"The Great Turning" Bioregional Community Fair
Summary
This learning activity is a community fair that is organized and implemented by the students themselves and which draws upon the resources of our surrounding bioregion. Such an exercise in bioregional public education can be undertaken in a wide variety of courses in many different disciplines. This particular activity takes place within a class entitled "Foundations of the Great Turning". As described in the class syllabus, "The Great Turning refers to this historical moment in which we live, as our civilization moves from an industrial growth society to a sustainable earth community. Students examine the basic premises of the Great Turning, from holding actions in defense of life on earth, to envisioning new alternatives, to the philosophical and spiritual resources needed for this transformation." The Bioregional Community Fair will be organized around these three themes, with guest speakers, demonstrations, and digital posters created by the students themselves.
Collapse
Learning Goals
The 'big idea' under consideration is public education about the notion of the 'Great Turning' itself. The Great Turning refers to this historical moment in which we live, as our civilization moves from an industrial growth society to a sustainable earth community. Students examine the basic premises of the Great Turning, from holding actions in defense of life on earth, to envisioning new alternatives, to the philosophical and spiritual resources needed for this transformation.
The 'big idea' is to learn how to educate the public about the resources available to assist the social transformation of the Great Turning.
The skills and 'Habit of Mind' students should learn is that they are capable leaders who are empowered to educate the public on the need for radical social change to meet the emerging needs of our bioregion.
The 'big idea' is to learn how to educate the public about the resources available to assist the social transformation of the Great Turning.
The skills and 'Habit of Mind' students should learn is that they are capable leaders who are empowered to educate the public on the need for radical social change to meet the emerging needs of our bioregion.
Context for Use
This particular activity takes place within a class entitled "Foundations of the Great Turning". As described in the class syllabus, "The Great Turning refers to this historical moment in which we live, as our civilization moves from an industrial growth society to a sustainable earth community. Students examine the basic premises of the Great Turning, from holding actions in defense of life on earth, to envisioning new alternatives, to the philosophical and spiritual resources needed for this transformation."
This is an exercise in community organizing. Students are required to research various organizations that are doing work in one of the three fields, contact a representative of this group, and invite them to address the community fair. Furthermore, students learn how to organize a public event, including the logistics of sound, food, decorations, programming, advertising, publicity, outreach, seating, etc. Students are also asked to research a topic in their field, create a digital poster of this topic, and place it for review on the walls of the room in which the community fair will be held. It is important to note that such an exercise in bioregional public education can be undertaken in a wide variety of courses in many different disciplines.
Timeframe:This community fair is the culminating activity of the entire class. The last two sessions of the 10 session quarter (two-and-a-half hour classes) is given entirely to this project. Since the third session of the ten-week class, students will have been working in one of the three groups: holding actions, new alternatives, and spiritual/philosophical resources. Each group is asked to invite two speakers that represent organizations within our bioregion who are doing the work of the Great Turning in their chosen theme. Each group evaluates suggestions and decides on which two speakers/organizations to invite.
This is an exercise in community organizing. Students are required to research various organizations that are doing work in one of the three fields, contact a representative of this group, and invite them to address the community fair. Furthermore, students learn how to organize a public event, including the logistics of sound, food, decorations, programming, advertising, publicity, outreach, seating, etc. Students are also asked to research a topic in their field, create a digital poster of this topic, and place it for review on the walls of the room in which the community fair will be held. It is important to note that such an exercise in bioregional public education can be undertaken in a wide variety of courses in many different disciplines.
Timeframe:This community fair is the culminating activity of the entire class. The last two sessions of the 10 session quarter (two-and-a-half hour classes) is given entirely to this project. Since the third session of the ten-week class, students will have been working in one of the three groups: holding actions, new alternatives, and spiritual/philosophical resources. Each group is asked to invite two speakers that represent organizations within our bioregion who are doing the work of the Great Turning in their chosen theme. Each group evaluates suggestions and decides on which two speakers/organizations to invite.
Description and Teaching Materials
Assignment
The formal assignment for this activity is to create a Bioregional Community Fair to take place on a Saturday in early December. The Fair should utilize speakers and organizations from our bioregion that are doing the work of the Great Turning. It should begin at noon and end by 6 p.m. Students are responsible for all aspects of this fair, including set-up, food, publicity, programming and clean up. The 'big idea' is to learn how to educate the public about the resources available to assist the social transformation of the Great Turning. Since students who take this course come from a variety of disciplines, they are responsible for tailoring their work to their respective disciplines. This can be done through their choice of organizations to research or through the choice of their topic for the digital poster. The skills and 'Habit of Mind' students should learn is that they are capable leaders who are empowered to educate the public on the need for radical social change to meet the emerging needs of our bioregion.Teaching and Learning Activity
The initial assignment is for students to study the three dimensions of the Great Turning as articulated by Joanna Macy in her book Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect our Lives, Our World. These three dimensions are formally called:- Holding actions in defense of life on earth
- Analysis of structural causes and creation of alternative institutions
- Shifts in perceptions of reality, both cognitively and spiritually
- Publicity fliers: design and distribution
- Updated schedule of events (including opening and closing ceremonies, final guests, timing issues, etc.)
- Who is going to introduce the guests and how are they going to do it?;
- Visual displays, digital posters, room layout
- Food
- Set-up, signs, decorations, clean up, etc.
- Which two members of your group are willing to serve on a steering committee for this community fair?
- What are you considering as the topic of your digital poster and how does it fit with others?
