Values in World Thought Program's Chautauqua Project
For the past four years Mount Madonna School has hosting a gathering of educators who come together for two days in conversation about how to foster learning environments that will support the human spirit and generate the thinking and capacities needed for today’s challenges. This year Peter Block joined our founding team of Angeles Arrien and Vivian Wright to explore the theme of “Remembering and Understanding What we Already Know & Naming the Gifts that we May Have Forgotten.” In the dialogue with 65 participants from across the spectrum of education we examined the question of how to move from teacher as “expert” to teacher as “facilitator and learner” in the educational experience. In addition to the skillful facilitation by Angeles, Peter and Vivian there were two presentations. The first was by the students of Mount Madonna School who spoke of the effects of their recent learning journey to Washington DC in which they took greater charge of the design and preparation of the trip. The second presentation was by Diego Navarro, founder of the Digital Bridge Academy at Cabrillo College, describing his ground-breaking work in creating new learning strategies for students who the educational system has ignored or forgotten. In both presentations it was clear that the educational environment can be successfully transformed when we engage in helping our students construct a new story about learning, one that empowers the student to take responsibility for their own learning experience and realize new previously untapped capacities.  Peter Block, author of “Flawless Consulting,” and most recently a book titled “Community, the Structure of Belonging” has done ground breaking work for years in the field of business learning, and now has turned his attention to the re-engagement and restoration of community thought his work with “A Small Group (ASG) in the community of Cincinnati. Angeles Arrien, a well known anthropologist, consultant and author of “The Fourfold Way” and most recently, “The Second Half of Life” brings the gift of ancient and indigenous wisdom to the field of learning. Her stories always enliven and instruct our gathering. Vivian Wright, a long time internal consultant for Hewlett Packard has been exploring issues of learning in a global company. The three of them guided the conversation and activities of the two-day event in a seamless dance that provided a clear example of what happens when great teachers successfully engage the room and facilitate learning. We are looking forward to this coming year’s Chautauqua, July 21st and 22nd where the conversation and collegial learning will continue. |
|
© 2010 The Mount Madoona School. All rights reserved.
