Harrison, I find your statement "for a long time it has been obvious that for the facilitator of Open Space, it is much more about "being" than "doing,"" to be very refreshing. I think the mediation profession, as a whole, is less comfortable with that idea. Your statement may be somewhat less true for mediation because I assume (without really knowing) that mediation engages with people at a level of deeper interpersonal conflict than is engaged in most OST events. In many mediations, there are moments when "doing" something seems to be critical to keeping the conversation moving in a constructive way. Still, I think the mediation profession generally would benefit from taking a closer look at the quality of "being" that is inevitably linked to the quality of "doing." I also agree wholeheartedly that a meditation practice is a very useful way to attain a helpful state of being. (I love the lingual closeness of mediation and meditation..... though it can be tricky. I've found sometimes that people confuse mediation, meditation and medication!) I would be interested in hearing from people who practice both OST and mediation to learn more about how OST concepts can enhance the mediation process.
Judi, please share more about how you use OST to facilitate learning in a classroom. I'm interested in whatever general insights and thoughts you and others might have. I'm also interested in these specific questions: Do you define learning goals, or do the students define those goals? How do you share your knowledge of the subject? Is everything done OST-style, or do you use a mix of other processes? Have you utilized this style of teaching with youth? If so, do you do anything differently with youth? I've been looking for a way to incorporate my way of being as a mediator into my way of being as a co-learner/teacher for several years, and I very much look forward to learning more about how you've been able to do that. Your comment that "I know in both mediation and teaching that I've done my best when I hear someone say as I leave the room ¯ what was she here for?" resonates very deeply with me. I often tell new mediators that I know I'm doing my job well when it looks like I'm doing nothing at all, AND the participants are communicating in a constructive way. I've found it harder to accomplish that goal in my role as co-learner/teacher, so I will very much appreciate any insights you and others care to share on this subject. Julie
