siyavula conference kzn 4,5 september 2009
DESCRIPTION
Siyavula Weekend Conference KZN 4,5 SeptemberTRANSCRIPT
Workgroup Sessions
Teachers’ Workshop
Kwazulu Natal 4th / 5th September, 2009
Page 2Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 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
Page 3Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
Participant introductions
• Introduce yourself to someone you do not know or do not know well every time the music stops.
• Tell them what your interest in this weekend is.
• Tell them what your hopes and expectations are.
Page 4Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 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
Page 5Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
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
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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
Page 7Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
Edge discussion
In groups of four:
Discuss what some of your edges may be for this weekend.
Page 8Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 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
Page 9Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
Communication
Page 10Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
Communication Exercise
Source of photograph: www.sifatipp.de
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Communication Exercise - Debrief
Source of photograph: www.stille-post.de
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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
Page 13Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 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
Page 14Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
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
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Communities of practice or “workgroups”
Move into groups of 5 and consider the following question:
In what way 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.
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Debrief, feedback and questions
Good morning!!!
Page 17Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
Missing Photos
• Dumisani Sibaya
• Hemraj Ramnarain
• Maneebal Naidoo
Page 18Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 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
Page 19Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
Why / benefit of being in workgroups tag cloud
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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.
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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.
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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?
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Self-organising principles continued
Tag cloud
Page 24Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
Presentation available on http://www.slideshare.net/siyavula
Page 25Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 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
Page 26Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
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
Page 27Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 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
Page 28Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
Group dynamics – surface and depth processes
Idea Goal
Surface process
Depth processes
Page 29Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
Group dynamics – surface and depth processes
Surface processes are those that we all know about and talk about. They are often the goals we all agree on. However, there are often people dynamics under the surface that distract a group from its goal. These are called depth processes. They are hard to talk about, but can stop a group from reaching it s goal. They have to either be avoided or picked up early and talked about in order to stop them from hijacking the process.
Page 30Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
Group dynamics – surface and depth processes
SURFACE PROCESS
That which is uppermost in our awareness
DEPTH PROCESS
E D G E
That which is hard to speak about
Informationpathways
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Group dynamics – depth processes in groups
Depth processes in groups – what goes wrong
• Anxiety prevents honest communication • Groups get caught in people dynamics• Competition for roles• Stereotyping/ labelling• Insider and outsider issues• Scapegoating • Role conflict• Rank problems
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Group dynamics – Addressing depth processes
Increase in anxiety
Increase in defense mechanisms
Real thoughts and feelings surface i.e. what the
individual thinks, feels, wants and needs, but are
buried by defense mechanisms
1.
2. 3.
4.
Malan’s triangle
But, CONTAINMENT is a technique reverses this process
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Group dynamics – Containment
EXTERNAL (“HARD”) CONTAINMENT
INTERNAL (“SOFT”) CONTAINMENTHonestyPerspectiveConsistencySupportEmpathy
OpennessReassuranceTrustworthinessNon-judgemental communication
GoalsDirectionExpectationsLimitsConsequencesStructure
SystemsPoliciesProceduresRulesInformation
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Group dynamics – Containment
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Group dynamics – roles in workgroups
Critic Leader
Peacemaker
Clown
Excitement
EnvyMother
DisturberSaboteur
Teacher
Expert
Victim
The context and the task of the group will determine the roles required by the group. There are four different types of roles:
Functional: Co-ordinator
Political: Leader, follower
Psychological: Critic,
supporter
Emotional: Excitement,
anticipation, irritation
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Group dynamics – roles in workgroups
Guidelines for managing roles effectively:
1. Roles should be explicitly allocated and discussed, and it is useful if the roles are consciously held
2. Roles should be shared and rotated
3. Remember that the person is not the role, and the role is not the person
4. Remember that each role plays an important function in the group
5. Roles should be described in terms of their usefulness to the group, rather than evaluated as right or wrong.
Page 37Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 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
Page 38Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
The membership of workgroups
Membership is voluntary. Members 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.
Page 39Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
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.
Page 40Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
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.
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Stages of development of workgroups
© Etienne Wenger, 1998
Page 42Siyavula Workgroup Sessions4/5 September 2009
Successful Connexions Workgroup Manifestos
In your workgroups, prepare a draft workgroup manifesto that captures the key principles and good group practices that would ensure the creation and sustainability of your Connexions Workgroup.
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Any questions and feedback
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Siyavula is more than a website. It aims to support educators to work in new and different ways that harness and share the full passion, intelligence and creativity of all educators so that our
learners have a better future.
Our vision
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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]