what I know, what am I
> there for?)
>
> My experience in our class this summer was that using OST in the
> beginning changed everything.  The class went very deep very fast.  And
> then resisted returning to a structured teaching/learning mode at the
> end.
>
> It felt to me like the participants got what they needed from each
> other, which was very different from what I was prepared to give them in
> my Teaching mode.  It was a powerful experience.  I just got an e-mail
> today from one of the participants who is still processing her learning
> from the class.  There was a social-emotional-relational element that is
> mostly absent when we engage in the normal Teaching mode.
>
> I also think (as Martin has pointed out) that sometimes I really do have
> something to offer that isn't emerging in the group.  I'm really not
> sure what to do with that.  I think the answer might be found in the
> conversation about when and how the facilitator participates in the
> discussion.  I don't mean participating as an expert, but participating
> as another human being who also has wisdom and experience and
> perspective to bring to the group, as one of the "right people" who
> finds herself in this time and space, and who has a responsibility to
> share her truth with others when called to do so.
>
> So, to get back to your thoughts about your class..... if you wait until
> the end to do the OST, you'll have an opportunity to impart the
> information you want to impart in the way you are accustomed to doing so
> and the class will experience the benefit of the OST process at the end
> of the time you spend together.  Makes sense to me.
>
> And I know for the class I spent time with this summer, that method
> would have been a tremendous loss.  The freedom to let go and explore
> and talk from the very beginning was very powerful for this group.  They
> were starving for that opportunity.  Perhaps your group is less needy in
> that way, and more interested in what you have to offer.  I don't know.
> I don't know how to resolve the tension between the value of imparting
> knowledge and the value of letting knowing emerge.
>
> I look forward to hearing thoughts from others about these questions.
>
> Julie
>
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