Join the Educators Unite mailing list

______________________________________________________________________________

Exploring Educational Commons as part of EdU: 

We are in the process of weaving the story of Educators Unite. We aim to meaningfully engage with the concepts of knowledge and educational commons. Educational commons involve the shared creation and distribution of knowledge, with governance methods that are collaboratively managed and co-developed by a community. Within Educators Unite, one of our ambitions is to support and nurture a platform of educational commoners. 

We’ve begun compiling our thoughts and exploring what activists and scholars have written about educational commons. This exploration has provided us with different perspectives, which are all valuable to share with our community. We invite you to review our draft, provide comments, challenge ideas, and share your reflections. Your contribution will be very important in shaping and refining our understanding of educational commons, as Educators Unite is based on the collaborative values of commoning. 

You can read the first draft here. Please leave your thoughts on this form. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

EDUCATORS UNITE GATHERING 1

On the 29th May, approx 40 of us arrived at the Pickle Factory for the first gathering of Educators Unite. We were a mix of those who teach, students, practitioners, and Bristol Commoners - many wearing several hats at once. 

Together, we travelled through the journey of the agenda (and even space at one point!) via a variety of participation invitations; designed to engage our heart, head and hands, and build energy and momentum throughout the day. 

There were lots of smiles, a few tears, open space discussions, news and idea sharing, introductions, focused thinking and reflection, and even a disco speed-mingle! 

By the end we had set the context for the EU movement, amassed our collective thoughts about the challenges we face, and captured our collective hopes for "Education" in the future. 

Most of what emerged during the event has now been uploaded to the Educators Unite Miro Board. This board is a space where we can continue to share, in-between gatherings (whilst we work on our online platform, more on that below). The invitation is for anyone to explore and contribute, like a giant pinboard!

The Three Horizons...

During the gathering participants were introduced to the ideas of the Three Horizons, as a framework for mapping the context of where we are now, and the vision of where we would like to get to. 

This is a useful tool for unpacking the pathways that need to happen within Horizon 2, in order to un-learn and leave behind the unhelpful/harmful characteristics, patterns and dogma of the Horizon 1; as we move towards, and co-create, a new Paradigm in Horizon 3. 

This model also enables us to get beyond the challenges of having ideas that seem unrealistic, plus the overwhelm of not knowing how to begin. 

News was shared about the strategic aims of the Bristol Commons; to act as a vehicle for growing the culture and praxis of commononing, and, to bring into community ownership the type of infrastructure and governance we may want and need in Horizon 3. 

The manifestations of the Bristol Commons may help to hold, resource, weave and bolster the work of Educators Unite, as much as Educators Unite may inform, skill-up, train, educate, connect and bolster the work within and of the Bristol Commons.

Within Horizon 3 we placed Manfred Max-Neef's Human-Scale Development framework - to help us think about what humans need to survive and thrive, and to consider their relation to Education.

On the Miro Board you can zoom into each of the Horizons and read everyone's thoughts and ideas - which has started to illuminate our starting point and some eventual goals.

What's next for Educators Unite?

Planning a gathering for spring 2025 and building on our online presence: