Beth Cougler Blom

Sylvia, it's great that you're here!

First off let me put your question to rest. Our original intended focus in this MicroCourse was to explore  facilitating Liberating Structures face to face (albeit while we are in the online mode). So you can absolutely use your time here this week to think about how to incorporate LS into your in person teaching and facilitation work.

Now, the interesting - and I'll admit, awesome - thing that we're seeing just today with this activity is that quite a lot of folks here are really interested in talking about LS online. And you know what? That's good too! So really...anything goes. All wonderings and ideas and suggestions about online or f2f are welcome!

Ross, you're in the right place! A simple 1-2-4-All takes just 12 minutes...

Nice to see you here.

Welcome Erin! It's great to have you here.

I can understand the overwhelm that sometimes comes in a situation where everyone else seems to have "drunk the Kool-Aid" and we're still catching up! (In fact, I felt like that a little bit during a workshop in which I was a participant just this past weekend!)

A good place to start might be the matchmaker (you'll find it on the Tips & Resources page) because one side lists all the purposes for each structure. But your first question might be to ask yourself, Where am I trying to get my group to go? which will hopefully give you a good starting point to then think about structures that support the group along the way.

I hope you enjoy digging into it all this week!

From one Beth to another...hello! And welcome.

LS are SO relevant in community organizations! I spend time working with non-profits/community/health organizations as well as post-secondary environments and use the structures in all sectors. And perhaps LS can even help people think more about person-centred care because they allow us to share control and include everyone in the room. So they are not "top down" structures. I think you'll find something of value here.

This is a great question. I'm thinking particularly of the fact that a lot of LS structures are timed. And I have heard/seen that some cultures do not want to be rushed! And understandably so. For example, an indigenous friend of mine and I share and compare experiences sometimes on things like introductions/opening circle activities. In her world, "it takes as long as it takes." In mine (non-indigenous Caucasian woman), I am often watching the clock! ;-)

So can we use LS in both cases? I think so, and I look forward to the ideas that emerge here about how.