Nordic Integral Education

Tuesday Conference call on Education Oct 21, 2008 – What does it mean to be convinced about not having a problem? “Sitting Still”? (Part 3)

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:20:00 +0100

This is a recording of the tenth Tuesday Conference Call on Education. We had 11 people on the call from the UK, Sweden, Holland, and the US. On this call we are joined by special guest Rod Sugden. We inquire into what it means to be convinced about not having a problem? Rod is an elementary school teacher in London and teaches a fifth grade class. Rod has been on many of the previous calls and talked about how he uses the models “It’s your choice”, “Where are we right now?” and in particular “Sitting Still”. On the last two calls we looked at our own experiences and the significance of doing “Sitting Still” meditation. We have been finding out how important and foundational this practice is in bringing about continual development in the classroom. On this call we want to point the finger back at ourselves, and our ability to hold this position of Absolute stillness. * Are we interested in and striving to hold a position of stillness? * How still am I as a teacher/parent? * How much am I manifesting not having a problem? The culture around us is very much focused on life being a problem. So what would it mean to have an unshakable faith at your deepest level that life and the evolutionary process is fundamentally good, no matter what you happen to be experiencing? What would it mean if at a precognitive level - before thought and before any experience - that you had a deep trust, faith and conviction about not having a problem with whatever was happening? Would you go totally crazy or would you be absolutely sane? Rod gives an example, “Say there is some distracting behaviour going on in the classroom, some kid is calling out or banging his pencil on the desk or just maybe being very stroppy for some kind of reason. It seems that basically at that point that as a teacher we can go in one of two directions. One is to stay with no problem and hold our larger perspective where you only focus on development and what is possible. The alternative is to see life as being a problem and to make a problem out of this particular distractive behaviour. It seems that we are constantly in this situation of being faced with this choice. The challenge for the class teacher is that with all the distracting behaviours that can and do go on is to not get sucked into a smaller perspective. That is why we practice “sitting still,” to be a model of not having a problem. If we are convinced about not having a problem then we will be developing as a consequence of that.”

Tuesday Conference call on Education Oct 14, 2008 – How “still” should a teacher be to teach children the value of “Sitting Still”? (Part 2)

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:39:00 +0100

This is a recording of the ninth Tuesday Conference Call on Education held at 9.30pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (6:30 am EDT). On this call we had 9 people on from Australia, Sweden, Denmark and the USA. “The children come in the morning and the first thing they say is ‘Are we going to practice sitting still today?’ They want to make sure that that is going to happen. Then I say ‘Yes’ and there is this ‘Yea!’ from the children.” “I’ve got my 4th graders who were in my class last year who are literally taking it into their new classrooms. I’ve got a couple of them who are holding it and teaching it in their classrooms. And there are some teachers who are now getting interested who didn’t know about it before, but because the kids won’t stop talking about it and are trying to hold them to a certain standard these teachers are coming to me and asking about it.” “Children express a hunger and recognition about Sitting Still that is really important. Just like you need food for your body, you need this time to just be, even if it is only 3 -5 minutes. During this time where do you want to choose to put your attention? We have a choice about where we want to put our attention. We can chose to be upset, we can choose to say ‘I can’t do this’, ‘I’m never going to be able to do maths’, ‘I’m going to be horrible at handwriting for the rest of my life.’ Or you can choose to put your attention on being open to whatever is going to happen and making a contribution from a meaningful place, where you choose not see yourself as being separate. Sitting still gives you the chance to practice that choice.” On this call are joined again by special guest Jon Bertelsen. Jon guides meditation at the EnlightenNext centre in Copenhagen and is very familiar with my work and that of teachers Joan Berland and Rod Sugden. He has taken part in a number of my seminars and workshops in Copenhagen where Joan and Rod have joined in “live”. I have asked Jon to help us gain a better understanding of the purpose of meditation in a classroom setting and how we as teachers and educators can benefit from this dimension. On the call last week there was a lot of interest in hearing about the experiences that the teachers on the call had with meditation. Last week Jon reminded us about a discovery that we had made in May that without the practice of “Sitting Still” higher development will stop, as well as creativity and a collective consciousness. Why? Because children, just like adults, reach a level of development where they settle in and become comfortable. Jon reminded us that when we started practicing “Sitting Still” with the children we are able to reconnect with a part of our self that always wants to develop. This is a very significant topic for anyone interested in creating a classroom or school where harmony and dynamic development become the starting position rather than the goal. I hope you can join us. These conference calls are FREE to join and open to all interested people. Send me an email and I will put you on my list. Each call is recorded as a podcast and posted on www.nordicintegral.com as well as on www.enlightennext.org/membership/ _________________________________________________________________________________ The next Tuesday Conference Call on Education will be October 21 at 9:30pm Central European Summer Time (3:30pm EDT) The dial in number is: 1-712-580-1100 Access Code: 811288 #

Tuesday Conference call on Education Oct 7, 2008 – How “still” should a teacher be to teach children the value of “Sitting Still”?

