Welcome to Re-authoring Teaching

imageFounded in 2008, this global learning community began a few months after Michael White’s death, with the vision of bringing together practitioners, teachers, students drawn to narrative practice and other collaborative approaches.  We follow many principles outlined in the book: Re-authoring Teaching: Creating a Collaboratory to consult with each other, bring multiple voices into our teaching and learning, and learn about life experiences from people who seek our services. 

The Narrative Practice & Collaborative Inquiry (NPCI) Study Group is an online "island of belonging” where members from across geographic distance can find each other and build a learning community that transcends geography, professional status, and other differences. Our members wish to pursue their own studies of narrative practice and collaborative inquiry, to reflect on developments in their own work. and to embark on shared projects. Members fold this commitment into active lives with the freedom to participate to the extent possible. We've reduced our membership fee, replaced the NPCI Learning Modules with an (upcoming) optional online learning series, streamlined our resources, and added multi-media innovations.

Vermont Sponsored Training Events take advantage of our beautiful Vermont location to create rigorous and lively learning experiences where participants can further develop skills in narrative approaches in collaboration with others, while savoring panoramic views, good company, and outdoor splendors. We are delighted to have found two ideal locations here in Vermont: The All-Souls Gathering and Treleven Farm. Click here to check out our current training events.

Our Online Learning Series is an exciting new initiative in collaboration with The Taos Institute and Alliant International University. Together we are creating Webinars, Learning Modules and Online Courses to bridge and build dialogue between narrative therapy, social construction, and postmodern practice in the field of human and social inquiry. Our multi-media features will enhance online learning including the use of iPads and iPhones. The first online offerings will begin in September, 2012.

February 19th, 2012

We have lots of exciting news. Please have a look around our newly revised website where you will find lots of changes and new projects.

Registration Now Open: We are thrilled to offer several upcoming training events in Vermont:

- On June 17-18, 2012, Gaye, Shona and Peggy will host our second "Extending Narrative Practice: Refreshing the Spirit of the Work" gathering at the stunningly beautiful All-Souls location in Shelburne, Vermont.
- On June 20, 2012, Rob Hall and Alison Newton will offer the workshop, "Responding to Abuse within Families and Building Ethical Resistance."
- David Epston is coming back to Vermont October 8-11, 2012 for two back-to-back events: a larger one-day workshop, "Can a person's mischief make trouble for a problem? A query for "former" children who have become therapists and the people who they are seeing, and a smaller "Master's Class" for experienced narrative practitioners at Treleven , a beautiful and newly established retreat center on a sheep farm in Vermont (maximum of 40).

Global Commitment: Our updated website reflects our commitment to creating global connections, honoring local context and meanings. We also extend our invitation to join "Spreading my wings" - our first"Global Reflecting Teamwork" translated in four languages. Here we are experimenting with both text and voice recordings.

Narrative Practice and Collaborative Inquiry Study Group: Please read about the changes and consider becoming a member. We're especially eager about our emerging "Shared Witnessing Projects" and new multi-media features.

Neighborly ways of being: Check out our new section devoted to neighborly ways of being as a metaphor for social healing.

New Online Courses: The collaborative initiative between Re-authoring Teaching and The Taos Institute (TI) is gearing up to offer our first three online courses: 1) Honoring our legacy; 2) Extending Narrative Practice; and 3) Social Construction theory and practice. Our new target date is September, 2012.

Please sign up for our free newsletter here.

If you are on Facebook, Please come check out our new "Re-authoring Teaching: Creating a Collaboratory" Facebook page.

Cheers to a new year!
Peggy Sax
Middlebury, Vermont, USA

July 25, 2011

Behind-the-scenes we are busy developing an Online Learning Series based on the collaborative initiative between Re-authoring Teaching, The Taos Institute (TI) and Alliant Continuing Education. This online project is a work in progress, and we need your help shaping what emerges. In particular, we have a few updates and requests:

1- Will you join us in test-piloting the new David Epston webpage? This online project is a work in progress, and we need your help shaping what emerges, and letting us know where you encounter the inevitable techno glitches. Subscription is easy and free (check-out the box on the right hand side of the webpage). The webpage is currently divided into the following sections: Introduction, Remembering Michael White, Poetics of Inquiry, Playful approaches, Anti-anorexia/anti-bulimia, Letter-writing, and Alternate sources of Bravery.

