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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] permaculture Digest, Vol 31, Issue 16

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Subject: permaculture

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Scott Pittman <pci@permaculture-inst.org>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] permaculture Digest, Vol 31, Issue 16
  • Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2005 12:12:22 -0600


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Subject:
Re: [permaculture] "Free" Permacuture
From:
DAVIDMATTHEWEDGE@aol.com
Date:
Sat, 20 Aug 2005 04:18:50 EDT
To:
permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

To:
permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org


Selwyn Polit, Austin, Texas USA wrote:

"Hi,
that phenomenon seems to be around here in Texas."

I'm not surprised that the idea has taken root in Texas. When I took my design course from Scott Pittman and Bill Mollison near Austin at Fossil Rim (then home of Cross Timbers PC institute) in 1996, it was specifically mentioned to all course participants by one or the other (or both) of them.

The idea was that PDC graduates could attend same- or inferior-level (i.e. fundamentals, introdouctory, etc.) courses and pay only room and board. It was said to have been the case from the beginning of PC instruction.
Maybe this can shed some light on the origin of the idea.

David,
Vendée, France


OK, Ok!! I'll take twenty percent responsibility, the other eighty percent must accrue to Bill Mollison who started the idea in the first place!!, it goes like this...

Any graduate of a pc certification class is welcome to audit future courses as long as 1. the course has space for said graduate, 2. the said graduate pays for any additional expenses for being at the course - with the exception of instructor fees, which are waived, (the teaching fees are waived because the course has reached the numbers necessary to convene - for me that is ten students), 3. graduate auditor may not dominate the class with questions, and monologues designed to show off his or her knowledge, 4. the said graduate produces his PC Certificate at enrollment, and the person issueing the certificate is considered qualified to issue such certificate by the course instructor. The purpose of this "not so free" audit was to encourage teachers, who would be able to experience many different styles, and pedagogical methods and thereby feel more at ease launching into the teaching field. I still think that we are way shy on teachers and that any encouragement should be gladly given. Having said that it is and always has been up to the discretion of the teacher, who should, however, be prepared to give good reasons why auditing is not allowed, and I don't think the old /in loco parentis /ploy of "because I say so" carries much weight. I have attended many such courses as an auditor, and sometimes contributor and will continue to do so, since I always come away enriched with both new knowledge and better ways to convey such knowledge. Larry Santoyo has certainly enriched my teaching and thinking just sitting quietly in the back of his classroom.

In most professions the practicioners are required to take courses or practicums that keep them current in their field - I don't see that permaculture should be immune from this need.

my 2 cents,
SCott Pittman



  • Re: [permaculture] permaculture Digest, Vol 31, Issue 16, Scott Pittman, 08/20/2005

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