Vision development

Overview

A group activity that helps us understand the changes we need to make to turn an educational vision into practice - and identify specific ideas/guidelines for space re-design.

Benefits

An engaging way to link the workshop to the participants' own contexts. By voicing opportunities and resistances, participants can investigate the local and wider actions needed to translate an educational vision into specific guidelines for space re-design.

Preparation

• Prepare for the discussion and familiarise yourself with the key stages. Remember that if the participants have done Vision Exploration you should ask them to select the vision(s) from the With major change column.
• Either print the Space workshop cards (one set per group needed) or order a pack in advance. Materials per group:

Materials

• Space workshop cards.
• A large sheet exemplifying a concept map.
• Flipchart papers.
• Pens/markers.

What you do

• Form groups of 3-4, or leave people in the same groups if these are already formed.
• Give each group a set of cards, a large flipchart sheet and pens/markers.
• Participants select one or two vision cards.
• Ask them to discuss and interpret the cards in detail, the cards could be put at the centre of sheet, i.e. the centre of the map.
• Ask participants to map out, in approximately 45 minutes, what is going on in each image; what the vision would look like if implemented successfully within their own educational context. Refer to the example map.
• Facilitate the discussion by emphasising that the visions should not simply be criticised, but analysed identifying what makes them difficult to implement. Some of the questions you might ask at this stage include:
  • What is going on in this image and what would it be like if you achieved this in your own context?
  • What are the benefits of this scenario?
  • What are the obstacles to achieving this?
  • What are the actions/solutions to implement it?
  • Which groups do you need to contact or work with?
• Once all maps are done, each group shares their map's contents with the other groups.
• Encourage the whole group to reach consensus around recurring elements in the various maps.

Top tips for your group activities

• Be well prepared
• Consider changing your usual meeting environment
• Know what you want to come away with before you start
• Break the ice with a warm up
• Give people enough time to get into and do the activities
• Keep people engaged and motivated
• Encourage and proactively get input from everyone
• Think about how your going to capture the notes
• Use flip charts, coloured post its, coloured pens, paper, stickers
• If possible use a flexible and effective facilitator