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:44:00 +0100

This is a recording of the eighth Tuesday Conference Call on Education. On this call we had 13 people on from the USA, Canada, UK, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and Australia. In this call we are joined by special guest Jon Bertelsen who guides meditation at the EnlightenNext centre in Copenhagen. Jon is very familiar with my work and that of teachers Joan Berland and Rod Sugden. He has taken part in a number of my seminars and workshops in Copenhagen where Joan and Rod have also joined in “live”. In this call Jon will help us gain a better understanding of the purpose of meditation in a classroom setting and how we as teachers and educators can benefit from this dimension. I have found this topic to be very inexhaustible, I am always finding out something new, exciting and alive when talking about it with students and educationalists. When I first started creating the Evolutionary Childhood Education Program I would always start by introducing to teachers and students the staircase model “It’s Your Choice!” and then the developmental scales or rubrics, like “Where are WE right now?” But when I was asked to work with really difficult classes of teenagers I realized that I had to become very real if I wanted something significant to happen. Quite spontaneously I asked the class to choose to be completely still, have no relationship to anything happening around them and to just drop everything. Within seconds everyone recognized a positive and remarkable shift in the atmosphere and attention in the room and that this was the place they and I wanted to experience again and again together. When I visited Joan Berland in June this year I was able to film her class as we did exactly this, sat completely still, letting go of everything and where paying complete attention. They called it being awake, because those that followed the instructions where awake and paying 100% attention no matter what was happening internally or externally. They thought it was so significant that they wanted to start the “Awake” club. For the 3 calls in October we will be looking at this theme of “Sitting Still”. "Stillness" is a very significant topic for anyone interested in creating an enlightened classroom or school, and I hope you can join us.

Tuesday Conference call on Education September 16, 2008 – Spiral Dynamics and Education

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:10:00 +0100

This is a recording of the seventh Tuesday Conference Call on Education. On this call we had 12 people on from the USA, Canada, UK, Norway, Sweden, and Australia. On this call we are joined by special guest Kirk Coleman. Kirk teaches grade 6/7 on the west coast of Canada and has just finished writing his Master's thesis in education titled: “Spiral Dynamics and the work of Clare Graves: Exploring the implications for Education.” Kirk gives an overview of the Spiral Dynamics model and looks at the implications for education based on the work of professor Claire Graves. Kirk also looks at the purpose of education when seen from a Spiral Dynamics point of view. He also looks at its application in the classroom and with staff and administration. Kirk quotes Caleb Rosado, “Rosado states that many of the problems currently plaguing the educational system are actually the result of conflict between the differing spiral levels found in the school system. Much of the effort by educators to deal with problems such as bullying and racism are doomed because they only deal with the surface manifestations of the problems not the deeper issues of conflicting worldviews.” How does how people view the world affect us as teachers? How do world views affect how we deal with other teachers, with students, with administration, how we teach, how we deal with the world around us? Dealing with students: Depending on the operative value system different students will respond to learning in different ways. We need to recognize this and employ different methods of instruction that are suitable to different styles of learning. Kirk then talks about and outlines these different styles for Purple, Red, Blue, Orange, Green and Yellow.. Graves says that “Green thinking shows an almost radical almost compulsive emphasis on seeing everything from a relativistic, subjective frame of reference and they rigidly revolt and fight against notions of quantity” As an example Kirk talks about Canada’s Ministry of Education’s push for quantitative measurement of students and schools being seen in a negative light as this goes against a basic premise of Green which is that all people are equal and measuring and judging people, thus making some better than others is inherently wrong. If you would like to read Kirk’s paper please send an email to nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com _________________________________________________________________________________ The next Tuesday Conference Call on Education will be Tuesday October 7 Theme: Deepening our understanding of sitting still, meditation and the Ground of Being The dial in number is: 1-712-580-1100 Access Code: 811288 # TIME 9:30 pm Central European Summer Time. (3:30 pm EDT) Time of European/American call in other time zones 12:30pm — West Coast USA Time 2:30pm — Central USA Time 3:30pm — East Coast USA Time 8:30pm — UK Time 9:30pm — Continental Europe Time 10:30pm — Israeli Time 03:30am (Wednesday) — Western Australia Time 05.30am (Wednesday) — Eastern Australia Time These calls are FREE to join and open to all interested people. You are welcome to pass this invitation on to others. This conference call will be recorded as a podcast and posted on www.nordicintegral.com as well as on www.enlightennext.org/membership/

Tuesday Conference call on Education September 9, 2008 - Creative Writing Project (Part 2)

