TOTJO Education Admin Minutes

18th January 2017

Alex: Aim is to revise Degree Scheme by the Summer. Will not require huge
sweeping changes but re-evaluation of procedures
Focus will be on Supplemental Initiate Program onwards, the IP is pretty much
set.
Many of the degree lessons are imprecise, some too generic, some too specific
Ryu: Lessons need to be organised. We need generalists
Alex: Specialisation doesnt work Jedi should embrace diverse perspectives on
Truth
Our goal is not to recreate the modern academic trajectory of increased
specialisation. Ken Robinsons work makes it clear that education embraces
diversity
Ryu: people are comfortable with that kind of system
Alex: people dont learn when they are comfortable curiosity needs to be
aroused
Ryu: Format should feel familiar but the content should be challenging. Lesson
plans should be abolished. An apprenticeship path should grow organically
Ros: fulfilling lessons have relevance to the student, they start them with
something familiar and then take them to a new place
Chris: people should be free to cultivate their own opinions and it shouldnt
always be heavy. Training should be fun too!
Alex: Natural inclinations should be enriched, not penalised
Ryu: I prefer varied points to a pass / fail methodology
Chris: I like the points system it works
Alex: the trouble is that the points are awarded inconsistently
Ryu: The knight who wrote the lesson can assess the points award
Alex: The trouble is that many of those knights are no longer around
Ryu: We evaluate the effort applied to understanding a topic, rather than how
well a student actually understands it
Alex: Yes the right understanding is less important than being understanding of
different view points
23 January 2017
Alex: Everyone should watch the Ken Robinson talks
(http://sirkenrobinson.com/watch/) and we need to consider which broad
categories Jedi should be learning
These should include: The Force, what lies behind the Doctrine, not singular, not
multiple, mind/body/spirit integration
Alex: people should be able to do the B.Div / M.Div without pursuing knighthood
The degree could be awarded when modules of the curriculum are satisfied
We need an organic system where students are able to plug into knowledge
wherever that resides in the community be they knights or not
it would be good if we could abandon the dqs points
it was put in place to be relatively sure that everyone was doing the same
amount of work for their degree
that is certainly not the case
some TMs give full points for five sentences of reflexion in a journal, whereas
someone else has worked out five pages on it
at the same time, I agree that verbal/analytical knowledge is not the only sort
there is and those who work on emotional intelligence, corporal intelligence,
creativity & divergent "thinking" ought not be penalised
on the other hand, laziness and sticking to what one thinks/believes one already
knows ought to be
Kit: social wellbeing could be added to the mind/body/spirit triumvirate
Alex: as I said, we can get away from the points system by just marking lessons
"not yet", "fair", "good", "very good" ....
the TM can mark it (or the "teacher" if it is merely degree work by a non-knight
candidate), but then that mark ought to be evaluated by someone else
if the difference of opinion is between "good" and "very good" ... we would leave
it what the TM decided
Kit: I like that rating system it offers more room for the lessons the student
needs
Alex: we have a few knights who haven't been well prepared
that isn't their fault, it is the fault of the TotJO system
and we are going to work on correcting that
there is an aspect that we must not overlook, that is fostering enthusiasm to
continue to learn and work up through the ranks
we have two senior knights in the whole TotJO
and only two active Masters
Kit: The requirement for Sr Knight is massive. It's the same distance for IP to
Knighthood as knight to Sr. There's no additional benefits except a shiny new
rank. And we consistently tell the community that rank doesn't mean everything
Alex: we ought to have levels of responsibility directly proportional to rank
earned
ah ... it is normal that the advancement through the knighthood ranks would be a
bit slower
24th January 2017
Ros: we ought to have levels of responsibility directly proportional to rank
earned
ah ... it is normal that the advancement through the knighthood ranks would be a
bit slower
Alex: agreed
Ros: Our best bet would be to come alongside TMs
Providing opportunities like the SIP to new knights that focus on teaching and
learning
As I see it, new knights almost immediately begin teaching
Which isnt bad if they are ready
And maybe they are
In which case, a bit of extra support wouldnt be harmful
But for those who are not, the support is essential
And I think we ought to create and use spaces which are created for us, with a
bit more vulnerability
By which I mean knight forums and skype
Alex: yes
I'm in full support of that, Ros-lass
we'll have to refine it a bit together and propose that part of it to Council
we can get that part of it sorted and proposed well before summer
it can serve as part of the platform for building the rest
1st February 2017
Andy: Ive tried to get all these thoughts down on paper into a straw man
(wookie?!) for how a new structure might look - It's meant to be burnt - but if
from its ashes we can begin to get our heads round this project then it will have
served a purpose!!
Ros: Looks good
Alex: This is grand lets get our discussion going around this straw wookie
2nd February 2017
Andy: Ive been thinking about some weaknesses to this framework: will need
complete buy-in, will increase admin burden
Ros: B.Div and knighthood need to be separate
Alex: just for clarity : it isn't that one could become a Knight without the degree
Ros: Right
One could do b div and not be knighted
Alex: someone who doesn't do an apprenticeship with a mentor could still
choose to work lessons and get the necessary credit/modules to get a degree
we could give them a degree without a title/without a ceremony
but if one wants to become a knight, they do an apprenticeship with a mentor
The degree is necessary, but not sufficient for knighthood
there are still a few knights around who haven't done everything that the
initiates have done
this is part of the mess we're trying to clean up
and the reason why we need to include other learning styles is that the current
system values (or de-values) only verbal-analytical learning : books, essays and
composition
whereas there is a whole palette of learning styles : some are most apt in
emotional intelligence, some are more creative/artistically oriented
&c
it isn't that we want to put everyone in the same basket
or leave people out of the basket
but we need to expand it into a sizeable hamper to include as much diversity as
we can while promoting unity in that diversity
rather than us or them , it let's us and them become we
then Tellahane won't have to wonder any more
and it won't come about by next month
this will take some time
we need to be expanding people's potentials, not educating them into imbecility
Andy: One option would be that m div non-knights would be eligible to apply for
a 'module supervisor' role
And to start off with it may be that certain Apprentices might make good module
supervisors too - but they would probably need to be special cases
Saturday 11th February
Alex: the seminary has been fine for a little while
it is probably the area where the least improvement is necessary
followed closely by the IP
Kit, what do you feel about getting a "critical thinking" lesson right in the front of
the IP
basically making it the lesson 1 and shifting all the others back one
Kit: That would be my dream
Alex: we might want to think about putting the stuff on the dialectic in with that
and perhaps scrapping altogether the part on didactics
that is something that they can deal with as Apprentices preparing to take
apprentices of their own
(it seems like that may be a relic from when the IP was apprenticeship)
there must be available a short course on critical thinking
I immediately thought of Jordan Ellenburg's book, but few novices are going to
want to deal with a 300 page book
I think that between the Ellenburg and one that I have by Normand Baillargeon I
may be able to write a more concise yet comprehensive one
but that'll have to wait until I'm in the new flat
the SIP and the A, B and M Divinity degrees need a huge overhaul
in much of the way that Andy's straw wookies proposes
and we need to scrap the points system
it is not exactly measuring what it is supposed to
easily enough witnessed in that some Apprentices' 100 points is pretty flimsy
compared to the same value earned by another apprentice
granted, we do not want to impose "conformity"
no
but
it seems that some are getting knighted for very little self exploration
Ros: No matter what sort of system webput in place
We wont be able to develop knights until we develop teachers with a passion
Alex: enthusiasm
not passion
Ros: Ok enthusiasm
So whats our plan?
Alex: Andys straw wookie is step one. Step 2 is to have a discussion about it
Kit: Also, I've been thinking. Leadership is a quality I feel the Temple likes to see
in the Knights. A lesson on that towards the latter half of an apprenticeship I
think would go far.
Alex: yes
we also need to alter that idea about how our Temple ranks do not matter
the more they are earned, the more they ought to count
and becoming a knight ought not be too easy
Kit: https://youtu.be/ReRcHdeUG9Y
Alex: we ought not insist so much on leadership that no one remembers to
follow sometimes --- including us "leaders"
Kit: That's part of that full range leadership
Alex: Kit, that talk is amazing !
and yes
that is the sort of leadership skills (the human kind) that we need to be
encouraging
Kit: another video on the why of leadership: https://youtu.be/LZe5y2D60YU
And another: https://youtu.be/8xJvBeuY-lA
Alex: these are the sorts of things that we all need to be working into
Apprentices' lessons
and that is what our department is for
you guys are doing great so far ;)
Tuesday 14th February
Ros: Also Andy, lets talk about your straw wookies
When we look at creating modules
We really should have module advisers based on their enthusiam for a particular
subject
For example, I might take Christian Mystisism
Kit leadership
Alexandre philosophy
Etc
And so we are likely going to need more than just us chickens
What I'd like to suggest is that each of us reach out to maybe 1 or two other
knights
And see what they have enthusiasm for
They could create the lessons for the module
They may or may not be willing to supervise, but if they could direct us, maybe
we could find another
Just my thoughts
What about a six month stint with the IP team to finish out the module lessons in
teaching?
Andy: Like it Ros - shall we draw up a list of modules that we want to pursue
before we approach other knights (other potential module supervisors)? Also will
we want to lay out some aspects of the overall plan to give it some context?
Ros: Ok so lets start with ourselves
Might be easier to show people how to create a module after we have done so
ourselves
So what are each of us interested in creating a module for?
Kit: I can do leadership and maybe as an optional module shamanism.
Ros: K so I'll do Christian Mysticism
Andy: I'll tidy up the straw Wookies pages so it's shorter and better structured.
Can be a document we can give to knights to explain how the system might
work. I'll also update the list of potential modules to include a bunch of topics
which we've discussed but weren't originally included. I'll make a draft of some
core lessons which may be split in two - some for the start of an apprenticeship
( and/ or the SIP) and some for the end. And I'll have a crack at a module on
Islam / Sufism - it's a hugely under-represented wisdom tradition at TOTJO!
Alex: I'm wondering if the SIP ought not be a little more un-electable
that is, we could do away with the "Initiates Waiting" list altogether if Initiates
awaiting TMs could start a journal in an Initiates' forum/location (visible to others
or not) and in it work a number of lessons of the SIP
that way, potential TMs could see how they work out lessons beyond the IP
it would also show initiative (on the part of Initiates, that ought not be too much)
yet, at any and all the levels, they ought to know that they have someone to turn
to for inspiration, collaboration and feedback
that from the first lesson of the IP to the ultimate lesson before dying ...
Andy: That makes sense to me Alex. Also fits with the idea of it being a 'pre-
apprenticeship' program rather than a supplemental initiate program