How do i~we explain our educational influences in learning to improve our educational influences 
as practitioner-researchers within the social and other formations that dynamically include us?

On 5 Mar 2008, at 10:38, Jean McNiff wrote:
 "I believe that a strong evidence base has emerged - and now needs strengthening - to show the 
formation of a worldwide culture that is grounded in openness and engagement with others, 
through a willingness to demonstrate personal accountability - from all. Which leads me to 
suggest that all of us participants on this list might produce evidence to show how we are 
producing our explanations for what we do. I do think we would all learn much from one another 
about how we can contribute to personal and social wellbeing if this were to happen, and would 
go far in strengthening the global evidence base." (Jean McNiff, 5 March 08. 10.38)

I'm following Jean's suggestion of focusing on evidence to show how I am producing my 
explanation for what I do in my life and work as an educator and in my educational research 
programme into the nature of educational theory. I connect closely my 'how' questions with my 
'why' questions and Susie's latest posting resonates very strongly with the values I use to give 
meaning and purpose to my life. These values form some of the most significant explanatory 
principles in my accounts of what I do:

" I could never have got to this place of seeing into this living entity without the few deep
conversations I have had with fellow workers experiencing the same things
and without going into the roaring terrain of my inner core which laments
the lost opportunity for love and friendship, trust and creativity, and
truly transformative experiences. As well as all this, and in the same work,
I am facilitating a team of volunteer facilitators where this experience of
inter-subjective and transformative experience is beginning to emerge - so
the story is going on." (Susie Goff 9 March 08 15.43)

Like Susie I value highly, love, friendship, trust, creativity and truly transformative educational 
experiences.  I especially value the transformatory conversations with members of the e-seminar 
where these values have been expressed in our natural communion (see Alan's writings on Natural 
Communion at http://www.inclusional-research.org/furtherreading.php ). 

I also value highly the development of the living boundaries within which these values can be 
expressed while at the same time providing resistance to damage from individual and cultural 
pressures that could undermine the expression of these values. I show where my thinking has got 
to in terms of these living boundaries in the first paper below:

I value the educational space this e-forum provides because it permits us to share our educational 
enquiries over months and years, to learn from each other's enquiries and to benefit from each 
other's wisdom.  

Susie - I am looking forward to sharing your thoughts on your facilitation of 'a team of volunteer 
facilitators where this experience of inter-subjective and transformative experience is beginning 
to emerge.'  I'm wondering whether this work will move your 'lament'  (I know the feeling) to one of 
pleasure in feeling the fuller emergence of the expressions of love, friendship, trust, creativity and 
transformative experience. I'm hopeful that we might find it possible to 'combine' our voices ( see 
below), as we work at living these values as fully as we can.

Occasionally I like to place in the archive, for any critical help you wish to offer, my living theory of 
explanations of educational influences in learning (my own, others and social formations). My 
living theory contains the evidence to show how I am producing my explanation for what I do.

This paper, on the boundaries of cultures, in resistance is due of presentation next week at a 
Cultures in Resistance Conference in Manchester UK 

How Are Living Educational Theories Being Produced And Legitimated In The Boundaries Of 
Cultures In Resistance?  http://www.jackwhitehead.com/jack/jwmanchester250208.htm

The following url takes you to  a draft paper for a keynote to the International Conference of 
Teacher Researchers in New York on the 28 March on Combining Voices in Teacher Research. Any 
help you can give me on developing the idea of combining our voices as practitioner-researchers 
would be much appreciated.

Combining Voices In Living Educational Theories. 
http://www.jackwhitehead.com/aerictr08/jwictr08keyDR303.htm

I do hope that you will share your own accounts for each other and for the archive with live urls to 
your explanations of educational influence. I'm thinking of accounts such as these from Jean 
McNiff's website for presentation at the AERA 08 conference (24-28 March), from research in 
Khayelitsha in South Africa:

http://www.jeanmcniff.com/khayelitsha/tsepo_AERA_2008.htm

Love Jack.