Consensus Maps: Learning to Negotiate and Reach Agreement

Negotiation is one of our big foci this term. We have been collaborating in Maths, during Inquiry and honing those skills with Survivor. The consensus map builds on these, really digging down into what is involved in effective negotiation. It's a way to organise and present different ideas or solutions to a problem. The middle circle is where the group present their solution, after having a conversation and achieving consensus.

We know that, as we grow up we will have to work with people from all walks of life, often people who are not our friends but, we can still be productive and achieve positive outcomes working with these people. Critical thinking, developing solid arguments, listening, compromising and thinking flexibly are some of the many parts of completing a consensus map. Quite a challenge!

From an educational point of view we know the benefits of students building knowledge together. In a recent article, 'Collaborative Learning and Knowledge Building', Fred de Jong notes that, 'All students are legitimate contributors to community goals and take responsibility for advancing the community’s knowledge, not just their individual learning.' We are very much in the process of supporting each other to create new knowledge and ways of understanding.

In this case we have been wondering about the gender pay gap; why women are paid less than men and we are expecting a solution. This will be one of the many issues we cover during our current Inquiry; Wahine Toa; The Gender Dilema.