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:44:00 +0100

This is a recording of the sixth Tuesday Conference Call on Education. On this call Uli Nagel talks further about the next step of the Creative Writing Project and her role as a facilitator to coordinate and support the project, in particular to create a password protected website that will best facilitate teachers and students to post their material and interact in a way that will further everyone’s development. It would be for teachers and children who have had some sort of contact with the teachings of Evolutionary Enlightenment, with the ground of being, rubrics and staircase model. “Basically we want to create a project in which children who have been in some way exposed to the teachings of Evolutionary Enlightenment* have a way to creatively engage with each other internationally on-line about their experience in the classroom and about their visions and ideas about the future.” (*) It could be by having a teacher who is using the models from Creating Dynamic Harmony in the Classroom - An Evolutionary Childhood Education Program, or having a teacher who is inspired by the teachings of EE, or even having been on a retreat with Andrew Cohen. To become involved in this exciting project, please send an email to either Uli Nagel ulinagel@gmail.com or Nick Drummond. These calls are FREE to join and open to all interested people. You are welcome to pass this invitation on to others. This conference call will be recorded as a podcast and posted on www.nordicintegral.com as well as on www.enlightennext.org/membership/ _________________________________________________________________________________ The next Tuesday Conference Call on Education will be Tuesday September 16 The dial in number is: 1-712-580-1100 Access Code: 811288 #

Tuesday Conference call on Education September 2, 2008 - Creative Writing Project (Part 1)

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:58:00 +0100

This is a recording of the firth Tuesday Conference Call on Education. On this call we had 14 people on from the USA, Canada, UK, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. The topic for this call is children and teenagers writing about a positive future / meaning and purpose / creative dynamic atmosphere / meditation / making positive choices / starting a story about a level 5 world / a website to post these stories / connecting kids On the last two phone calls (August 12 & August 19), we have been discussing what it means to create an "atmosphere" in the classroom characterized by dynamic harmony. On this week's call, Uli Nagel, a writer and long time student of Andrew Cohen's, would like to discuss how children who are exposed to a "collective dimension of consciousness" might be able to write something incredibly positive and meaningful about the future. What might the world look like if everyone was operating from a 5, 10 or even 50? Uli contacted Joan Berland and Nick Drummond with the idea of initiating a writing competition for children and teenagers. These calls are FREE to join and open to all interested people. You are welcome to pass this invitation on to others. The conference call will be recorded as a podcast and posted on www.nordicintegral.com as well as on www.enlightennext.org/membership/ _________________________________________________________________________________ The next Tuesday Conference Call on Education will be Tuesday September 9 The dial in number is: 1-712-580-1100 Access Code: 811288 # TIME 8:30 pm AEST Australian/Pacific call. (6:30 am EDT, 12:30 pm CEST) Time of the call in other time zones 3:30am — West Coast USA Time 5:30am — Central USA Time 6:30am — East Coast USA Time 11:30am — UK Time 12:30pm — Continental Europe Time 1:30pm — Israeli Time 6:30pm — Western Australia Time 8.30pm — Eastern Australia Time

