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<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Dear All – and in particular Peggy,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><u><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-weight:bold'>“A
Better Future for Us - The Issues and Opportunities”<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on"><b><u><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Phnom Penh</span></font></u></b></st1:City><b><u><font
size=4><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-weight:bold'>, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Cambodia</st1:country-region></span></font></u></b></st1:place><b><u><font
size=4><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-weight:bold'>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><u><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p><span
style='text-decoration:none'> </span></o:p></span></font></u></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I am afraid it is a bit long so I have,
hopefully, attached it which means you don’t have to read it if you don’t
want to…but I wanted, inspired by Peggy’s amazing story, to recount
how Open Space and the World Bank have started a series of meetings around
South East Asia working with street children, and to share my personal experience
with you. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>There is little to add – it works!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>All the best<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Nigel<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Nigel Seys-Phillips</span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Fulcrum Business Management Solutions</span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>30 Mount <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Elizabeth</st1:place></st1:City></span></font><font color=navy><span
style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>#04-34 Highpoint</span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Singapore</span></font></st1:place></st1:country-region><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'> 228519</span></font><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Tel: +65 9639 2510</span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>E-mail: <a
href="mailto:nigel@fulcrum.com.sg">nigel@fulcrum.com.sg</a></span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On
Behalf Of </span></b>Peggy Holman<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, 9 August 2006
1:18 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: OS in University
Settings (long)</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>Apologies for responding to such an old
thread but there is a university story that I can't resist sharing. It
isn't mine -- it is from Sara Halprin and Herb Long who taught a graduate
course in Open Space. This story appeared almost 10 years ago in a special
Open Space issue of At Work (a now defunct hard-copy journal). </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>From sunny <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Seattle</st1:place></st1:City>,</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>Peggy</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>We Passed the Flowerpot from Lap to Lap: Using Open Space to
Create a Learning Community<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>by Sara
Halprin and Herb Long<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In
Spring, 1996 we co-taught a course called "Human Learning and
Development," for the Master's of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS)
program at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:PlaceName u2:st="on">Marylhurst</st1:PlaceName></u1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on"><u1:PlaceType u2:st="on">College</st1:PlaceType></st1:place></u1:PlaceType></u1:place>.
Given the vast subject matter and limited time (three weekends) of the course,
we decided to hold it in Open Space, a methodology we had recently learned
about from Harrison Owen and Anne Stadler. Their continued support was
invaluable.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><u1:PlaceName u2:st="on"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>Marylhurst</span></u1:PlaceName></font></st1:PlaceName><font
size=2><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> <u1:PlaceType u2:st="on"><st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">College</u1:PlaceType></st1:PlaceType>, located in <u1:City u2:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Lake Oswego</u1:City></st1:City>, near <u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:City u2:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Portland</u1:City></st1:City>, <u1:State u2:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Oregon</u1:State></u1:place></st1:State></st1:place>, offers
four-year undergraduate programs and several master's programs. Students at
Marylhurst often comment that the atmosphere is especially welcoming to them in
all their diversity of age, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and life
experience.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The focus
of this article is on the ways we used Open Space in an academic setting; some
of the problems we encountered along the way, problems which were, at best,
transformed into learning opportunities; and ideas we plan to implement next
spring, when we offer this course again.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> We
want to emphasize the usefulness of Open Space for the particular subject
matter we were exploring: theories and practices of human learning and
development.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Fourteen
students registered for the course. When each student registered, she received
a letter from us with the class syllabus including a pre-class reading list of
four books. Our intention in providing this list was to prepare students for
the approach to learning and development we have adopted. We handed out a more
extensive reading list on the first morning. This list offers a map of the vast
territory of theories of human learning and development from our particular
perspective, one that is multicultural and gender-specific.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> We
met for three weekends, during the period from March 15 through April 14.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> EXCERPTS
FROM SARA HALPRIN'S JOURNAL:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> First
day notes:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> *
Setting the atmosphere<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> We
had fresh bagels and cream cheese, coffee and tea, offered on a checkered
tablecloth, a rug in the center of a circle of chairs with potted flowers,
crayons and paper, signs on the walls and charts indicating rooms and times. We
