Observation

Observation is a key part of any learning. Remember though that there are other parts of the learning cycle as well, and that until you take you observations and put them in a context and think them through, they are not doing you much good. Sherlock Holmes, the famous fictional detective, was always saying to Watson, "You see, my friend, but you do not observe." He meant that although Watson had picked up all the details that Holmes had, he had not put them in context and inferred meaning into them.

Below are a few thoughts on observation and a long bit on listening (using overheard conversation as an observation activity) from the 1991 Inspiration Handbook, and the workbook tips.

Beth W:  I sat in the underground and watched people, as I 
enjoy people-watching.  I thought about life and the journey in the 
underground.  I thought about how people walk to the underground with 
one goal in mind; then when they approach the tube they have to start 
focussing on getting through the ticket barrier.  After the barrier 
there is a new destination for them; a new focus. 

Vanessa:  It inspired me to write in a strange place.  I sat 
on a door step in a mews.  Doing that inspired me to want to carry a 
notebook around and maybe make a project of writing in strange 
places; make writing an adventure.

Chris:  I sat in the sun and gave myself time to take in the 
park and reflect upon it.  I saw everything through new eyes as I 
gave myself the time to notice things.  Thinking, forming thoughts.  
It was also good for me to work with a definitive deadline, as I need 
structure to get some self-discipline.

Quotes and Overheard Conversation
JWW - March 21, 1991
Facilitator:  Vanessa
present:  Angelica, Beth F, Beth W,
          Chris, Jessica, Vanessa,
          Miho, Jana, Natasha

Purpose/Plan/Outline

the place: the boat to Calais
the time: morning

Today is about using Conversation to structural advantage in the 
documentation of our learning and in the creation of our journals.

1.  Conversation - picking up other people's phrases, responses to 
things you talk about, sentences, stories...using these quotes as 
part of your documentation.  Using these phrases in or out of context.

2.  warm-up/inspiration/perception/writing exercise:
	a.  Walk around the boat and eavesdrop.  Take note of 
interesting phrases, conversations, actions, things, exclamations 
that people are expressing.  Twenty minutes.
	b.  Share out findings from the boat as well as anything 
from this past week - keep in mind how some things you may have 
heard may connect to the studies you are actually aspiring to do 
this semester.

Minutes
by Vanessa

We were on our way to France - a day trip ingathering - and as many of 
us were going, it had been planned to do this week's workshop on the 
boat across the Channel.  We concentrated on conversation which 
consisted of going around the boat, or sitting in one place, listening 
to what people were saying, and writing that down as well as anything 
else that came to mind.  The purpose of this exercise was to inspire 
the inclusion of conversation in our journals; to notice conversation 
and to use in our learning documentation.

	There was a lot of background noise -  the boat was loud - but 
we managed to hear people and then hear each other on how this writing 
exercise had inspired us in different ways.

Miho:  At first I wrote down phrases I heard without any 
connection.  On the deck there was a boy teasing a little girl.  I 
heard different things and tried to connect some with my study, but I 
did not go that far.  I was writing down phrases when a man started 
talking to me - he said something I did not quite understand but the 
incident made me notice that I was also observed as well as being an 
observer.  I am going to Northern Ireland soon.  I would like to hear 
and listen, but I will also be observed by other people.

Beth W:  My expedition turned into a sort of sociological 
study.  I noticed that there was a big difference in how kids and 
adults used language.  It was harder to listen to kids because they 
used a lot of noises; everyone was going "oooh" and "naaa" etc.
	I sat down next two older people who were having a 
conversation and got snippets of their talk.  I didn't get all of what 
they were saying - and the disjointed phrases gave my the idea of 
putting different pieces of conversation together to create a prose 
poem or a story.  I also noticed how much of what people say is just 
nonsense words.



Compiled by Beth
That's an idea, isn't it
That would be nice
	splendid
Right.
I'll ask my old man about that

You have to stick your fingers dow--aughhh
		dee dee dee doo doo

By the time we get there it will be too late
I thought
One opened up a place
If you go straight past
they've got a terrace there
That's nice
great place to go and have a beer and watch the sun go down
don't think we're going to have an English party this year
coffee
well you can have with yours
you don't know you don't know you don't know
underneath the ceilings
the duty free allowances
1992
no later this year
butter?
I've got the passports
Have you got the passports?
lay it across the top
I suppose I'll just check
what bag
take all this crap
that doesn't help us
doesn't help us, no
we tend to
we have got to

Workshop Discussion Sparks

"Simple" Observation vs. Reflective Observation

Inspired and Creative

Compile a list of good spots in your neighborhood to linger and observe.

Rigorous Training

See exercises above (and the ones in the "AAAAAGGGHHHH" section)
Observe people. Look at their clothes. Look at the things they are carrying. Watch the things they are doing. See if you can guess at their occupation/destination/origin (and be prepared to be wrong a lot!)
Observe shops. Look at all the food stands you can find, and learn about their similarities and differences. Or the same with religious buildings, post offices, train stations, etc. etc.
Observe plants and animals. Learn all about the different breeds of cattle where you are, the different kinds of trees, or the different songs of birds.
Observe whatever else is easy to observe: the weather, traffic patterns, tourists, the marketplace, a graveyard, etc. etc. Learn something about the patterns you find.

AAAAAGGGHHHH!

It is fairly easy to get overwhelmed-- there is too much to see and hear in the world. Usually it helps to narrow your focus. There's a great section of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance where a student is trying to write an essay on the United States and can't get started; she has to narrow the focus of the paper until she finally is able to write-- about the top right-most brick on the front of the courthouse in town.
If you're really stuck, try drawing a little circle on the ground. Or carry a small loop of string around, and put it in various places. Only write about what is in that circle.

See Also

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by R. Pirsig
INTERVIEWING (F.5)
NOTE TAKING (G.6)
DIARY AS TOOL (C.3)
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION/LEARNING CYCLE (C.1)
QUESTIONING ASSUMPTIONS (C.2)
PERSPECTIVE SHIFTS (D.3.b)
AREA STUDIES (I.6)

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