2- Honoring our Legacy is the first online course in the Re-authoring Teaching/Taos Institute co-sponsored Learning Series. We will highlight specific contributions, in text and recordings, by five cherished family therapist mentors including Tom Andersen, Gianfranco Cecchin, Harry Goolishian, Lynn Hoffman and Michael White. The course is based on our shared belief that the best tribute we can give our mentors is to gather evidence that their ideas and practices have gained lives of their own even for people who never knew them. For each mentor, we are creating a WordPress-based webpage (similar in design to the David Epston webpage) that weaves together photos, texts, tributes and recordings. If you have anything to contribute, please contact Peggy Sax.

The Narrative Practice & Collaborative Inquiry Study Group is always in search of new members.

Please sign up for our free newsletter here.

If you are on Facebook, Please come check out our new "Re-authoring Teaching: Creating a Collaboratory" FB page.

May 31, 2011
Announcing The Taos Institute/NPCI Online Learning Series

We are pleased to announce an exciting new collaborative initiative between The Narrative Practice & Collaborative Inquiry (NPCI) Study Group, The Taos Institute (TI) and Alliant International University. Together we are developing an Online Learning Series to create bridges and build dialogue between narrative therapy, social construction, and postmodern practice in the field of human and social inquiry.

The Taos Institute is a community of scholars and practitioners “committed to exploring, developing and disseminating ideas and practices that promote creative, appreciative and collaborative processes in families, communities and organizations around the world.” As a non-profit organization, The Taos Institute works on the interface between the scholarly community and societal practitioners in contexts of mental health, social work, counseling, organizational change, education, community building, gerontology and medicine. The TI website brings together many innovations in therapy and social change.

Our online TI/NPCI Learning Series is based on the belief that we can all learn from "cross-fertilization.” We would like to bring narrative therapy - and poststructuralist inquiry - into the conversation. We are aiming to begin with two courses available beginning September, 2011:

1) Honoring Our Legacy: We believe the best tribute we can give our mentors is to gather evidence that their ideas and practices have gained lives of their own even for people who never knew them. We will highlight specific contributions, in text and recordings, by several of our most cherished family therapist mentors including Tom Andersen, Gianfranco Cecchin, Harry Goolishian, Lynn Hoffman and Michael White.

2) Foundations for Constructionist Theory & Practice: With Ken Gergen and Sheila McNamee at the helm, we are co-constructing this online course to provide an overview of constructionist philosophy and practice, orientation to TI Global resources, and key concepts.

For further information, please keep watching our websites and sign up for our newsletters:

The Taos Institute (TI)
The TI Newsletter

The NPCI Newsletter

February 5, 2011

David Epston Comes to Vermont

What is a good question?
What is a good story?

Join us in beautiful Shelburne, Vermont for two days of experimentation and skill development devoted to exploring these questions. David Epston, co-founder of narrative therapy, will guide us through "inner-views" -deliberately created live interviews that allow for stopping and starting, question development, commentary, and interviewee feedback. Get behind the scenes with David to experience how he thinks and conceptualizes interviewing. These two days will be almost exclusively experiential and primarily concerned with the poetics and artfulness of narrative practice. As reflective practitioners, participants will explore experience, interaction and reflection in collaboration with others, while savoring panoramic views, good company, and the outdoor splendors of Vermont springtime.

David Epston is is the co-founder with Michael White of Narrative Therapy. David is co-director of the Family Therapy Centre in Auckland, New Zealand and Visiting Professor, School of Human Sciences and Community Studies, UNITEC Institute of Technology, Auckland. His most recent book, Down under and up over: Travels with narrative therapy (2008) is available through Narrative Books.

Early Bird Registration is now open!
Click here for more information and to register.

