Day 2 of camp . . .

I learned a new protocol today from the book Presence about Theory U.  I don't have the notes in front of me, but what resonated were three potential barriers to listening and creating.  They are the voices of judgment, cynicism, and fear.  They surface when our mental models, those beliefs we have that help us make meaning of our world, are threatened.  They allow us to maintain our beliefs in the face of information and data that we should be considering.  They keep us from listening and allow us to maintain the status quo. I will be reading the book because it aligns well with systems thinking  and will give me additional insights into how to support our journey.

We were also able to have a team meeting this morning where we shared our assumptions and began the process of identifying what we want to take from this conference.  I am looking forward to our next opportunity tomorrow when we can bring more clarity to our goals and the work that we want to emerge from these learning and sharing opportunities. 

Work continues on our preparation for sharing in Sunday's Marketplace where districts and consortia will highlight their sustainability and system work.  We believe that we have some projects that others will find helpful for them to consider and that are quality examples of engaging young people in important work. 

Look closely and you will see a rattle snake in the middle of the picture at left.  Mike took this and a video of the snake as he and others in our group were walking to the pool this evening.  We were told yesterday about the types of wildlife that we might encounter including rattle snakes, but never anticipated that we would see one this close.