Liberating Structures we adapted for online: Mad Tea
Purpose:
- Mad Tea purpose: Create a bigger, richer, and clearer context for shaping next steps together
- Our (specific) purpose for this activity: a way to review and discuss our progress, thinking and some readings on a topic.
People & Technology:
- 2 facilitators – BJ Eib & Tracy Roberts
- 8 participants from the same organization
- Tech: PowerPoint, Blackboard Collaborate (tools: breakout rooms, timer, announcement, whiteboard),
- The big “online” idea: use breakout rooms to create private pair talking spaces to replicate the repeated rapid cycles of 1:1 conversations.
- We did this activity after a general welcome/warmup and tech check-in, and before another activity that dug deeper.
Five Structural Elements – Min Specs (from original LS Mad Tea) | Notes for adapting to online (BB Collaborate) |
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1. Structuring Invitation
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2. How Space Is Arranged and Materials Needed
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3. How Participation Is Distributed
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4. How Groups Are Configured
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5. Sequence of Steps and Time Allocation
1. [1] Ask everyone in the group to for two concentric circles and find one other person, standing directly across from them, face to face 2. [2] Describe the rules succinctly: in very short order, one person completes the sentence on the screen while the other expresses keen interest and curiosity 3. [1] Invite one person in each pair to finish the sentence # 1 first , ding the bells once at 30 seconds, then invite the other to do the same 4. Ding the bells twice at 1 minute, remind participants to move two to the right (you will not have to remind them after the first round) 5. [12-15] Repeat step 2-4 for each additional open sentence (up to 15 total) 6. [2] Ask, what did you notice about the Mad Tea experience? |
Rounds go like this:
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Post-session reflections, tips, etc…
- This may be a case where more time is needed to do this online – e.g., be generous in the first round and with the first minute of each 2-min round (i.e., after participants go to breakout rooms). Consider 1.5 or 2 min instead of 1 min.
- We did not have a slide illustrating the process, but I’d try it next time to see if it adds anything.
- Co-facilitate this one – there’s a lot going on!
- Considering using this activity (online or f2f)? Do consult the original activity description on http://www.liberatingstructures.com/ls/ – you’ll find lots more information and very useful detail to support your facilitation (e.g., tips & traps, riffs & variations)