On the Road! Next up: Conceptual Thinking and teaching

It seems I wasn't able to pull my ideas together in time to get an extra blog in. This is due, primarily, to the fact that my chosen topic required more reflection than I had originally thought. It's also because the topic will probably take more than one post, which takes some extra time to write up. Instead, I will provide some insight into my upcoming insight - over the next few weeks, I plan to look at how the idea of conceptual training interacts with the practice of teaching.

During the work we have done with IRI, we have identified several areas where traditional (and some non-traditional) teaching methods can conflict with conceptual training. I plan to look at some of these areas of conflict to see why the conflict exists, and what we might be able to do to facilitate more critical and analytical thinking in our teaching methodology. Please note that many of these concerns aren't unique to our work - a lot of them are concerns that have been raised in education for years. The reason I am reviewing them is not because they are all original, but in the hopes that the insights we have gained may inform the ongoing discussion and perhaps present new windows into potential solutions.

But that's what's coming next - this week I am on the road! Next week, I may have the beginning of the teaching discussion, or I may talk a bit about what I've learned on my WY trip - depending mostly on how interesting the trip turns out to be.

Trip Prep

As I mentioned last blog, next week I travel to Wyoming to meet with Al and update our plans for the rest of 2015 into 2016. I am also looking for some part-time teaching work to expand my reserves (I originally planned for working with IRI two years before having to go back to work - I made it five, so I'm overdue). As a result, things have been a bit busy for me. This means a shorter post today, and possibly no post next Monday, as I will be traveling, but I will try to post something later this week, to make up for today's lightness and next week's lack.

Schedule Changes Change Things

Well, it appears that, due to both immigration policy changes and some issues regarding water availability in Chimoio, my trip to Mozambique has been postponed for the foreseeable future. The water issues are, apparently, creating a high-mosquito environment that Malaria turns into a high-risk environment, and is also creating water shortages. I don't have all the details on what the background on the issues are, but it is apparently significant enough that our Mozambican Director thinks I should probably stay away for now.

This leaves me with more time to find work, however, so it isn't all bad. With some contracted or adjunct work, I should be able to start rebuilding my cash reserves for the next few years working with IRI. Sometimes, one closed door opens another.

I will be traveling to Wyoming in early August to meet with Al when he gets back from Mozambique. We will discuss everything he has seen while he was there, and work on our goals for 2016 and beyond. There's a lot happening with IRI (even if my personal adventures are a bit curtailed), and we need to make sure we have a plan of action. Granted, most plans don't survive the first "interesting" event they encounter, but at least it gives us a foundation to build and modify our approach.

Exciting things are happening - we just need to make sure we are ready to act on them!

2015 Tour 1 - Complete!

Well, it looks like I've finished running around for now. The next trip isn't scheduled until July, so I have a few months to process things and work on other projects. I'm still recovering from the travel (I just got in yesterday), so to make up for last week and give you something to look at this week, I give you a picture of my route for this tour:

Stage 1 - The March Route:

Thanks to Google Maps for the Image

If the image is too small, the distance covered was approximately  3500 miles or 5633 km. I was able to visit several of our supporters and friends, and it took about two and a half weeks to cover. I stayed in Broken Arrow for about a week and a half before taking off again, which gave me a bit of a break. Then came stage 2:

Stage 2 - The April Route:

Thanks again to Google Maps - you are quite useful.

This trip covered about 1800 miles or 2900 km. I stayed in Lewistown for about a week, which was the longest stay of the trip back. The entire trip took about 2.5 weeks, with the Lewistown stay counted in.

The grand total distance covered for the trip was about 5400 miles or 8690 km. Yes, I know the numbers don't all add up correctly, but I'm estimating and rounding a bit. The basic idea is there. That basic idea being that this was quite the long haul. 

In addition to the distance traveled, I had to get the car repaired twice along the way, and I still need to get the AC fixed (it broke down somewhere around Denver). It turns out cars don't like being driven over 5000 miles in two months. Overall, though, it was a great trip, and I'm glad I was able to go. Thanks to everyone I got to talk to and stay with along the way, and to everyone who pitched in and helped me out with various (mostly repair) expenses. Y'all are great. (What? I went to Texas on this trip, I can use "y'all.")

On the Road Again

Once again, lots of traveling this week, so not much to post.

