Creating Knowledge Together

#wowochat

We are thinking about how to create the conditions for Walk Outs everywhere with shared interests and experiences to connect and self-organize both virtually and face-to-face. Walk Out Walk On offers a starting point for illuminating new frames and perspectives about change, but where might we take it next? We know that the future we are walking on to will not be created by individual hero-leaders, but through the collaboration of many minds and talents. When we share our stories, fears, inspirations and ideas all of our learning is enriched. So join us in this experiment in self-organizing using Tweet Chat and the hashtag #wowochat. Deborah Frieze shared her reflections about our first Tweet Chat on the Walk Out Walk On blog. Read more.

Learn more about Tweet Chat. For questions, tweet to @aerindunford.

 

Experiments in Gifting

We engaged in a  rich and lively conversation for two hours which included 36 participants and reached more than 85,000 Twitter accounts. We explored such themes as: the sustainability of our generosity habits, what it means to give without expectation of return, and whether or not it is necessary to first have a surplus or reserve before we tap into practices of gift culture.

Learn more >

Re-imagining Waste

Our second Walk Out Walk On Tweet Chat was hosted on Tuesday, September 18th. The topic was #upcycling, or the practice of converting waste materials into products of greater value. Our central question was:

What if, instead of viewing waste as one of the planet’s most massive problems, we saw it as our most abundant resource? What then?

We had a small group of participants for the two-hour long conversation. Some of the key themes included how we might apply the concept of upcycling to ideas and even people. @complexified brought up the point that with so many unemployed and under employed people in the world, it might be possible to “upcycle” these folks to make the most of their talents and abilities. There was an explicit interest around how to use an upcycling mindset to “achieve new learning, for new work & new abundance.” We also discussed some of the most inspiring examples of upcycling that we’ve all seen and talked about how important it is to create “safe to fail” spaces for experimentation in upcycling innovations. Another important question was the point in the production process in which upcycling interventions take place. It is clear that we need to reduce waste on the production side and upcycle and re-purpose on the output side. Imagining together what is possible if we re-conceive our concept of waste. Thanks to all who participated in this intimate yet rich conversation.

To learn more about #upcycling, read this excerpt from Walk Out Walk On or visit the Upcycling Portal.

Exploring Education

On ­­­Wednesday, August 15th we hosted our first Walk Out Walk On Tweet Chat focused on education and learning. We convened this 4-hour Tweet Chat session because we’ve been encountering many educators unsatisfied with the current school systems who are walking out of institutions and limiting beliefs about what’s possible. Key themes included the distinction between education and learning, the frustrations of trying to reform the old paradigm from the bottom up, the importance of peer-to-peer learning experiences, the conditions that support real learning. Many questions were raised about educational systems, learning environments and social media as a learning tool. You can download a full report including an archive of all tweets here. Deborah reflected on the experience in the post “More Evidence That We Walk Outs Need Each Other.”

Learn more >