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Last Friday, I joined Eugene Kim, as he led Blue Oxen's first workshop of Tools for Catalyzing Collaboration: an Introduction to Collaboration Tools. I learned a lot, met some good people, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I went with dreamfish Paul Loper, Patty Nason, and met up with Adina Levin, and Arthur Coddington from Craigslist Foundation.
Eugene did some thoughtful matchmaking. Before the workshop, he asked people what challenging scenarios they wanted to address and their learning goals. He then crafted a series of small group compositions that worked very well and where individuals had resources to share with one another.
In particular, we enjoyed the team activity of designing workspace for collaboration. And, Paul Loper leading us in a movement experience to bring awareness to the presence of shared knowledge in the group, that went deeper than words.
In one of my groupings, I worked with Pete Kaminski of Social Text , who introduced me to the joys of the social text wiki. I had an AHA finally about the wiki, which previously has not attracted me, because it wasn't pretty enough. But, as soon as Pete used the analogy of "improvisation" to describe how a Wiki works, then it all made sense. The collaborative process of improvisation allows for new forms to emerge as connections are made between entries.
Eugene and his partner at Blue Oxen identify these Patterns of Collaboration:
* Breaking bread together
* Intimacy gradient
* Celebration
* Water cooler, watering hole, the bar (enemies meet in the same space)
* Spotlight on others – Individuals are appreciated
* Shared language
* Shared display [try to play tick tack toe w/o paper] how much missed knowledge and communication without
* Group Information Hygene
* Visible Pulse – corrolary: leave a trail [ being aware of physicality during virtual]
And going out for a drink afterwards at a local fun bar was an essential part of the workshop design. It was over a beer that Ade Mabogunje and I dove in at length to make connections between knowledge production and how to design for sustainable development. We talked about how the the dominance of Eurocentrism and the masculine in popular assumptions about knowledge. I had so much fun that I forgot the time, and got finally got a call from Dietmar to come home! So, at dusk, the gang all trudged towards the Muni train station and parted in stimulated spirits.
Btw, If you want to have a beer experience with Eugene Kim, he has a good deal on the table. He is offering a Blogger Barter: If you want get started blogging on dreamfish, buy him a beer and he'll give guidance on learning to blog …. and from personal experience, I highly recommend taking him up on the offer.
I appreciate your contribution to discussion and feedback with this blog. Cheers, Tiffany