Check that, here's a quick travel tip: always, ALWAYS carry extra oil and coolant on long trips. It saves you from, for example, realizing that you are out of coolant while driving on a highway in a location that is about 45 miles from the nearest inhabited area. That is not fun. Not fun at all.

There - that's your tip for the week. Next week is the seminar I am holding in Lewistown, MT. I should have something more interesting to update with then.

Workshops Completed!

Last week's workshops are over, and they were very well received. We had six participants in the college workshop, and an average of 11 participants in the evening church group. In both cases, the participants found that the changes in thinking that come from reflecting on our concepts, then seeing how they apply in our lives made an impact on how they were approaching their work and home lives. There was also a lot of interest in the idea of direct vs indirect understanding, a topic I plan to review in more detail in a later post. There was some frustration, especially during the first few days, among both groups, but this was expected. The feedback by the end of the week was positive, if not enthusiastic. Both groups have indicated that they would like more training or follow-up to the seminar, and we are currently planning some additional workshops for the church that Al will be presenting later this month. We expect to have some additional work from the college, as well, though it would take longer to set up those (more formal) programs.

One point that is clear in both cases: we do not think about our ideas nearly as much as we believe we do. While we are a conceptual culture, in general, we are not often a reflective one, and this is where many of our weaknesses arise. It is very common for someone to explain a mistake (theirs or another's) with the phrase "he wasn't thinking," and this explanation is usually exactly right. Our ability to think about what we are doing - not just our actions but also our way of making decisions or problem solving - has a huge impact on what we are capable of accomplishing. These workshops are proving to be a great way to help people develop the ability to not just think about what they are doing, but also about what they are thinking. We have found that when you focus on how you think, life becomes a lot more managable.

The content of the feedback was very positive. Even the suggestions for changes were given more as "ways to improve" instead of "bad, and you must change." Some of the feedback we received:

• "It pushed us out of our comfort zone!"*
• "...I would like to take a longer course on this subject. I would change it to be more like a 4 hour class, rather than just 2."
•  "Brevity was good. [Good] discussion."
• "...with this class I will look at the 'why' in what I do so that I can broaden my effect on family and friends."
• "I liked the homework"

The last one was genuinely surprising (and, to be fair, not universal). We have found, though, that people do like to stretch their abilities, as long as they don't feel like failures when they run into trouble. This is, by far, the most difficult point of the workshop to get across--we aren't looking for "right" answers, we are trying to help people learn how to discern what the "right" answers may be. Once a person learns how to learn, there is very little that can stop him or her.

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* Just to be clear, this comment was in response to the question: "What was your favorite part of the workshop?"

Workshops In Progress

IRI currently has two workshops underway in Casper, Wyoming. I am leading one at Casper College, for the custodial department, while Al is leading another for a local church.  This is the first time we have used our updated, shortened workshop format (8-10 hrs, down from 36+ hrs.) and it is working well. Feedback so far is positive, and the participants seem excited about the material.

We are hoping that this shortened format will give us more opportunities to hold workshops for other partners/supporters. In the past, the biggest hurdle for our seminar was the fact that it took an entire week's time. Now, while we still prefer a four or five day time frame, we only need around 2 hours a day, which makes it much easier for people and organizations to work into their schedule. The new format is also much more flexible, in terms of tailoring itself to its audience, than the previous seminar format. In our current case, we have one seminar focused on personnel training (the college), with no religious content, and one focused on spiritual discipleship (at the church). While it may seem difficult, it is really just a matter of focus. Both groups are learning how to think more clearly about themselves and their environment, but the former workshop focused on the practical day-to-day applications, while the latter focuses on the Biblical ties and spiritual implications of the material. It is great having a basic core that can be of benefit to all people, without losing its integrity or being dishonest about its intentions with one group or the other. We're having a blast, and hope that everyone continues to enjoy the workshops this week!

This Year's Travels Begin!

Today I leave Spokane for Casper, WY. As I have mentioned before, I will be working with one of our local Church partners, as well as putting on a secular version of IRI's human development workshop for Casper College. This week is travel and preparation, and next week the real fun begins! I am looking forward to working in both venues. We know that our work is beneficial for both Christian growth, and general human development, and are excited to demonstrate this at Casper. The college training will be held during the day, while the Church work will take place in the evening.

Once I finish the workshop in Casper, I will be heading back to Spokane. There is still work I need to do here, as well as additional plans to me made for the rest of this year. Things are starting to heat up; let's see where they go!

