Teaching-Learning Academy

Co-Mentoring/Co-Inquiry Group Highlights for Oct. 17/18 2007

The following highlights emerged from our small group conversations across the four dialogue groups. Please consider these ideas/questions as you continue the dialogue around the bigger questions of “What keeps us from genuine dialogue across multiple perspectives? And what would encourage that dialogue in sustaining a respectful, inclusive learning culture?”

Co-mentoring/co-inquiry defined

·  Co-mentoring is transactional learning (student/teacher learn from each other- not a discipleship, but rather “dual learning” and ‘learning by teaching”).

·  Mentor/disciple equals a power differential/hierarchy and suggests inherent inequality. (Is that the optimum?).

·  Co-mentoring involves bringing different questions and learning from each other as we try to answer them.

·  Co-mentoring is an organic process, fluid

·  Co-mentoring is not always goal-oriented.

·  Co-mentoring is not always conscious.

·  (Sometimes) in co-mentoring, one person serves as guide (someone has a flash of light).

·  Co-Inquiry = people asking the same question(s) on an equal level

·  Co-inquiry involves problem solving with people from multiple disciplines/backgrounds

·  Co-Inquiry seems more task focused, where co-mentoring is more free and open.

·  Perhaps “collaboration” involves working together on a specific action? So perhaps “co-inquiry” means sharing the same question in order to find ways for collaborating? And “co-mentoring” involves sharing different questions in order to find ways for both co-mentoring & collaborating?

Co-mentoring/co-inquiry illustrated

·  TLA is a co-mentoring situation, an intentional format that produces unintentional co-mentoring.

·  First purpose of TLA: co-inquiry—studying shared questions (but can lead to co-mentoring).

·  Co-mentoring involves sharing experiences and stories.

·  Co-mentoring is experiential (not just transfer of information).

Co-mentoring/co-inquiry and communication

·  Mutual respect is crucial to every communication, but especially when it involves co-mentoring/co-inquiry.

·  Try unplugging the world and see how communication will work when the goal is co-mentoring/co-inquiry. In other words, when does technology (such as blogs) advance the goals of co-mentoring/co-inquiry and when does it interfere?

·  To what extent is feeling comfortable communicating (for co-mentoring/co-inquiry) via technology a generational difference?

·  Non-verbal communication is most of a dialogue, so some would say we need at least some in-person opportunities.

·  Taking action requires being highly intentional and benefits from having dialogue first.