siyavula teachers conference workgroup slidesnew

Workgroup Sessions

Teachers’ Workshop

Durbanville, 21st / 22nd August, 2009

Siyavula Workgroup Sessions21/22.08.2009

1. Introduction and getting to know each other

2. The edge concept

3. The importance of listening

4. Communities of practice or “workgroups”

5. Self-organising principles

6. Introduction to group dynamics

7. Group dynamics continued

8. Establishing and maintaining workgroups


Participant introductions

• Introduce yourself to a new person every time the music stops.

• Tell them what your interest in this weekend is.

• Tell them what your hopes and expectations are.



2. The edge concept








EDGE

REASONS for not crossing the edge in the form of real or perceived

internal and external messages cause the anxiety

Increased ANXIETY as the individual approaches or is pushed towards or over

and edge.

SUPPORT AND CONTAINMENThelps the individual over the edge

EDGE SYMPTOMS in the form of anxiety and defense mechanisms appear.

The “EDGE” is something that is hard to do, to say, to feel, to think, or to look at.

Mindell’s concept of the edge


Edge symptoms

DEFENSE MECHANISMS

Denial

Withdrawal

Aggression

Humour

ANXIETY SYMPTOMS

Dry mouth

Racing heart

Going blank

Sore stomach

GENERAL SYMPTOMS

Odd or unusual behaviour

Cycling

Mixed messages / incongruities


Edge discussion

In groups of four:

Discuss what some of your edges may be for this weekend.



2. The edge concept








Communication


Communication Exercise

Source of photograph: www.sifatipp.de


Communication Exercise - Debrief

Source of photograph: www.stille-post.de


Listening

Ignoring• You ignore communication by rejecting it (e.g. interrupting someone mid-sentence, playing

around with pen and paper or computer, writing text messages, suppressing the words of the speaker with own mental chatter…

• Ignoring someone is a way of exercising power over them.

Controlling & Projecting

• Sometimes the way we look at someone, our body language, sounds we make or hierarchical position controls the way others communicate with us.

• Sometimes we hear what others tell us through a filter of previous judgements and decision. Whatever is communicated reinforces these judgements.

Empathising

• Empathy requires observing the world from the speaker’s point of view.

• You don’t just hear the open content of communication, but also the intent on which this communication is based. (WHY?)

• Great communicators stand out by their ability to listen to the way their words are “taken” while they speak.

• They hear themselves with the ears of others.

Mastery



2. The edge concept








Communities of practice or “workgroups”

Members of a community are informally bound by what they do together and by what they have learned through their mutual engagement in these activities. A community of practice is different from a community of interest or a geographical community, neither of which implies a shared practice. A community of practice defines itself along three dimensions:

It is a joint enterprise as understood and continually renegotiated by its members

There is mutual engagement that bind members together into a social entity

It produces a shared collection of communal resources that members have developed over time.

© Etienne Wenger, 1998

We will refer to communities of practice as workgroups


Communities of practice or “workgroups”

Move into groups of 5 and consider the following question:

How would it be useful for you to work in a group of teachers to develop curriculum material? Note your answers on cards, one per card.


Debrief, feedback and questions

Good morning!!!



2. The edge concept








Self-organising principles

Self-organising principles are governed by “attractors” at their centre. These are central values, beliefs or other psychological forces which determine the self-organising principles that emerge around them. Attractors evoke the same behaviour in different people.


Self-organising principles continued

An individual’s identity is closely linked to the self-organising principles that guide their behaviour. Individuals identify with values and activities that are similar to their own internal drivers and once they identify with them, their passion is evoked.


Self-organising principles continued

If you think about everything you have seen so far about the

Siyavula project and the Connexions website, what is the one thing that would make you want to start or join a

Connexions workgroup?



2. The edge concept








Group dynamics – Mindell’s concept of rank

E

D

G

E

E

D

G

E

Will eventually resort to sabotage

Will comply temporarily

Passive aggressive behaviour

This group makes decisions

Will seek support

Individuals or groups with less or no rank

Individuals or groups with more rank

Feedback blocked by the edge



2. The edge concept








We take this opportunity to wish everyone who started fasting today Ramadaan Mubarak. May Allah’s strength and

guidance accompany you through this blessed month.


