OS with third graders

[ashley cooper]

P.S. If you are interested in reading some of the 1st and 2nd graders wishes,
come have a peek:
http://easilyamazed.com/blog/2006/06/learning-from-our-childrens-wishes.html

On 6/15/06, ashley cooper <mail.easilyamazed at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I'm glad you are enjoying the story!
>
> Michael, your offer to add to the fund is so generous and supportive of
> the youth's voices being heard. Unfortunately this OS was 1 1/2 weeks before
> the end of the school year and while they moved quickly into action planning
> they did not make it into action implementing. They were able to use an
> extra 20 minutes a week later to follow up with topics of interest and they
> chose to use this time further discussing and sharing their ideas with one
> another.
>
> I passed on the proceeding notes to the 4th grade teachers today, in case
> they want to follow up on the children's interests.
>
> And Christy, that is such fun to hear that you spoke to one of the
> teachers. They were all so supportive of trying the open space and
> interested in seeing what would happen. They are open to more next year.
> Yippee!!
>
> Warmly,
> Ashley
>
>
> On 6/15/06, Michael M Pannwitz <mmpanne at boscop.de> wrote:
> >
> > Great story, Ashley!
> > Action included!
> > I am forwarding your story to the German oslistserve to spread the word.
> > Have a great day
> > Greetings from Berlin
> > mmp
> >
> > PS: Please send me the address of the fund to save the rainforest that
> > was decided on by the students, I would like donate to it.
> >
> > ashley cooper wrote:
> > > Hello,
> > >
> > > Thank you for all of the suggestions and ideas for the Open Space with
> > > 42 third graders in 1 hour and 10 minutes. It was a huge success and I
> >
> > > am looking forward to integrating regular OS's into next year's
> > > schedule. (I've started with the children and hopefully we'll get to
> > > move up to the staff and the parents too!)
> > >
> > > The theme was *What can we do to make our school a better place? What
> > > can we do to make our world a better place?*
> > >
> > > Of course, the children took to it so easily. We had 2, 20 minute
> > > sessions in which they generated 18 topics such as /New Rules for the
> > > Playground, How we should be nice and kind to each other, Learning
> > from
> > > history's mistakes, Children's Voting Rights, Try to help the
> > > environment! Not polluting any more!, and Not excluding people from
> > > anything/.
> > >
> > > We ended with a once around reflection circle in which everyone had a
> > > chance to share. Here are some of their comments.
> > >
> > > ·         What I liked in my group was that there were no debates. We
> > > were all united. There were differences about how it is, but we were
> > all
> > > united.
> > >
> > > ·         We decided to start a fund to save the rainforest.
> > >
> > > ·         Our group went well. Kids voting rights. It was a good
> > > opportunity for discussion.
> > >
> > > ·         In history's biggest mistakes, it started as being silly
> > with
> > > just girls there. Then the boys came in and made it better. In the
> > > second session I bonded with someone I didn't know that well.
> > >
> > > ·         Everyone agreed with saving the rainforest. It wasn't silly.
> > > We were serious.
> > >
> > > ·         I think we talked about an important issue: not excluding.
> > >
> > > One little touch that I think helped a lot with this age group was to
> > > provide a basket of objects that hosts could choose to use for a
> > talking
> > > stick. I saw a few kids struggling with everyone talking at once and
> > > then one of them running to grab a talking stick. I also provided a
> > > generic form for them to use for note taking.
> > >
> > > Aside from the opportunity for their voices to be heard, to connect
> > with
> > > one another around things that matter to them, and to experience
> > > themselves self-organizing, I greatly appreciated that students who
> > have
> > > a tendency to wander and not participate in assigned topics (students
> > > that can often be labeled as challenges) that at the OS they actually
> > > had names and roles for their ways of being, butterflies and bumble
> > > bees. I loved that they were doing what they were 'supposed to be
> > doing'
> > > by wandering around and trying to figure out where they belong and
> > where
> > > they want to participate.
> > >
> > > Thanks again for all of the support.
> > >
> > > Warmly,
> > > Ashley
> >
> >
> >
> > Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg
> > Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
> > ++49-30-772 8000
> > www.boscop.de   www.michaelmpannwitz.de
> >
> > Check out the new Open Space World Map now with 401 resident Open Space
> > Workers in 67 countries (working in a total of 122 countries worldwide)
> > www.openspaceworldmap.org
> >
> > *
> > *
> > ==========================================================
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> >
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> >
>
>

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