302 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
302 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
# Knowledge Hydrant
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<!-- TOC -->
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* [Knowledge Hydrant](#knowledge-hydrant)
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* [Introduction](#introduction)
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* [Concepts](#concepts)
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* [Summary](#summary)
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* [1. SPIRIT](#1-spirit)
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* [2. ATMOSPHERE](#2-atmosphere)
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* [3. ROLES](#3-roles)
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* [4. CUSTOMS](#4-customs)
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* [1. Spirit](#1-spirit-1)
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* [1.1 Knowledge Hydrant](#11-knowledge-hydrant)
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* [1.2 Pool of Insight](#12-pool-of-insight)
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* [1.3 SAFE PLACE](#13-safe-place)
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* [1.4 ENDURING ENERGY](#14-enduring-energy)
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* [Frequent Meetings](#frequent-meetings)
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* [Hour Meetings](#hour-meetings)
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* [Short Breaks](#short-breaks)
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* [1.5 KINDRED COLLABORATORS](#15-kindred-collaborators)
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* [2. ATMOSPHERE](#2-atmosphere-1)
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* [2.1 COMMON GROUND](#21-common-ground)
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* [2.2 PUBLIC LIVING ROOM](#22-public-living-room)
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* [2.3 INTIMATE CIRCLE](#23-intimate-circle)
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* [2.4 VIRTUAL SPACE](#24-virtual-space)
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* [3. ROLES](#3-roles-1)
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* [3.1 ENTHUSIASTIC LEADER](#31-enthusiastic-leader)
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* [3.2 MOTIVATED MODERATOR](#32-motivated-moderator)
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* [3.3 ACTIVE PARTICIPANT](#33-active-participant)
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* [3.4 PREPARED PARTICIPANT](#34-prepared-participant)
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* [3.5 DISTINGUISHED PARTICIPANT](#35-distinguished-participant)
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* [4. CUSTOMS](#4-customs-1)
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* [4.1 OPENING QUESTION](#41-opening-question)
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* [4.2 SEQUENTIAL STUDY](#42-sequential-study)
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* [4.3 AGENDA](#43-agenda)
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* [4.4 SUBGROUP](#44-subgroup)
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* [4.5 STUDY CYCLE](#45-study-cycle)
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* [4.6 DISTRIBUTED DIARY](#46-distributed-diary)
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* [4.7 AFTER HOURS](#47-after-hours)
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<!-- TOC -->
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## Introduction
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A study group can make a difficult book easier to understand, it can succeed
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where an unsatisfying class fails, and it can support you if your environment
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doesn't support your ongoing learning and growth.
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A study group is a collection of individuals who meet regularly to improve
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their understanding of some non-trivial subject, like a body of great literature,
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by participating in dialogue.
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The authors and architects of the original pattern language understood that
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individuals vary in how they obtain knowledge. Some don’t have a lot of time
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and want to gain knowledge as fast as possible. Others prefer to extract as
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much knowledge as they can by pondering a work’s every paragraph and
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page. Still others prefer to study a work’s visual elements–its photographs
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and sketches–before diving into the words.
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There are 21 patterns in this pattern language. They are grouped into four
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sections called Spirit, Atmosphere, Roles, and Customs. As you study the
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patterns from each section, consider the structure of this language: **the
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patterns from the Spirit section, at the beginning of the language, help to
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define the study group's core, its spirit of learning. The patterns that follow
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this section, in Atmosphere, Roles and Customs, are all intimately tied to the
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earliest core patterns and serve to re-enforce them**.
