Tag: discussion

Join us for Friday Afternoon in the Universe, an open discourse multigenerational learning community hosted by The Upper New. This post is a quick introduction to the many ways any person can participate in the global Friday community.

Friday Topics Schedule

We have put together a master Google Calendar for Friday Afternoon In The Universe, listing the meeting times and locations for our Sparta-based discussion series. Eventually this calendar will include globally relevant “pre-Friday” deadlines for document submissions, etc.

Ways to Participate

There are six easy ways to participate in any Friday discussion group.

1. Listserv
2. Local Discussion Group (Sparta or elsewhere)
3. Facilitator
4. Notetaker
5. Listserv Moderator
6. Discussion Host (Where You Are)

Keep scrolling for basic information about how to participate in each of these ways.  You can also read more in-depth information about Friday Afternoon In The Universe.

Listserv

Everyone who participates in our Friday discussions anywhere in the world will be a member of the listserv, as this is the primary mode of communication for the Friday community.

It is perfectly acceptable for people in the Friday community to participate only through the listserv, engaging in online conversations at any pace, and thus having access to all the resources generated around each topic, made available through the shared Google Drive.

You can visit the listserv on Google Groups and ask to join.  You’ll fill out a quick form and then we’ll be notified, and an admin will approve your request.

Friday: Local Discussion Group

Whether you’re within reasonable travel distance of Sparta or elsewhere, you can participate in any in-person discussion wherever they are happening in the world.  It’s preferred if you would register in advance at your Friday location of choice, but, as the old saying goes, walk-ins are welcome too.

We’re hoping that we can have a satellite Friday session at every library in the Upper New Bioregion, as well as every library in our nine neighboring bioregions.

Here’s a table showing the counts of all library branches in each bioregion.

Imagine 163 Friday discussions happening across this cluster of bioregions. If five people showed up to each of the 163 sessions, that would mean around 800 people would be participating in the same topic of discussion at once!

Sign up today to get involved!

Facilitator

We’re always looking for people to volunteer as discussion facilitators.  If you’re a discussion facilitator, basically it’s your job to make sure the discussion runs smoothly, following our guidelines.

We’re putting the finishing touches on a Facilitator Guidebook, so anyone who decides to volunteer will have plenty of support to ensure the job is done well.

Sign up today to get involved!

Notetaker

Every Friday discussion needs at least one notetaker, and preferably two.  If more than two notetakers show up for a Friday discussion, that would be most excellent.  The more, the merrier.

What notetakers do is use notebooks to take handwritten notes about what is happening and what is said within the discussion, and by whom.  These notes are then compiled and shared back to the community for inclusion in the Friday shared drive.

Notetakers are the people who build the analog bridge between the “digital detox” of the Friday discussions with the online community of the Friday listserv and shared drive.

Listserv Moderator

As the online Friday community grows, we know we’re going to need listserv moderators.

With the Friday listserv, this will mostly entail helping to manage new member sign-ups and invitations, as well as moderating the messages of new members.  All new members’ posts to the listserv are moderated by default during initial membership in the community.

Sign up today to get involved!

Discussion Host

Perhaps the most influential involvement possible for anyone in the Friday community is to volunteer as a discussion host, setting up another satellite Friday somewhere in the biosphere.

Consider putting in a diagram showing the minimum number of volunteers needed to start a Satellite Friday.

• Host: can be one person or multiple or organization
• Facilitator: can be same as host(s) or additional people
• Notetaker: need at least one for each Friday discussion
• Participants: really, one person other than the facilitator and notetaker is all it takes, but ideally at least three people would be an acceptable minimum for a discussion event

As we are with the facilitators, we’re putting the finishing touches on a Discussion Host Guidebook, so anyone who decides to volunteer will have plenty of support to ensure the job is done well.

Sign up today to get involved!

Fridays Across the Biosphere

Imagine, finding a local Friday group wherever you happen to be traveling, being able to walk in and have a discussion that is synchronized with the global topical schedule.

According to data from OpenStreetMap, there are approximately 17500 library branches in the continental United States.  If five people held a Friday discussion at each branch, that means 87,500 people would be participating in the same topic of discussion at once!

What about all of North America?

And South America and Africa?

And Europe and Asia?

And Oceania?

Imagine Friday discussions across the globe.

According to data from OpenStreetMap, there are more than 97,000 library branches in the biosphere.  If five people held a Friday discussion at each branch, that means 485,000 people would be participating in the same topic of discussion over the course of an international day!  That’s almost half a million people.

Now let’s get started.

Sign up today to get involved!