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permaculture - Re: RE: [Permaculture] African Deserts; distance PDC

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Permacltur@aol.com
  • To: John-Schinnerer@data-dimensions.com, permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: RE: [Permaculture] African Deserts; distance PDC
  • Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 21:41:49 EDT



In a message dated 7/15/99 8:36:46 PM, John-Schinnerer@data-dimensions.com
writes:

<<...which leads me to questions about online and distance learning PC design
courses, where student's designs may be evaluated sight (and site, and
client(s)) unseen...thoughts, anyone?

John Schinnerer>>

Well , John, as a teacher of one of the two online permaculture courses, I
have some thoughts. First, it is a concern that we do not get to walk the
land with students. I have set up hybrid options where we can do that part
of the program at a workshop, but not every one has the time or money to do
that extra work. Since my course runs five to six months, I have far more
time to work with students on their designs and as an experienced
permaculturist, teaching since 1981, I have a pretty good idea of what
questions to ask when I see certain features in the design. Ultimate, I am
about dead positive there are no type 1 errors in a design that I approave.
I can't be so sure that t here are not missed opportunities, but when you
have been doing this for nearly 20 years, you get to know when something is
missing. I am pretty sure that the designs I approve do not have any major
missed opportunities. I have had in one case passed a design with
reservations--dwelling on the highest point but supposedly necessary for
various reasons. This was a South African (Natal) design site and I am in
the USA and I am damn sure neither the student nor I were prepared for the
expense of getting out there. On the other hand, I think our certification
standards are among the most stringent, if not THE most stringent. When I
think of the superficial design work that sailed through in the course I took
with Mollison in 1981, I'm pretty sure we are making progress in the right
direction.
Now it one thing to review a design by distance, and quite another to
attempt to design by maps and so forth. I have known permaculturists who
claimed to be able to do this, and I have told them straight out that I wish
they would call what they do something else. The person doing the design has
to be there, and if it is a beginner, s/he has to have frequent access to the
site because s/he will need to recheck things and go back for another look
because somethng was missed or forgotten. We can all need that second look,
of course, but for me I find that spending time on the site and documenting
everything from every angle with photographs has, up to now, avoided hitting
the client with the expense of a second field visit.
Online permaculture courses aren't for everyone, of course, aside
from the fact that most people on planet Earth do not have computer access.
For some people, the person walking the site with them, pointing out the
relevant factors, and checking in with them when they get that telltale
glazed-eye look --all those things are needed. Others, people who can read a
book and make it work in the garden or shop or kitchen right off, they have
no problems at all with "distance" learning.
Generally, I'd say that our online students are far better prepared
to practice permaculture and far less to lose interest after the program is
over than those who take our three-week certificate course. I think going to
TWO weeks was a big mistake--we should be moving in the opposit direction.
I've designed several programs for people who don't need or care about
certificates, but for people who are looking at a activist sort of role in
permaculture, much more foundation is needed, not less and less.

Having said this, I don't think most teachers should try to teach this way.
They haven't the experience, for one thing. And frankly the market is pretty
thin--people who want a quick and easy certificate will go to a two-week
quickie and be done with it. That is most people. Personally I enjoy
working with small groups of extremely motivated people and I will stack
their designs not agains other student designs but against the designs of
other teachers, any day. (I should note that if I am not satisfied with a
design I don't "flunk" the student, I give them instructions on how to fix it
and they present it in the next course--no extra charge. So they may have as
much as 18 months to get it right. And they do.)

For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since
1982), Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses,
consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981), and annual correspondence
courses via email. Copyright, 1998, Dan & Cynthia Hemenway, P.O. Box 52,
Sparr FL 32192 USA Internships. YankeePerm@aol.com

We don't have time to rush.

A list by topic of all Yankee Permaculture titles may be found at
http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/ypc_catalog.html
Elfin Permaculture programs are listed at the Eastern Permaculture Teachers
assn home page: http://home.ptd.net/~artrod/epta/eptahmp.html

PS We have a live design intensive in Northern CA next month which is also a
dynamite program for producing outstanding student designs. It is not a
certificate program, but it is great for homeowners who want to do their own
designs, and gives a lot better design experience than is possible in any
live permacutlure design course I know of. So it is a good program also to
take before, or after, a certificate coruse. Some of our online students do
their paracticum in the live workshop, and so they get the best of both
worlds.




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