Tuesday Conference call on Education August 19, 2008 - A rubric for teachers

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:52:00 +0100

This is a recording of the fourth Tuesday Conference Call on Education. On this call we had 9 people on from the USA, Australia, UK, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. The topic for the call was the atmosphere in the classroom and its significance for what is possible. As I had written about the previous call, in my work I have noticed that the quality of the atmosphere in the classroom - the relationship between the individuals - is not an accident. The atmosphere is the sum of everyone's awareness and interest. It is totally dependent on where we choose to direct our awareness and our interest, and because it is a choice, we can choose to change it from a 1 to a 5. On this call we look at the following 1-5 rubric for teachers that Joan Berland and I started discussing several months ago. Where Am I Right Now As a Teacher? 5. If I'm on my edge, then no matter what a child says or does, I'm totally committed to doing whatever it takes for understanding to occur. I'm committed to helping them move from a place of doubt or fear or misunderstanding into a place of possibility because I'm always in that place. From that place, I'm operating totally outside my ego. I remain focused on the biggest possible context, which is ever expanding. I am totally committed to being in this place no matter what is going on in the classroom, whether it has to do with learning, behaviour, dealing with parents, or homework. I am constantly thinking that if this doesn't work I'll try something else because I am always committed to turning it around to a place of understanding and positivity. My mottos are: "No matter what happens, I can do it", "We are here to learn", "Trust me, we can turn this around", "If you think you can, you can", and "If something is hard for you, make friends with it". This is what I do all day everyday and it feels great! 4. I am able to modify the curriculum and find ways to rethink or rephrase lessons so that the children who don't understand something can feel comfortable asking for help. I will work with them from a place of caring and compassion. I take responsibility for setting limits, motivating my students, and making learning fun. I care about connecting with everyone. I get excited when I hear about verticality and seeing what is possible from level 5. I'm open to someone coming into my classroom with the objective of helping me develop to a five and beyond. 3. I connect with a small group of students by meeting them at their level of readiness, but it's mostly those with a higher level of understanding. I know that I need to feel more positive so positive change can occur, but I can only do it if someone helps me or tells me what to do. 2. I let my moods dictate how I respond to the class on any given day. Sometimes I'm positive, sometimes I'm negative. The class lacks clear limits, so no one feels safe or secure. I am stuck in always wanting to do things a certain way and am not open to anything new. I don't feel comfortable connecting with parents. 1. I just want to make it through the day. My performance is uneven, often requiring several assistants or teachers to help in the classroom. I don't look forward to coming to school. One of the participants offered the following more simplified version. Teacher Levels 5. I operate from an ‘enlightened perspective’ (which is my own highest perspective) and choose to have my attention always on what will benefit the class. 4. I consistently and independently make positive choices for the class. 3. I make positive choices when prompted by my peers, colleagues or superiors. 2. I zig-zag between positive and negative choices for the class. 1. I’m lost in my own thoughts and emotions and can’t act in a way that benefits the class. _________________________________________________________________________________ These first calls are part of a series where Joan Berland and I enquire into how the models “It’s Your Choice!” model, 1-5 rubric developmental scales and “sitting still meditation” can be structured and introduced into a class. On each call we engage with listeners and answer questions. These calls are FREE to join and open to all interested people. You are welcome to pass this invitation on to others. The conference call will be recorded as a podcast and posted on www.nordicintegral.com as well as on www.enlightennext.org/membership/ _________________________________________________________________________________ The next Tuesday Conference Call on Education will be Tuesday September 2 The dial in number is: 1-712-580-1100 Access Code: 811288 # TIME 9:30 pm Central European Summer Time. (3:30 pm EDT) Time of European/American call in other time zones 12:30pm — West Coast USA Time 2:30pm — Central USA Time 3:30pm — East Coast USA Time 8:30pm — UK Time 9:30pm — Continental Europe Time 10:30pm — Israeli Time 03:30am (Wednesday) — Western Australia Time 05.30am (Wednesday) — Eastern Australia Time

Tuesday Conference call on Education August 12, 2008 - Atmosphere in the Classroom

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:25:00 +0100

This is a recording of the third Tuesday Conference Call on Education. We had 8 people on from the USA, Canada, Sweden, and Denmark. The topic for this call is what we mean by the quality of the atmosphere in the classroom, and its significance for what is possible. In my work I have noticed that the quality of the atmosphere in the classroom – the relationship between the individuals – is not an accident. The atmosphere is the sum of everyone’s awareness and interest. It is totally dependent on where we direct our awareness and our interest. I have found that I and the students are always 100% responsible for how we are towards each other; we are always totally responsible for our behaviour, and our choices. Talking about this perspective always creates an atmosphere of high expectations for both me and for the students. But it is not experienced as stressful or burdensome; rather it has the qualities of freedom and creativity. In this atmosphere I experience the potential for constant and positive development for me and the students as always being possible. But more important, because it is a question about a changed attitude towards each other, the result is that I and the students can change the quality of our relationship, the atmosphere in the classroom, immediately! We stop seeing ourselves as not being able to take responsibility for our choices. We stop seeing ourselves as victims. These first calls are part of a series where Joan Berland and I enquire into how the models “It’s Your Choice!” model, 1-5 rubric developmental scales and “sitting still meditation” can be structured and introduced into a class. On each call we engage with listeners and answer questions. These calls are FREE to join and open to all interested people. You are welcome to pass this invitation on to others. This conference call will be recorded as a podcast and posted on www.nordicintegral.com as well as on www.enlightennext.org/membership/ _________________________________________________________________________________ The next Tuesday Conference Call on Education will be Tuesday August 19 The dial in number is: 1-712-580-1100 Access Code: 811288 # TIME 8.30 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time. (6.30-7.30am EDT, 12.30-1.30pm CEST). Time of Australian/Pacific call in other time zones 3:30am — West Coast USA Time 5:30am — Central USA Time 6:30am — East Coast USA Time 11:30am — UK Time 12:30am — Continental Europe Time 1:30pm — Israeli Time 6:30pm — Western Australia Time 8.30pm — Eastern Australia Time

Spiral Dynamics and the work of Clare Graves: Exploring the Implications for Education. An Interview with Kirk Coleman (Part 10) References

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:55:00 +0100

In this podcast I talk with Kirk Coleman who lives on the west coast of Canada and teaches grade 6/7. Kirk is currently working on his Master's thesis in education. The focus of his research is to explore the implications for education related the model Spiral Dynamics and to the work of Claire Graves. His paper should be finished by the end of August. He recently sent me a draft and we decided to do this first series. In part 10 Kirk recommends some references for teachers and school leaders wanting more information about Spiral Dynamics. I have invited Kirk to join as special guest on the Tuesday Conference Call on Education. To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com http://www.nordicintegral.com

