A story that Virginia has asked me to put on the list. Next chapter next week. Birgitt
---------- > From: Virginia Burt <your-use...@interlynx.net> > To: Birgitt Bolton <birg...@worldchat.com> > Subject: Richness in Open Space > Date: December 2, 1997 10:37 AM > > Dear Birgitt > > Here is the story of my first Open Space with my third year landscape > design students at Fanshawe College. As you are aware, it was an experience > and a half! I am writing this to you so that you are able to share it with > others so some of the story you all ready know. Here goes... > > I teach a 1/2 course per year in the Design Studio course for Landscape > design at Fanshawe College. The students range in age from 20 to 40 years. > Typically my kids are right from Grade 12, High School. > > Upon experiencing Open Space led by Barry Owen in Tennessee, then again at > OSonOS, I wondered aloud to Birgitt if I might try using OS on my > kids.....she said why not? It was at this point that I began to feel > uncomfortable...all that attended OSonOS were so obviously articulate and > expereinced with the process and how could I , an untrained "ruthless > transdisciplinary", possibly have the audacity to do this elegant and > wonderous thing? > > Well, as driving to an appointment, I dreamed and visualized a theme of > 'OS'ing' the kids. The first one was how to format their next series of > projects within the course to allow them to graduate with the tools that > they needed.....I passed this by Birgitt and she said "well hope you have > read the book" and encouraged me that this will be wonderful. As always > the universe has unusual ways of working and i respond to those unusual > ways with new hair brained ideas. I emailed Birgitt with a second theme the > night before the class. Knowing that her schedule was tight, I asked her to > email me back with any input as I would be facilitating the next day.... > > As I poured over the book and figured out what I would do, I wrote the > theme and began to realize that my kids would not have any warning, ie. > invitation, nor had they ever seen me before. Thinking Oh well, I plowed > on, other teachers have done it. My email to Bigitt was as follows: > > Re: Open space for students > OK, so I am beginning to feel the chaos in myself and feel as though I am > the > lamb to the slaughter......yet I feel this sense of calm and understanding > that > it will work out fine....whatever happens is the only thing that could > have. (I > think I am getting the hang of this!) BB, at the same time, I feel somewhat > > invasive and clumsy with this incredible thing that you and others are able > to > do called Open Space. Ah well here it is anyway.....please feel free to > call me > up until 11pm if you are able.... > > As for the theme. One thing these kids all have passion for is getting $ > and a > job after they graduate....(am I making a grave mistake in this > assumption?) So > generally, my theme is as follows: > > How will I get an ideal job when I graduate from this program? > > Unfortunatley i do not have Bigitt's return email as i have recently > upgraded my email program and deleted it.....It went something like this: > "Virginia, as long as you are prepared for the outcome, this is a very big > topic...I wish you luck. Sorry it is too late to call..." > > The invitation was as follows: > > Third Year Design Studio > Fanshawe College > > Focus and Intent > > You are invited to the first annual symposium on Finding Ideal Jobs. This > symposium is not for everyone especially those who expect a typical > lecture. We will enter into open space without prepared agenda or clear > cut knowledge as to where we will end up. We only know the theme, who is > coming and what they are interested in.. Be prepared to be surprised. > > Our Theme > > The difficulty of finding a job relevant to our schooling reminds us that > the world has yet to reach perfection. There is a lesson here. As we near > graduation, we will all struggle to find an ideal job. The wonderful thing > we have is the opportunity to think, dream, and wonder what our ideal job > would be. > Our theme then, > > What are the issues and opportunities present in our school and how do we > make them available to ourselves to be able to find an ideal job? > > Each of us are on a journey into the future. It is a journey that does not > have a map except as we make it. > > What is Going to Happen? > > The honest answer is that we don't know except that we create an open space > in which good thinking, creating and celebrating can occur. > > So What do We do? > > Basically we follow our noses and each other to explore our theme. How > well this all works depends on two factors: the talents and resources of > the folks who come....which are superb. And, our willingness to seek our > new ideas and people and put them all together in useful ways. This will > involve some chaos and chaos more often than not is the seed bed of > opportunity if we choose to make it so. > > Off I went the next day knowing that my class was divided in two parts. > Class A (14 kids) and Class B (16 kids) of the same course. With Class A, I > began the circle, created chaos and the students did put up - you should > have seen their faces rush up in redness when actually getting up out of > their chairs to put up their topics. I in the meantime was sweating. I > think I completely wore out the section in the book that talks about what > the facilitator does after opening.....I left the room to make some copies > and wondered as I ran back up the stairs.....will they will all be gone > from the room and will I be shredded. My palms are still sweaty recalling > the experience. > > Well they hadn't and all was OK although I probabaly gave their topics too > much time. Very excellent ideas came out of the process with several > students in closing saying how they felt that no one in the class ever > tapped into their personal knowledge and experience in certain areas, that > they were most uncomfortable putting up a topic and always waited until > someone else did it first. It was rich. > > Second class that afternoon was more difficult, less talkative, I was also > really in the "whoa who is doing the chaos of OS anyway.....is it me?" The > section on trust and let it go was again well read. In closing circle, the > kids again surprised me with their comments including I don't know if there > is an ideal job out there? > > I gave out homework from The Path by Laurie Beth Jones, on creating a > vision for your ideal job. Upon reachiong home that evening, I called > Birgitt, exhausted and unsure if anyone would show up the next day and > wondering now what? I have these kids in this place and don't know what to > do with them! Should I go back to lecture style and start on site > planning? Birgitt in all her wisdom said, " do you know process facilitation?" I didn't. She said, we don't have time to do anything in the way of process with each other about this (groan from Birgitt) so just write this down as a recipe for tomorrow. Follow it step by step. Do not go back to lecture style, sit in a circle, and have them reflect on their learnings in Open Space. So just write this down and don't ask any > questions....do this group processing thing and see what happens. I do > usually question Birgitt but by this time I was panicking. > > The most wonderful things happened the next day (in packages unknown at the > time..) First of all, Class B had 5 of 16 people show up. We started, then > two more showed up. The results of the drawings, and the comments included: > > Drawings of a fellow with a crown on the road of life, another of question > marks inside a tree of landscape design but with clouds of dreams this > would be resolved and he would fly like an eagle, another of all the > colloge's information going into a box within the head of a student, then > the OS circle of yesterday and students running away calling me "crazy > woman" then finally the box demolished with a heap of info and then a > graduate emerging with gown shaped in the wings of an angel. The other was > the questions and exclamations of yesterday, with choices of straight line > thinking before and a realization that both wanted to follow the uncharted > path. > > The second class, only a tribe of four young men showed up. We started > again, this time the drawings inlcuded: > A glazed window shut up tight, then after yesterday, an open window with > curtains and clear glass. The second was a circle with colouring outside > the lines, another cartoon picture of confidence between a man and woman. > > The writing of what we have learned is summarized as follows: > use people as a resource > Network > Be yourself > Look outside the industry > Focus on your skills > Don't be afraid to learn > Don't be afraid to ask > Don't be afraid of challenges and risks > Dreams are close > Frusteration that this hasn't been done before > Dreams are within reach > Painful process > Time is short > I feel so young (this by the most mature student), I feel old (this by one > of the youngest) > Scary > Too much boldness can be too much > Frustration with others perceptions > 2 personalties with life and school > perceptions by others is unrealistic > Target your advertising > Hands on Look and learn > Read and read > Learn on someone else's $ > Learn well not bad. > > Birgitt here is the first installation of the story of my first OS...... > The next installment will inlcude how the others decided to do the group > processing the next week. > > thanks so much for yesterday. > Virginia