Brenda Kaulback

Hi Ila! NIce to see you here.

I see the point, Scott, about the line between informal and formal learning. I imagine it to be a little like setting aside time to meditate or to reflect. If you are constantly engaged in your practice and don't set time/space aside to come to the learning, then it probably isn't so likely to happen. The really good meditators aim to integrate being present with their meditative state in everything that they do, but in our busy world, it is a challenge.

I worked on a professional development project where the faculty from different colleges were given some released time from their teaching and administrative duties to participate. In their time together they kept journals and listened to what each other was doing and discussed their practice as part of what they did together.  They said over and over that that was one of the most valuable aspects of their participation in the project - just to have time set apart as a "learning space" to reflect on what they were doing in class, talk it over with others, and then go back to the class and do the next thing.

 So I think you are right that we not forget the fine line between informal and formal learning and also that we remember that it is important to remember to do it consciously.

Thanks Sylvia, Jennie, Roy, Simone

Wonderful topic. I can't be with you this afternoon, so wanted to share one thought about emergence and what it takes to cultivate emergent knowledge. I'm not sure cultivate is the right word, but haven't a better one at the moment. I think of a term that Harrison Owen, the creator of Open Space, uses to describe how he gets ready for an Open Space event --as the facilitator of the event. He meditates. He envisions the people arriving from all the different directions they will be coming from. During the event, he wanders around and picks up coffee cups and puts tape on posters that are beginning to fall from the walls. In other words, he opens the space, and then he holds it. I believe these things could be translated to an online world, and someone probably has, but that is how I remember Harrison describing it. 

I think holding the space is a good term to think about preparing or designing for emergent learning. I read something like it in the book by Nonaka and Takeuchi, The Knowledge Creating Company. There the authors talk about the Japanese concept of ba. Ba is similar in that it describes a space where people meet and something happens. (Here is a link and I see that ba has all kinds of aspects I didn't know about. I don't happen to agree with the one about tacit knowledge - I think there is tacit knowledge which can't be made explicit.)

At any rate, when I think of emergent knowledge, I like to think of the space where it happens - like that little three year old teaching herself to knit - beautiful! I think sometimes we create it by not getting in the way too much. And this is trickier in an online world where not getting in the way can mean no one even knows you are there!

It has something to do with attention, though. With people knowing that someone is waiting, wants to see what will happen next, cares that you have something to say. To me, those are important parts of the picture of emergent learning.

Again, thanks and I will be thinking of you all being together while I am in my meeting this afternoon - creating BA for you.

Hi Ila! NIce to see you here.

I see the point, Scott, about the line between informal and formal learning. I imagine it to be a little like setting aside time to meditate or to reflect. If you are constantly engaged in your practice and don't set time/space aside to come to the learning, then it probably isn't so likely to happen. The really good meditators aim to integrate being present with their meditative state in everything that they do, but in our busy world, it is a challenge.

I worked on a professional development project where the faculty from different colleges were given some released time from their teaching and administrative duties to participate. In their time together they kept journals and listened to what each other was doing and discussed their practice as part of what they did together.  They said over and over that that was one of the most valuable aspects of their participation in the project - just to have time set apart as a "learning space" to reflect on what they were doing in class, talk it over with others, and then go back to the class and do the next thing.

 So I think you are right that we not forget the fine line between informal and formal learning and also that we remember that it is important to remember to do it consciously.

Thanks Sylvia, Jennie, Roy, Simone

Wonderful topic. I can't be with you this afternoon, so wanted to share one thought about emergence and what it takes to cultivate emergent knowledge. I'm not sure cultivate is the right word, but haven't a better one at the moment. I think of a term that Harrison Owen, the creator of Open Space, uses to describe how he gets ready for an Open Space event --as the facilitator of the event. He meditates. He envisions the people arriving from all the different directions they will be coming from. During the event, he wanders around and picks up coffee cups and puts tape on posters that are beginning to fall from the walls. In other words, he opens the space, and then he holds it. I believe these things could be translated to an online world, and someone probably has, but that is how I remember Harrison describing it. 

I think holding the space is a good term to think about preparing or designing for emergent learning. I read something like it in the book by Nonaka and Takeuchi, The Knowledge Creating Company. There the authors talk about the Japanese concept of ba. Ba is similar in that it describes a space where people meet and something happens. (Here is a link and I see that ba has all kinds of aspects I didn't know about. I don't happen to agree with the one about tacit knowledge - I think there is tacit knowledge which can't be made explicit.)

At any rate, when I think of emergent knowledge, I like to think of the space where it happens - like that little three year old teaching herself to knit - beautiful! I think sometimes we create it by not getting in the way too much. And this is trickier in an online world where not getting in the way can mean no one even knows you are there!

It has something to do with attention, though. With people knowing that someone is waiting, wants to see what will happen next, cares that you have something to say. To me, those are important parts of the picture of emergent learning.

Again, thanks and I will be thinking of you all being together while I am in my meeting this afternoon - creating BA for you.

Interesting question that Martha poses about moderating blogs. I am not sure how one moderates a blog. We work with one client who, in turn, works with a number of schools around the country. They are considering having each school have a blog space and the intention is that the blogs would be connected to the dialogue space. Hopefully, when people post to the blogs, it would bring them into the dialogue space. I'd appreciate any further information on facilitating related to blogs as well.