> Maybe it all means that we should consider that we can never know
> the world accept through the binoculars of our senses and that these
> are all limited by our personhood. Acceptance of this means that
> we can explore while knowing always that our exploration is an
> agreement that we must continually nourish with each other
> (complexity). That all of the ideas have their place (even the
> idea of "running down") as do we all and that we must find a way
> to be with our fullness and not destroy it.
Thinking about adapting by using new strategies that actually emerge when
going with the flow while working with groups, an experience we had this
summer may relate. The group was a group of teachers new to our graduate
teacher education program, and with these people, we developed new
strategies to reach both teachers and their students. We would like to
offer the following summary and would much appreciate your perspectives,
suggestions, and comments.
This summer, many teachers and I were intensely involved in two intensive
two-week graduate summer institutes. The events during these institutes
have brought on much reflection on the teaching/learning process and more
awareness of a dimension not previously fully recognized . . . a new view.
In the first institute, our focus was integrating learning experiences. We
went through some of these experiences together, then the teachers worked
in teams to create and share some that related, and at the end each shared
those they had created on their own that would be used in their own
classrooms. A simple model, one that was fundamentally experiential and
developmental. The teachers were totally involved in what we were doing,
and when they shared the learning experiences they had created, I was not
surprised that they more than surpassed those we had gone through as
examples. We were all quite overwhelmed by what was shared . . . and so
fired up that all of the teachers that could, enrolled in the second
institute so we could continue our work together.
Reflection on the intensity of involvement in this institute made me much
more fully aware of a whole dimension to learning, that the strategies and
lessons that come from *the teacher* are not the parts that make the total
experience so inexplicably dynamic. It is the creation of experiences by
all of the teachers together that grow and flow together that does it. An
essential part was that the teachers were dedicated professionals who
entered with a high level of understanding of the teaching/learning
process, and of the art of teaching, and that they came from a wide range
of backgrounds, intelligences, and perspectives. We were all sitting on
the brink, wanting to find ways that could reach as many children as
possible.
The night before our last day of the institute, I wanted to take parts of
our experiences from the videos we had taken that would show the processes
we went through during the institute. I found it was impossible to do.
Pieces did not show the flow of the whole. So I ended up with a long video
that included everything we did together that was recorded on video, with
only the poor parts of the video (from a technical standpoint) deleted
because they disturbed the flow.
These courses were different from other courses in organization because
they were fundamentally more developmental, with more time to share and
create, more time to work in teams and in groups, more time to put what we
understood into practice, more time to recognize and appreciate the
abilities that each of us possess. A major difference was that I was more
able to put into practice the understanding that I, *the teacher*, did not
have to take them through lots of experiences (lessons) in my anxiousness
to cover as many concepts as possible. It was not an *I, the teacher* and
*them, the students* experience. My lessons come from my own particular
blend of perspectives.
We do know that one model will not reach all learners. How much better it
is to have everyone take us through experiences from each of our blends of
intelligences (Gardner's) so we have the greatest number of perspectives
of how to create learning experiences rather than a model from just one
person that needs to be copied by everyone. The processes we went through
were not cut in stone, step-by-step plans were not followed exactly,
sidetrips were taken when discussions and lessons seemed like they were
needed, the ideas expressed by everyone were important . . . and were
discussed and built upon whenever possible . . . . the spirit of learning
and building together was most meaningful.
These experiences helped solidify the idea that the caring, encouraging,
positive, interactive, learning community atmosphere that emerged early in
the institute, and included all of us was the most essential part, the
part that allowed us the opportunity to build together a very productive
total learning experience.
So it is greater than being able to create lessons that follow the steps
*known* to be able to reach as many children as possible. It is greater
than using constructivist strategies. It is greater than planned
cooperative learning experiences. It is by far greater than the sum of so
many parts.
There is an atmosphere of connectedness that naturally emerges because all
of these parts are there. And that spirit of connectedness is the element
that enables us all to want to build ways of learning that are at the
highest level at which we are capable at that time. We can surpass that
level when we come together again . . . to continue building and adding
whole new dimensions to what we already know.
We can not make experiences flow, we can allow ourselves to be part of the
flow . . . and try to understand where the flow is coming from. The joy
truly is in the journey . . . and we don't want to stop.
-- June jmain@junix.ju.edu************************************************************
June Main, Ph.D. Coordinator, Masters in Integrated Learning with Educational Technology Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL 32211
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