A recent thread discussed "icebreakers." In our school district seminars
and institutes, opening activities range from icebreakers to activities
which set the stage for the entire event.
As a kick off for three hundred teachers and administrators last summer,
we gave school groups the materials to construct a duodecahedron (sphere
with twelve side a la Buckminster Fuller's geodesic spheres). We showed
them a model but did not give instructions. It was fascinating to see the
groups work together (or not), discover talents in colleagues they did not
know existed, watch leaders emerge who were not official leaders, watch
official leaders (principals) not be in charge, watch some develop a
systematic (not systemic) approach to their work, etc.
The sphere is the metaphor of the need for connections and synergy. A
fact about such spheres (or the playground domes we see everywhere) is if
you remove one piece or one strut, it cannot support any weight. Once in
place it can support anything... just like a school or other learning
organization. We carried out the analyses to shared vision, use of
models, systemic thinking, mastery, etc. It helped teach the language.
And, just for fun, at the end, we asked them to put the spheres together.
I thought they'd build an even stronger sturcture with the 28 spheres
(pyramid) but, they created a child using the spheres into arms, legs,
torso, head, and put a book in his/her hand!
Any other creative ideas out there? This summer we are reinforcing the
concepts of LO in our institute (as we have through out the year) and
using a music metaphor throughout. Ideas for an opening?
Jere Hochman
--Jere Hochman <jhstl@stlnet.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>