Insight Into: Travel (In the North)

As I've noted previously, I will be traveling from Washington state to Wyoming in a few weeks. One of the things I really like about my work is the opportunity I have to travel. So far, I know I will be going to Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, and Alaska in the first half of the year, and probably back overseas in the second half. I love travel; I get to see all kinds of different places and people, and learn firsthand about thing going on in those places. I often learn things I never would have known had I not been there in person to see what's going on and talk with people who are far closer to the local happenings than whatever news anchor or website I would have gotten information from otherwise. It is fun, exciting, and generally one of the two best parts about my job (the other being teaching).

That said, there is one part of travel that I don't enjoy so much...the actual travelling from where I am to where I'm going. Often these trips involve several hours in a plane or car, sitting. Each has ways to keep distracted - on a plane, you can read, or sometimes watch in-flight shows, or listen to music. In cars, you actually get to stop and get out from time to time, which is extremely welcome. Nevertheless, the actual trip out to wherever I am going is usually on a tight schedule and/or budget, so there are no extra stops or sightseeing along the way, so it is a lot of sitting. If I'm driving, it also involves navigation, timing gas and hotel stops, and managing the weather (also driving, but I figure that's a given).

This particular trip, I am driving across Montana to reach Wyoming. Being winter here in the U.S., neither Washington state, Montana, not Wyoming are known for particularly hospitable travel conditions, and I am currently in the process of making sure my car is up to the standards needed to cross the mountains in winter. This means figuring out what kinds of tires to use (all-weather, studded, something else?) where to get them (someplace with high quality but high cost, or someplace like Wal-Mart), and what other materials I may need (a shovel, tire chains, extra supplies, etc.). The fact of the matter is that even with all my preparations, a heavy storm in the passes could keep me locked in place for days, depending on when it hits. Alternatively, I could have great weather the entire way, and not need anything I am taking with me. Coming from the plains, winter car preparation hasn't usually been this complex for me, so this is an interesting experience. I have driven through this area in near-winter before (usually around November, not February), so I have some idea what I'm in for, but this is the first trip where the entire trip will be through the wintry north. All in all, it should be far less dull than a lot of car trips, though, and I plan to travel by day, so while it might take longer, at least I will have the benefit of daylight (and the effect it can have on ice and snow - namely, helping get rid of them).

For those of you who are native to this kind of climate and terrain, feel free to enjoy my nervous discomfort; I know I would find it amusing, if the situation were reversed. For those of you for whom snow is only real as a concept, here's a quick taste of the difference it makes in travel and driving. It's kind of fun knowing that some who read this post will find it amusing (because they've been doing this since childhood), while other will (I hope) find it interesting and very different from their own experiences. The world is a big place, and the internet brings a lot of people together - even for posts like this.

Planning, Planning, Planning

We are working on our scheduling for 2015 right now at IRI, and it looks like I will be traveling quite a bit during the year. If anyone happens to be in the areas I will be visiting, and wants to talk about our work, they are welcome to contact me to see if we can meet.

The current (verified) plan is:
Feb. 2-5 - Casper, WY*
Mar. 13-15 - Grand Junction, CO
April 12-17 - Lewistown, MT

Meetings still in planning include:
Broken Arrow, OK - Early March
Alaska - July
Hong Kong - Fall 2015

We are also hoping to schedule some stops with our friends and supporters to give personal updates. If you have any interest in arranging meetings with me or anyone else at IRI, you can contact us at: info@insiaghtagentsofchange.com.

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*Edit: this is actually 3-6. My mind was off a day, apparently.

Traveling 'Round the West

So...an entire month without posting a blog. Nothing I can do for it now, but apologies on the lack of update last month. As the title suggests, I have been traveling around the western U.S. visiting potential partners and giving explanations/updates about what we are doing in Mozambique and other places. Instead of summing up the trip verbally, which would mostly consist of "went to X, talked to So-And-So" over and over, I have a map of the trip, with some of the locations marked for your viewing pleasure.

The Great Western Tour:

Here's the fast key:
A/I)   Torrington, WY
B)     Winslow, AZ
C)     Globe, AZ
D)     Anaheim, CA
E)     Bakersfield, CA
F)     Ashland, OR
G)    Cottage Grove, OR
H)     Spokane, WA

Final travel distance: 4163 Miles

WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT!

