|
1. Introduction (see also What's important to me and Why I
|
1. Introduction
Why do an Action learning Pathway (ALP)?
The key aims of an action learning pathway are to make it easier to Observe and Interact with portfolio
I have indulged in a few different formats over the years (see 3. Previous pathways and thoughts below) but the format I eventually found to be the most useful is shown below in 4. My Action Learning Pathway.
To find out why I am doing the diploma click here.
The key aims of an action learning pathway are to make it easier to Observe and Interact with portfolio
- to have a visual reminder of what I'm doing - being such a large project, I need reminding how the constituent parts of Diploma hang together
- to see how much I'm am doing at any one time and guess how long it will take to complete
- to plan ahead, flexibly - having a vision out there to go towards and see progress
- to have something to 'chunk down' - I have enough detail to take one element and focus in on that if I need to
- to show any connections, any multifunctions I can harvest and therefore enable me to be more effective
I have indulged in a few different formats over the years (see 3. Previous pathways and thoughts below) but the format I eventually found to be the most useful is shown below in 4. My Action Learning Pathway.
To find out why I am doing the diploma click here.
2. Survey
Something I did do before my first ALP draft was a skills audit and a reflection on areas that generate interest and energy for me. This is to ensure that I would have the momentum of interest to maintain the designs and that I could develop any gifts I already had and identify any areas that needed enhancing. (I carried out a skills audit before September 2011 too as I had been reading The Value of People, Chapter 2 in Graham Bell's Permaculture Way in 2009 and it had come up there too, but I can't find it!)
I had a long list of resources which I could put to good use throughout Diploma pathway: parenting experience, my allotment, Transistion Town Brockley, Lewisham LETS (now defunct), my bike, piano, computer, St Saviour's Edible Garden which I'd already started, my drum and ukulele. (Some of the resources were suitable for relaxation and pauses only such as ukulele, piano and drum).
My surpluses at the time were books, photos and woodchip (from the allotments) although later those would differ (see 9. Evaluation and Reflection below). I have been able to give books to local community library and charity shops and photos - I am still working on how to thin them out! The woodchip has been used by myself and other plotholders on allotment to keep paths weed-free and soak up rain.
My skills didn't all come into play with this Diploma, for example i haven't used my languages and they've got a bit rusty. Likewise African drumming hasn't really been pertinent to the process but it is a low impact way to play with others. Meditation has been an inner transiistion skill and parenting has been helpful to design 7 Permaculture for Kids.
At the time I saw areas I needed to develop as 'building structures', 'knowledge of world (nature and people)' - quite a huge area! And 'draught busting'. (That was before I was lucky enough to be have double-glazing. This liitle audit informed some of the designs and definitely what I considered to be 'relevant activities'. My focus has been on addressing shortfalls and developing skills I already have.
I had a long list of resources which I could put to good use throughout Diploma pathway: parenting experience, my allotment, Transistion Town Brockley, Lewisham LETS (now defunct), my bike, piano, computer, St Saviour's Edible Garden which I'd already started, my drum and ukulele. (Some of the resources were suitable for relaxation and pauses only such as ukulele, piano and drum).
My surpluses at the time were books, photos and woodchip (from the allotments) although later those would differ (see 9. Evaluation and Reflection below). I have been able to give books to local community library and charity shops and photos - I am still working on how to thin them out! The woodchip has been used by myself and other plotholders on allotment to keep paths weed-free and soak up rain.
My skills didn't all come into play with this Diploma, for example i haven't used my languages and they've got a bit rusty. Likewise African drumming hasn't really been pertinent to the process but it is a low impact way to play with others. Meditation has been an inner transiistion skill and parenting has been helpful to design 7 Permaculture for Kids.
At the time I saw areas I needed to develop as 'building structures', 'knowledge of world (nature and people)' - quite a huge area! And 'draught busting'. (That was before I was lucky enough to be have double-glazing. This liitle audit informed some of the designs and definitely what I considered to be 'relevant activities'. My focus has been on addressing shortfalls and developing skills I already have.