welcomed each person individually. Several helped to set things up.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Herb
welcomed the group, asking everyone to say their names and who they are when
they're not at Marylhurst. He spoke about his own ways of learning and
developing and asked for others'. A few people spoke about learning out of
mistakes, by letting go of expectations, etc. Then I introduced the open space
format of the course.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> *
The Stampede<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> I
expected a long silence when I opened the agenda. Just before I did so, one
woman said she was feeling anxious, and so was I! But there was a general rush
for paper, markers and the bulletin board. I had to stop people putting their
topics on the board before they announced the topic, and soon every space was
covered and people were starting to negotiate. So we went on to<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>* The
Village Marketplace.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> No
problems. I did tell one woman she couldn't take the room and time post-it off
my sign to put on hers, otherwise it was ripple-free. A couple of people asked
permission to do this or that, and I just beamed at them. They all got the
idea. Realizing I'd forgotten to announce morning and evening news times, I had
to stand on a chair and yell to get their attention for the announcement!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> *
The first session.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> I
was still feeling skeptical. There was only one scheduled session, and Herb and
I both went to it. It started slowly, but built magnificently, into genuine
open dialogue, very stimulating. At one point I realized I was wide awake and
really interested. From that point on the day just built on itself.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> *
By the end of the day a group on art learning had constructed several
colorful collages out of the brilliant-colored post-its we'd brought and these
embellished the walls. One was called "Life's a Rough Draft."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> *
Evening news<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>everyone
was excited, exhilarated, and also much less tired than usual at the end of a
Marylhurst weekend day. People expressed real pleasure with the format and
mentioned that they wished all their classes could be like this one.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> *
Late night thoughts<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Of
course, I'm nervous as hell--what if it goes downhill from here? I did mention
the need to express any possible grumpiness or whatever, which was
well-received, but I do believe this group will just go from good to better.
Some conflict may and should emerge, and hopefully, as one man suggested, we
can disagree without being disagreeable!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Second
day notes<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>* Morning
news<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Everyone
came in full of excitement and bearing gifts--food, candles, hand cream (!),
extra computers...angel cards and hearthstones. But, when we rang the bell for
morning news, there was a big silence, which Herb broke by saying, here we are
at morning news, etc. There was a tendency to ask us for permission, turn to us
as teachers...<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>*
Disagreement happened.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Against
the good advice of Harrison and Anne, I convened a session offering an overview
of theories of development, and it was difficult.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I had
some passion for the discoveries of setting up the reading list, and I wanted
to share that. But the role of teacher came up right away, and in speaking
about that and gathering responses, evaluation seemed to be a ghost hovering
over the group. I addressed that ghost, and right away things got heavy. The
discussion went on and on.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Eventually
I tried to sum things up and ended up with a woman feeling steam-rollered
because I would not take sole responsibility for evaluation. We worked on that
issue, and the group seemed relieved, but the discussion continued. In response
to a student's request, I announced that it was time to talk about my topic,
and I did so, whereupon a hot discussion followed on development, gender, and
culture. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I got us
to adjourn to lunch by mentioning that I needed to pee and that I was hungry.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> *
Evening news<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> People
were tired. One woman left early, saying she was getting a migraine and needed
to get home to deal with it. I suspect the group is poised on the edge of
really taking responsibility for their own learning. They need to be helped
along by Herb and me keeping space open for that.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Am
I sorry I didn't follow Harrison's and Anne's advice about dropping my
presentation? Yes and no, but ultimately no. If it's a mistake, I certainly
learned a lot from it, and several people mentioned that the group had come to
community in that session. I did follow my heart, and my own enthusiasm for
what I had learned and wanted to share. It didn't feel right to me to cancel
the session. Next time I just won't schedule one so early in the proceedings.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Third
day notes:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Most
people were ecstatic about the weekend, and today was a time of deepening
realization. The students were really taking responsibility, even handling the
big silence at the start of each large circle. Once someone spoke, everyone
spoke, of course. We decided to use the flowers a woman brought as a talking
piece--you could speak only if you held the flowerpot. People spoke of how
thrilled they are with this format, happy to take a break and really looking
forward to the next gathering, feeling they've made real friends and learned a
lot.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> *
Academic standards<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Herb
said his professorial side feels nervous about how much actual learning is
going on and a woman echoed that and asked that Herb and I share more of our
passion with the group next session. I responded by saying the professor in me
absolutely believes that the only real learning that can happen is happening in
this format, which, like chaos theory, seeks the deep structure underlying
chaos. While all is patterned, each pattern is unique and unpredictable.