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## Concepts
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| Concept | Meaning |
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|--------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| [Great] Literature | Piece of information in it's original form, un-destiled, no summarized, etc. |
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## Summary
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### 1. SPIRIT
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_After identifying a great source of knowledge in a subject, work to create a
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rewarding, intellectually safe environment for the study of that subject._
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1. KNOWLEDGE HYDRANT
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2. POOL OF INSIGHT
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3. SAFE PLACE
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4. ENDURING ENERGY
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5. KINDRED COLLABORATORS
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### 2. ATMOSPHERE
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_Establish a home for the study group that is centrally located, comfortable,
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aesthetically pleasing, and conducive to dialogue._
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1. COMMON GROUND
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2. PUBLIC LIVING ROOM
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3. INTIMATE CIRCLE
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4. VIRTUAL SPACE
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### 3. ROLES
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_Lead and energize the group, come prepared, and help guide dialogues so
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that they are insightful and productive._
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1. ENTHUSIASTIC LEADER
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2. MOTIVATED MODERATOR
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3. ACTIVE PARTICIPANT
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4. PREPARED PARTICIPANT
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5. DISTINGUISHED PARTICIPANT
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### 4. CUSTOMS
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_Follow customs that will re-enforce the spirit of the group, piquing
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participant's interest in dialogues, accommodating different learning levels,
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making the study of literature easier, recording group experiences, and
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drawing people closer together._
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1. OPENING QUESTION
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2. SEQUENTIAL STUDY
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3. AGENDA
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4. SUBGROUP
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5. STUDY CYCLE
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6. DISTRIBUTED DIARY
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7. AFTER HOURS
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## 1. Spirit
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### 1.1 Knowledge Hydrant
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> . . . where can one obtain knowledge in its fullest, unfiltered, unsimplified, form?
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This ignorance about great literature is widespread. It exists today primarily
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because several important ideas about great literature have been forgotten.
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These include some of the following facts:
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- The hard work put into the study of great literature is worthwhile because
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it ensures that people retain the knowledge they wish to obtain
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- Great literature is much easier to understand when it is studied in an
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intelligent sequence ([4.2 SEQUENTIAL STUDY](#42-sequential-study))
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- It is easier and more rewarding to study great literature with other people ([1.2 POOL OF INSIGHT)](#12-pool-of-insight))
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**Discover the great literature in your profession or area of
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interest—the finest books, articles, and speeches ever
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written—and then begin an earnest study of these works.**
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So how do you find the great literature worthy of study? Ask people. Ask
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knowledgeable people which authors they like, what are their favorite books,
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what profoundly influenced them?
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After identifying the works, form or join a study group ([1.2 POOL OF INSIGHT](#12-pool-of-insight)), order the works
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to be studied ([4.2 SEQUENTIAL STUDY](#42-sequential-study)), and compose an [4.3 AGENDA](#43-agenda).
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### 1.2 Pool of Insight
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> . . . once you've discovered your [KNOWLEDGE HYDRANT](#11-knowledge-hydrant), it can be overwhelming to drink from it. This pattern suggests how to make the study
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> of great literature easier and more rewarding.
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**To obtain the fullest understanding of great literature--to penetrate its
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meaning – it is tremendously helpful to read and study a work on one's own
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and then engage in meaningful dialogue on the work with others.**
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In dialogue, people get the chance to learn from themselves and from their
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colleagues. In communicating how they understand something, people may:
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- clarify what confused others
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- expose their own misunderstandings
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- reveal new ideas
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- articulate that which they didn't know they knew
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There is a spirit present in dialogues that one doesn't
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find in many other learning environments. Frequent meetings help sustain this
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spirit. **When a group doesn't meet frequently, it can struggle to keep its
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momentum and enthusiasm**; lively subjects and debates can fade between
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meetings, and if people miss just one meeting, they will be absent for a very
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long period. **Many groups sustain a group's spirit by meeting weekly or
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biweekly**.
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Group study also helps motivate people to learn, especially when they are no
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longer officially "in school." A reading assignment every week or every other
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week can help individuals continue to learn while balancing work and family
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life.
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**Read and study literature on one's own, but discuss it with
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others in a regular study group. Aim to ask questions about
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what you don't know and explain what you do know. Your
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exchanges with colleagues will enrich your understanding
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immensely.**
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The best study groups are those in which individuals feel comfortable
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learning with others ([1.3 SAFE PLACE](#13-safe-place)).
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Atmosphere plays an important role in a dialogue. Some environments
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promote dialogues ([2.1 COMMON GROUND](#21-common-ground), [2.2 PUBLIC LIVING ROOM](#22-public-living-room))
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and some don't.
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The most enriching study happens when a group has a [MOTIVATED
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MODERATOR](#32-motivated-moderator) and [PREPARED PARTICIPANTS](#34-prepared-participant)...
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### 1.3 SAFE PLACE
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It is so important that a place of learning be a safe place. People need to feel
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that they can experiment, or be wrong, for almost everyone becomes
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uncomfortable if they fear that anything they say will be harshly criticized.
