IDEAS, NEWS AND RESOURCES | May 2021
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The Taos Institute's mission is to bring together scholars and practitioners concerned with the social processes essential for the construction of reason, knowledge, and human value, and their application in relational, collaborative and appreciative practices around the world. |
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The Many Ways to Get Involved! |
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Brief Encounter with The Taos Institute |
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"The key answer seems to be the persistent and consistent work with strengthening teacher-student relations..." |
"When they had to do school online and could not meet in-person with their students their efforts to keep Education as Relating at the forefront of all they do has been their guiding light." |
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Education as Relating:
The Key to Learning and Well-Being in a Time
of Covid-19 Lockdown of Schools
by Gro Emmertsen Lund, Ph.D., Taos Associate, Taos Diploma program faculty advisor, part of NO!SE, independent consultant, and author
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In Norway there is a remarkable school that can inspire schools and educational systems around the world. It is called YouthInvest AIB (or click link here) and it practices the notion of Education as Relating. In 2020, 237 students, ages 16-24 years were enrolled in the school, and many of them had been dropouts from the primary schools. The array of social and mental issues, problems and issues with schools, or family issues make their lives difficult. But at this school they are perceived as young learning colleagues. They are met with strength-based pedagogy, and approaches and tools inspired by social constructionist ideas. The program offers extensive arts and trade curricula, as well as an academic curriculum and is designed to re-engage and re-motivate students to discover their potentials and create dreams for their futures. The program is designed for all students to pursue higher education or move towards a self-sufficient working life.
For years, the success rate has been extraordinarily high, and since 2010 the number of students who are in positive activities has increased from 75% to 85% in 2019. For students who attended the school year 2019/2020 as much as 87% of them are now in higher education or jobs. And this is even the year where schools and society had been locked down for months due to Covid-19. How is this possible? The key answer seems to be the persistent and consistent work with strengthening teacher-student relations and working with Appreciative Inquiry throughout all aspects of the school, understanding that knowledge of personal and communal strengths is the starting point for positive change, learning and well-being.
All over the world experts and school administrators worry about the educational outcomes and the effects on student well-being brought about by the Covid-19 lockdown – and with good reason. In Norway, the Regional County did a survey with 18,401 students from higher education about their learning experiences and socio-emotional well-being under the lockdown. In an array of indicators, the students from YouthInvest AIB - despite their difficult life situations - scored higher or much higher than the average. What is it that this school is doing that makes such wonderful and important results possible?
According to a teacher survey among teachers at YouthInvest AIB, their answer is the same as above. The survey results tell us that the relational aspects of the school work and the strength-based approaches that teachers and students practice, every day, in every aspect of the school, make a difference in the lives of the students and the teachers alike. Even throughout this challenging year dealing with Covid-19, when they had to do school online and could not meet in-person with their students their efforts to keep Education as Relating at the forefront of all they do has been their guiding light.
So, for teachers, what would happen if we all learned how to strengthen relationships with students and among students and how to engage and motivate students in learning - online or in-person? These practices are crucial and necessary for all schools and educational settings. Putting relationships and relational processes at the center of education offers tremendous potentials – to students, teachers, communities and educational systems. And in the case of YouthInvest AIB in Norway, it is exciting and promising to share that there is now political interest in expanding the relational, strength-based and social constructionist practices to all the schools and educational settings in Norway. Let the dreams begin.
To access videos of this school, YouthInvest AIB, in Norway, see:
Additional Reading
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Dialogue with the Authors |
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About the Dialogue
Join with Taos Institute Associate and section editor, Murilo Moscheta, Ph.D., and the authors as they explore the ideas in Section 6 - Practices in Healthcare of The SAGE Handbook of Social Constructionist Practice. This new book is a celebration of voices from the Taos Institute and offers a major review of social construction. It showcases the latest theory and application of social construction across a range of disciplines. This review of the field is timely while also pointing to future directions in practice. The focus in each chapter is on real-world practice in addition to theoretical work, thus making it useful for advanced students, scholars, and practitioners alike.
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Next Dialogue with Authors of The Sage Handbook of Social Constructionist Practice:
June 24 – Section 7: Community Practices with Marie Hoskins (Register)
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RE-SOUNDING:
Introducing an Alternative Metaphor
for Organization Change
Authors: Rik Spann and Simon Martin
About the Dialogue
In this session the authors will introduce you to how they got started exploring the metaphor of sound in the context of organizational work. They will briefly trace some of the origins of our thinking. They will then invite you to play with the framework in light of your own organizational experiences, and share practical implications and applications with each other in small groups, and wider themes in the larger group. Rik and Simon will close by looking at where our explorations in sound have taken us, and where we’re intrigued in exploring next.
