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Post by debbyflorence on Oct 25, 2011 12:12:39 GMT -7
How about i start a thread called teach-ins ? I think study groups are more like book clubs and teach-ins are more like skill sharing. There is probably a lot of grey area in between... but it might be nice to separate these a little for the obvious ones. For example, maybe someone wants to share their knowledge about knitting, and teach people how to knit hats. that would be a teach-in.
Maybe someone wants to learn if there is a sociopolitical history of knitting, how it ties into feminism, culture, etc-- and they want to bring a bunch of other people together to discuss , critique, and learn together. That would be a study group. Does that seem accurate to others?
Ok so this is why i have started this thread, to talk about teach-ins.
I would like there to be some workshops about consensus. I would like to see a mock GA with absurd topics, food and fun, to practice handling conflict, practice doing stack, and to practice facilitating in a "safe" and fun environment designed to deepen our understanding of the process.
I would also like some teach-ins about the Occupy Wall Street movement, where someone gathers materials and gives a presentation about its origins, development and current state.
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kim
Occupied
Posts: 82
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Post by kim on Oct 25, 2011 19:45:46 GMT -7
I love the idea. I also think that the study groups and teach-ins go hand in hand, for example the mock-GAs you suggested to learn about facilitating, etc. might be most effective if paired with a study group about democratic/consensus models.
A current conversation in another thread* is questioning the use of consensus decision making in this movement. It might be helpful to begin a study group to learn what it means to have representative democracy vs direct democracy vs something else. Wiki alone lists over 40 types of democracy and a half dozen types of consensus model! Also, our economic system and our governing system are two parts of a whole--one problem in our current system is that democracy (social organization) and capitalism (economic organization) are at odds with each other, thus our current system is failing the majority of it's participants. One model that seeks to justly address both the social and the economic is Participatory Economics, or Parecon. Also, maybe we could do an in-depth study of the Zapatista form of governance. The Zapatistas of Chiapas Mexico use a consensus process that parallels the ideals of parecon to self-govern a state of over a million people. I believe that consensus works, we just have to look at it with fresh eyes, which are not seeing it through hegemonic lenses that value efficiency and sound-byte style politics, news, etc.
*http://occupymissoula.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=gafacilitation&thread=68
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Post by brooklyn on Oct 25, 2011 20:34:03 GMT -7
After getting a mixed response from a professor about a teach-in. I was wondering if we could write up a letter to invite the academic community to join us and explain the teach in/ free school idea. Something official that I could promote with. I imagine that at least a few teachers at the U may have a class up their sleeve. How can we encourage them?
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Post by debbyflorence on Oct 25, 2011 21:14:48 GMT -7
ooh yes of course there is overlap and pairing. However I might only want to get involved in a teach-in due to my lack of time to attend several study group meetings . But i might want to teach my skill, and wish to set up a time and date for this, and might want to share my teach-in experiences with other teachers. So can we have a Teach in / skill share forum that is segmented away from Study Group-- with the understanding that these will comingle, probably ? Maybe I should create a whole separate forum so that professors can come and introduce themselves and such? Not sure, just looking for website organizing and conversation organizing, not actually trying to separate the actual teaching from the actual studying..
