http://knowledgewranglers.typepad.com/cognitivecocktail/2006/03/promoting_a_lea.html
TODAY WAS ABOUT VISION
Today was the kickoff for a retreat at Harrison Hot Springs sponsored by the Canadian Council on Learning as part of the 21st Century Initiative (Canada).
The purpose of the retreat is to examine how we can create a learning community in BC. The three areas of focus are:
- to bring people together to build on existing initiatives and experiences;
- to identify common goals and perspectives;
- and, to develop a plan for how to move forward
There are 30 delegates at the retreat representing different age groups, regions, and sectors in British Columbia.
CONTEXT SETTING
Chris Kelly, Superintendent of the Vancouver School Board, provided a context for today's proceedings. He cited art exhibits, reports, and initiatives as contextual indicators of the forces at play around us. Initiatives cited included:
- Massive Change (art exhibit)
- Progress Board Report
- The Learning City initiative
- Atlas of Child Development
- Imagine BC
Chris eloquently presented a series of factors and issues that from his perspective could inform the discussions about learning communities over the two days of the current retreat. They included (paraphrased):
- Learning is essential to the well being of the person
- Development and change is around us - dynamic, sustained
- Unbounding of institutions. Mandates need to extend and connect themselves to actual needs of all people in all sectors
- Core metric - quality of life - observed experience - a measure of well being
- Centrality of learning to life?
- Our work needs to transcend professional and organizational zones of interest
- Are there inter-relationships between planes of interest - or lack thereof
BACKGROUND DATA
John Abbott of the 21st Learning Initiative presented background research and information on the state of the planet, with particular reference to resource depletion and questions of sustainability.
John referenced the nature of schooling and its relationship with everything else in the world. He emphsaized contextualization as an imperative for all teaching and learning - possibly requiring activist teaching and administration for us to move ahead in the current context.
He asked, "Why aren't we better storytellers?" - asking us why we are doing what we are doing?
John emphasized some key recommendations, outlined below, that he asked the participnats to consider as they engaged on discussions of learning communities.
- Curriculum of the future - the ability to see the hidden connections between phenomena - becoming "stewards of our humanity"
- Balancing thinking with doing
- Understanding what makes people tick
- Subsidiarity - a la Gateggno - the subordination of teaching to learning
ADDITIONAL STIMULUS FOR AN ACTION AGENDA
The day ended with a presentation of scenes from the play, The Laramie Project, presented by cast members from Lord Byng Secondary School. This play challenged audience members to consider issues inclusion and tolerance in its discussion of learning communities.
Discussion with cast members following the presentation revealed the depth of feeling and learning that this work has engendered in the students as well as their classmates and the school community.
TOMORROW IS ABOUT ACTION - hopefully
Keywords: Porter opinion
