[OSList] Opening Space for the first time

Harrison Owen hhowen at verizon.net
Tue Apr 30 08:02:59 PDT 2013


Brendan - Thanks for sharing. Always fun to see another person join the
circle! And please convey my congratulations to Mark. Now he knows how to
accomplish much by doing nothing at all. And the next time, it will be even
better. We know that.

 

Harrison

 

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Dr.

Potomac, MD 20854

USA

 

189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)

Camden, Maine 04843

 

Phone 301-365-2093

(summer)  207-763-3261

 

www.openspaceworld.com 

www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)

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From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
[mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Brendan
McKeague
Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 10:27 AM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: [OSList] Opening Space for the first time

 

Hello folks 

I'd love share this lovely little story with you - so I will!

I received this email from one of my previous co-learning program
participants...as well as bringing me a sense of joy and excitement for Mark
(the author), it reminded me that we all have had a 'first time' at opening
the space....may we all remember that moment and savour the rich journeys
that have emerged from those first steps into the circle space...

With deep gratitude for all space-openers, old, new and yet-to-be!

Brendan



Open Space in Broome

 

Hi Brendan

 

I have conducted my first Open Space meeting! 

 

After much thinking, sweating, planning, panicking,. I ran a mini-version
over half a day for teachers of Aboriginal community schools at our Broome
conference. My thinking was that I was in no position to tell them how to
best do their job and they would benefit more from sharing with each other.
My colleagues were extremely sceptical but let me get on with it - I think
ready to let me take all the flak when it became a disaster.

 

The result was spectacularly successful - beyond anything I could
anticipate!

 

The theme was:           How do we deliver the Australian Curriculum in a
remote Aboriginal Independent Community School?

 

There were about 50 teachers, all working at independent Aboriginal schools
in the Kimberley and Pilbara; most of them quite young.

I set up 3 sessions of 45 minutes with 6 spaces available. After the intro,
I had hardly left the circle when teachers were jumping up to write their
session topics. By my observation, 95% of teachers were fully engaged all
morning in intense discussions.

 

In the closing session, the teachers shared one idea which had energised
them - and everyone had something to contribute. My colleagues were blown
away and exuberant in their praise.

 

So I'm going to try the format again over a whole day in another context.

 

Thanks for the training you provided and the encouragement to try something
different.

 

I'm a convert.

 

Mark Newhouse

Manager of Curriculum

Association of Independent Schools of WA

e:  mnewhouse at ais.wa.edu.au

               

 

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