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<DIV><SPAN class=390351513-15062006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Wow,
Ashley</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390351513-15062006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I´m
sitting on the train to the Scandinavian OSonOS reading these inspiring words of
yours. I would like to use them to share with a few headmasters and
teachers at schools where I´m involved. This autumn I will facilitate a
OS-training where most participants work at schools, I will share this with them
too!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390351513-15062006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390351513-15062006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Your
description fits so well with experiences I´ve had - that kids (as
well as adults) address those issues that are really important to the
community in which they are. <SPAN class=390351513-15062006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>When I watch kids in a playground it sure is
selforganization at work - it is so natural to them! As they grow up life and
play gets more and more organized so when they are teenagers they often sit down
saying: There´s nothing to do!</FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390351513-15062006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=390351513-15062006></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390351513-15062006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=390351513-15062006></SPAN>I think that this email of yours can give many
opportunities around the globe for similair experiences. So very
important!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390351513-15062006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Thanks
for sharing!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390351513-15062006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Thomas
Herrmann</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390351513-15062006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390351513-15062006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390351513-15062006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Ursprungligt meddelande-----<BR><B>Från:</B> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]<B>För </B>ashley
cooper<BR><B>Skickat:</B> den 15 juni 2006 00:18<BR><B>Till:</B>
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR><B>Ämne:</B> OS with third
graders<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>Hello,</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>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!)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>The theme was <B>What can we do to make our school a better
place? What can we do to make our world a better place?</B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Of course, the children took to it so easily. We had 2, 20
minute sessions in which they generated 18 topics such as <I>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</I>.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>We ended with a once around reflection circle in which
everyone had a chance to share. Here are some of their comments.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><SPAN>·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN>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.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><SPAN>·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN>We decided to
start a fund to save the rainforest. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><SPAN>·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN>Our group went
well. Kids voting rights. It was a good opportunity for discussion. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><SPAN>·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN>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. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><SPAN>·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN>Everyone
agreed with saving the rainforest. It wasn't silly. We were serious. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><SPAN>·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN>I think we
talked about an important issue: not excluding. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>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.<BR><BR>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.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Thanks again for all of the support.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Warmly,<BR>Ashley</P>* *
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