For the Monday Group and invitation to colleagues.

5.00-7.00 1WN 3.8 Monday 21 February 2005

Thanks to Moira, Cathy, Harry, James and Paulus for their contributions to last Monday’s conversation. Moira flies back to China tomorrow and says how much she appreciated being able to share her future plans with us and was most appreciative of the chat with Mike about the possibilities of a group of her Chinese colleagues registering with us for an M.A. programme. It look as if Moira might be able to get funding from a UN source. I’ve got a copy of the 20 minute programme broadcast on Central China TV on the 7^th December to celebrate Moira’s Friend of China award and will see if I can play a few minutes of this on Monday.

Paulus hopes to be present this Monday to share ideas for the seminar he is convening on the 10^th March as part of Sussex University’s Diversity Week with Jack and Nceku Q Nyathi from the University of Leicester as discussants

on:

"Translating Diversity Policy into Practice: Responsibilities and

Opportunities for Transforming Our Living Practices of Inclusion in

British Higher Education"

Details from Sussex University at:

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/equalities/1-5-5-3.html

"In preparing for the Sussex University Diversity Week, Jack and Paulus would appreciate a dialogue of question and answer in which we are encouraged to explore and account for what we believe is important for us to convey, and be open to sharing with participants on the 10th March in respect of translating diversity policy into practice as a living form of diversity & inclusion in british higher education. If we could be asked questions from the grounds of your own living subjective experiences of diversity and inclusion (or the lack of those qualities of existence) in the University system in the UK we might better be able to identify, discipline and focus what we have to offer Sussex university's impetus & desire to 'transform' itself from being a 'white campus'. For our part we would like to suggest the project we have been conducting since 2000 in identity, 'race' and 'post-race' as white and mixed-race' colleagues in British HE could act as a filip for the kind of living research among HE academics that could stimulate critical and compassionate enquiry into what would count as evidence of a livingtheory & practice of diversity? Many thanks!"

On the 28^th February, Eleanor Lohr hopes to join us for a pre-viva conversation about her Doctoral Thesis on Love at Work. I am hoping that we can all read the prologue to Eleanor’s thesis at: http://www.jackwhitehead.com/elFront%202.htm

before this Monday’s session so that we can prepare some questions for Eleanor at our meeting on the 28^th.

Ruth Gorinski, a New Zealand academic is also likely to join us on the 28^th.

The proposal for a funded ESRC Seminar Series on Inclusionality, Learning and The Growth of Educational Knowledge has been submitted in time for the 14^th Feb. deadline. You can access this at:

http://www.jackwhitehead.com/jwprop2.htm

What I’m wondering (if you skip over the first few pages of financial information) is whether you might like the idea of focusing some gatherings of the Monday group for 2005-2007 on the topics of the four seminars and mini-conference of the 19 months of the proposed series, to co-incide with the dates and topics in the proposal – see what you think and we can chat about this on Monday.

Paul Roberts has e-mailed to keep us up to date on his life and work in Mexico.

JeKan had a very successful action research session at Kobe University, this week and I’m hoping to hear how Jean’s action research lectures and workshop have been going in South Africa, before Monday’s session. Jackie has been invited to convene

a province wide action research workshop in Ontario for educational leaders in August 2005 and here are the details:

School Improvement Through Action Research Learning Communities

Presenters:

Heather Knill-Griesser, Principal, Dunnville Central Public School

Dr. Jacqueline Delong, Superintendent of Education

Grand Erie District School Board

By attending this session, participants will experience the action research process in microcosm. By making connections to the TPA process, we will demonstrate that when teachers and administrators engage in this most professional form of improvement, a learning community is created that is naturally accountable and professionally empowering and transformative. As well, we will share our experiences over ten years of supporting and encouraging action research in order to publish four volumes of research, Passion In Professional Practice: action research in Grand Erie.

Any more news, just e-mail it in.

Looking forward to Monday’s conversation.

Love Jack.