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Post by katydid on Oct 25, 2011 22:39:56 GMT -7
I had to edit and re-post....sorry. I would love to take part in (in this case) both the study groups and the teach-ins on facilitation and Zapatistas, specifically. But all that aside....I can barely put my thoughts together on all of this at once. Maybe I will say that it may be more the appropriate forum to bring in the University professors, not so much as pedagogues, but more as knowledgeable contributors to a study group. If we want to host a forum on a more specific topic, with a speaker, on the other hand....we may want to look into a dedicated Open Forum before the GA on weekends. We also may want to use an hour before a weekend GA to have a role-play, teach-in, and directed skill-sharing. I am in favor of creating an opportunity for the broadest audience of occupiers/newcoming occupiers to learn from and about this movement, and I do think that instituting the Open Forum option gives us space to connect, to feed ourselves intellectually and otherwise, and gives us some unifying inspiration. Along the lines of bringing in other members of the community, I was referring in the Sabateur Dilemma conversation to inviting some very skilled facilitators from the Friends Meeting House, who the Co-op has turned to to teach us consensus. OM some skilled teachers in this department, already, and it may help to augment our understanding with a slightly different tradition. (this is simply and example of community resources. I am not in any way married to the idea) I think it would be really be beneficial to get the development/teach in work group together to discuss potential roles of all of these options, and how they work together within the occupation to present at an upcoming GA. Can we set a time? Or, Kim, is that time set already? As you might guess, I am so eager to talk about all of this. It is really changing the way I am thinking about everything.... Kate Read more: occupymissoula.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=dtw&action=display&thread=65#ixzz1brambha7 |
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josh
Occupied
Posts: 77
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Post by josh on Oct 27, 2011 18:10:19 GMT -7
Having gotten to know most of the current crop of econ profs during my time at the university here, I can tell you that none of them, even the most liberal would be of much use to us. All I ever got from them was the mainstream pablum, and when I raised concerns similar to the ones that I have heard at Occupy, about the fundamental injustice and conflicts of interest inherent in our present system, all I ever got was blank looks or angry denials. Not to insult anybody, but I think we need FEWER professors in the next incarnation of our nation. My experience in economics and my other half's experience in physics/mathematics/chemistry has convinced me that most (not all) PhD holders have become convinced that THEY know EVERYTHING and are thus immune to ever learning anything new. I would rather hear poor working people talk about the realities of their lives, rather have THEM educate the middle classes about the economic situation in this country, than have any professor try to do it.
Sorry for the antagonistic tone, but even the academics that I agree with often seem to share this trait: they are way more self-confident in their knowledge than any human being has a right to be. It's really just not that helpful, imho.
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Post by kirsteninmt on Oct 31, 2011 21:32:53 GMT -7
I would be very interested in participating in a teach-in regarding consensus models. I work in Helena on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday most weeks so if it is scheduled on one of those days, I hope someone will be able to record to for later viewing or listening. In fact, it might be nice if we can get recordings of the various teach-ins and post them on the website in a sort of teach-in resource library.
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Post by debbyflorence on Nov 3, 2011 10:52:28 GMT -7
Hi everyone. Who wants to help with a teach in that talks about the consensus model, interpersonal communication, and conflict resolution? I am going to do it on Tinychat, so that people can just do a webinar style thing from their homes. This is easier for me being a parent. Go to www.tinychat.com to make an account. I am calling this series: Seeing the Forest For the Trees Cultural construct = forest. Identity, prejudice, and worldview = trees. How can we transform our weaknesses ( conflict & competition) into strength (creativity & collaboration)? My idea is to repeat the same teach in every day next week, at different times in the day. I will give a 10-15min presentation , invite a guest 10-15min co-presenter, and then open it up for discussion. The formal time for the teach-in will end after one hour, but if people want to linger and keep discussing they will be welcome to. I seek a note-taker and co-presenters for each day of next week. My theme is tied to how certain interpersonal barriers impact our ability to come together , even when we agree on important things. I would like to look at those barriers, and talk about how those same barriers can become bridges. I also want to devote some time to learning different principles behind the consensus model, and discuss what the term "empowerment" means. Its really possible that poetry , spirituality, and love will be subthemes, since i like those things.  The chat will be located at: tinychat.com/dflrncMonday: Lunchbreak chat 12pm - 1pm Tuesday: Bedtime Story Chat -- 8pm - 9pm Wednesday: Dinnertime Chat -- 6pm - 7pm Thursday : Lunchtime Chat -- 12pm - 1pm Friday: Pre-partytime dinner its the weekend chat -- 5:30pm - 6:30pm Let me know if you are interested in attending or co-presenting by sending me a private message! I want to develop this more so that each day has a different theme but the info is similar enough that if someone can only make one of them, they are getting similar experience/conversation, but they could go to all of them and not be bored! Co-presenters could meet over this weekend to develop and we could update this post with further details. |
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Post by brooklyn on Nov 3, 2011 15:33:27 GMT -7
Nice Job Debby, I will try to attend!
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erin
Occupier
Posts: 7
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Post by erin on Nov 3, 2011 17:30:01 GMT -7
Debby-
you make a great point with your post. It's so interesting how a lot of people cannot find a balanced ground to communicate on, even if they are generally agreeing on something. I am definitely interested in attending 1 or more of these tiny chat meetings. I will let you know by tomorrow evening if I am able to devote in any other way besides attending!
~Erin
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