the way we make our classroom alive
To make our Classroom Alive we first want to bring it outside. Nature is our rhythm, the people around us our teachers. We want to exchange knowledge and develop ourselves without getting lost. To do this we will hold a simple structure to allow our learning journey to flow.
questions
Our questions are our inner compass. They guide our individual and collective inquiry and open us to new learning and insights. Each participant on the walk will create and work with their own individual questions for their learning journey - exploring these questions has the possibility to manifest in many ways - from an online class on economics or taking photos of the landscape to simply exploring silence or your physical capacity. Each person's questions are their own design, as is their mode of inquiry. The goal is to set each student free to undertake the own unique individual study following the thread of their own inspiration. 2 hours of intentional study, reflection and discussion time is built into the pattern of each day.
Individual Learning Design Process: Designing for Wiser Action
To provide a simple yet powerful frame through which to design our individual learning journeys participants are invited to move through a process called 'Designing for Wiser Action', developed in the Art of Hosting community, together before they walk and then to iterate on this design during walk to provide a high level map for their inquiry. You can check out a design template for that process here.
Underpinning Questions
More broadly Classroom Alive: Ireland is underpinned by a number of simple yet powerful questions:
Individual Learning Design Process: Designing for Wiser Action
To provide a simple yet powerful frame through which to design our individual learning journeys participants are invited to move through a process called 'Designing for Wiser Action', developed in the Art of Hosting community, together before they walk and then to iterate on this design during walk to provide a high level map for their inquiry. You can check out a design template for that process here.
Underpinning Questions
More broadly Classroom Alive: Ireland is underpinned by a number of simple yet powerful questions:
- How do you wish to participate in the world?
- What possibilities, inspirations and learnings are opened in our lives by undertaking this journey?
- What is your story and what dream do you hold for life?
- What learning platforms are needed in the world at this time to create more beautiful and just human societies?
HARVESTING THE LEARNING AND THE JOURNEY
Each participant will be invited to design a process for themselves to harvest their learning during the journey - this may take many forms; journals, photography, film, poetry, essays, blog posts. We know there are many of you will not be able to join us in Ireland so we hope to share our experiences with you online as we go. Keep an eye on our Blog and Facebook page for regular updates.
Harvest Week: 14th - 21st July, 2014
After finishing the walk on the 13th of July we have scheduled a harvest and closure week. During this week we will be collectively harvesting our overall learning and reflections on both our unique experience and the structure of the journey. We hope to be able to pass this forward to anyone else who feels inspired to create an experience like this again.
Harvest Week: 14th - 21st July, 2014
After finishing the walk on the 13th of July we have scheduled a harvest and closure week. During this week we will be collectively harvesting our overall learning and reflections on both our unique experience and the structure of the journey. We hope to be able to pass this forward to anyone else who feels inspired to create an experience like this again.
GETTING FROM HERE TO THERE
There is no hiding the physical dimension of Classroom Alive: Ireland. We aim to cover about 1000 miles in 70 days primarily using our own two feet.
If we do some quick maths...
1000 miles / 70 days = 14.3 miles per day
At an average pace of 3 miles per hour that is about 5 hours of walking on average per day with a pack on your back. Phew!
We of course will build rest days into the flow and so there are days we will hitch-hike to make up some time and distance when needed.
Along with being stunningly beautiful, we also know the landscape itself will pose a challenge. Parts of our route will be rugged, exposed and isolated. The weather too in the west of Ireland is notoriously changeable and windy so we expect to get wet often. We are under no illusion of the physical and mental challenge the weather will present rain or shine.
Navigating each of these dimensions is both part of the adventure and part of the risk we are well aware of. There is no guarantee we will physically finish but our true goal was never the destination but the journey itself. We will take it the only way we can - one step at a time - and we trust that helping hands may well show themselves along the way.
If we do some quick maths...
1000 miles / 70 days = 14.3 miles per day
At an average pace of 3 miles per hour that is about 5 hours of walking on average per day with a pack on your back. Phew!
We of course will build rest days into the flow and so there are days we will hitch-hike to make up some time and distance when needed.
Along with being stunningly beautiful, we also know the landscape itself will pose a challenge. Parts of our route will be rugged, exposed and isolated. The weather too in the west of Ireland is notoriously changeable and windy so we expect to get wet often. We are under no illusion of the physical and mental challenge the weather will present rain or shine.
Navigating each of these dimensions is both part of the adventure and part of the risk we are well aware of. There is no guarantee we will physically finish but our true goal was never the destination but the journey itself. We will take it the only way we can - one step at a time - and we trust that helping hands may well show themselves along the way.
Daily Rhythm
Each day will be guided by a simple rhythm:
- Wake up
- Pack
- Breakfast & Check In
- First walking session
- Inquiry & Reflection Session
- Lunch
- Second walking session
- Making Camp
- Dinner & Check Out
- Evening activities
Decision Making during the journey
Inherent in any group is need to balance the individual and the collective. This means recognizing and owning that we each have power to make our own choices and that this can often be a tension point in a group. To truly set the conditions to co-create the Classroom Alive: Ireland journey we feel it wise to outline the flow for the group decision making process so it is clear to all who participate.
Major Decisions - Whole Group
All major decisions impacting the core purpose or integrity of the trip are made by consensus in general meetings using alignment with the core purpose and values of Classroom Alive: Ireland as the guiding compass to make decisions against. Everyone's voice counts and every voice is equal in the deliberation process.
Example decision: A significant change to the overall route
Area Decisions - Team Circles
To make daily organizational decision making more effective team circles will exist to handle certain parts of the organizational aspects of the walk. These team circles are:
Major Decisions - Whole Group
All major decisions impacting the core purpose or integrity of the trip are made by consensus in general meetings using alignment with the core purpose and values of Classroom Alive: Ireland as the guiding compass to make decisions against. Everyone's voice counts and every voice is equal in the deliberation process.
Example decision: A significant change to the overall route
Area Decisions - Team Circles
To make daily organizational decision making more effective team circles will exist to handle certain parts of the organizational aspects of the walk. These team circles are:
- Food
- Route
- Budget
- Check In/Out
- Harvesting & Communication