About the authors
Rik Spann is an organizational consultant, applied musicologist, artist and jazz musician. In his work he is interested in exploring what happens at the crossroads of various fields, including science, art, design, music, theatre, dance, film and beyond.
Simon Martin is an organizational consultant, keen flugelhornist, and Partner at Metalogue Consulting (www.metalogue.co.uk). In his work he is particularly interested in the role language, metaphor, story and narrative play in shaping, perpetuating, or changing the way we think about and act into organizations and other social groups.
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This new book is one of the Taos Publications Worldshare book series available to download for free. Click here to download your copy now.
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Professional Development Opportunities |
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October 4 - November 8, 2021
A 6-Week Online Course with
Relational theory now provides cutting edge ideas relevant to practices across the professions. The major theoretical shift is from the traditional focus on individuals to the relational processes that are co-produced. This 6-week online course introduces common premises and orienting ideas central to relational theory. The course consists of six modules with online conference meetings, readings, videos and online dialogues.
Participants also explore Ken Gergen's book, Relational Being: Beyond Self and Community, which gives voice to the critique of individualism, but also develops and illustrates a far more radical and potentially exciting landscape of relational thought and practice that now exists.
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Join the conversation and shape
the future of education!
August 9-11, 2021
9:00 am - 1:00 pm EST
Education as Relating… The world is ready…the future is at hand… for replacing assembly-line classrooms with the vitalizing powers of relating. The directions are clear: from standardization to dialogue, from control to co-creation, and from regimentation to collaboration. Here lie the wellsprings of creativity, caring, and curiosity. Here we prepare for a global future in which inclusion, innovation, and improvisation are essential for a world in harmony. Come join in this virtual conference designed for sharing and exploring practices, experiences, and inspirations in all aspects of education – within classrooms, communities, and outward to the circling globe. Come join in shaping the future of education.
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You are invited to share your practices, experiences, and inspirations in all aspects of education – within schools, classrooms, communities. Showcase an initiative or an innovative practice; discuss a relevant movement; describe a whole school example; introduce a case of educational transformation; spark the imagination; and more…
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Proposals deadline: May 30, 2021 |
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Registration is open!
Calling all educators, students, parents, administrators, policy-makers, change agent and everyone interested in moving beyond the industrial model of education and moving towards Education as Relating!
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The International Certificate of Collaborative-Dialogic Practices (ICCP) presents:
Opening session on June 5 and
Closing session on June 26, 2021
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The 5th bi-annual ICCP International Conference offers a space for rich transformative dialogues that span disciplines, contexts, and cultures. Special guests include Jaakko Seikkula, Harlene Anderson, Sheila McNamee and Kenneth Gergen. More than 75 workshops spread throughout the days between June 5 - 26.
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In case you missed the latest Dialogue with the Authors, we invite you to view this recording of the conversation with the Editor (Thalia Dragonas, Ph.D, also a Taos Institute Associate) and authors of Section 5 of the Sage Handbook of Social Constructionist Practices: Practices in Education.
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Featured Article
"...because we all engage with curiosity, creativity, and imagination, we are all researchers, in the sense that we are always longing for meaning and understanding, and creating new paths and practices in our professions and lives." In this paper, the author proposes that these different forms of practice also be embraced and accepted academically as research.
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ISSUE 10 Available Now!
This free journal brings together members of a growing international community of practitioners, scholars, educators, researchers, and consultants interested in postmodern collaborative practices.
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FREE downloadable books in 12 different languages. Like all of the Taos Institute Publications, WorldShare Books represent significant contributions relevant to social constructionist theory and practice. With over 30 books in English and many more from around the world, you will enjoy reading about education, spirituality, organizational life, community building, group dynamics, leadership and more.
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By focusing on the positive aspects of aging, and the availability of resources, skills, and resiliencies, research not only brings useful insights into the realm of practice but creates hope and empowers action among older people. By moving beyond practices of repair and prevention, to emphasize growth-enhancing activities, practitioners also contribute more effectively to the societal reconstruction of aging.
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Access hundreds of articles and papers on topics such as:
- Appreciative Inquiry
- Collaborative Practices
- Dialogic Practices
- Creativity and Change
- Narrative Practices
- Relational Learning
- Relational Research
- Qualitative Research
- and so much more!
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Donate to the Taos Institute
Given the current global context, the work in which we are engaged is more important than ever. You can make a difference by supporting our mission to create promising future through social construction. Read more
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John Shotter Memorial Fund
John Shotter's death on December 8, 2016, was a profound loss for the scholarly world, for the Taos Institute, and for many of us personally. Read more
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Jane Magruder Watkins Memorial Fund
We remember Jane as an avid educator. This fund will support students who apply for a need-based scholarship to attend the various Taos programs. Read more
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Peggy Penn WorldShare Fund
Supports the publication of new WorldShare Books on topics related to the work and interests of Peggy Penn, Ph.D. Read more
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