World Café
October 8th 2015
Question #1: Imagine your dream comes true. What is your vision for a just and sustainable world in 50
years?
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Adapting to our changed and changing environment
Slower and deeper change
Building relationships
Pre-K, Fewer Jails
Valuing Dirt
Urbanization= depopulation of rural areas
Optimism is essential (e.g. Bristol conserved area)
Need space for interactive process of sustainability & justice
Walking & living around people you know- not just a consumer, but friend. Eat Local!
Distribution of goods equally.
Technology takes care of menial jobs
How can I change-not how can I change the world
Question #2: How will we be learning and what will we be teaching in this context?
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A lot of experiences outside- Interaction with new people and places
Revering/ respecting our teachers (all kinds)
Why purpose matter (Echo & Green)
Students come with Questions to college, then draw on classes to solve the problem. (No
majors)
Who is the “we”- whose education valued
More skill based- Critical, system thinking, collaboration, synthesis
High Impact Practices
Study Abroad
Service learning
Capstone experiences
What youth can/should teach elders- brain storm workshops
Customized teaching/learning
Increasing role of technology
Hands-on learning
Teachers as space makers-freedom of exploration/ discovery
Teachers as guides
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Less separation between acadamia and vocational education
Expanding our notion of ‘education’ (Culturaly, Glabally)
Make schools about how to be a person- physical, emotional education
Get rid of ‘love’ vs. ‘peripheral’ structure/mindset
Reflect on what we don’t know & field what don’t have solutions
Make dialogue within class
Real world relationships
Connect learning with what you care about
Bring love into the class room
Bill Cronon ‘Only Connect’
Question #3: Middlebury is us, what do we (us in this room) need to know to bring us closer to these
visions?
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Need preparation to pivot to change
Ethics need in the era of “bits”
Connect club events- across communities
Intermarriage
Fieldtrips
Time off- time for reflection- free time
Diversity increase that destabilizes neoliberal orthodox
Coalition building
Group work
Deviate from schedule- loosen structure
More spaces for people to come together
Independent study of integration
Finance, celebrity, gout, tech= all places to bring about change.