LearningCooperatives

TheExperimentWiki | RecentChanges | Preferences | Search | GlobalHome | HaitiHome

Click TheExperimentFund to learn about who makes decisions and how they get made regarding grants for Learning Coops.

For The Experiment's normal website, go to: http://TheExperiment.info


We invite you to join us in thinking through LearningCoopImpactEvaluation


Welcome to the conversation which is informing the development of something we're referring to as Learning Cooperatives

If you wish to join us on a list serv we created to continue this conversation, send me an email message mailto:john@theexperiment.info

Background

People in the Beyond Borders and Limye Lavi networks have developed over time a training program for equipping Haitians with skills in ReflectionCircles? and OpenSpace. A typical training program includes a weekly Reflection Circle lasting 1 and a half to 2 hours over 6 months for 10-to-25 people; in addition, there are 3 Open Space meetings, each lasting 4-to-6 hours. The practitioner works with participants to develop themes for their Open Space meetings relevant to their concerns and passions. The total cost of this customized training is approximately $2,500, with 10% going to Beyond Borders to help cover administrative costs. This ($2,250) covers fees for two practitioners, plus Reflection Circle books and other necessary materials. The group receiving the training is responsible for hosting the meetings at a location they've chosen and for providing the meals which are usually a part of the Open Space meetings.

Click on TheExperimentFund to learn about the structure and decision making about this initiative.

Our Challenge

This type of training is a new concept for many Americans, the primary source of funding, and for Haitians. Our challenge is to develop language in English and in Creole which communicates in a compelling way the objectives and activities of this unique approach for fostering change.

While we have focused on Open Space and Reflection Circle methods to date, practitioners eligible for submitting proposals in partnership with groups and institutions desiring training, are constantly learning new methods and adapting them to particular situations. Many are skilled in CLE (ConcentratedLanguageEncounter?) a method for teaching literacy and Lexio Dvina, which is a method using the Bible for nurturing spiritual growth and unity. Some are now experimenting with Appreciative Inquiry.

Moving Forward

The best thing we can do to support these creative, skilled and motivated practitioners is to look for people, churches, and foundations who wish to fund their work. Some people will wish to fund teacher training, some christian leadership development, many will wish to fund any type of activities that promote participatory leadership and discussion-based education. Ideally, the practitioners are working with client groups and coming up with training appropriate for those particular groups and we're finding funding for the various categories that the groups fall into.

David came up with an idea yesterday that will serve us well, I believe. He suggested that we have an overarching term that describes what the practitioners are creating when they work with groups in general. At this point, it seems that Learning Cooperative may be the best idea for this. It's definition could be: a group of people (10-25) who come together weekly for the purpose of developing teaching, collaboration and leadership skills. We need to ask the practitioners to define some additional principles which communicate what a Learning Coop is.

The Learning Cooperative Name and Beyond

Haitian practitioners will need to develop a name in creole that works for them. Regarding English, I like the name Learning Coop because it is short, there is consensus on the importance of using the word Learning, it can emcompass any type of person--teacher, student, community organizer, preacher, etc--and because Cooperative conveys more structure than the word group and is therefor more compelling. The commitment that members make to be a part of this training merits calling it a very structured activity. Plus, we hope that this activity will stimulate new ways for these groups to function together and will enable them to develop and access more resourses together long after the 6 month training is completed.

Here is the definition I just pulled from the web for Cooperative:

cooperative

adj 1: involving the joint activity of two or more; "the attack was met by the combined strength of two divisions"; "concerted action"; "the conjunct influence of fire and strong dring"; "the conjunctive focus of political opposition"; "a cooperative effort"; "a united effort"; "joint military activities" [syn: combined, concerted, conjunct, conjunctive, united] 2: done with or working with others for a common purpose or benefit; "a cooperative effort" [ant: uncooperative] 3: willing to adjust to differences in order to obtain agreement [syn: accommodative] n 1: a jointly owned commercial enterprise (usually organized by farmers or consumers) that produces and distributes goods and services and is run for the benefit of its owners [syn: co-op] 2: an association formed and operated for the benefit of those using it

While we are using it as a noun and not an adjective, I believe we're using Cooperative in a way that's not misleading.

From here, we will need to develop other names for more specific groups. For instance, one Learning Coop could be a group of teachers. This could be referred to a Teacher Development Cooperative. Another group could be youth in a Church. In addition to the weekly reflection Circles sessions and three Open Space meetings, they have Lexio Divina sessions sprinkled throughout their six month training. Groups like this could be called Christian Leadership Cooperative, or something like it. There could also be practitioners incorporating CLE training. It seems this might become standard procedure for the Teacher Development Cooperatives.

What Do You Think?