Therefore I look forward to seeing how much learning and development will take
place as we all continue in open space for the next couple of weeks. (See
Herb's journal note on this discussion.)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> There
is, clearly, still a strong tendency to look to us for learning as well as
direction, understandable in such an academic context. There is also interest
in working on that tendency, becoming more self-aware.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> At
the End of the Second weekend<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Herb
and I are both exhausted, and so were several at least of the students. There
was a repeated request for Herb and me to convene more sessions. I gracefully
or not declined, and Herb pointed out that he had just convened one!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> We
moved from debate over learning in this course into a discussion of learning
and teaching, based on bell hooks's book on radical pedagogy. The group is
showing a tendency to want to be together as a whole group and not split into
separate pieces.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Third
weekend notes:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Saturday:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Today
started with a strained atmosphere and ended quite joyous and lively, with lots
of energy for tomorrow. How did we get there?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>* At
morning news,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Mentioning
the atmosphere of the group led us into a discussion of what we have been doing
so far. One woman helped by framing the whole discussion in terms of
reflections on group work. Another woman brought in her concerns about
encounter groups (she doesn't want this class to become one). This led us to
discuss the relationships between thinking and feeling in group work and in
learning and development.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>* Good
sessions followed:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>one on
adult development , then one on safety in groups. A woman brought in two very
strong paintings she had done in the aftermath of an anti-gay initiative in <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><u1:State u2:st="on"><u1:place u2:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State></u1:place></u1:State>.
She spoke of her feelings as a lesbian, then a <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on"><u1:City u2:st="on"><u1:place u2:st="on">Latina</st1:place></st1:City></u1:place></u1:City>
woman spoke of her anger at feeling repressed by others' requirements that we
have a "safe" group. Great discussion of safety, abuse, respect, and
other group issues in relation to learning and development.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Sunday,
last day of class:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>* At
morning news<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>one woman
needed a chance to express herself, after having felt attacked by some of the
students yesterday. We supported her to speak, which she did at some length,
and then she seemed to feel better. This was an example of providing safety in
groups through increasing awareness.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> The
atmosphere stayed good all day. The group clearly had no intention of splitting
up, and at the end of the day several people said explicitly that it had taken
time and trouble to form a sense of group and they didn't want to split up.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Later
Herb and I commented to ourselves about how, from initially looking to us for
approval and guidance for just about everything, the group got to the place
where they could cheerfully ignore, reject, and discard our suggestions and do
what was right for them.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> *
The end of the day<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> seemed
strained as we tried to figure out how to do evaluation, then it got silly and
fun as it evolved into writing comments on our colorful post-its and attaching
them to each other. We took a class photo, taken by the campus cop, of all of us
festooned with post-its. The cop,.camera in hand, grinned at us all and barked,
You're all under arrest!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> *
Evaluating the class experience<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Some
expressed interest in having an ongoing group. Several said they were sad to
leave. Most expressed great appreciation for the whole experience. Harrison
Owen's idea of turning outward and thinking of going out into the world worked
well, and we all joined hands and sang row row row your boat, very
anarchically. On the whole, an excellent experience for all.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> But
why were Herb and I so exhausted at the end? How can we do this without being
quite so drained? I suspect that the more vigorously we keep the space open,
for ourselves as well as for everyone else, the more invigorated we will feel.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> ``<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
changes we are making in our presentation to next year's class are based on
feedback from this year's students, which has been overwhelmingly positive. We
are adding Owen's Open Space Technology to our pre-reading list and changing
one of the the other titles. We are updating the general reading list, and we
have rewritten the syllabus, to be more explicit about the nature of Open
Space. We are offering both classes on a pass-fail basis only.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> We
are also increasing the spacing between weekends, adding a consultation day
between the first and second weekend. We hope that students will take advantage
of the longer interval to pursue in-depth research on the areas which most
interest them.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> In
terms of the most controversial issue that came up for us, the roles of
"teacher" and "learner," I think we are both aiming to feel
free--free to be passionate as well as fluid, free to be a teacher when that
felt right, in the moment, and to be a learner when that felt right. Modeling
what we expected. Hopefully that will leave us with more energy by the end of
the course.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> HERB
LONG'S <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:City u2:st="on">NOTE</st1:City></u1:City>
<st1:State w:st="on"><u1:State u2:st="on">ON</st1:State></st1:place></u1:State></u1:place>
USING OPEN SPACE IN AN ACADEMIC CONTEXT:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> It
was a stretch for us to use the open space format for a course on human
learning and development. This was especially the case for me--after all, with
