How Do They Work?
Talking Circles meet on the fir
st day of the conference in a 40
-
minute session.
They are grouped
around each of the
knowledge community
themes and focus on the specific areas of interest represented by each theme
(
see themes on page
s
10
-
11
)
.
Begin by pulling chairs around in a circle to encourage face
-
to
-
face interaction.
Identify a member of the g
roup who is willing to
volunteer as a Facilitator and Recorder (or the Graduate Scholar in the room may serve as Recorder). Allow members of the
group to briefly introduce themselves.
At this point, the discussion may evolve
in any way that members of the
group agree is
appropriate. It may be informal and discursive, or structured and task
-
oriented. The process is one of creating a kind of
collective intelligence around the theme with conversation that is open to possibilities and new lines of inquiry or ac
tion.
Some Starting Questions to Assist Discussion
Who are we? What are our interests? What is our common ground?
What is the territory, or scope, or landscape of this thematic area?
What are the burning issues, the key questions for this theme?
What are
the forces or drivers that will affect us as professionals, thinkers, citizens, and aware and concerned people whose
focus is this particular theme?
What are the future directions (in research, in theory
-
building, in practice) for this thematic area?
Not
es from the Talking Circles will be shared with the group (by the Facilitator or Recorder) at the closing session, when
suggestions for thematic changes for next year will be discussed.