Spiral Dynamics and the work of Clare Graves: Exploring the Implications for Education. An Interview with Kirk Coleman (Part 9) YELLOW & TURQUOISE

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:12:00 +0100

In this podcast I talk with Kirk Coleman who lives on the west coast of Canada and teaches grade 6/7. Kirk is currently working on his Master's thesis in education. The focus of his research is to explore the implications for education related the model Spiral Dynamics and to the work of Claire Graves. His paper should be finished by the end of August. He recently sent me a draft and we decided to do this first series. In part 9 Kirk outlines some of the characteristics and qualities of Levels 9 and 10 in terms of leadership in education. To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com http://www.nordicintegral.com

Spiral Dynamics and the work of Clare Graves: Exploring the Implications for Education. An Interview with Kirk Coleman (Part 8) CHANGE

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:50:00 +0100

In this podcast I talk with Kirk Coleman who lives on the west coast of Canada and teaches grade 6/7. Kirk is currently working on his Master's thesis in education. The focus of his research is to explore the implications for education related the model Spiral Dynamics and to the work of Claire Graves. His paper should be finished by the end of August. He recently sent me a draft and we decided to do this first series. In part 8 Kirk outlines three states of change. We also talk about the life conditions that might be necessary for change from GREEN to YELLOW. To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com http://www.nordicintegral.com

Spiral Dynamics and the work of Clare Graves: Exploring the Implications for Education. An Interview with Kirk Coleman (Part 7) GREEN

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:11:00 +0100

Spiral Dynamics and the work of Clare Graves: Exploring the Implications for Education. An Interview with Kirk Coleman (Part 6) ORANGE

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 12:33:00 +0100

In this podcast I talk with Kirk Coleman who lives on the west coast of Canada and teaches grade 6/7. Kirk is currently working on his Master's thesis in education. The focus of his research is to explore the implications for education related the model Spiral Dynamics and to the work of Claire Graves. His paper should be finished by the end of August. He recently sent me a draft and we decided to do this first series. In part 6 Kirk outlines Level 5 ORANGE. Nick also outlines how the model "It's Your Choice!" can connect ORANGE to a worldcentric level of consciousness, and where ORANGE success has the potential of taking on a deep sense of meaning and purpose - furthering everyones success. To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com http://www.nordicintegral.com

Spiral Dynamics and the work of Clare Graves: Exploring the Implications for Education. An Interview with Kirk Coleman (Part 5) BLUE

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 11:59:00 +0100

In this podcast I talk with Kirk Coleman who lives on the west coast of Canada and teaches grade 6/7. Kirk is currently working on his Master's thesis in education. The focus of his research is to explore the implications for education related the model Spiral Dynamics and to the work of Claire Graves. His paper should be finished by the end of August. He recently sent me a draft and we decided to do this first series. In part 5 Kirk outlines Level 4 BLUE. Nick also outlines how the model "It's Your Choice!" creates discipline and order and a deep sense of meaning and purpose as a result of everyone valuing development. To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com http://www.nordicintegral.com

Spiral Dynamics and the work of Clare Graves: Exploring the Implications for Education. An Interview with Kirk Coleman (Part 4) RED

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 09:48:00 +0100

In this podcast I talk with Kirk Coleman who lives on the west coast of Canada and teaches grade 6/7. Kirk is currently working on his Master's thesis in education. The focus of his research is to explore the implications for education related the model Spiral Dynamics and to the work of Claire Graves. His paper should be finished by the end of August. He recently sent me a draft and we decided to do this first series. In part 4 Kirk outlines Level 3 RED. Nick outlines how the model "It's Your Choice!" is able to create an expression of positive healthy RED which allows movement up the Spiral. Here the model builds the individuals self image in a very positive way, by reinforcing and rewarding positive choices. In RED choices have immediate consequences. To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com http://www.nordicintegral.com

Spiral Dynamics and the work of Clare Graves: Exploring the Implications for Education. An Interview with Kirk Coleman (Part 3) PURPLE

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:33:00 +0100

In this podcast I talk with Kirk Coleman who lives on the west coast of Canada and teaches grade 6/7. Kirk is currently working on his Master's thesis in education. The focus of his research is to explore the implications for education related the model Spiral Dynamics and to the work of Claire Graves. His paper should be finished by the end of August. He recently sent me a draft and we decided to do this first series. In part 3 Kirk outlines Level 4 PURPLE. Nick outlines how the model "It's Your Choice!" is able to create a positive purple environment very quickly, and thus allow movement up the Spiral. At this level the model creates a safe environment with an inherent quality of belonging. It create the foundation for the higher levels to be expressed. To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com http://www.nordicintegral.com

