Regenerative Learning and Nature Mentoring Course Syllabus for NR 385 (Summer 2012) – 3 Credits Instructors: Matt Kolan,
[email protected], 802-656-4333 Jon Young,
[email protected], 831-708-8830
Course Dates: Summer Semester – July 2, 2012 through August 10, 2012 With a residential intensive at Shelburne Farms from July 8 to July 13, 2012
Course Description: In 2005, Richard Louv’s New York Times bestselling book Last Child in the Woods caught Woods caught the attention of many millions of Americans and brought the term nature deficit disorder into the mainstream lexicon. Louv cites research linking the lack of nature connection in today’s wired generation with increasing trends in childhood autism, attention deficit and sensory process disorders, obesity, and depression. His book brings together a new and growing body of research suggesting that nature and place connection is vital for childhood development as well as the physical and emotional health of children and adults.
Connection to nature and place is also fundamental to our ability to maintain healthy communities and design elegant ways of living that promote resilience and vitality. As Van der Ryn and Cowan (2007) explain: “Ecologi cal design begins with the intimate knowledge of a particular place. Therefore, it is small-scale and direct, responsive to both local conditions and local people. If we are sensitive to the nuances of place, we can inhabit without destroying.” So how can we create powerful and transformative learning experiences that have the potential to foster deep and long-lasting relationships and connections to nature and place? This course is designed to provide participants with an introduction to and direct experience with nature mentoring , a holistic educational approach that draws from the educational methods of many different cultural and traditional lineages. This system involves creating a culture of of nature connection, inquiry, and practice – drawing out the gifts of each individual in service to the larger community. Powerful mentoring is built on long-term relationships and trust, which allow the mentor to ask questions, tell stories, and offer challenges that stretch the edges of the learners’ awareness and draw them into new territory. This course will offer participants a suite of core routines, mentoring strategies, and experiences that have grown from the collective movement of nature mentors from all over the world. The cornerstone experience of this course is a weeklong residential program at Shelburne Farms -- an immersion experience in a living mentoring culture focused on nature connection, community resilience, transformational learning, and self-awareness 1. 1
This course differs from Art of Mentoring programs offered elsewhere in the world, in that it focuses on the field of Regenerative Learning, placing particular emphasis on deep nature and place connection, mentoring, designing transformative learning environments and creating regenerative & resilient communities.
Course Goal: To provide participants with an introduction to practices, principles, and core routines for creating powerful and transformative learning experiences that have the potential to foster deep and long-lasting relationships and connections to nature and place.
Course Learning Objectives: Specific learning objectives include: Experience with and an understanding of core routines of nature connection Enhanced understanding and skill in the art of questioning (asking powerful questions) Understanding the historical patterns that have led to human/nature disconnection Experience with basic principles of peacemaking Understanding brain-based learning cycles as well as associated tools for overcoming challenges associated with nature-connection development Understanding basic principles of regenerative learning and design Understanding key tenets of transformational learning theory Understanding the role a village culture plays in providing enhanced opportunity for mentoring
Grading: Critical reflection assignments/writings: assignments/w ritings:
100 points
Participation Participati on
60 points
Individual Research/Action Research/Actio n Project:
100 points
Final Reflection:
40 points
Total:
300 points
Assignments: Critical Reflection Assignments/Writings Before, during and after our residential immersion experience, participants will be asked to complete a series of readings and reflective writing assignments. These entries should go beyond descriptive accounts and should demonstrate higher order processing of concepts and experiences. Entries will provide opportunities to critically assess and integrate readings, presentations, dialogues, and project experiences, as well as explore new areas of inquiry. Throughout the semester, we will provide you with a number of specific prompts. However, we ask that you choose topics that are of interest or that you would like to explore in more depth. These reflections will provide valuable feedback about your experiences/interests and will serve as a useful roadmap for future topics/readings. topics/readi ngs. A rubric for these readings will be handed out separately.
