🌚 Wed Jan 29 2020 — Facilitation Praxis

[Nico_Koenig]

You’re invited to join P2PU’s open community call about facilitation on Wednesday, January 29th, at 1 PM ET

What does it mean to facilitate a group discussion? What does good facilitation look like? How can we help each other be better facilitators? Blending theory and action, let’s answer those questions together and talk about your facilitation praxis !

This call will be an informal discussion for anyone who is interested in group facilitation or improving their facilitation skills. Those joining be encouraged to share their facilitation strategies and philosophy, talk through different approaches and techniques, and also discuss current facilitation challenges they are encountering or worried about. All experience levels are welcome!

Please note! Our call aims to discuss the practice of facilitation and not the broader roles and responsibilities of a learning circle facilitator which often include performing outreach, finding space, using the p2pu website, and finding an online course.

How to join

• Join by virtually by computer or smartphone by using this Google Hangout link: meet.google.com/xna-dahq-fmf
• Phone number +1 226-213-8281‬ PIN: ‪150 284 459 6285‬#
• Add it to your own calendar using Google Calendar , your own calendar event system or iCalendar .

Additional resources

• Tips for new facilitators
• How is a facilitator different than a teacher?
• Facilitation discussion notes from December 11 2019 and from November 13 2019

Let us know if you can join by replying below.

Hope to see you then,

Nico

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Using Google Hangout:

• You can connect for free using your web video capability, built-in microphone, chatbox, or we can reach you by phone. There are no requirements to have a video or a microphone to participate.
• We encourage you to make use of the chatbox if many people are attending.
• Additional support for using Google Hangout can be found here.
• You can test Google Hangout and use of your video camera using this link https://hangouts.google.com/

[Kelly_Tyler]

I plan to attend the meeting!

[Dianne_Connery]

It’s on my calendar. Great timing.

[Chris_Johnson]

Planning to be there, although I’ve been plagued by tech issues lately, so fingers crossed!

And definitely interested in participating in future facilitation discussions.

[Gwendolyn_Haley]

I’m in! Looking forward to chatting with y’all.-Gwendolyn

[Jennie_Hamilton]

Attending this session. Looking forward to the discussion - Jennie

[Barb_White]

I hope to attend, if tech cooperates and my current schedule holds. (It is possible I may be connecting just a few minutes late.) Looking forward to it.

[Denise_kwan]

I am also at the Reference desk in the same time, hopefully, I’ll be able to attend.

[Zamira_Laurie]

I will do my best to attend the call tomorrow!

[Chris_Johnson]

Sorry I missed the end of the session - I had an urgent call - but thanks all for a great discussion!

[Nico_Koenig]

Hi all!

Thanks so much for joining our largest praxis call yet! I summarized our two discussions as facilitation FAQs on this forum and added a few additional resources to each question.

How can we support each other to give feedback in a learning circle?

One of the critical values of peer learning is that feedback is necessary to improve. P2PU encourages learning circle facilitators to consider using a critique and feedback activity and plus/deltas as ways that support a routine of offering feedback within a learning circle. During a recent community call about facilitation, our group shared their strategies for helping people offer constructive feedback to each other. Here are their tips: Make sure feedback is as precise. Ask for clarificat…

How can I stop becoming "the teacher" in a learning circle?

Here are a few experiences from facilitators that speak to this question: I try to be very knowledgeable about the topic before my learning circle starts. The idea of becoming a learning circle facilitator without subject matter expertise seems daunting and confusing for learners. I feel like a lousy facilitator when I teach, but it feels right sometimes. I can’t acknowledge what I know already in a learning circle, so I re-direct questions to the rest of the group whenever I can. If I a…

Please add any other resources or tips to these questions that I missed or that you would like to add.

Also, in the spirit of offering feedback and reflection, our discussion worked well when we were able to concentrate and discuss two issues. However, introductions with 18 of us went a bit longer than I had anticipated. I do like the casual informal part of the meeting, and how short it is, as there are no expectations to prepare or hang around for too long. Right now, I think it has been most beneficial to new learning circle facilitators.

Let me know how you think this call can be useful to you and your teams. Feedback in all shapes and sizes please

Nico