OK Harrison, thanks for outing this infrequent OSList denizen! The good news of the story is that I connected with some of the participants who were most vocal (and frustrated with process) and followed up with them, and a couple of them are keen to learn more about .. a 'different' approach to such meetings.
In case our venerable mayor or any of the Summit organizers are on this list, as a demonstration of my belief that OS will get you better results (not just talk, outcomes) than what has been tried so far, I hereby offer to work with you to plan, facilitate and follow up (including an evaluation) the next Summit in Open Space, for less $ than you paid the 'event organizers' who planned and organized last week's event. Please call to take advantage of this offer. (I promise I will not bop any heads!) Judy Gast 905-824-4352 ----- Original Message ----- From: Harrison Owen To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 6:03 PM Subject: [OSLIST] FW: self organized learning Judy Gast - sometime denizen of OSLIST -- sent me the following. Her's is a story most of us can tell. I responded as follows: "Great to hear from you! And some folks will never hear. Really hearing would destroy a lot of what they hold to be immutable truth - Like they are in control and should be. So you take the opportunities where you can. I can imagine a group of teachers invited by you to see the video. Just watch their reactions. Note especially the one(s) who say "Oh Shit - YES." Go from there." ho Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA Phone 301-365-2093 www.openspaceworld.com www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html From: Judy Gast [mailto:jg...@sympatico.ca] Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 5:32 PM To: Harrison Owen Subject: Re: self organized learning Harrison, I watched the video and it is fascinating. With now 8 and 12 year old children, I can see how their little brains pick up on stuff - automatically - when they are interested and engaged (me sticking a computer in front of them and employing the 'grandmother' methodology helps is enabling.) Coincidence that you should send this today. Last night I had a particularly frustrating evening facilitating a breakout group at the Mississauga Summit, a large 'Community Development' initiative sponsored by our very famous 89 year old mayor Hazel McCallion (who will be elected for another four year term in October). It was a waste of time. If only, I could have convinced them to try Open Space.... Many 'big wigs' in government, local NFPs, and business came out to 'support the cause'. There were meticulously prepared welcome packages, corporate sponsored 'gifts', grandiose speeches about the 'issues'.... and then folks were asked to move to the group that they were 'most aligned to' to 'engage in dialogue about the issue'. With the preamble about how we (the sponsors of the four groups) are here to 'listen'. When 25 or so people came to the group I was assigned to (volunteer), it turned into the usual. Those with issues/causes that were near and dear to their hearts advocated and grandstanded, while others engaged in the 'you should have looked at this aspect of the problem'... The issue sponsors 'listened' and defended their positions and plan and all looked to me as 'the facilitator' to 'control' the conversation. Needless to say I was not the only one frustrated. I shared Open Space with the high level sponsor, a corporate guy who doesn't see to be able to see beyond his model, as this is the fourth such event that he has organized. I have sent articles, case studies, gave a presentation on 'Open Space and Civic Engagement' (spoke to Kai Degner a while back and heard about his Summits) and am struggling with what I can I do to bop them on their heads so they get it? The weather is beautiful in Ontario.. a nice sunny summer day....we are going to take the 69 Chevelle convertible out for a spin and hit a local eatery with some friends. Hope you are having a great day. Fondly, Judy P.S. Last week I was on Long Island, off the coast of Portland, Maine with a dozen women I graduation from Williams College with in 1981! We all look exactly the same! ----- Original Message ----- From: Harrison Owen To: Chris Corrigan ; Pannwitz, Michael M ; Phelim McDermott ; Michael Herman ; Eric Lilius ; Glenda Eoyang ; Gervase Bushe ; Gerard Muller ; Gail West ; Gabriela Ender ; Fischer, Florian ; Elwin Guild ; Don Horrigan ; Dickenson, Dee ; David Cox ; Daniel Kropf ; Owen, Christy ; Chris Kloth ; Catherine Crim ; Bruce Nixon ; Bruce Lundeen ; Ann McCormick ; Andrew Rixon ; Dee Hock ; Lipmanowicz_Henri ; Aitken, Jeff ; John Engle ; Judi Richardson ; Judy Gast ; kai.deg...@gmail.com ; Larry Peterson ; Kimball, Lisa ; Meg Salter ; Nancy Wolfberg ; Paul Sully ; Peter Vaill ; Steven "Doc" List ; Viv McWaters (Business Fax) ; Patricia Black Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 4:40 PM Subject: FW: self organized learning You are receiving this because you are on the short list of friends and colleagues who I think might enjoy. Pat Black posted a marvelous video on OSLIST which gets to the heart of something that is very close to my heart (mind and whatever). In the way of forwarded emails you will find my response followed by Pat's posting. To make any sense out of it, you need to reverse the order. And for sure you need to see the video. It blew my mind and I hope it blows yours. Have fun! Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA Phone 301-365-2093 www.openspaceworld.com www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html From: Harrison Owen [mailto:hho...@verizon.net] Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 3:44 PM To: 'OSLIST' Subject: RE: self organized learning Pat - Much more than fascinating, it is absolutely brilliant. Truly it brought tears to my eyes arising in part because of the consummate simplicity of the learning experiment and its powerful result - but even more because it epitomizes precisely what I believe we as a community should be about. And it is not just about the education of children, important though that may be. The possibilities are larger involving virtually every aspect of the human endeavor. We have had the privilege of witnessing the power of self organization at work doing things that most of our fellows, who have not had that experience, will consider to be impossible. Open Space may have provided the door way through which we might consciously enter the self organizing world. But that is simply a beginning and the best is yet to come. The first step is to push beyond the narrow focus on OST as a method or "tool" - to begin to apply the central understandings to the vast array of human undertakings - finance, marketing, food production, scientific research, and on and on. Each application will be different and experimental, even as the video you posted was different and experimental. And we cannot do it alone, but we can be a powerful yeast that raises up some marvelous new loafs of bread. I confess that over the past few months as I have been reading OSLIST, I have totally enjoyed the warmth of the community and our willingness to support each other as required - holding space for a venture. But I have also longed for something more and deeper. And Pat, I think you might just have opened a way. Thank you! Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA Phone 301-365-2093 www.openspaceworld.com www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Pat Black Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 11:48 AM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: self organized learning Here is a link to a TED talks video that describes open space learning. It is pretty fascinating. Pat Black http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education.html * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