Group dynamics – roles in workgroups

Critic Leader

Peacemaker

Clown

Excitement

EnvyMother

DisturberSaboteur

Teacher

Expert

Victim

Functional

Political

Psychological

Emotional

The context and the task of the group will determine the roles required by the group. There are four different types of roles:


Group dynamics – roles discussion

Move into groups of 5 and consider the following question:

Think about the different roles that will be needed and possibly emerge in workgroups. Include as many of the different types of roles as possible. Examples are given below:

Functional: Co-ordinator

Political: Leader, follower

Psychological: Critic, supporter

Emotional: Excitement, anticipation, irritation

Write each role on a card.


Group dynamics – roles discussion


Exercise – 2 Truths, 1 Lie

• Sit with someone you do not know yet.

• 1 partner tells the other 2 things about themselves that are true and 1 that is not true.

• Swap, so that 2nd person can tell first person 3 things about themselves (2 truths, 1 lie).

• Clear up the mystery and chat about it.


Stereotypes

As human beings we sort people we meet for the first time into categories immediately. A “stereotype” is helpful when it is:

• Consciously held

• Descriptive rather than evaluative

• Accurate

• The first best guess

• Modified

Rather than pretending not to stereotype it is essential for working across differences to become aware of our stereotypes and learn to set them aside when faced with contradictory evidence!


PerceptionPerception

Parochial

“Our way is the only way.”

Parochial

“Our way is the only way.”

Ethnocentric

“Our way is best.”

Ethnocentric

“Our way is best.”

Synergistic

“Leveraging our ways and their ways may work

best.”

Synergistic

“Leveraging our ways and their ways may work

best.”

• Diversity has no impact on organisations.

• Diversity has no impact on organisations.

• Diversity causes problems for organisations.

• Diversity causes problems for organisations.

• Diversity leads to both problems and advantages for organisations.

• Diversity leads to both problems and advantages for organisations.

StrategyStrategy

• Ignore the impact of diversity on organisations.

• Ignore the impact of diversity on organisations.

• Minimise the sources and impact of diversity on organisations.

• Minimise the sources and impact of diversity on organisations.

• Train people to recognise and use differences to create advantages for the organisation.

• Train people to recognise and use differences to create advantages for the organisation.

Most Likely Consequences

Most Likely Consequences

• Problems occur but they are not attributed to diversity.

• Problems occur but they are not attributed to diversity.

• People reduce problems by reducing diversity.

• They ignore or eliminate potential advantages.

• People reduce problems by reducing diversity.

• They ignore or eliminate potential advantages.

• Groups benefit from the advantages of diversity.

• Some problems remain and must be managed

• Groups benefit from the advantages of diversity.

• Some problems remain and must be managed

FrequencyFrequency

• Very common• Very common

• Common• Common

• Less common• Less common

Source: adapted from Adler (2002), p. 114.

Strategies for Managing Cultural Diversity



2. The edge concept








The membership of workgroups

Membership is voluntary. Members will stay involved if the central organising principle of the workgroup is clear, all contributions are invited and supported, and group dynamics are not allowed to take precedence over the organising principle.


The leadership of workgroups

Leadership of emerging voluntary groups must have intrinsic legitimacy – in other words they must be lead from the inside, rather than be controlled from the outside. Most importantly, leadership should be shared.


Self-Leadership

Self-leadership can be defined as the process of influencing oneself to establish the self-direction and self-motivation needed to perform.

This means getting oneself from passive mode to active mode, going on a purposeful journey.


The leadership of workgroups

1. The day-to-day leadership provided by those who organise activities

2. The classificatory leadership provided by those who collect and organise information in order to document practices

3. The interpersonal leadership provided by those who weave the community's social fabric

4. The boundary leadership provided by those who connect the community to other communities

5. The institutional leadership provided by those who maintain links with other organizational constituencies, in particular the official hierarchy

6. The cutting-edge leadership provided by those who shepherd "out-of-the-box" initiatives.

7. The inspirational leadership provided by thought leaders and recognized experts


Different leadership roles in workgroups:


Stages of development of workgroups



Good workgroup practices

What would you consider as good group practices to ensure

the creation and sustainability of Connexions’ Workgroups? Write your ideas on cards.


Good workgroup practices


What next?

If you would like our support for a new or existing workgroup, we would love to hear from you.

Contact:

Neels at [email protected]

082 334 3259

Quinton Davis at [email protected]

or

If you want to give more feedback or ask questions:

Contact: Mark Horner at [email protected]

Helene Smit at [email protected]

Layo Seriki at [email protected]

siyavula teachers conference workgroup slidesnew

Education

group dynamics

organising

group dynamics

etienne wenger

organising

edge concept

mutual engagement

work group