Great post @Mark_Jabbour…hope to hear Geoffrey’s response on the therapy comparison.
I would like to think that you do have the answer thrown in there, in order for us to reach “full spectrum learning;” the local community is the key, and the answer for local community is more of it. I have a vision of how this would work. We just do it. We simply recognize there is the community and it is already here. We could converse about changes to the rules, changes in systems, but once we recognize the community is already here, we can go out into the harsh world with a healthy dose of continual understanding that our “educational” needs (for ourselves and our children) will be met. I have absolute certainty that my children and those that I am involved with will benefit from the little-bit-o-local that we provide through basic allowances of time/presence and demonstrations of effort. They will be prepared for the world though our guidance, etc. I hardly know what I am doing, but I know this fact for sure.
I am highly interested in @MarcoMasi asi’s work with Free Progress Education and would like to have a chance to incorporate Marco’s proposal with some of the philosophies and ideas we have tossed about in the air during Cafes and Readers Underground sessions.
one idea that fits the Cafe template is the “barcamp” practice, which M. Masi lists as a potential educational tool:
The ‘barcamp’ or ‘un-conference’ modality might play a role in a future higher education environment also. A barcamp might be defined as an alternative way with which people could communicate their ideas, projects, studies, and even dreams. It works as follows. In the beginning, all the people convene in a hall, and everyone is allowed to present in a minute or two his or her session. And ‘everyone’ means just that: everyone. There is no hierarchy of sages, teachers, or professors. Also a perfectly unknown person could rush in and present a speech. ‘Mister nobody’ can propose for instance to discuss with those who like to attend ‘The future of humanity on Mars’, or instead of presenting his own project he/she might ask for solutions to questions such as how to find funds to publish a book on hand surgery, or discuss how far didactical and pedagogical optimism is justified, and so on. Once the session has been briefly presented, and if among those present some raise their hands to show interest, a room and a time segment for a discussion are assigned. The same procedure repeats itself for all the others who present a topic. In this fashion, several sessions will have been programmed, without any previous intervention or approval by a commission. On a board, in less than a half an hour, a huge programme of sessions is set. Then everyone attends those which are considered the most interesting. What follows is not a talk by the proponent of the session, but only a brief introduction, after which an informal discussion is opened to all those present. The idea is that the classical seminar format might be occasionally replaced also by ‘un-seminars’. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the traditional seminar is going to die. However, in several situations a barcamp-style seminar might be a better solution because seminars are used primarily to convey information. Instead, an un-seminar can function as a platform to ask for information. For example, one might have an idea for a research project, and might want to hear what other students and faculty members might think of it. Another might want to set up a research group, and to look for members wishing to join in. Yet another might wish to share opinions and impressions about a new discovery, and so on. The barcamp, un-conference, and un-seminar formats might prove to be a great tool for communicating among students and university members ideas, projects, findings, news, etc. That would also foster a real socialization and new forms of group work, which are not forced and imposed from above, as they are at the present time.
I see this as a great method for stating what we want to have happen beyond a single Cafe. This could branch out into various other projects outside of the Cafe…into group projects, reading groups, intensive studies, etc.
Where does education fit within Cosmos Coop? I have personally experienced more than just a few insightful chats and believe in the value of a full-bodied, full-spectrum education which I have experienced here. I have set up an open frame for next weeks Cafe. Please add in your own thoughts on that thread as you see fit.