Participation This course is built on principles of emergent design, and requires active participation and cocreation of the course content and process. Together we’ll identify key questions that merit further research, reflection, and exploration. As a mechanism for participation, we’ll utilize dialogue and other constructive conversation techniques that can support group inquiry and help us discover insights that aren’t attainable attainable individually. While some prompts will be provided, participants participan ts are expected to come prepared to engage and contribute. Because this course has relatively few meeting times and will require that we build a safe space to explore these issues, attendance and punctuality are a must. Reading Assignments Because this is a dynamic course driven by group questions and experience, reading assignments will be selected to address key issues that emerge. We will draw on a variety of reading materials but there are no required textbooks for this course. In addition to foundational readings, we will be sending out a weekly “e -bundle” of readings via email. Make sure you check your email regularly and that I have your current email address. (A list of readings we may draw from can be found at the end of this syllabus.) Research/Action Assignment This assignment is an opportunity to implement nature mentoring practices and principles in your own organization, community, family, OR to explore a specific area or question of interest (related to designing learning environments) in more depth. Following the residential intensive, participants will be asked to submit a short proposal outlining the scope and specific deliverables for their research or action assignment. This research assignment can culminate in a traditional research paper or other formats. Following the completion of this assignment, participants participant s will be asked to give a presentation on their project to their peers. Additional assignment details will be provided. Final Reflection Paper This paper is a final opportunity for reflection on the course experience. This paper should draw on the readings, residential experiences, dialogues, and research/action projects in an integrative and interdisciplinary interdisciplinar y way. Guidelines and a grading rubric will be handed out separately.
Timeline Day M
Date July 2
Tu F Su - F F F M
July 3 July 6 July 8 to 13 July 20 Aug 3 Aug 6
Theme Organizational meeting; Student Introductions; Overview of 1 st assignments. 12pm-1:30pm EST. Questionnaire Questionnair e completed by 3pm EST. 1st assignment and pre-course readings completed. Residential intensive; daily journaling. Project proposal due by 3pm EST. Email the class your research/action research/acti on project deliverable by 3pm EST. Presentation day. Each student gives a 15-minute presentation with 10
F F
Aug 10 Aug 10
minutes for discussion/feedback. Final reflection reflecti on due, by 12pm EST. Final class meeting. 12pm-1:30pm EST.
Readings and Resources: Foundational readings and weekly e-bundles will draw heavily from these resources. Nature Connection and Nature Deficit Disorder Louv, R. 2005. Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-deficit Disorder . Disorder . Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books. Louv, R. 2011. The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder , Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books. Young, J. 2011. 8 Gifts from Nature. Online course. Sheldon, WA: OWLink Media. Young, J. 2010. Reclaiming Our Natural Connections . Connections . Audio CD. Sheldon, WA: OWLink Media. Nature Mentoring and Educational Design Kolan, M. & Poleman, W. 2009. Revitalizing Natural History Education by Design. Journal of Natural History Education. Lester, S. & Maudsley M. 2007. Play, Naturally: A Review of Children’s Natural Play. London, England. Children’s Play Council. Sobel, D. 2008. Childhood & Nature: Design Principles for Educators. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers. Young, J., Hass E. & McGowan E. 2010. Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature. Sheldon, WA: OWLink Media. Young, J. 1997. The Art of Mentoring and Coyote Teaching (audio). Sheldon, WA: OWLink Media. Place-based Learning Basso, K. H. 1996. Wisdom sits in places: Landscape and language among the Western Apache. Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Press. Gruenewald, D. A. 2003a. "At home with with the other: Reclaiming the ecological roots of development and literacy." The Journal of Environmental Education 35(1): 33-43. Gruenewald, D. A. 2003b. "The best of both worlds: A critical pedagogy of place." Educational Researcher 32(4): 3-12. Fleischner, T.L. 2001. Natural history and the spiral of offering. Wild Earth (3/4) Earth (3/4) [Fall/Winter]: 1013. Smith, G. A. and D. R. Williams. Williams . 1999. Ecological education in action: On weaving education, culture, and the environment. Albany, NY, State University of New York Press. Sobel, D. 2004. Place-based education: connecting classrooms & communities . communities . Great Barrington, MA: Orion Society. Transformational Learning Argyris, C. (1990). Overcoming organizational defenses: Facilitating organizational learning. Boston, Allyn and Bacon. Argyris, C. (1991). "Teaching smart people how to learn." Harvard Business Review May/June 6-15.
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