permaculture

[Marsha Hanzi <hanzibra@svn.com.br>]

Hello Jude!
    We also have adopted this format, with success. As was commented recently,
information doesn't really sink in unless people are somehow actively 
involved, so
trying to "download information" is coutreproductive after a certain point..
    The last course I gave was the most successful, in my eyes,  in terms of
carry-through of the  people once they got home.  It was also the course with 
the LEAST
number of hours in the clasroom.
    I plan to continue this format ( which follows),,, We must remember that 
the
information today is written down, so today a course doesn't have to pass on 
so much
information as it did in the days when there were no books.We have ti help 
people
INTEGRATE the information, which is different.
    So I request all participants to buy and read the Introduction to 
Permaculture
book, and to subscribe the Permaculture magazine before coming to the course, 
which
they  do ( these materials have just become available in Portuguese).
    We organize our day as such:
7-8 fieldwork.
8-9 breakfast
9-11fieldwork
11-3pm.  reading  material, doing "homework"( designing exercises etc.) 
conversing
about personal situations, talking to the people of the community ( where we 
have the
course), swimming in the river.. I was pleased to see that in the course 
people
actually made good use  of this time, in a quite productive way.  (These are 
the hot
hours of the day, when   work is less productive)
3 - 5 pm classroom, where I talk about subjects that can't be seen in the 
field:
nutrient cycles, alternative money, education,   harmony in community,  
etc.As these
were virtually the only classroom hours, they were very productive, as people 
came
fresh.
Ther rest of the information is transmitted in the field, where they see the 
example in
front of them and then actively work with it.
5-7 free time for washing clothes, resting, taking walks, falling in love...
Evenings: talking around the fire, where doubts can be brought up in group,  
personal
experiences hopes and dreams of the participants and also o f the members of 
the
community-- no holds barred ( I don't want people to go away with a 
too-romantic idea
of community living!),  dancing singing,   capoeira.
We are fortunate to have an alternative community as a venue, which is doing 
all we
teach in the course, and who face incredibly hard problems like wildfire and 
severe
runoff from bare areas,   droughts that can last for months, problems with  
financial
survival out in the sticks.  But they are also a reasonably harmonious group, 
raise
their chldren well, are very good adobe builders ( We spend a morning making 
bricks.
In the last course they made a beautiful adobe sauna with a glass dome made 
of colored
bottles which  gave a beautiful cathedral effect...)
I consider that the course goes on from the moment that the people get up 
until we go
to sleep.  Everything we do-- whether it be help cook on a wood fire,  wash 
dishes as a
team,  talk with each other,   use a compost toilet,  is part of the process  
of
learning about sustainable communities, not only in a technical sense, but 
also in a
social sense
( organization of work, resolution of conflicts-- which there always are when 
you throw
people together in such an intense situation.)

If the people  are really inspired ( which I think they always are in such a 
course),
when they get home they will  continue to do other courses, look for 
contacts, etc,
which we certainly can help them with...

For example, one of the  participants in January was an Argentine agronomy 
student.  I
have heard from the grapevine that he is making "big waves"  in his agronomy 
school,
and has already gone to do another course ( which I wish I could have done!)  
in
Argentina  with Albert Bates from the Farm, among other high-power people.

So we have to realize that the PC course is no longer a "once only" chance as 
it might
have been in the early days, but one step in the continuum of these people's 
moving
into a more satsifactory life for themselves and for their communitites...
We must remember that most of the information is now available in the books, 
so the
course can be active without losing content. We must  realize that counting" 
course
hours"  does not make much sense in a live-in situation.  That is the old 
belief that
learning only takes place in a classroom, which experience shows to be just 
the
contrry...


Marsha
Instituto de Permacultura da Bahia


Lawrence F. London, Jr. escreveu:

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 11:15:24 -0800
> From: J. Hobbs <hobbsj@efn.org>
> To: permaculture@envirolink.org
>
> Hello,
>
> I am interested in feedback from instructors who have taught a 10 day
> certification Permaculture Design Course.
>
> For the past almost ten years I have enjoyed the dynamic challenges of
> patterning the 13 day course  curriculum.  I am fascinated with the
> integration of the 'big picture' thru lecture, discussion, and hands-on
> application  with each of the subjects to be covered.   We usually offer
> about 87+ hours of instruction during the 13 days (with one day off in the
> middle).
>
> Recently I co-taught, with Tom Ward, a 10 day design course with 75 hours
> of instruction.  There were a few changes that were generated with the
> shorter course:  facilitation was greatly intensified, there was less time
> for hands-on, and we did not have a day off.  We were concerned the
> community that evolves with participants during the longer course would be
> compromised but folks seemed to form strong bonds.  We had time for a field
> trip and to include every topic that is part of the certified curric. and
> then some.  We also noticed that there were more students attending for
> they just had to take one week off  instead of two.  It seems this course
> orchestration provides more availability to a broader group of people, not
> only is there less time away from home and work the cost is less, as well.
> People do seem to like the idea of the longer course since there is more
> time for more information.  I notice we must constantly remind ourselves
> and participants that the 72 hr. course is designed to cover the 'basics'.
> There are so many details for every subject- we would be together until who
> knows when...........?
> Maybe we need more  advanced courses and week-end workshops to delve into
> the more complicated material.
>
> I would appreciate your comments and experiences on this shorter course.
> For example: How does the curriculum differ relative to timing? How does
> the  community building work and what do you do to enhance it? Are students
> even more intimidated by the immense download of information in the shorter
> time frame?  Is it more beneficial to present packets of the handouts at
> the beginning of the course to reduce note taking anxiety and allow more
> attention to lectures and presentations?  Is the lack of reading and/or
> library perusal time critical?  How does hands-on fit in? Do you notice
> more attendance due to shorter course length?
> What do you see as the drawbacks? The advantages?
>
> Thanks for taking the time to respond.
>
> Jude
>
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