Areas that generate a lot of energy and interest for me....
... included Permaculture for Kids, Urban Food growing, Egoless gardening, Deep Ecology, Health and how to respond to Climate Change. They all connected in some way with each other as a means to build community, empower ourselves, connect with nature and live more carefully in a predominantly careless world. These interests have remained with me and resulted in the designs Permaculture for Kids, Plot 60a, St Saviour's Edible Garden, the Mystery of Time and Everyday Mindfulness design.
3. Some previous pathways and thoughts...
My various attempts at Action Learning Pathways below.... to take a closer look press pause at any time. They range from my induction tutorial pathway example given by Hannah Thorogood to quite recent thoughts of most appropriate way to respond to climate change. It was fun to zone the designs and add sectors such as reading Permaculture (which would inspire and inform) and disseminating (which also informed and inspired - as I prepared the workshops I learnt more about Permaculture).
I eventually decided on the following format....
4. My Action Learning Pathway
Using this format, I get a clear overivew of everything that I am trying to do simultaneously (including integrating documenting into daily life). It looks like a fat but flexible timeline. I can see how many designs I am working on at any one time but it is not so chronologically detailed that I feel concerned if I go beyond the 'deadlines'.
Explanation
It's colour coded. The dark blue strand represents the tweaking to be done on the first 5 designs following the Interim Assessment (see 5. Interim Assessment below). The pink represents Permaculture for Kids which at the time I saw as ongoing as it was still a 'live' design. (Still being implemented).
The turquoise stands for a decluttering design I was planning to do /that I felt was important to do as a Fairshares exercise.
The dark green represents J's bird garden which was meant to be of one year's duration only, hence it tails off.
The light green strand represents new designs which start in Summer 2014 and end with the final assesment.
Reflection:
After finishing the above, I realised I was still doing too much at once! and as a consequence was taking a broader, slower path... not sure if that was what I wanted however!
It's colour coded. The dark blue strand represents the tweaking to be done on the first 5 designs following the Interim Assessment (see 5. Interim Assessment below). The pink represents Permaculture for Kids which at the time I saw as ongoing as it was still a 'live' design. (Still being implemented).
The turquoise stands for a decluttering design I was planning to do /that I felt was important to do as a Fairshares exercise.
The dark green represents J's bird garden which was meant to be of one year's duration only, hence it tails off.
The light green strand represents new designs which start in Summer 2014 and end with the final assesment.
Reflection:
After finishing the above, I realised I was still doing too much at once! and as a consequence was taking a broader, slower path... not sure if that was what I wanted however!
5. Interim assessment 2013
I had used the same format previously in the run up to Interim Assessment June 2013 with the same conclusion as above!.
However, accreditation in 2014 was not to be! I was 'nearly ready to accredit' though and I did get some clarity over what needs to be done. For example:
- rejig first 5 designs to make 'coherent' and 'easy to navigate' (feedback from interim assessment)
- then write up/create the next 5 designs
1. document J's bird garden as I go along
2. write and implement Declutter (a design I had intended to do but got abandonned in favour of something more interesting)
3. finish documenting Permaculture for Kids
4. document Lamas backyard
5. new designs : mindfulness? Gift economy?
6. Developments (after the Permaculture Convergence September 2014)
After attending Graham Burnett's workshop the Convergence, where we discussed whether Vegan Permaculture needed to exist separately from Permaculture in general, (in case people got the impresssion that all Permaculture was Vegan) I realised I wanted to be more explicit about my desire to express Permaculture from a Buddhist perspective. It's important to me and I don't need excuse it or play it down! As someone commented at aforementioned workshop, Permaculture is a broad church and I think we need to take advantage of the freedom to be ourselves and be part of something much bigger simultaneously. (Integrate not segregate)
This led to me giving myself permission to include later designs such as Mindfulness and Working in the gift
and a bit of re-writing of the Diploma documentation I had so far....(however I felt much more engaged in writing up as I could be more open about my motivations for doing these designs). The latest pathway is to be found below - it aims to lead me to accreditation in July 2015. Again it shows a progression from A to B with contributing factors and ingredients such as Tutorials, Weebly (can't do it without that!), Peer reviews, Peer Support group and tweaking. Less direct inputs remain fairly constant - reading the landscape, a bit of stillness, paid work, community in the from of Transition Town, allotments, St Saviour's Edible Garden, spritual community and as from April 2015, team-based right livelihood (see 8. Beyond the Diploma for more on Team-based Right livelihoods).
