I have been looking into facilitation methods for large groups, I came across World Cafe;
“The World Café method is a collaborative, conversational process for gathering knowledge and sharing ideas in groups. It’s based on the idea that people are wiser together and that conversations can shape the future. The method is often used for: brainstorming, problem-solving, strategic planning, generating new ideas, and gathering collective intelligence”
The World Cafes method is used in community settings. These are the seven design principles behind the concept.
The World Cafe Method is based on seven key principles:
1) Clarify the Context
2) Create Hospitable Space
3) Explore Questions that Matter
4) Encourage Everyone’s Contribution
5) Connect Diverse Perspectives
6) Listen together for Patterns and Insights
7) Share Collective Discoveries
It made me think more about the idea of classroom as a ‘ social space’. How can I create a hospitable social space?
I like the idea of giving the talks day a name – so it’s more like an Event – than just another session, I am going call the talks day ‘ World Cafe’
Creative ways to frame learning material are really important to me as a teacher. I get a lot of joy from this part of the teaching process.I plan to design a flyer for the event too. It won’t be entirely this framework, but will draw inspiration from it.
References
World Cafe Method (2023) The World Cafe. Available at: https://theworldcafe.com/key-concepts-resources/world-cafe-method/ (Accessed: Nov 2024).