connecting the dots3

Connecting the DotsConnecting the Dots

Growing an Ecologically Mindful Growing an Ecologically Mindful Living Learning EnvironmentLiving Learning Environment

CopresentersCopresenters

• Patti Kenney, Academic Learning Coordinator, Liberty Hyde Bailey Scholars Program, Michigan State University

• Katie Clark, Student, Residential Initiative for the Study of the Environment, College of Social Science, Michigan State University

Additional CollaboratorsAdditional Collaborators

• Frank A. Fear, Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies and Bailey Scholar, Michigan State University.

• Terry P. Link, Director, Office for Campus Sustainability and Bailey Scholar, Michigan State University.

• Laurie Thorp, Director, RISE (Residential Initiative for the Study of the Environment) and Bailey Scholar, Michigan State University.

Laurie Thorp Terry Link, Office of Laurie Thorp Terry Link, Office of RISERISE Campus SustainabilityCampus Sustainability

Frank FearFrank Fear Shari DannShari Dann

Bailey Scholars, CARRSBailey Scholars, CARRS F&W, CARRSF&W, CARRS

An ecologically mindfulAn ecologically mindfulliving learning communityliving learning community

Connecting students’ commitments to

• Make the world a better place

• Integrate content areas

• Develop skills

• Engage wider community

ContextContext

• Student dissatisfaction with living choices

• Land-grant university

• Provost’s Vision for Liberal Arts includes extending living learning options

• Diminishing financial resources

• Programs with common goals & values

• Commitment to collaborative process

Key playersKey players

*RISE *Bailey Scholars

*ECO *Community Agriculture,

*Office for Recreation & Campus Resource

Studies

Sustainability *Environmental

*MSU Student Journalism

Organic Farm

Key commitmentsKey commitments

• Ecologically mindful residence hall (control over food choices, waste reduction, building operations)

• Deliberative, democratic self-governance

• Integrative curriculum

The Importance of DialogThe Importance of Dialog

“Dialog is shared exploration toward greater understanding, connection, or possibility.”

Tom Atlee, Co-Intelligence Institute

“Dialog is about discovering what our true values are, about expanding our capacity for attention, awareness and learning with and from each other, exploring the frontiers of what it means to be human, in relationship to each other and our world.” Glenna Gerard, The Dialog Group

Integrative CurriculumIntegrative Curriculum

• Connected learning

• Criticality

• Holistic (personal, professional, academic, emotional, spiritual intelligence)

• Self-generated learning goals and evaluation

Community of Scholarly PracticeCommunity of Scholarly Practice

• Community becomes its own practice

• Theory and practice are interrelated

• Actions and reflections are interdependent

• Self-governance

• Engagement beyond the community

Modified Open SpaceModified Open Space

• 1) Whoever comes is the right people

• 2) Whatever happens is the only thing that could have

• 3) Whenever it starts is the right time

• 4) Whenever it’s over, it’s over

The law of two feetThe law of two feet

• if at any time you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing – use you two feet and move to some place more to you liking

What makes Open Space work?What makes Open Space work?

• Self-organization

• Safe environment

• High levels of diversity and complexity

• Chaos, or the drive toward change

• Inner drive toward improvement

Stuart Kaufmann

Colloquy Learning GoalsColloquy Learning Goals

• Develop programmatic framework

• Connect with relevant community programs & opportunities

• Identify linkages with existing campus programs

• Engage a supportive network of people to move the proposal forward

Mind mappingMind mapping

• Will people really color on the board?

• Will any sense emerge out of the chaos?

Mind mapMind map

Emerging GroupsEmerging Groups

• Pedagogy of Place/Building & Landscape as Teacher  

• Engagement and Governance

• Food

• Curriculum

Pedagogy of PlacePedagogy of Place

• Location in a small, community oriented residence hall (food, beauty)

• Eventual location in a LEED certified residence hall

• Creation of a commons

• A building that teaches

Engagement and governanceEngagement and governance

• Who leads? What leadership styles for what contexts?

• How are community decisions made?

• Accountability

• How to balance shared decision making?

• How much autonomy?

FoodFood

• Students have option to actively participate in food purchasing, preparation and disposal

• Student organic farm, local farmers

• Food that teaches: integrating food system, health and wholeness, budget

• Opportunity to grow own food

CurriculumCurriculum

• 21 credits (specialization)• 9 core, 12 elective• Understand self in relation to place• Systems thinking• Synthesize knowledge across disciplines• Think and act critically• Deliberative dialog• Leadership skills—thought and action

Interdependence in making Interdependence in making Sustainable choicesSustainable choices

Economic

EnvironmentalSocial

John Tagg John Tagg (2004) “Alignment for learning”(2004) “Alignment for learning”

CONTENT

PROCESSCONTEXT

For more informationFor more information

• Colloquy: www.re-news.net/colloquy

• Bailey Scholars Program: www.bsp.msu.edu

• Proposal copies—

e-mail Patti Kenney kenneyp@msu.edu

or Katie Clark clarkk26@msu.edu