I invite you to add to the conversation. Simply hit the edit this page button at the bottom left hand corner and then type. When you're finished, hit "save" and your words will be published. Don't be afraid. Past texts are always accessible so it's impossible to do irrepairable damage. If you see the message, "This is read-only page" at the bottom left-hand corner, email me and I will send you the password. OR, SIMPLY EMAIL ME YOUR MESSAGE AND I WILL POST IT FOR YOUR.

David writes:

John,

This sounds great to me. If I understand correctly, Learning Coop is the general name for all the groups. Then depending on the nature of the groups and the kind of methods/materials they are using, they could be refered to by one of the more specific titles. You mention Teacher Development Coop, which I like a lot for groups of teachers. You mention Christian Leadership Development Coop for church groups, etc. I could imagine another kind of group mostly composed of community leaders, so maybe they would be refered to as Community Leadership Cooperatives or Participatory Leadership Cooperatives or something like that.

Am I understanding you?

Where I think it will be particularly helpful to have these names for the subcatagories is in grant proposals and promotional materials that are presented to particular kinds of funders. But the general name, Learning Coop is shorter and encompasses everything.

John writes

yes, this is exactly right, david. so practitioners can come up with categories and then we can seek names that are appropriate in english. what's more is that practitioners have already informed us that while they like having a general name for the training, each individual group should come up with their own name for their particular group.

i received a message from coleen with lots of suggestions for names. i'm pasting it here:

Coleen writes

John,

A quick brainstorm off the top of my head....

I like learning cooperatives best from the list you sent.

Some other possibilities:

Leadership Training

Leadership Apprenticeship

Leader Apprenticeships

Apprentices in Leadership (Training)

Learners Cooperatives

Teacher-Learner Cooperative

Teacher-Leader Cooperative

Teacher Apprenticeships

Training of Teachers and Leaders

Teachers' and Leaders' Seminars / Trainings

Investments in Leadership

Leaders for Peace Training

What does WR and EO promote? When teachers and leaders learn to use these methods, what are they learning to do for themselves and for others?

Leaders for Liberation (this may sound a little too much like a paramilitary group!:-) (Training) Teachers for (in) Peace and Justice

Leadership Development Groups (**I like this one:-)

Developing Leaders(hip) among (in) Teachers

Creating Teachers for/of/in Peace and Autonomy (thanks GALO!)

Methods of Leading and Teaching which Promote Peace and Autonomy (long, but says it exactly)

Developing Leaders and Teachers of / for Peace

Leader and Teacher Development Courses

Continuing Education for Teachers and Leaders

Trainings of Trainers: Participative Teaching and Leadership Methods


Bart writes

John,

I really like your idea of using Learning Cooperatives as the overarching term, and then using narrower definitions for specific types of projects, and I think the examples you gave for teachers and Christian leaders both work.

I know this sounds terribly mercenary, but when it comes to accessing funding for more general groups I could imagine Democracy Leadership Cooperatives or Democracy Development Cooperatives being very popular with certain service groups in the USA. Because practically everything you are doing strengthens people's abilities to express their own convictions, listen respectfully to others, and take responsibility for their communities...every kind of Learning Coop could be categorized that way.

Also, I think you might want to highlight Youth Development or Youth Leadership Development when you are working with students.

I appreciate the effort you are putting into coming up with terms that are funder-friendly. I suggest you invite some of your target audience into this conversation before you set anything in stone.

Gotta zoom...blessed Christmas to all!

Bart


John writes

was with brother jesse last night. he and his wife are perhaps the single largest contributors to the experiment and to my work in general in haiti when factoring in financial contributions and volunteer help. jesse shared that he's following the conversation but has not had time to share his thoughts. liking the name "Learning Coop" he had however already checked to see what urls were available.

i spent a half hour on the phone with bryan sirchio today talking about this concept. bryan's organization, harvest time, which finances a school and community group in cite soleil, helped us to develop the six month training scheme. harvest time also contributed nearly half the cost of Circles of Change. he thinks Learning Coop is a great name to describe this and also likes the idea of having more specific groups as well. I've run the idea by a couple other funders who like it and i feel comfortable moving forward with it. i'm going to invite more supporters to to come join this conversation.

i did take the step of purchasing the following domains: www.learningcoop.org, www.learningcoop.net and www.learningcoop.info.

thanks jesse and others!



Click TheExperimentFund to learn about who makes decisions and how they get made.

For The Experiment's normal website, go to: http://TheExperiment.info

send John an email at mailto: john@theexperiment.info


TheExperimentWiki | RecentChanges | Preferences | Search | GlobalHome | HaitiHome
This page is read-only | View other revisions
Last edited January 13, 2005 10:50 am USA Pacific Time by pcp09745993pcs.hershy01.pa.comcast.net
Search: