|
Institute of Global Education Part 9 Orientation Course Instructions |
PROJECT NATURECONNECTJune 4, 1995
Dear Mike,
Having finally completed the Reconnecting With Nature course, I consider it very valuable to me and I'm glad I did it. As you know, I had to do it twice because some of the eight participants in my first interact group had little respect for each others needs with regard to taking the course. Even though they had good intentions, they knew that some of us were taking the course for credit or needed it for professional or personal reasons, yet they did not hold up to their end of the bargain very well -some not at all. Some did not keep up with assignments, so it became difficult to continue because I did not receive reactions to my postings to the group, or their assignments were so late that they made things confusing. Two people just quit the course without saying anything, and one did not follow the guidelines and quoted authors all the time instead of sharing what happened when he did the activities, if he ever did them.
Isn't there some way that you can screen those who say they want to take the course so that those that take it keep their participation commitment to the group? I think it was right for Erica, Dan and me to decide to start over with a new group. The second course was terrific, we all learned a lot and had a great time. We still write each other and Morgan actually visited me. I'm really happy things worked out for the best. Actually, I might have had to postpone my graduation if the course did not work out.
It seems to me that you should emphasize that on the course, as in nature, each individual depends upon the cooperation of the others to sustain the E-mail group community. Our lives are usually so disconnected and out of our control that we often lose sight of the importance of what we can contribute and how much we gain from doing it. Also it might be better if the groups were smaller. Our second group of six worked well.
Thanks for offering the course. I'm looking forward to helping guide the next group and taking the second part of the program. Perhaps I'll send the new group a copy of this letter so they have some idea of what is needed to make the course work well.
In Friendship,
Ricki Forbes
SECTION 9: SUMMARY
How would you summarize the intent of the Orientation Course?
The object of this course is to help us let nature touch us with
its sensory ,"preliterate," 4-leg, communications.
We then translate these experiences into 5-leg stories that acurately
relate how nature works from our experiences with nature. This
beneficially influences the stories by which we now know the
natural world of which we are part and that's the point of the
course. Each time we repeat methods of relating to nature and
each other that we presently believe in, we may loose the opportunity
to discover what nature's wisdom might have to offer in the same
area.
Our greatest challenge in each immediate moment is to respect
and support nature in ourselves, others and Earth, rather than
impose our often disconnected stories on its intelligence. Global
warming suggests that the way we have learned to think is giving
Planet Earth a fever.
When you feel you trust these words and this moment, you are
ready to proceed with the Assignment schedule.
REMINDER:
As you have requested, we have saved a place for you on a
forthcoming
Orientation course section. Please be sure:
1) to confirm that you want to participate, sending your application by e-mail. Hard copy the application and the $35.00 and other payment combinations by mail.
2) you are ready to continue to the course Preparation and Base Camp pages, whose addresses will be sent to you.
3) you have read the material above and are attracted to participating in this course.
(4) you have optionally ordered the RWN book and sent a SASE for your button if you have not elected to receive it with the book.
You will receive the final up-to-date course members email
list a few days before the course starts. We are looking forward
to the fun and strength the forthcoming weeks will bring.
Thankful Owls and Howls,
Michael J. Cohen
Dr. Michael J. Cohen
Director
P.S. If you have time now and have completed your course prerequsite work you
will find the articles below helpful in strengthening your participation
in the course and reducing the reading time it requires. You
may have already read some of these articles as links from our
web site:
Letting Nature Teach
7 minutes
About the Natural Systems Thinking
Process
10 Minutes
What is your
Nature Sensitivity IQ? The EcoSensory Perception Intelligence
Test.
35 minutes Discover and validate your maverick genius
Nature
Connected Psychology: creating moments that let Earth teach
25 minutes Details of natural self-evidence
End of Instructions. Please wait for further Course instructions by email
Please note that this course is an outreach program of the Institute
of Global Education, Department of Integrated Ecology and is
subsidized by Project NatureConnect, past course participants
and myself.
We welcome your support and suggestions for making this course
available internationally.
Return to Instruction Table of Contents
|
For previous pages use the BACK or GO of your browser
..........ALTERNATIVES