Pedagogy: How Do We Learn?

Pedagogy |noun The method and practice of teaching. The science and art of education. Its aims range from the full development of the human being to skills acquisition. Problem Based Learning & Place Based Learning Davie Philip has a background in designing and delivering education using active learning methodologies. The needs and expectations of society,… Continue reading Pedagogy: How Do We Learn?

Widening Participation – Online Education

Part of the Widening Participation Series: European Permaculture Teachers Partnership – Friland Ecovillage, Denmark, 29 May 2014. Contributed by Katka Hora, Czech Republic A short video with a presentation of the skype conference can be found below

Exploring the Landscape / Identifying Principles

  Learning outcomes: By the end of the session the students will be able to: Get familiarized with permaculture principles Find permaculture principles everywhere Give examples of how permaculture principles can be applied in any design Duration: 30 min What is needed? Just a group of permies, yourself and a place to explore. You can… Continue reading Exploring the Landscape / Identifying Principles

Danced Massage (an ending or used to change the mood)

Once the group is built, you can invite them to some relaxing activity such as massage. This one includes some dancing also, so you will need some music and a comfortable place where the students can lie down. This activity is especially effective when the work has been too focused on the mind. Split the… Continue reading Danced Massage (an ending or used to change the mood)

Teaching theory: Accelerated learning

The accelerated learning approachis based on the observation that a holistic learner involvement enhances learning. This means that not just the intellect but the whole person and body are envolved. More precisely, this means not just the survivalist auto-run part of the brain but also the mid part responsible for feelings, emotions and memory as… Continue reading Teaching theory: Accelerated learning

Learning Theory

“Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of  experience.“ (David A. Kolb) David A. Kolb states in the context of his experiential learning theory that learning is best conceived as a continuous process that is grounded in experience rather than in terms of outcomes. Contemporary learning theories state that experience and… Continue reading Learning Theory

Permaculture Design Process – 6. Placement & integration

by Aranya Introduction Now we’ll get down to experimenting with where the different elements & systems in your design might be best placed. If you already have a fixed point of focus on the site (such as a house), then you’ll be aiming to place everything most efficiently in relation to that. Most designs you… Continue reading Permaculture Design Process – 6. Placement & integration

Widening Participation – Refugees

In this session, we reflected on the growing group of refugees coming to Europe as a possible target group for permaculture activities.  Why are refugees important? Refugees are a growing group due to ecological, social, political issues and climate change. The western ‘dream’ is causing instability and refugees’ instability in southern countries and as consequence… Continue reading Widening Participation – Refugees

Widening Participation – Course Formats

When designing a Permaculture course we have to consider many aspects, one of the most crucial being “Widening Participation”. The main consideration is our target market. Different target groups will require a differently formatted course. Mentally and physically challenged students may need different approaches and the use of different pedagogies. People also learn in different… Continue reading Widening Participation – Course Formats

Widening Participation – Free Open Workshops

STRATEGY: Free Open Workshops During the 6th EPT meeting in Friland (Denmark) we had a work session on the topic of widening participation, exploring strategies to reach different target groups in permaculture education. Below is a summary of the work done under the strategy “Free open workshops”.

Widening Participation – Permaculture for Disabled

People Care is one of the ground pillars for Permaculture and we aim to reach out to everybody in society. A survery among Permaculture teachers in Europe revealed that disabled people are currently not involved or participating in courses. So how do we reach out to them? One way is to approach them personally, but… Continue reading Widening Participation – Permaculture for Disabled

Widening Participation – “Suit and Tie”

The session started with some words from Leo Bakx about his strategy on how to get wealthy people inspired by Permaculture. The conversation continued with Steve Hart, Mihaela (Mischa) Tsarchinska, Martin Giannini, Tanja Korvenmaa, Antonio Scotti, Sarah Daum and Pontus Dowchan. Why is it important to bring Permaculture awareness to wealthy people? The access to… Continue reading Widening Participation – “Suit and Tie”

Choosing Content (and Methods) for an “Introduction to Permaculture” Course

In this article I offer a “junior teacher’s” perspective to selecting content and methods for a two day introductory course. I also asked Graham Bell, one of the most experienced permaculture teachers, his take on designing a full Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course. See a separate article with timetable, core curriculum and Graham Bell’s thoughts,… Continue reading Choosing Content (and Methods) for an “Introduction to Permaculture” Course

Permaculture Design Process – 5. Choosing systems & elements

by Aranya Introduction So having identified the key functions that we are going to design for, we are now going to think about the best ways to fulfil them. Ideally, we only include something (a system or element) in our design if it fulfils at least three functions. Remember the ecological principle: Multiple functions for… Continue reading Permaculture Design Process – 5. Choosing systems & elements

Teacher Resources: Course Checklist and Participant Questionnaire

Teachers, designing and preparing a course, may find these resources helpful: Andy Goldring, UK, shares a Checklist for things to prepare / think about for a course (download the PDF), including: Audio / Visual / IT Library & Information Materials & Resources Venue Checklist Personal Stuff Course-Specific Convenor Job Description Cultivate in Ireland issue a… Continue reading Teacher Resources: Course Checklist and Participant Questionnaire

Kolb’s Learning Styles Model

Permaculture students come from all walks of life and everyone has their own way of receiving and processing the new information, skills and ideas. On Rosemary Morrow’s teacher training courses an essential part of the content is familiarising with Kolb’s  Experiential Learning Theory and the four different styles of how people learn that he’s identified.… Continue reading Kolb’s Learning Styles Model

Ecology Basics

Session Length: 90 min Learning objectives: By the end of the session, participants will be able to: Say what Ecology means, how it differs from other fields, and understand their and human role in it. Describe Main Principles of Ecology with examples for human design Explain in more detail 3 of ecological processes Draw a… Continue reading Ecology Basics

Microclimates

Session length: 90 minutes Learning outcomes By the end of the session, participants will be able to: read landscapes and point out microclimates map microclimates in a house or garden describe how to modify extremes of climate know how to make the most of exisitng microclimates in design consider strategies for small and large landscapes… Continue reading Microclimates