What do the following situations have in common:

1.      A business that cannot seem to “get it together” and follow through on its obligations

2.      A “culture of poverty” among communities in the inner-city

3.      A growing sense of apathy in many communities across the U.S.

4.      A high rate of “business churn” – local businesses that start and fail in a matter of months

The answer? Their way of thinking. All the situations above result from ways of thinking that lock their people into patterns which hinder social, economic, and spiritual development. In addition, these patterns are self-reinforcing causing each successive generation to become more and more entrenched in negative or contradictory lifestyles. These destructive ways of thinking are pervasive in all cultures and people around the world. The problems created by these destructive attitudes is immense, but there is a solution.

INSIGHT RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL INVITES YOU to their first official U.S. pilot of the Insight Workshop. This workshop is designed to break down negative and destructive ways of thinking and provide a new perspective on how to approach, understand, and take control of our lives. The principles found in this workshop have been successful in helping people break their self-destructive patterns both in the U.S. and in Africa. This is an basic two-day workshop that will discuss ways we can: develop a new perspective on the world, build critical thinking and problem solving skills, improve our time-management, take responsibility for our work and dreams, and work with others to accomplish our goals.

Location: Torrington, Wyoming in the Wyoming Room of Pinnacle Bank.

Date: Friday, April 20 6-9 pm and Saturday, April 21 9-4pm.

Admission: Preregistration $100 per person by April 16th, $120 per person at the door,

includes all necessary workshop materials and refreshments.

50% refund if canceled before April 16th.

Payment can be made to Insight Resources International

PO Box 1030

Torrington, Wy. 82240

For more information contact Jason Nichols.

Come join us for this first-of-its-kind workshop!

Incoming Workshop!

So I've been away a while again. Originally, we were planning on me being in South Africa by now en route to Mozambique. Unfortunately, a shortage of funds (airlines actually want you to PAY them to fly you places...crazy) demanded that I stay in the U.S. for another month. On the plus side, this provided an opportunity to conduce a pilot workshop here in Torrington, WY. One door closes, another door opens...

The workshop is designed to be a short "core principles" version of the full Insight Seminar we use as part of our work in Mozambique and elsewhere. The full seminar tends to run about 40 hours - a huge time investment for most people - and costs, at minimum, around $600 per person,* making it quite pricy. While I believe the seminar is worth both the time and cost, I have wanted to put together a simpler, more basic presentation to help people grasp some of the core ideas and raise awareness of the principles behind what we are doing. Thus we came up with the idea for the Insight Workshop - a 9-hour workshop which costs substantially less than the full workshop, but still helps people develop new ways of thinking about their lives that can help them live better. I will be posting our full "workshop notice" soon, so anyone who is interested can make reservations.

IN OTHER NEWS...

We are in the process of creating a new website! The new site will combine the old Safari Insight Mission website and the Insight International website into the Insight Resources International website! We're really excited about having a new site with updated information (and working links). I will post when it is up, so please get ready to check it out when it comes - look for the new site in about a month or so.

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*That's just to cover the cost of venue and materials. To generate any kind of revenue (or pay any of our staff), the seminar runs closer to $1200 per person.

Still Here

While I have not posted in quite a while, I am still around. I've been traveling quite a lot since Alaska, and should be settling down back in Wyoming next week. I plan to post more once I get a break from running around, but until then:

• Alaska was great - as I mentioned earlier, the people were very friendly and we were well-recieved
• Following Alaska, I traveled to Texas by way of Oklahoma and Illinois - I was able to meet with several friends, and speak about the work we are doing. Overall, a good stop.
• After Texas, I spent about a week and a half in Bakersfield speaking to various groups and contacts. I also got to spend a few hours with friends and family in the area.
• To conclude my runaround trip, I have recently been visiting people in Colorado and Wyoming. We still have a few speaking engagements before heading back to Africa, but most of the long-distance travel is over until then. 

The short summary is that interest in the seminars is increasing, and we may have opportunities to put on seminars in Alaska, California and perhaps Texas and Colorado over the next year or two.

Our Vice-President and co-founder, Doug Berry died earlier this month. We had to split our traveling group so that some of us could attend his funeral, while the rest of us continued our scheduled meetings. I am sorry I could not make it to see his family, but I know he wanted us to continue to raise interest in the work we are doing, and hope that I was able to honor him by doing so. He will be missed.