[OSList] 12-15 people: the dynamics

[Anne A Hiha]

Hi

I am really enjoying this thread.

Every year I do a small group (averaging about 15),  half day OS with Trainee Secondary School Teachers. The first year they jumped in boots and all and spread all over the campus, did three sessions all notes hand written and posted on the wall and so it has continued with varying degrees of enthusiasm but always in the small groups and always with surprizing results. (I don't know why I continue to be surprised). Last year they decided not to use any of the rooms I had booked and stayed in the breaks room (in their groups).

On reflection I think I lucked out in that first year. The classroom was also the only place we could have the tea/coffee and food so I decided to just leave it for the opening and closing, the market place and bulletin board. So, everyone left the room to go to sessions and only popped back into that room when they got hungry, had to find out where to go next, what else was on or needed a break. 

I started facilitating this particular session because the issues they have to address, on the topic, as teachers, are real and they need to make sense of them themselves without an on tap percieved 'expert'. Os gives them a chance to work things through in conversation with their peers and see that they can work things through.

Regards

Anne

> Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:40:15 +0100
> From: pxquim at gmail.com
> To: elitepperk at gmail.com; oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> Subject: Re: [OSList] 12-15 people: the dynamics
> 
> Greetings,
> 
> In the first OST meeting that I facilitated, the 20 participants
> formed a single group around the session proposed by a key
> participant. As a result, the conversation happened among 5 persons
> while the others watched. At the beginning of the next time slot, the
> proponents did not move to their proposed places, so the big session
> took all the available time. Still, a proponent still complained that
> his topic was not addressed, even as he failed to make himself
> available to discuss the topic.
> 
> In the second OST meeting that I facilitated, the pattern was about to
> happen again. I intervened, and proposed that the big topic would be
> addressed better in two smaller groups that allowed everyone to engage
> in the conversation. The two groups met and, when it was time for the
> coffee break, one of the groups moved next to the other and the groups
> presented their conclusions to each other. Overall, it worked very
> well, with the ~20 people meeting in 4-5 sessions instead of just one.
> 
> On Fri, Aug 5, 2011 at 16:25,  <elitepperk at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hi.
> > I agree with Thomas in that working with smaller groups is slower than with larger groups.
> > It's been my experience that I have thought "this is going to be quicker and more simple" and what tends to happen is that there is more intimacy and openness.
> > Love
> > Elisabeth
> >
> > Enviado desde mi BlackBerry de Movistar
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Michael Herman <michael at michaelherman.com>
> > Sender: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.orgDate: Fri, 5 Aug 2011 08:09:29
> > To: World wide Open Space Technology email list<oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
> > Reply-To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
> >        <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
> > Subject: Re: [OSList] 12-15 people: the dynamics
> >
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