For those of you teaching an IF sponsored course this spring (2010), we'd like you to post blog entries at least 4 times during the semester in which you reflect upon and share some of your course experiences. We hope that we'll all benefit from the expanded...
What is the future of a college education in the USA? The recent economic downturn seems to have sharpened the already well-known trend toward seeing a college education largely in terms of enhancing one's economic security. And as our uncertain economic times...
When people are invited to take part in one of the Interactivity Foundation’s Public Discussions they often wonder what effect this could have if we meet with just a small group of citizens, perhaps just six or seven people, in sessions here or there around the...
For all the participants in our recent Summer Institute, I hope you find yourself settling back into your lives--and discovering new ideas and insights as these percolate up from the last week or so. After an intensive endeavor like the Summer Institute, it's often...
Sydney Pollack's phrase in reference to Frank Gehry that "talent is liquified trouble" may be helpful in thinking about the ways participants in sanctuary-style discussions may be troubled and frustrated as they engage in creative thinking.
Picture for a moment two very different kinds of citizen “discussions” that took place this summer. Both were focused on issues surrounding health and healthcare in our society. For the first, you might think of any of a number of the so-called “town hall”...
The entry below is another story from my colleague Jack Byrd about student experiences with a student-centered discussion class. It might help you think about the ways that discussion facilitation differs from making an oral presentation. You might also think about...
This entry describes the 3rd focal area of the Summer Institute: learning how to conduct Small Group Citizen Discussions.
Here's another story about student experiences with discussion facilitation from my colleague Jack Byrd (you can find his first entry on developing social confidence here). This story focuses on some of the ways students might expand their social skills by...
This entry covers the Summer Institute activities that will focus on course development and the exploration of the educational implications of using the IF discussion process in your classrooms.