Spiral Dynamics and the work of Clare Graves: Exploring the Implications for Education. An Interview with Kirk Coleman (Part 2) BEIGE

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:00:00 +0100

Spiral Dynamics and the work of Clare Graves: Exploring the Implications for Education. An Interview with Kirk Coleman (Part 1) Introduction

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:46:00 +0100

In this podcast I talk with Kirk Coleman who lives on Vancouver island on the west coast of Canada and teaches grade 6/7. Kirk is currently working on his Master's thesis in education. He contacted me in March. The focus of his research is to explore the implications for education related the model Spiral Dynamics and to the work of Claire Graves. His paper should be finished by the end of August. He recently sent me a draft and we decided to do this first series. To our knowledge there are only a few academic papers written about Spiral Dynamics and education. In the interview Kirk mentions the following reference by Yalcin Yalaki (2004). Science teachers' worldviews: A way to understand beliefs and practices. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Florida State University College of Education, Tallahassee. (224 pages). Available here: http://etd.lib.fsu.edu/theses/available/etd-05192004-181457/unrestricted/YalakiDissertation.pdf To learn more about Spiral Dynamics here is an excellent online resource and interview with Don Beck published by the magazine WIE (published by EnlightenNext): http://www.wie.org/spiral/ To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com http://www.nordicintegral.com

Tuesday Conference call on Education July 29, 2008 - Intro (Part 2)

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:11:00 +0100

This is a recording of the second Tuesday Conference Call on Education. We had 10 people on from the USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Sweden, Norway, and Switzerland. Unfortunately I had trouble getting on and wasn't able to join until some 45 minutes into the call. THANK YOU Joan and Rod for leading the way!! _________________________________________________________________________________ Since the last call Joan Berland and I have received many emails from people expressing their gratitude as well sharing their interests in what we are pioneering and telling about their own work. We have some very interesting calls in store!!! On this call Rod Sugden, who teaches a 3rd grade class in London talks about his amazing results. Joan, Rod and I have been in regular contact with each other during the last 3-4 months. Rod has been using these models for about 3 months and has started to see some exciting results which he writes about in the email below, which I received yesterday. He was the first to introduce the “sitting still” meditation in his class and develop a rubric for it. ----- EMAIL FROM ROD ----- Hi Nick, I wanted to write to you and let you know my latest thoughts on using the rubrics and say another big thank you for all your hard and dedicated work in pursuing their manifestation in the classroom! Firstly, in looking back over the 3 month period that I have used them, I would say that while about 2/3rds of the class have stayed at the same level, about 1/3rd of my class has moved up! This has had the overall effect of the whole class moving forwards. I’ve broken these improvements down into what I consider 3 significant areas: - 1. Listening 2. Focus 3. Motivation Looking more closely at each one I’ve noticed: 1. Children’s listening has improved collectively and individually. The class can now go for longer periods of time listening attentively without becoming distracted. Individually, during class teaching, kids have more eye contact and better ‘body language’. That is, they are engaging with what is being taught without getting distracted. Also, children are listening to each other better. This happens in partner as well as class dialogue. 2. During individual or independent exercises children are more focused on the work at hand. They are more one pointed and independently engaged with the work set. 3. In terms of motivation: children are more quickly following instructions, there are more positive contributions to dialogue, greater quantity of work is being produced and tasks are being completed better. In all these areas my class, as a whole, has improved! Another positive aspect of using the rubrics is that they add meaning and purpose to the learning environment. The models are all about being an awake individual who is making positive choices. Many children do find these qualities appealing and this motivates them to perform well in the classroom! The other unique aspect of these models is that they can help to awaken children to a collective field or awareness that is bigger than their own. When this arises children experience for themselves a different way that they can be together, which is totally positive and creative. Thanks again, Nick. Best Wishes, Rod Sugden _________________________________________________________________________________ The next Tuesday Conference Call on Education will be Tuesday August 12 The dial in number is: 1-712-580-1100 Access Code: 811288 # START: 9.00 pm Central European Summer Time (3.00 pm Eastern Daylight Time USA). Time of European/American call in other time zones 12:00am — West Coast USA Time 2:00pm — Central USA Time 3:00pm — East Coast USA Time 8:00pm — UK Time 9:00pm — Continental Europe Time 10:00pm — Israeli Time 03:00am (Wednesday) — Western Australia Time 05.00am (Wednesday) — Eastern Australia Time These calls are FREE to join and open to all interested people. They will also be recorded as podcasts and posted on www.nordicintegral.com as well as on www.enlightennext.org/membership/

Creating Dynamic Harmony in a Classroom. Nick's May 19 seminar in Copenhagen. Part 2

