Broadband and Me: Unconferencing

July 05, 2005

Unconferencing

Johnnie runs a marvellous podcast with Chris Corrigan and Rob Paterson.

Someexcellent ideas for running conferences within this quite short little gem. I made some bullet point headings (ignoring Johnnie's programme notes) in semi-chronological order:

Connection- shouldn't just be about the speakers
Introvertion - engage those people (like me) who find it difficult to speak (Funny but I never think of Johnnie as introvert at all, in fact quote the opposite)
Facilitation - enable the group to participate
Silence - 'silence is the fullness of possibility'>/li>
Creation of dialogue - is what leads to the nugget of gold in the conference not just the outpourings of the great and the good.
People are real - talking about their own experience is more powerful - storytelling allowing:
Spontaneity - vulnerability
You learn at the edge - teaching to learning model>/li>
Ideas exchange - co-creation
Open Space

The most powerful themes for me here are twofold, that of engagement and that of learning.

Engagment because the last thing you want to happen at a conference is people falling asleep, literally or figuratively. I certainly notice my levels of concentrating dropping and its important to be aware of these factors when implementing this type of thing, as well as making sure that individuals can participate in the action. this moves me neatly onto learning.

At the edge reminded me very forcefully of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, that is the point at where your existing understanding ends and your potential for learning begins. Dialogue enables learning to take place and for speakers, experts, key note speakers to engage the audience by making sure you can take all the people with you facilitating learning as you move on (scaffolding?). I also think that having a variety of different activities in a conference is a good move. Whilst I think lecturing can have its strengths, as can discussion, we should not confine ourselves to thinking of conferences in such linear ways and look at multiple environments, activities, and personalities to assist in the process.

Perhaps I should set up some conferences / workshops myself?

Back to the podcast, to say that its well worth listening to, and got me thinking more about the subject. Eagerly awaiting the next episode.