Thank you so much Harrison, Chris, Mikk, Lisa and Brian for the many
great suggestiosn and encouragement. I look forward to reading through
your offerings more fully and sharing with you what all emerges. I have
decided that the performance will only be 10 minutes giving us 1 hour
and 20 minutes to play together! <br>
<br>
with love,<br>
Ashley<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 5/2/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">Lisa Heft</b> <<a href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net">lisaheft@openingspace.net</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
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<div>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">Hi, dear Ashley
–</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">Ashley wrote of
doing a 'mini' Open Space with third-graders.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">You are the
best person for this ! Those young people and their teachers are lucky to
have you.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">As a theme, how
about </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">'What are the gifts I bring to the world' or </span></font></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">'What do I want to learn and share with you?' or</span></font></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">'What things do we do that really make a difference in our
family / our neighborhood / our school / our world?' or if you really
need it to be school-based,</span></font></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">'What things have I learned in school that help me help
others?', or…</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">I am giving you
theme ideas when your question was actually '<i><span style="font-style: italic;">could you offer me some questions that would help me (and the teachers)
focus the theme</span></i>?'</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">So let me reply
to that specifically, too. When I work with clients/sponsors on the
theme, I ask what the intent of this meeting is for…</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">(and you've
explained that: '<i><span style="font-style: italic;">for them to have an
opportunity to deepen connections with one another, expanding their sense of
being 'a class', and look forward and reflect upon the first phase
of their school life and what is important for them in this next phase</span></i>.')</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">…and I
would ask them what they imagine a young person might ideally come out of this
feeling / knowing / being able to do.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">Then we just
start playing ideas back and forth – for example I'd say the
deepening of connections and expanding a sense of being a class will be
delivered by the Open Space process. The looking forward and reflecting
on the first phase of their school life – I'd ask the teachers what
these third graders might say if you asked them to reflect on their first 3
years of school – what would they remember? I'd guess
favorite teachers, special field trips, an activity or art project they really
enjoyed, being tutored by the older kids, some great friendships formed, and
things like that. (that's what little Lisa Heft enjoyed, anyway…!).</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">If you and the
teachers really resonate with the kinds of answers you think might come of that,
that will give you some sense if you are close to finding your theme.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">Asking the
young people to think about what is important for them in the next phase of
school…what do you and the teachers think they would answer? </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">Going to the
big kids' building, learning a language, sitting in a certain place for
assembly, tutoring the little kids…I'd suspect they might say what
they observe (mostly visually) about the bigger kids. </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">Do the answers
you and the teachers think of get you excited as you imagine those possible
discussions?</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">I'd also ask
the teachers if this might not be an opportunity to make things a bit broader
than the first 3 and next few years in school. Maybe an opportunity to
ask how the young people feel they have grown? What they want to be and
do? What they want to be and do for their world? Or Harrison's
invitation to imagine the future, which is not school-specific.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">I don't know
where that conversation would go with the teachers but you get my idea –
I'd keep delving into what you could ask and what you imagine folks might
bring forth as topics and there will be a point at which you really get excited…and
that may be very close to your theme question…</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">I also vote for
2 20-minute sessions. And if there is any challenge for readers, I think
John's/Michael's approach to having people make their topic signs and
walk out to the different discussion areas (tree, flower, fish, chicken, frog,
sun, moon) -- rather than posting them on an agenda wall -- keeps things
visual-graphic-kinesthetic – you could do two rounds of
circle-announce-walk to groups, if it's all oral, as it can be hard for
the mind to remember more than one round of such things. Just an idea.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">We will all be
there in spirit, Ms. Ashley,</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">Lisa</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">___________________________</span></font></p>
<p><b><font color="blue" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: blue; font-weight: bold;">L
i s a H e f t</span></font></b></p>
<p><font color="blue" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: blue;">Consultant,
Facilitator, Educator</span></font></p>
<p><font color="blue" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: blue;">O p e n i n
g S p a c e</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"><a href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><font color="black">
<span style="color: black;">lisaheft@openingspace.net</span></font></a></span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"><a href="http://www.openingspace.net" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><font color="black">
<span style="color: black;">www.openingspace.net</span></font></a>
</span></font></p>
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</span></font></p>
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