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:47:00 +0100

Nick Drummond presents case stories from Sweden and the USA to show how he uses the model "It's Your Choice!", developmental scales, and the significance of sitting still to create dynamic harmony in classrooms. To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com http://www.nordicintegral.com

Tuesday Conference call on Education July 22, 2008 - Intro (Part 1)

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:49:00 +0100

This is a recording of the first Tuesday Conference Call on Education. I'm sure that these calls are going to be a real success. We had 12 people on from the USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Sweden, Norway, and France. ________________________________________________________________________________ Starting in July Nick Drummond from Nordic Integral Education will be hosting monthly conference calls inquiring into the role and future of education at this critical time in our history. Important themes on the calls will be: What does it mean to be a teacher/leader in our time in history? What role can education play as a vehicle for catalyzing development at the level of consciousness and culture both in and outside of a classroom? On these calls Nick will be presenting his own work, highlighting cutting edge case studies from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, USA, Australia and the UK, interviewing special guests, as well as engaging with listeners and answering questions. On the first 4 calls in July and August Nick will be speaking with Joan Berland. Joan is a third grade school teacher in New York with 25 years experience. She has been working closely with Nick since August 2007 and her pioneering work in using the "It's Your Choice!" model, 1-5 rubric developmental scales and "sitting still meditation" has been featured on the Nordic Integral and EnlightenNext websites. On these calls Joan and Nick will be giving an introduction to these models, the perspective behind them, how they have been used, and some of the amazing results. Together they will also enquire into how Joan can optimally structure her program for the coming school year. On each call they will also be engaging with listeners and answering questions. These calls are FREE to join and open to all interested people. They will also be recorded as podcasts and posted on www.nordicintegral.com as well as on www.enlightennext.org/membership/ Schedule & Dial-in Details Details and updates for the are posted on www.nordicintegral.com For all the calls the dial in number is: 1-712-580-1100 Access Code: 811288 # The next call is: Tuesday July 29. 9 pm CEST (3 pm EDT). Time of European/American call in other time zones 12:00am — West Coast USA Time 2:00pm — Central USA Time 3:00pm — East Coast USA Time 8:00pm — UK Time 9:00pm — Continental Europe Time 10:00pm — Israeli Time 03:00am (Wednesday) — Western Australia Time 05.00am (Wednesday) — Eastern Australia Time

Creating Dynamic Harmony in a Classroom. Nick's May 19 seminar in Copenhagen. Part 1: Intro by Peter Bastian

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:17:00 +0100

In this podcast Peter Bastian introduces Nick Drummond at the May 19 seminar he presented in Copenhagen. Peter points out "Can you imagine the level of differentiation that Tiger Woods is aware of? Integration at his level means Hole in One. In this incredibly complex area of details he is aware of he is able to make a conclusion and integrate all these details [weather, grass, club, ball, body mind, soul]." But, "differentiation without higher integration leads to extinction" Peter Bastian points to the need for a vertical perspective in education. Peter Bastian www.peterbastian.dk has an education in theoretical physics from the University of Copenhagen, and classical bassoon playing by Professor Aage Bredahl at the Royal Danish Conservatory. During the 70's and 80's he was a private student of the conductor and philosopher Sergiu Celibidache. He is cofounder of The Danish Wind Quintet and the style-transcending multi-music-group BAZZAAR. In 1987 his book, 'Into the Music' was released and became a Danish bestseller, with 100.000 sold copies. The impact of the book has led Peter to becoming a highly demanded lecturer in all kinds of gatherings. He is a popular guest on Danish television and radio and is a producer of numerous programs about music and consciousness. He is regularly invited by the Danish Ministry of Education to give lectures to teachers and people in education. Peter Bastian is also the managing director the EnlightenNext center in Copenhagen. To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com http://www.nordicintegral.com

There is always further to go: Camp True North (Part 4)

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:55:00 +0100

In this podcast Nick Drummond talks with youth consultant Martin Fluri who has been working as a volunteer trainer with the Danish educational organization True North. Martin shares his experiences of what it is like to participate on the camps and engage with the kids as well as the other volunteers. He senses that many are connecting to a bigger vision of what is possible in education and culture. Martin also describes the field of creative energy that is created on the camps and that without it learning won’t happen to the degree that it can happen. Martin also participated in the recent workshop that Nick held in Copenhagen and is familiar with the work and perspective that he is using. They talk about some of the similarities, differences and potential for what could come about from a collaboration. To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com www.nordicintegral.com

School of the Future: Camp True North (Part 3)

