Let It Flow! "Information as Nourishment"

Testing, regulations, enrollment...the number of issues that impact our ability to effectively serve the developmental needs of children continues to grow.  Rather than contorting ourselves to fit the antiquated notion of education, Montessorians are joining together to redefine it!  In order to grow a strong community and unified voice that is capable of effecting real change, it is essential for us to reconsider how we treat information.  

In the prevalent worldview based on competition, information is equated with power*, and access to it is restricted to the few.  But the holistic paradigm that Montessori education embodies, recognizes that we are all parts of a greater whole. In this world of interdependency and collaboration, information is heralded as nourishment*, and every effort must be made so it can freely flow because “innovation is fostered by information gathered from new connections; from insights gained by journeys into other disciplines or places; from active, collegial networks and fluid, open boundaries.  Knowledge grows inside relationships, from ongoing circles of exchange where information is not just accumulated by individuals, but is willingly shared.” (Wheatley, Pg 104)

Creating “circuitry” for information to flow freely and nourish all parts of our community is one of the primary tasks the OMA is spearheading.  Here is some of what we've been doing:

• We are increasingly using social media and our newsletter as a means to share relevant information.  
• Wanting to share information in a way that does not overwhelm, the OMA is trying to build a database that will enable us to share crucial information in a timely manner, with the members of our community who will be most impacted.  
• We have begun working with the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS) to align our work developing a state database with their national Montessori Census Project, to limit redundancies in time and resources, while ensuring that everyone is counted and included. Look for us at the CMS Conference to learn more!
• Striving to build a “network of networks”, the OMA is linking up with Cincinnati Montessori Society (CMS) and other regional networks, as well as participating in the National Advocacy Project.
• Metaphorically, the OMA has been trying to move forward the ball-of-organizing-for-impact. What is really exciting is how schools and organizations are taking this ball and running with it! We appreciate those who are acting as conduits, spreading the word through conversations with those in their schools and networks, and linking the OMA’s Newsletter within theirs, thereby enabling the flow of information to reach individual families, students, and alumni.
• Prioritizing the importance of distributing information, the OMA has incorporated this value and capacity into our very structure by using Dynamic Governance (click here to see a current visual of the OMA's structure). With DG's trademark features of consent (everyone's input and thinking is valued) and double linking (information flows in two directions, from those with specialized, tacit knowledge to those with broad vision, and back from the broad vision to the specialized groups) we are able to develop into a more complex organization, capable of differentiation and integration -- the same capacities we seek to cultivate in our children.

If the concepts of "information as nourishment" and "developing a network of networks" resonates with you, please help link up our networks to ensure that information can nourish all the parts of the Montessori community!

Have other suggestions for ways the OMA can share info and strengthen our community's ties? Please share!