Topic 3: Surviving and Thriving

Thanks everybody for coming to Davin's for our third session which was entitled Surviving and Thriving and involved Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. We discussed this description of the stages in our lives in which base needs such as food, water, etc. must be met before we can focus on higher level needs such as love, self-esteem and eventually actualization.
We spent more time discussing the more base needs and how they are mostly satisfied in our society. However, we acknowledged that most Americans still seem to be enslaved by their "careers" which are necessary so that we can afford cars, houses, and payment of debt. Alternative lifestyle choices and values were discussed.
The University education system was questioned, critiqued and defended (in no particular order).

Of course we talked about much, much more.

What did everyone think of the discussion? Do you wish to elaborate on anything? Any future topics/hosts/ideas?

Yours in participatory learning,

Ben

hands on demo

If we would do a hands-demo in the future, what should we do for it?

I would like to learn things like how to fix a bike, how to be more energy efficient (i.e. solar energy, though this may be difficult or expensive to do in one session), stretch a canvas, make your own clothes.

Do any of these thoughts resonate with you? Do you or someone you know have these skills? What would you like to share/learn? Any other suggestions?

Ben

Zip -a-dee-doo-da-day

All right! I'm ready to teach and learn. Let us begin this adventure together grassroots style!
Steven

Welcome to UWE-Free!

Welcome to UWE-Free!

Thanks to all those who came to our first get-together on Tuesday. We watched a web video

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/191

and listened to a passage from a book about happiness

Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar

We discussed how to become happier and some impediments. We also talked a bit about possible format and structure for UWE-Free.

We talked of meeting again, possibly at Racy's or Dancing Goat or L. E. Phillips Senior Center or the Public Library. This will likely happen early in the second week of January.

Feel free to post about whatever's on your mind. How should we organize/disorganize? What topics are you interested in? Is there anything you would like to teach? Do you know anyone else who would like to teach something?

Thanks for participating in this wonderful new venue in which we can all learn together as freely as possible!

Ben