so much to cover and so little time, how could I possibly expect that students
would learn anything if I didn't hold forth--summarizing, critiquing, offering
gems of wisdom and insisting that the students respond with formal research
papers?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>My own
ambivalence appeared when I shared my "professorial" concern with the
students, that maybe serious learning wasn't happening. Coming from me as a
facilitator, such a comment might have sunk the whole effort. But it didn't,
because a deeper learning was taking place than any I had experienced before in
academe.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> This
deeper learning was the result of offering an opportunity for students >to
reach into their own personal history, and to make connections between that
history and the learning process. They could connect their own development with
what they were reading, discussing, and thinking about.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> The
context of Open Space provided an atmosphere in which feeling and intellect
could combine rather than split off. In a remarkably short period of time, we
became a learning community.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> At
the same time, my own passion for teaching was re-awakened. That is, open space
provided me with the same supportive environment as it did the students. I too
could begin making connections between my own lived experience and what I was
learning as a result of my passionate involvement in the learning enterprise
that engaged all of us. The boundary separating student and teacher became more
and more permeable. The same passionate interest in learning transferred
naturally into a heightened desire to share what was learned. It's as if we
were all being enriched in our very beings. and when that richness reached a
stage of overflowing, teaching followed naturally as we shared with one another
out of our own being.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> To
me, such sharing is the essence of true teaching and it's then that being
speaks to being or, as the Psalmist puts it, "deep calls unto deep."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> FROM
THE INTRODUCTION TO OUR CLASS DOCUMENT, WRITTEN BY TWO OF THE STUDENTS:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> The
course was to be about learning and development, so what did we learn and how
do we learn? We learn by exploring. We learn by listening. We learn through our
families, our culture and our experiences. We learn by taking risks and
stretching our minds. It is a lifelong process and a spiritual process. What we
discover as we go along is that much of what we think we need to know, we
actually have inside ourselves already. The trick is to accept ourselves and to
look inside ourselves to find the teacher within.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>***<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Sara
Halprin, Ph.D and Herb Long, Th.D are certified Process Work therapists, with
diplomas from the Process Work Center of Portland. They bring, in addition to
their backgrounds in education and counseling, the wide-spectrum skills of
process work facilitation, which have deepened their experience with Open
Space. They live and work in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:City u2:st="on">Portland</st1:City></u1:City>,
<st1:State w:st="on"><u1:State u2:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place></u1:State></u1:place>.
Sara is also the author of "LOOK AT MY UGLY FACE!": Myths and Musings
on Beauty and Other Perilous Obsessions with Women's Appearance (Penguin,
1996).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 4.0pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt'>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>----- Original Message ----- <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div style='font-color:black'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#E4E4E4'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <a
href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net" title="lisaheft@openingspace.net">Lisa
Heft</a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>To:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <a
href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU"
title="OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE..EDU</a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Tuesday, June 27,
2006 12:43 PM<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> [OSLIST] OS in
University Settings<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Hello, dear colleagues –</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>I am talking with the business school at a
university about using OS for a large networking event, to bring together
students at all levels of the business program (from folks very new to the
program to those with advanced business degrees; from executives who have
graduated from the program to current students) and also members of other
schools at the university (engineering, energy, and other diverse programs).</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>My potential client is interested in hearing
if any of you out there have done OS on university campuses and / or with these
different constituents.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>He’s great, because he
‘gets’ that OS can work with anyone. But / and he’s
thrilled that I am part of this rich global community of practitioners and
would love to hear other stories of how OS has been used in similar ways or
similar settings – what was the situation, who were the constituents, and
what were the accomplishments.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Thank you for sharing your stories of OS in
university settings,</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Lisa</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>___________________________</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold'>L
i s a H e f t</span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'>Consultant,
Facilitator, Educator</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
lang=ES-MX style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'>O p e
n i n g S p a c e</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'><a href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net"><font
color=black><span lang=ES-MX style='color:black'>lisaheft@openingspace.net</span></font></a></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'><a href="http://www.openingspace.net"><font
color=black><span lang=ES-MX style='color:black'>www.openingspace.net</span></font></a>
</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>* * ==========================================================
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</blockquote>
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