Mandalas are used by Buddhist monks as a sacred ritual. My friend and artist,Russell Maier is using mandalas to promote world peace and "oneness." The circle and symmetry can unify a group when created collaboratively.I used a mandala activity as I was inspired by Russel.
Creating a class mandala for a community building activity is easy and fun to do. It can be done in a face-to-face or online environment. Here is how to create a mandala with your online class or group:
- Ask individuals to choose and share a geometric shape (PowerPoint is easy for this)
- Collect these using Google Docs or via email
- Arrange the shapes in a circle, using symmetry-try using Snagit or snippet
- Save as Jpeg
- Share with the class!
The mandala above is an example of a mandala that my students and I created as a group. My students were so excited they had printed t-shirts!
Enjoy and Namaste!
This topic originally posted (by me) this on the Innovators' Network, aka IL Blog: http://innovationslab.wordpress.com/2011/02/12/mandala-love-circles-back/
