The following quotation was referenced by Doug Belshaw and may originally have been George Siemens' reference to work by Stephen Downes - the link provided by Belshaw no longer and I've not yet tried a wider search.
‘Groups require unity, networks require diversity. Groups require coherence, networks require autonomy. Groups require privacy or segregation, networks require openness. Groups require focus of voice, networks require interaction.’
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ReplyDeleteThank you for this, Karen - it is very helpful. And thank you for the conversation too.
ReplyDeleteBasically, I reckon we have "open groups" where people can join freely provided they meet basic criteria (eg their age group as for 7Plus) and "closed groups" (like Flourishing) where people join for the particular purpose of building on the experiences they share. Our open groups are, effectively, networks of people who support and work toward the purposes, values and activities of the open group (I refer to this kind of group as a network because openness, diversity and inclusion are fundamentally important. And I tend to refer to the closed groups as groups. Not that it matters much!
What matters is that each of the groups/networks within N4W knows what values, purposes and activities it upholds and fosters.
I have written more about this - I'll send a copy to you and Ian seeing we are the ones discussing it so far. Anyone else can have a copy on request. But we might tidy it up before we post it here! I
Ngā mhi