Nancy White

I am looking at your link and thinking about how/if there is any relationship to the LS principles: http://www.liberatingstructures.com/principles/

Jane, just as one perspective, I'll share my LS learning journey. First I saw LS as a repackaging of a collection of tools of which I had familiarity in some way or another with many of them. (Remember, LS has its roots in a deep and wide lineage of facilitation methods.) I thought, "cool, nice packaging." 

Then I began to see the patterns that the microstructures call out. This was my first real AHA moment. By having a mental model of the framework, I could begin to analyze both what I'm trying to do and how to do it through the language of the microstructures. I began to notice them everywhere, including in the types of examples of non useful applications of microstructures. (WHAT TO STOP DOING!!) There is no value judgement of the microstructural elements. They just are. ;-)

Then I went on happily practicing till the next peak arrived - stringing. With a sufficient repertoire (3-5) I began to play with different sequencings, and with riffs and variations of any individual LS - all the while still paying attention to the microstructures. Think improvisational jazz. A few rules and lots of freedom. I realized that I could flexibly change what I was doing based on what was happening in the room. 

Then I went on happily practicing till the NEXT peak arrived - LS is really useful when we don' t know what to do, when we can't predict what will come next - i.e. in Complex settings. (I'll leave definition of that aside for now, but happy to circle back.) 

So today, in this moment, I arrive at a question: how complex is any one person's classroom context. If it is less complex, LS can immediately and pretty simply be tools to structure engagement. If it IS complex, LS can be a way to keep productively moving forward in that complexity. I hope that makes a shred of sense. It is still EARLY in the morning with no tea yet!

(See https://medium.com/@SFQua/learning-unflattened-experimenting-with-self-authorship-and-group-discovery-ff00f7cb7bfc by Fisher S. Qua as an example of noticing and using complexity in a edu setting with LS - in a pretty radical way, but a great way to crack open possibilities)

It turns out you are already a member of the LS CoP on Slack. Check out the #virtual and #education channels 

For others interested, the link is : https://join.slack.com/t/liberatingstructures/shared_invite/enQtNTQ1MTQwODY1NjA1LTMxZTI2Y2U3NjU0YzcyNmRlMGFiNmUzMzhkNDAxOTU3OWM3NGQ3ODAzOTQzMGQyY2QxOWQ5MjYyZmE5ODljZTI 

I'm assuming you are already connected to the folks in the Vancouver and Victoria LS Practice Groups, right? 

(Edited by Beth Cougler Blom - original submission Monday, 3 June 2019, 3:27 PM - to create an active link)

Haha, that image didn't load so well, eh? It is from a 3 part online workshop on LS I ran for educators in higher ed in Africa last year. IT was FUN! (I wrote a little bit about it here: https://fullcirc.com/2018/09/14/building-an-online-liberating-structures-practice-90-minutes-at-a-time/)  

The recordings may still be live? The presentation is...

• Session 1 Recording: https://calpoly.zoom.us/recording/share/Setle1omPEopi_x67krupFI_U5tXaFxeBa2G4ecoLZ6wIumekTziMw
• Session 2 Recording:  https://calpoly.zoom.us/recording/share/8tjf8m6bbiNr6sEd51HTvvYBHjLTlA_y5wB-tQHA6zawIumekTziMw
• Session  3 recording:  https://calpoly.zoom.us/recording/share/cI59OBQNE2ibI1m-6jTP2RMTT454DPyk7h2WVIQkIsywIumekTziMw
• Slides from all three sessions: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ebVBkKDbXjguhDRoZHZ9PEV_lyAmaANkPMkV8ZSTcRs/edit#slide=id.g3ce42f6c42_0_1236

Now, about STRINGS. One of the super powers of LS are that they are useful by themselves AND become even more powerful when used in a sequence, which we call "strings." Think of beads on a string, which one starts the sequence, which beads 'look good' together, etc. So in the article I first linked above, I shared the string I used for the e/Merge Africa online workshops. Take a look then see if it does/does'nt make sense and we can "talk" some more about it. 

The task we have been assigned this week is to design a use of LS in a current gathering we are hosting. We have the option of using 1 LS, or 2 or more -- A STRING!!! I love stringing. 

(Edited by Beth Cougler Blom - original submission Monday, 3 June 2019, 4:40 PM - to link up your link to your blog post)

Hiya, I'm a long time LS practitioner based in Seattle and know a bunch of y'all from the educational context I've been so happy to dip into up in BC over the years. 

• What big question do you have about Liberating Structures as we begin our time together?

I'm currently working on two fronts in terms of big questions. One is on the cultural/contextual issues - how we consider them in our application and/or adaptation of LS. I have SO MUCH to learn. 

The second is on the application of strings of LS to strategic planning on complex contexts - not quite an edu question but of course we all work in complex settings?

An ongoing question is shared with many here, and that is the online use of LS. This will be my first experience of using LS online asynchronously!!!! WOO HOO!

• What do you hope to get from and give this group this week?

Give? Whatever any one might need that I can offer. As a long time practitioner, I'm available!

(Edited by Beth Cougler Blom - original submission Monday, 3 June 2019, 10:09 AM - to replace the image with a smaller file)