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When places of learning have highly critical or judgmental natures, an
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individual's ability to learn can easily be compromised.
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In dialogue, participants must be comfortable to ask questions, even illogical,
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overly simple, or silly questions. **It is the group's task to handle such
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questions in such a way that individuals aren't stifled, or embarrassed, but
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encouraged to continue learning**.
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All participants within a dialogue need to help establish the safe place.
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Usually, it is up to the [MOTIVATED MODERATOR](#32-motivated-moderator) to be especially
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vigilant. With great diversity in a group-- people who are provocative or
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reserved, skeptical or generous, newcomers or veterans --it is very easy for
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study group sessions to become unsafe.
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Maintaining a safe place is easier if a group establishes customs. Such
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customs can help participants and moderators know what to do when different
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types of discord arise
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**Establish a warm, tolerant, polite and focused environment
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in which individuals help each other and where everyone is
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comfortable to ask questions and make mistakes.**
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### 1.4 ENDURING ENERGY
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> It's fairly easy to start a study group. But keeping it going,
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> so that members are active, dialogues are insightful, and the
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> group is long-lived, is another matter altogether.
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A study group's energy initially comes from its founder. If the founder is
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genuinely interested in creating a thriving, long-lasting [POOL OF INSIGHT](#12-pool-of-insight),
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to improve himself and his community, the group will start life with a
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powerful energy. But if the founder is merely interested in short-term gains,
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or personal recognition, the group will be short-lived.
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#### Frequent Meetings
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It is difficult to maintain any sort of flow, or continuous energy, if a
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group doesn't meet very often. When a group is studying a body of
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knowledge, a month between meetings is usually far too long for people
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to maintain focus and enthusiasm. Therefore, have the group meet
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weekly or bi-weekly. **These frequent meetings will allow a group to
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study effectively, and may lead some members to become [KINDRED
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COLLABORATORS](#15-kindred-collaborators)**.
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#### Hour Meetings
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A one-hour meeting is typically not enough time for a group to have an
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insightful dialogue on a piece of literature. But three hours is too much
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time, since most participants can't actively engage in dialogue for that
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long. Therefore, **limit dialogues to a maximum of 2 hours, and if energy
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has waned significantly before that time, finish the meeting early**.
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#### Short Breaks
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At a certain time in a dialogue, a group's intensity, focus and
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effectiveness will begin to diminish. If the group doesn't take a break at
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this time, the quality of the dialogue may begin to deteriorate, and people
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will become uncomfortable. Therefore, **allow for a short (ten or fifteen
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minute) break in the middle of a study group session**, to let members
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reflect, chat, use the restrooms, and prepare for the next half of the
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dialogue.
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Equally important, is a group's meeting quarters, since the location and space
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will play a huge role in sustaining a group's energy. People need to be excited
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about attending a group.
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**Create study groups out of genuine enthusiasm to study a
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subject in-depth. Meet weekly or bi-weekly for two hours,
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and have a short break in the middle. Choose a meeting
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location where people will enjoy passing time, and study only
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those writings which are worthy of the group's attention.**
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### 1.5 KINDRED COLLABORATORS
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Join or form a small group that meets regularly and studies ideas that are
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important to you. As you get to know people, valuable, career-enhancing
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collaborations will develop.
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## 2. ATMOSPHERE
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### 2.1 COMMON GROUND
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### 2.2 PUBLIC LIVING ROOM
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### 2.3 INTIMATE CIRCLE
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### 2.4 VIRTUAL SPACE
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## 3. ROLES
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### 3.1 ENTHUSIASTIC LEADER
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### 3.2 MOTIVATED MODERATOR
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### 3.3 ACTIVE PARTICIPANT
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### 3.4 PREPARED PARTICIPANT
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### 3.5 DISTINGUISHED PARTICIPANT
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## 4. CUSTOMS
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### 4.1 OPENING QUESTION
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### 4.2 SEQUENTIAL STUDY
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### 4.3 AGENDA
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### 4.4 SUBGROUP
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### 4.5 STUDY CYCLE
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### 4.6 DISTRIBUTED DIARY
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### 4.7 AFTER HOURS
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