Plans are also underway for Gaye Stockell and Shona Rusell to return to Vermont for the next gathering of "Extending Narrative Practice: Refreshing the Spirit of the Work."

For further information about Narrative Practice & Collaborative Inquiry Study Group events, please sign up for our Email Newsletter.

The NPCI E-Learning Modules

We are pleased to announce a partnership with Alliant International University, making it possible for members of the Narrative Practice & Collaborative Inquiry Study Group to earn continuing education credit for their studies within the password protected NPCI study group forum. Registered study group members can sign up for “NPCI E-Learning Modules” to earn CE credits while following the study group schedule for guided self-paced study of readings, recordings, and guest authors. E-learning modules are interactive, providing opportunities to engage with an international group of practitioners and directly consult with guest authors.

Click for further information:

The Narrative Practice and Collaborative Inquiry (NPCI) Study Group

The E-Learning Modules

Registration for Continuing Education through Alliant International University



The Narrative Practice and Collaborative Inquiry Study Group - Peggy Sax

"The Narrative Practice and Collaborative Inquiry Study group" began in September, 2008. One at a time, members are coming onboard who wish to pursue their studies of narrative practice and collaborative inquiry, and to reflect on developments in their own work. An annual $200 USD "club membership," gives all study group members a schedule for guided study, access to the media library and discussion boards.

Through a partnership with Alliant International University, we are pleased to offer continuing education credits (CEUs) for an additional fee for psychologists, mental health counselors, social workers and nurses. Alliant International University (AIU) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. AIU maintains responsibility for the program and its content. AIU is approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences to provide continuing education for MFTs and LCSWs (provider # PCE234). AIU is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing to provide continuing education for Nurses (provider # CEP11235).

We are currently developing “learning modules” for studying narrative practice and collaborative inquiry – and to “create a collaboratory” - within the password protected study group site. These continuing education opportunities will soon be posted here as well as on the Alliant International University website. It is not necessary to sign up for continuing education in order to become a member of the study group.

We can also readily customize an additional board to gather a local study group, practitioners with common interests, or in collaboration with an existing course with its own local instructor(s). A customized discussion board can also assign its own moderator. Several groups have begun to take advantage of this opportunity including Narrative Practices Adelaide. For more information, please click here

Introduction

“Collaboratory” blends the words collaboration and laboratory to convey an environment without walls where participants use communication technologies to connect with a sense of discovery over a shared project. The book Re-authoring Teaching applies the collaboratory metaphor to teaching, showing how the addition of an interactive website has the potential to turn a course into a vital collaborative learning community. This website now extends the conversation beyond the formal structure of a course by offering space for teachers, students, practitioners and clients to transcend designated roles, sharing stories and teaching practices. We hope to create an international learning community to share teaching stories, practices, dilemmas and enthusiasms. Throughout, we will only share stories with permission, and act carefully in accordance with professional codes of ethics as psychologists, social workers,
mental health counselors, psychiatrists and physicians.

Rather than drawing sharp distinctions between practitioners’ lives and the lives of people who seek help, we seek to develop ethical practices that build on professional knowledge, while earnestly learning about life experiences from the people who seek our services. We urge you to make our website what you would like it to be, expanding the circle of connections through your participation.

Tribute to Michael White

This website begins as a tribute to Michael White, the gifted and creative co-founder of narrative therapy. His life’s work and his untimely death in April, 2008 have affected many people worldwide. (click here to read further tributes). Michael offered a language and specific practices that enabled therapists to become less professionally distanced, more participatory and linked with a community of support. His narrative explorations were journeys that awoke in people a sense of agency, a realization that they could actively shape their own lives. The following quote best conveys Michael White's ethic of collaboration - inspiring this website to become a meeting place where people who believe in collaborative inquiry can exchange ideas and teaching practices and learn from each other.

"And what of solidarity: I am thinking of a solidarity that is constructed by therapists who refuse to draw a sharp distinction between their lives and the lives of others, who refuse to marginalize those persons who seek help by therapists who to constantly confront the fact that if faced with …the troubles of others, they just might not be doing nearly as well themselves."
- Michael White