[OSList] Ending a one day OST with 775?

Amanda Bucklow amanda at facilit8.com
Wed Sep 26 02:54:56 PDT 2012 

Love this story! Just shows us "Never assume anything about anyone or anything, ever, at all."

A
On 26 Sep 2012, at 10:45, Michael M Pannwitz wrote:

> Dear Liza,
> long time ago, I was baffled by how participants, especially children, but also blind and deaf folks, did manage the ressources in the group and how they accessed them.
> So, I have grown very careful to either "equalize everyone's ability and access to information" or not. Leavng that to the group has ALWAYS worked, just another space for selforganization to do its thing.
> The most stunning experience I had with 40 kids aged 7 to 11 was the observation that one after another left the room after having announced and posted their issues (there was a wonderful playground outside and a buffet in an adjoining room). I was wondering how they would manage in the market place when they returned... I struck my temple bells as the stream of issues subsided, all the kids came in and participated in the market activity AS IF THEY HAD NEVER LEFT THE ROOM. This has been one of the most amazing manifestation of kids capabilities (adults, of course, could never do this!!).
> Greetings from Berlin
> mmp
> 
> On 25.09.2012 02:29, Lisa Heft wrote:
>> Hi, Pernilla -
>> 
>> One thing I would add is that the very youngest people cannot read to
>> make choices from written topic headings or notes on the wall - so
>> perhaps, just as you might do with a multi-language group - you might
>> have 'translators' to read for them.
>> Also, it is very hard for most people to keep a chain of audio bits
>> (like one topic said after another after another) in their heads to then
>> make a choice.
>> So you might think about how the youngest people can have the same sense
>> of a body of information and diverse choices to select between as the
>> other-aged people.
>> 
>> Which brings to mind a question: why is it necessary to make a
>> 'decision' at the end of this event?
>> Might it work better to design a way for everyone to
>> - receive the full notes post-event
>> - have some time to read and integrate the knowledge - including for the
>> youngest to have a conversation circle with someone going through the notes
>> - in order to then be better informed to...
>> - ... prioritize in a way that best fits each of their abilities / cultures?
>> (By that I mean - perhaps the youngest can talk about something, mark or
>> color each topic on some sort of work sheet based on how they are
>> feeling about it during this post-event notes-read-through conversation,
>> and show prioritization that way.  People of other abilities can
>> prioritize based on a survey sheet or SurveyMonkey or voting software or...?
>> 
>> Again: how to equalize everyone's ability and access to information...?
>> 
>> I love that you are going with a combination of your wonderful rich
>> experience and your 'gut feeling'...
>> 
>> Let us know how it goes,
>> Lisa
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> <snip>
>>>>> 
>>>>> I¹ve been doing Open Space for over 10 years, some big and some
>>>>> small but
>>>>> most of them for only one day. Right now I¹m planning a one day Open
>>>>> Space
>>>>> at a school with 775 students, 16-18 years, teachers and
>>>>> politicians. The
>>>>> pre-group, with mostly students, decided on the theme ³What do you
>>>>> want to
>>>>> change in our municipality?² (I tried to argue for develop/expand
>>>>> instead of
>>>>> change, but they didn¹t want to develop all the bad things...).
>>>>> I might add that the politicians are really excited about this and
>>>>> they have
>>>>> decided to return to the school within 2 months with feedback on the
>>>>> issues
>>>>> that involves their work.
>>>>> 
>>>>> My question is how to end this Open Space the best way. I haven¹t
>>>>> done a big
>>>>> group like this for a few years and since then I¹ve changed some
>>>>> things -
>>>>> ³one less thing to do². I used to do prioritizing with dots in big
>>>>> groups
>>>>> but lately I just give space for reflections or invite for action
>>>>> planning,
>>>>> depending on the group.
>>>>> 
>>>>> The pre-group was worried that the 1st-graders would be too shy to
>>>>> announce
>>>>> their issue in the microphone. I¹m not too worried about that, but
>>>>> I¹m not
>>>>> sure that inviting for action planning is a good idea. It might just
>>>>> be the
>>>>> ³known voices² of the school that steps up (that would probably
>>>>> change if
>>>>> the Open Space went on for two days).
>>>>> 
>>>>> My gut feeling now is to do prioritizing, call out the top 5 issues, let
>>>>> everybody say one word each in the microphone and then end it with the
>>>>> turn-around-and-take-the­next-step. That will probably only take one
>>>>> hour
>>>>> (young people are usually fast). What do you think?
>>>>> 
>>>>> This is the schedule for now:
>>>>> 8:30 Introduction and creating the wall
>>>>> 9:30 Session 1
>>>>> 10.40 Session 2
>>>>> 11:45-13.15 Lunch (not negotiable time)
>>>>> 13:15 Session 3
>>>>> 14:20 Coffee break, time for finishing report and getting back in
>>>>> the circle
>>>>> 14:45  ???
>>>>> 16.15 Ending time
>>>>> 
>>>>> Rainy greetings from Sweden and Stockholm!
>>>>> Pernilla Luttropp
>>>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
> -- 
> Michael M Pannwitz
> Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
> ++49 - 30-772 8000
> 
> 
> 
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