high school OST

J. Richardson judir at accesswave.ca
Thu Jul 11 09:15:52 PDT 2002


Julie -- all the questions you mention are absolutely wonderful.  And
remember -- the map is not the territory <grin>!!  I mention showing a video
of a mediation or a role play to "inform" the OST.  Rather like what we did
in Fairbanks -- two days OST then the workshop so participants already had
an idea of what they were discussion (or most participants anyway).

It could also provide critical analysis as students might see the examples
and say "I don't want to do it that way" -- which to me would be terrific --
students exploring their own methods of peer mediation.  The groups I've
done this with come up with great ideas -- much like traditional forms of
healing circles, a restorative justice approach sort of!

And you are there as an OST facilitator and as a great resource for you
questions and answers like "when I encounter that situation, I sometimes
______, or maybe ________.

Sound like great "stuff"!!

J
----- Original Message -----
From: Julie Smith <jsmith at mosquitonet.com>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 4:08 AM
Subject: Re: high school OST


> Hmmmmmm.....
>
> Judi, what I'm gleaning from your message is that it might be better to
> combine traditional kinds of information sharing/teaching with the OST
> process.  Maybe do a little map drawing and territory walking before
> engaging in deep conversation about maps and territories.  That makes
> perfect sense to me.
>
> And I also have this curiosity about what might happen if we DIDN'T do
> that information sharing/teaching.  I've been carrying this fantasy
> around for awhile about a school where the primary role of the teacher
> is not to teach, but to support students and answer questions.
> Sometimes the answer could be the answer you give when you're holding
> space: "how can I support you in doing __________?"  And sometimes the
> answer can be "what do you think about that?"  And sometimes the answer
> could be an actual answer "when I encounter that situation, I sometimes
> ____________, or maybe ______________."
>
> So, why not?  Why not say "We're here to learn about Peer Mediation.
> We're going to do that using this process called OST."  And then do the
> opening. Things are likely to get murky and confusing pretty darn fast,
> not unlike what often happens in a mediation. It might even feel like a
> problem to some. So they'd have to figure it out. Maybe ask some
> questions. Read some books. Talk. Think. Experiment. Play. Sounds a lot
> like learning to me.  Might this even qualify as double loop learning?
>
> What do you think?
>
> B.J. and Alan, I appreciate your thoughts about grades.  I guess my
> feeling was that if I was going to withdraw from teaching in the
> expected way, that it might be helpful to give students some guideposts
> for learning the material and making their way through the class.  I
> also thought it would be helpful to provide clear options that enable
> students to identify the grade they want and how to get it, balanced
> with openness to grading in a different way if asked to do so.  In
> thinking about it more today, I realized the way I presented it doesn't
> feel judgmental to me in the way grades usually feel judgmental.  It
> feels like an offering of choices.  Beans or corn?  B or C or A?
>
> As for what do I HAVE to do with grades, it's a wide open book, except
> that grades DO have to be given.  Alan, I like the idea of asking the
> students to develop the grading system.  If I wasn't stretching so much
> in other ways, I'd be more tempted to give that a try.  In the situation
> I'm considering,  I wonder if a grading system along the lines I've
> outlined creates some friendly boundaries in an otherwise perhaps
> too-big space.
>
> Doug, schedules vary by school.  In one of the schools we'll probably be
> meeting 3 times a week for 80 minutes.  Other schools meet more often
> for shorter time periods (as short as 45 minutes). I have lots of
> latitude about how many weeks I work with each class.  4 - 5 weeks is
> typical.  I'm very interested in ideas about morning announcements and
> evening news..... (just went back and read Judi's post about the way she
> did it..... her classes were 80 minutes long and they spent the last 30
> minutes reporting back...... if another 10 minutes is spent on morning
> announcements and the opening, that leaves 40 minutes for posting topics
> and meeting.....)  I like the idea of morning announcements and
> reporting back.  The time feels scrunched.  Yikes.
>
> Thanks for all the good feedback.  I'm tired and my brain hurts.  A good
> hurting though..... the kind that makes me feel like there might be a
> new twisty line forming itself in that gray mass up there..... I forget
> what those things are called ('cause I'm tired and..... oh, you know.)
> Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite.  :)
>
> Julie
>
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