Resources:
- Join our class Miro Team HERE. password: newmediause @maine.edu for free access
- Then go to our class board: HERE
1. Data Gathering & Sense making in Miro (30+ min)
You’ll use Miro to brainstorm and organize ideas before we map them in Google MyMaps.
Step 1 — Add Your Ideas (12 min)
On the shared Miro board, add 3–5 sticky notes with LOCAL commons in the larger Bangor/Orono/Ols Town area:
- 1 commons from your personal life
- 1 suggested by the readings
- 1 from campus/community
(Do not add images—just text.)
Add your name to each post you create.
Place your notes under the themes that fit
- Digital
- Cultural
- Knowledge
- Ecological & Social
Step 2 — Cluster & Connect (10 min)
With your group:
- Look for patterns, links, repetitions, gaps, threats, etc
- Draw arrows to show relationships or flows
- Use color coding to organize commons under the 4 themes
- Add tags for type of commons: solidarity economy, open-source, P2P, CC, cultural heritage, land trust, co-op etc
Your goal is to reveal patterns—not polished graphics.
Step 3 — Identify Threats & Possibilities (6 min)
Add two additional kinds of small tags:
- Red = threats (privatization, enclosure, surveillance, loss)
- Green = possibilities, corridors, networks, clusters
(eg open-source, commons governance, mutual aid, CC sharing)
These patterns will help us understand how people are organizing for their mutual benefit. These kinds of economies have long predated money economies, and will likely fill in the gaps as our culture transitions..
Step 4 — Snapshot & Export (2 min)
OPTION: Export the finial Miro as a PNG. You’ll use your data– titles, threats, and opportunities to choose what gets placed on the MyMaps map.
2. Location-Based Commons Mapping in Google MyMaps (30+ min)
You’ll translate your Miro insights into a shared place-based map of actual commons around us. You can then link to this in your portfolio.
Step 1 — Add 2–3 Commons Pins (8 min)
Open the shared MyMaps link.
Choose the correct layer:
- Ecological
- Social/Civic
- Cultural
- Digital/Knowledge
For each pin you add:
- Give it a title, with URL if possible
- Write a one-sentence description
- Add one relevant image
- Place it accurately on the map, with the right icon
Use your Miro cluster titles and tags to guide your choices.
Step 2 — Mark Strengths & Weak Spots (10 min)
Add:
- Green lines or zones for strong commons corridors (trails, civic networks, community hubs)
- Red shapes for places under threat or enclosure
- Yellow pins for proposed future commons inspired by the readings
Step 3 — Connect to the Readings (5 min)
Explore other students’ pins and be ready to discuss:
- How this commons reflects Bollier’s ideas
- Where you see solidarity economy principles
- How these commons could help in a post–“Great Simplification” world
Step 4 — Capture & Save (2 min)
Export the map link or a screenshot for your portfolio.