Unconference

Today, the administrators in our district met for a learning session.  Typically, these sessions are designed and scripted, but this one was very different.  It was definitely designed, but the agenda--at least at the onset--was not scripted.  We had an unconference.

We are all familiar with conferences.  We have signed up, made the travel arrangements and paid the fees.  We arrive hoping--at least I do--that some of it will be of use to me.  I generally pick ones that have a speaker of some level of intrigue to me, and then I suffer through a few breakout sessions that don't seem totally applicable.

Today was different.  We arrive to a room with all sorts of ideas posted on the wall.  In our case, these ideas were generated from the feedback we provided to our steering committee at the end of last year.  Included along the walls we blank forms for us to add in our own ideas.  The group was given about 5 minutes to do a gallery walk around the room to get an idea of what was out there, plus add any ideas of their own.  We were then asked to select three topics that we would like to participate in a discussion in, and jot those down.  The organizers then took down all of the signs--and gave us a break--so that they could put together a schedule for the day.  After a few minutes, a schedule was posted with room numbers and we set off on three 50 minute sessions.

At the each session, there was a mix of people, and each mix had one common thread:  they all chose to be there.  Each had a mix of leaders and learners, and the each group would quickly decide how they would tackle their topic.  Some did a round table style sharing session while others had a more definite direction depending on how many people came to lead, share and learn.  In my three sessions, we had a topic where everyone directed questions to one person, one where we did a round table sharing session and one where I was the leader.  All were effective and all were worthwhile.  I am confident saying that the general consensus among my peers was that this was one of the most worthwhile meetings that we have ever had.

Unconferences are easy to organize...you really just have to meet long enough to explain the structure and to build the agenda.  They are collaborative and flexible.  How many of you have been to a conference breakout session where you quickly realized that you were in place that was going to have much less meaning to you than you though when you signed up?  At our unconference, we encouraged people to leave, and join, into rooms and discussion depending on how their individual needs were being met.  In fact, the session that I led had only two participants to start and 7 at the end.

I can see many applications for this style of meeting.  How about using an unconference to:

1. Run a meeting in your organization
2. Design a unit review activity or study session for your students
3. Lead a brainstorming session, on any topic
4. Plan for a retreat
5. Figure out what committees are needed to plan an event 

And, most of all, remember that in doing this you are setting up a structure that supports a system of collaboration and of choice.

Try it yourself, and let me know how it goes.