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:50:00 +0100

In this interview, recorded Monday July 7, Nick Drummond talks with Danish learning style specialist Susanne Aabrandt, director of the Danish Learning Style Institute www.dlsi.dk We begin with Susanne talking about a project called School of the Future that she is developing together with Camp True North. She showed me the following 4 minute film clip that describes the model www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bYR6nMwNkw “In the Danish school law it says that all students should be taught according to their potential and their best way of learning. My work has been recognized by Howard Gardener and Hans Henrik Knoop. The way we do it in Denmark is to our knowledge not practiced anywhere in the world.” This August Camp True North will be applying their program and methods within the traditional Danish school system and this will take place at Vejle in Jutland. Susanne Aabrandt is regarded as Denmark’s leading expert in reading and learning styles as well as Multiple Intelligence and works with Europe’s leading experts in reading and learning. Susanne is a teacher, author and public speaker, has given more that 800 talks on multiple intelligent theory (Howard Gardener), learning styles (Professor Rita Dunn), reading styles (Dr. Marie Carbo) and flow and regularly holds workshops in Scandinavia and in the USA. She is on the Intellectual Advisory Board for True North together with Hans Henrik Knoop, Svend Erik Schmidt and Chris MacDonald. To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com www.nordicintegral.com

An example from the forefront of teaching and learning in Denmark: Camp True North (Part 2)

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:26:00 +0100

In this interview Nick Drummond talks with John-Erik Bang who is an instructor and teacher trainer consultant at True North www.truenorth.dk John-Erik talks about the program and the methods used, like how to maintain the energy in a group and techniques that can also be used in all classrooms and how these offer students and teachers both personal and social skills that are not presently offered in Danish public education today. He also talks openly about the vision behind True North, the attention it has received in the Danish media, from Danish political leaders and from educational professionals who have given both criticism and praise. He also talks about an important part of the program which includes cultivating mentors amongst the young people who pass through the program and become role models and leaders. John-Erik Bang’s CV includes training and teaching consultant at True North, school teacher, headmaster, NLP Master/trainer and the owner of the consultancy company www.lykion.com To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com www.nordicintegral.com

An example from the forefront of education in Denmark: Camp True North (Part 1)

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:43:00 +0100

In this podcast recorded Monday July 7, Nick Drummond reports from a youth camp at Rungsted Gymnasium (north of Copenhagen) and speaks with two of the leaders behind the camp that are pioneering a unique educational concept being introduced into Denmark's schools. On this particular 5 day camp for 13-17 year olds, their largest so far, they have 160 teenagers, 26 volunteer team leaders, 13 mentors as well as support staff. The camp begins on a Monday and finishes on a Saturday morning, with each day starting at 9 am and finishing at 10 pm. Each day is full packed and the program is extremely well planned. Through experientially learning the kids learn about leadership, values, behaviors, authenticity, their Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic learning styles, their strengths and weakness in terms of Multiple Intelligences, group dynamics, goal setting, key factors to maintain group and individual motivation, energy and attention, public speaking, as well as how to have lots of fun. During the five days the kids go through an amazing developmental transition that affects them both socially and academically. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At a recent seminar I gave in Copenhagen I met with Nicolai Moltke-Leth who told me about a unique educational concept that he is introducing into Denmark to fill a gap being created by conventional education, called Camp True North www.camptruenorth.com/denmark108/ In this podcast I talk with Nicolai and his partner American Greg Evens from Seeds Training about the pedagogical methods and perspective behind what they are doing, what they see as being the need in education today, what education will be about in the future, as well as the goal and vision behind their recent collaboration. Greg Evens says,"The same challenges that are faced in education in the USA are faced almost everywhere else. There is a real opportunity in education now for organizations like ours to come to the table with solutions. We know that we don’t have the total solution, we can’t fix education as a whole, but we know we have part of it. We are really looking to partner with other organizations like True North and people like Nicolai and start to create programs and sets of solutions that will make a difference." They talk about an integration of methodologies that give teachers their passion back for being teachers and motivate students to learn in accelerated ways. Both see it is a model that is desperately needed in many countries, as Nicolai says "only helping the Danes to think better will not help this planet, but if we can prove a model here then we can apply in many other places." In the interview Nicolai Moltke-Leth mentions a recent film clip by Dr. Daniel Goleman where he talks about and endorses the importance of Social as well as Emotional Learning in schools www.edutopia.org/daniel-goleman-sel-video Prosocial behavior goes up by 9-10%, negative behavior goes down by the same amount, and academic achievement goes up by 11%. Nicolai Moltke-Leth is the director of True North www.truenorth.dk His CV includes a degree in sociology, soldier in the Danish Special Forces, NLP master practitioner, peak performance coach (Anthony Robbins) as well as having competed in a range of endurance events like the Paris-Dakar rally. He is a well known public speaker in Denmark and regularly holds leadership training courses. Greg Evens is director of Seeds Training www.seedstraining.com a rapidly expanding youth-based training company and consultancy offering youth programs, teacher development and educational services in the USA, Asia, Middle East and Europe. To find out more please contact nick.drummond@nordicintegral.com www.nordicintegral.com