Creating Learning Community – CLC Kajang

 

 

Introduction

 

A small group of people (5 number) started the first informal meeting on 6^th March, 2001 for about 2 hours with a vague and general idea of wanting to create a Learning Community.

 

Through a process of discussion, brainstorming, sharing and dialogue, the vague and general idea of creating Learning Community is beginning to take some shape and form.

 

The Process of Building a Learning Community

 

After self introduction of each person’s name, background, profession / business, each person commented on the initial draft of the Vision and Mission of coming together in this informal meeting ;

 

Vision : A Learning Community that collectively co-create their desired future

Mission : To build Community with increasing capability and capacity, focusing on knowledge and skills that eventually propel the economy of the society.

 

General Comments and Reaction to Vision / Mission draft Statements:

 

• How to go about it?
• Too vague and abstract, what type of future?
• Too wide a scope
• Why propel economy only, what about human development?

 

A simple exercise was performed with each person to brainstorm on “What positive scenario or vision can we imagine for Kajang Community in 10 years, 20 years time, when globalization is fully taking shape?” (Kajang is chosen as most of the people come from Kajang and we tried to use our imaginative power to focus on community close to home).

 

Our general discussion led to following ideas:

 

• Current trend of development continues with infra-structure, hardware mostly in place
• People become more self-centred, more competitive
• More traffic jam
• IT and ICT etc mostly in hardware, infra-structure

 

It was apparent that our thoughts were limited to current perception of reality, i.e. concerned about genuine human development, difficulty to achieve collective intelligence and wisdom.

 

On reflecting on the draft vision statement : “A Learning Community that collectively co-create their desired future” (which was commented as vague and general) it is suggested that we ponder on the vision later when we deliberate more on our current reality (our own perception and understanding of current concerns and difficulties) and develop a powerful and compelling imaginative picture of a future state.

 

Knowledge and Skills

 

We tried out another exercise : instead of taking the whole of Kajang Community, which is too large a scope with complex variables, we focused on ourselves (5 of us) as a small community to try out the principles of building a learning community.

 

There are 5 categories of background (person’s profession, career or business) with knowledge domains in :

 

1. IT
2. Insurance
3. Engineer – Highway Construction
4. Business – Manufacturing / retailing
5. Management Training / Human Development

 

Each person was to reflect and share with the rest on “What Knowledge and Skills that can further enhance their performance, goals in life or attainment of excellence”

 

General ideas of knowledge and skills are as follow:

 

• Products knowledge
• Interacting and Influencing skills with clients or potential clients
• Management skills in the professional jobs
• Business skills
• Motivating, leading and aligning all workers towards business goals
• IT and Internet

 

IT and Internet were quoted by all as most important and critical knowledge and skills and there was general discussion in this area.  Most feel that IT and Internet are too large a scope and overwhelming and guidance is needed to speed up the learning in this area.

 

General Principles / Approaches of Building a Learning Community

 

From the above exercise, the following principles can be established:

 

1. Creating Learning Community can start with a small group (like above), focusing on individual goals and knowledge and skills for improvement and enhancement
2. Designing a Learning Environment where this small community or team can effect team learning through sharing and mutual coaching.
3. Each team member can bring in more interested parties with diversity in knowledge and experience to tap on collective intelligence
4. Each member can start his or her cell group using the same guiding principles of creating Learning Community
5. All members, cell groups are networked through Internet with a portal designed for purpose of building netted Learning Communities.
6. There is no formal structure so that linkage and networking with others can be effected easily.
7. Learning Community is not affiliated with any group, society, organization or party but they can be a part of the Learning Community with visions of creating good to society and mankind, focusing on Knowledge and Skills.

 

Next Steps

 

1. All the 5 of us have email and we will use email or mailing list / BB to further communicate and collaborate. (Some of us have to take extra discipline to access to email more often)
2. We plan to meet once a month, 1^st Sunday of the month, afternoon 2-4 p.m.
3. Each person is encouraged to bring friends or associates interested.

 

End.