Stephen Dann

[Stephen Dann]

I have delivered a session across three campus – a remote individual, a local class, and a remote class. We pre-mailed out the LSP kits to the individuals (starter kits in this case, so I got them back at the end), but you could, if budget, lead time and mail service permit, send out window exploration sets as non-returnables.

To add to the previous post – we found a useful way to share the model was either to zoom in (this was a teleconference enabled set up), or bring the model in close to focus in the camera. It really took the emphasis off the speaker and back into the model, as all you could see was the Lego, with the voice-over.

Given I use print supplements (single page instruction manuals for metaphor models, and key builds) I could use a PDF as a substitute, and just do the old speaking book trick of “When the facilitator rings the bell, turn the page”.

[Stephen Dann]

@Francine
I should put up a picture of my office. The entire back wall is boxes of lego boxes. I’ve been using the Adafruit (Large Tin With Clear Top Window) as my cases for individual window kits, and found they stack really well into a travel luggage organiser in blocks of 32 – instant 8 teams of 4 options. I also have the sorter sheet over on Mecabricks for restoring the kits to their 49 piece starting line up.

@paraggadhia – the 15 brick exercise is a modification based on the Explain This! from the Starter kit.

With the client, we set a question that the participant won’t see until after they’ve selected the pieces – I do a few exercises where it’s the first of a question pair (eg what have you learnt / how will you use it; what are you goals / what is the next step towards that goal)

Participants get a pair of compulsory choice sets, usually with a brick crossover between the two, and free choice to pick other pieces – there’s variance as to whether the minifig is one or three bricks, or if the rotor + attaching brick is one or two. They get a few minutes to pick, then get shown the question – it’s about intentionally creating cognitive dissonance, and having that moment of “Well, if I knew what the question was, I would have picked differently”. Then a build time of two or three minutes, and by the end, they’re using abstract creations to share rich stories with each other – it’s a real transformative moment from “The Power is In The Right Piece” to “The Power is in the Story Maker”.

Where there’s a second question, I’ll often provide an octoplate (part 89523) for use as a base for the challenge question, and then participants can build onto/atop or in response to their challenge model.

I do use an identity kit + landscape kit on occasion – I’ve renamed my kit the BB-K (base build kit), and bring that into play when we’re looking at a major collaborative build opportunity – most of the time, because I get 90 minutes to 2 hours, I restrict it to the Window Kits though. If I am running BB-K, people do their skills build exercise (Tower, Metaphor, 15 brick) with Windows, and then transfer over to the BB-K

[Stephen Dann]

I always start with one kit per person. I run a couple of preset routines in my workshop where everyone having the same pieces is super useful for the experience. For example, a 15 brick exercise, with 5 compulsory bricks, (Set A or Set B), and free choice after that – everyone has a similar starting point for their builds, and a wildly divergent outcome.

I have tried using the starter kits as proxy landscape/identity kits, but for 80 to 100 people, I’d be running the Window Kits

[Stephen Dann]

I use it quite extensively as a many-users, many-teams kit, where I have a large audience and I want to ensure that everyone in the room has access to the same hardware. It’s a much smaller package – 49 pieces per unit, and quite different from the Starter kit. I do have the inventory of both kits available on my mecabricks page if you’re interested in the compare and contrast.

For me, the big value comes from the sheer volume of kits letting me run 20 to 25 groups of 4 in small group discussions in a classroom. That said, there is another cost to factor in acquiring the kits — they’re served up in single use plastic bags, so you need something to store them – tins, cases, ziplock bags or pencil cases.

If you’re doing smaller workshops, you’re probably okay without them – I just happen to have a market of university lectures where I need 100+ kits at any one time

[Stephen Dann]

I’ve done a few give-away sessions with the LSP kits, and I’ve got a few exercises that I use which come with preset printable instructions, so if you’re interested, you’re more than welcome to use a couple of the activities.

[Stephen Dann]

https://hthu.net/site/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Leadership-Team-Building-Blocks.pdf

This might have the instruction set you were after?

[Stephen Dann]

I believe I can help out with this one.

Over at Mecabricks I have a set of LSP Window kit models – https://www.mecabricks.com/en/user/stephendann and over at my website there’s a copy of the manual I use – http://stephendann.com/lego-serious-play-resources/

Plus, if you’re after some supplemental stuff, I have a paper over here that helps – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1441358218300569

[Stephen Dann]

Hiya

I have a few models set up in Mecabricks – https://www.mecabricks.com/en/user/stephendann – for the Windows Kit, and some support materials designed to do instruction round based building – http://stephendann.org/lspevents/

That can get you a start

[Stephen Dann]

Joel

I’ve used a mix of creativity kits for story telling exercises – like the :Select six bricks, any six bricks, now build a model of the world’s best [animal] just using those bricks.

Kits I’ve got in my mix
* Creative Builder – Windows and Doors make for good insta-metaphors, and they’re loved by the participants.
* * Creative Supplement – this kit has the wonderful 90 degree angle adapters that help make unexpected shapesto encourage non-linear building
* Get a set with axles, wheels and gears, so people can make models with movement. Those help. BigW/Kmart has a few decent kits there. Also consider Mission to Mars as the box to buy for the storage of the pieces, or check if Toyworld has the big red storage bricks because they make a useful first impression of the kit, and set the tone.

I second getting the 16×16 baseplates from the pick-a-brick. I’ve got about 20, and I have 20 of the little 2×2 flat plates that I use as labels on those plates (A1, A2, B1, B2) for participants to be able to track their models. You may also find it useful to get a 8×8 plates for as many participants as you expect to have, since you can use the restriction of the space to encourage the use of the micro-bricks and micro-builds for story making. In contrast to Ed, I’ve had a few people ask for 1×1 pieces over time (and 1×1 round are wonderful pivots). The Classics use a lot more smaller pieces, so you either embrace them or filter them out.

So with an 8×8 for the first build (individual), a 16*16 for a team build plate, and a single Classic baseplate, you could replicate the landscape kit at a much smaller level, if you’re game. Or goit 16*16 to start, then onto a classic.

Also, pity you’re a sandgroper (said the bananabender), because I’m not headed to your side of the island until next year, else I could bring over a few kits for you to have a look through for parts and piece ideas.

[Stephen Dann]

The only time I drop the duplo out of the set is entirely to do with the space and baseplates I’ll be using – if I’m dropping people down to a smaller baseplate, or we’re likely to have less elbow room, I’ll pull out the bigger pieces. Otherwise it’s all in, and everything counts – I’ve added the Duplo Numbers Train to my kit for the insta-metaphor that comes with the number bricks.

And to echo the “Master Builder” versus “Power Metaphor” – I had a session where someone completed their 30 minute build in 3 pieces and a baseplate, and I looked at it and thought “Oh hells, there’s going to be one epic story here”. It’s all about trusting our process and let the participant trust their hands on the way – if the hands say it’s done, then it’s done.

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