Using OS in classroom (and community)

[Joelle Lyons Everett]

In a message dated 7/30/02 4:35:19 PM, jsmith at mosquitonet.com writes:

<< what

if I asked the class to take on the role of sponsor for the OST?  We

could talk about what OST is and how it works, and see if they want to

run the class in OST. If yes, they could define the theme, design the

invitations, think about space and other things (timeline? food?), and

decide who to send invitations to (now THAT'S interesting, isn't it?

Who might they invite and for what reason?) AND.... one of the givens

could be that students learn how to mediate.  Let them figure out how to

make happen what they want to happen, given the givens.

 >>

Julie--

That is very much what we did with a recent project.  After a few seminars on
various aspects of leadership, we gave seminar participants (the top
management team of a city department) a choice of more seminars, or
sponsoring an OS for their whole organization.  They chose the OS, became the
design team, made all the arrangements.  It was a great event!  Because this
was offered as experiential learning, we added an additional meeting to
reflect on what OS shows us about leadership, using Harrison's device of the
medicine wheel to structure the discussion.

The reflections were very positive, deeply thoughtful, and demonstrated that
the managers had learned many things which they would not have believed if we
had told them!  And the hourly people loved it, and used the day to share
their ideas on a wide variety of work-related issues.

There were reasons in this situation for not beginning with Open Space, but
it was a valuable and valued part of the learning process.  Fun to see what
happens next!

Joelle Everett

Joelle

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