- Who is in charge of setting up each guest at a table, notifying them when it is time for them to go on, and introducing them?
- Who is going to make the large sign that names your group?
- Who is in charge of the food contribution from your group?
- Who is willing to sign up for set-up and clean-up responsibilities?
- Who are you personally going to invite to attend the fair as a guest?
- Three "letters to the class" in which students write a two-paged, single-spaced letter to their classmates describing the key ideas of their learning up to that point, using quotations from the reading and reflections on their experiences in class. These letters are then read by all the other members of the class and addressed in class discussion.
- The research and creation of a digital poster
- A 10-12 page essay on the foundations of the Great Turning and the student's understanding of their place in it.
- A two-page assessment of their learning in the class. Because the fair takes place at the end of the quarter, student self-assessment of their learning from working on the fair itself will appear in this document.
Foundations of the Great Turning Syllabus (Microsoft Word 57kB Nov7 11)
Fair Program Example (Microsoft Word 31kB Nov7 11)
2009 Fair Program Flyer (Microsoft Word 50kB Nov7 11)
2009 Fair Program (Microsoft Word 59kB Nov7 11)
Teaching Notes and Tips
I have taught this class once before, in the Fall of 2007, and I am scheduled to teach it again in the Fall of 2009. I had over thirty students in the first class and the energy was very high. Several students commented in their final evaluation that in the middle of the quarter they were freaked out about how all this was going to come together into a public event and community fair, and that they were amazed by how well it turned out. And that is the whole point. Now they know that they can do it too, as long as they are willing to sustain the creative tension of setting such a public intention and seeing it through to completion. It was exciting to see how such a wide variety of student learning styles and personality types were able to work together for a common cause.
In my opening remarks at the first community fair, I addressed the three parts of the class. First: there was the intellectual inquiry into systems theory; engaged Buddhism; the greening of the self; and, participatory consciousness and world-view shifts. Second: there was what I called "epistemologies of the heart" which addressed issues of hope in the face of environmental disaster; the dynamics of despair and empowerment; the development of heart capacities to meet future challenges; and, finding one's calling in the midst of the Great Turning. And finally there was the 'community' aspect of the class, which required an understanding of spheres of influence, communities of discourse, and social engagement and which reached its climax in the presentation of the community fair.
As an instructor, my job in the future will be made easier by advancements in Antioch's online learning systems, which now allow small groups to have privileged access to chat rooms and other resources, making coordination amongst and between groups much easier. Still, there is no substitute for face-to-face planning for a group project of this magnitude.
A syllabus from my 2007 is attached. I will be making a few changes to this syllabus, including steering the community fair in the direction of bioregional thematics
In my opening remarks at the first community fair, I addressed the three parts of the class. First: there was the intellectual inquiry into systems theory; engaged Buddhism; the greening of the self; and, participatory consciousness and world-view shifts. Second: there was what I called "epistemologies of the heart" which addressed issues of hope in the face of environmental disaster; the dynamics of despair and empowerment; the development of heart capacities to meet future challenges; and, finding one's calling in the midst of the Great Turning. And finally there was the 'community' aspect of the class, which required an understanding of spheres of influence, communities of discourse, and social engagement and which reached its climax in the presentation of the community fair.
As an instructor, my job in the future will be made easier by advancements in Antioch's online learning systems, which now allow small groups to have privileged access to chat rooms and other resources, making coordination amongst and between groups much easier. Still, there is no substitute for face-to-face planning for a group project of this magnitude.
A syllabus from my 2007 is attached. I will be making a few changes to this syllabus, including steering the community fair in the direction of bioregional thematics
Assessment
This class is designed to be participatory in nature. Narrative assessments (required by Antioch) are based on the degree to which the student engages the material presented in class and participates in the group activities. Indicators of engagement include class preparation, participation and attendance. Other indicators of engagement include the quality of the letters to the class, the quality of design of the digital poster, and the clarity, organization and depth of reflection in the "My Place in the Great Turning" paper. Excerpts from the student's own self-assessment are used in the final narrative evaluation.
The most successful learning activity for such a class as this are the letters to the class, which give students a place to articulate which ideas and practices are affecting them the most and why. They are advised to read their previous letter prior to writing the next so that when all three 'snapshots' are completed, there is evidence of the advancing cognitive structures of the student's learning. The culmination of this reflective practice style of learning is evident in their final essay, which combines the ideas from the readings, their learning from participating in the Community Fair, and their reflections on their identity as a social change agent.
The most successful learning activity for such a class as this are the letters to the class, which give students a place to articulate which ideas and practices are affecting them the most and why. They are advised to read their previous letter prior to writing the next so that when all three 'snapshots' are completed, there is evidence of the advancing cognitive structures of the student's learning. The culmination of this reflective practice style of learning is evident in their final essay, which combines the ideas from the readings, their learning from participating in the Community Fair, and their reflections on their identity as a social change agent.
References and Resources
- Al Gore, The Assault on Reason, (New York: Penguin), 2007.
- David Korten, The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community, (Bloomfield: Kumarian Press), 2006.
- Joanna Macy, Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World, (Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers), 1998.
- Joanna Macy, World as Lover; World as Self, (Berkeley: Parallax Press), 1991.
- Randy Morris and Walter Enloe, Nagasaki Spirits, Hiroshima Voices: Making Sense of the Nuclear Age, (St. Paul: Hamlin University Press), 2003.
- Richard Tarnas, The Passion of the Western Mind, (New York: Random House), 1991.