This led to me giving myself permission to include later designs such as Mindfulness and Working in the gift
and a bit of re-writing of the Diploma documentation I had so far....(however I felt much more engaged in writing up as I could be more open about my motivations for doing these designs). The latest pathway is to be found below - it aims to lead me to accreditation in July 2015. Again it shows a progression from A to B with contributing factors and ingredients such as Tutorials, Weebly (can't do it without that!), Peer reviews, Peer Support group and tweaking. Less direct inputs remain fairly constant - reading the landscape, a bit of stillness, paid work, community in the from of Transition Town, allotments, St Saviour's Edible Garden, spritual community and as from April 2015, team-based right livelihood (see 8. Beyond the Diploma for more on Team-based Right livelihoods).
7. Updated pathway 2015
Explanation
Again the elements in this version of the pathway are represented by colours, and are:
1. The yellow and dark green strands are the 2 remaining designs (Gift Economy and J's bird garden) which I need to finish implementing and write up. the Gift econonomy is something I wish to keep experimenting with after the Diploma so I have shown it continuing on into the 'sea'.
2. The white strand shows me preparing my portfoilio for accreditation, which includes receiving feedback from tutors and peers and tweaking
3. The pink strand represents ongoing committments such as St Saviour's edible garden and Plot 60a. These are designs that I have implemented but am still involved with and don't have a real completion date
4. The light green strand - applying PC in my life - which I hope to continue doing by teaching and designing when the opportunity arises.
5. The orange strand - a bit of pause and time for appreciation! (inspired by design framework Looby's web).
For detail on activities supplementary to designs see Review of Relevant activities.
Again the elements in this version of the pathway are represented by colours, and are:
1. The yellow and dark green strands are the 2 remaining designs (Gift Economy and J's bird garden) which I need to finish implementing and write up. the Gift econonomy is something I wish to keep experimenting with after the Diploma so I have shown it continuing on into the 'sea'.
2. The white strand shows me preparing my portfoilio for accreditation, which includes receiving feedback from tutors and peers and tweaking
3. The pink strand represents ongoing committments such as St Saviour's edible garden and Plot 60a. These are designs that I have implemented but am still involved with and don't have a real completion date
4. The light green strand - applying PC in my life - which I hope to continue doing by teaching and designing when the opportunity arises.
5. The orange strand - a bit of pause and time for appreciation! (inspired by design framework Looby's web).
For detail on activities supplementary to designs see Review of Relevant activities.
8. Beyond the Diploma
What I've not included in pathway:
What I do after accreditation! (I seem to have Diploma-holding as the be all and end all and was reminded at recent peer support meeting that there is life after the Diploma and I need to vision it!)
Here are some thoughts in the form of a mind map that I produced in November 2014.
My ideal livelihood would be:
- mostly local and mostly outdoors
- a team based right livelihood, if not, a coop
- connecting people with nature
- both healing for people and nature
Some ideas and dreams...
- leading outdoor meditations
- permaculture intros with emphasis on observation, beneficial relationships, patterns, working with nature
- workshops on basic food growing skills, ecotherapy?
- finding other ways to interact with each other and with the outdoors: singing, dancing, sketching, poems, chants (again Ecotherapy)
Getting experience in order to do the above:
- support friends to lead meditation classes (Croydon, LBC?)
- short taster workshops locally using gift economy or timebank (see Working in the Gift)
- volunteer at somewhere like New Leaf that helps young people learn skills for work and life
Desirable qualifications:
- RHS level III? (Need another year of study plus fees and travel to Regents Park or Tonbridge)
- Training with Mind and /or Thrive
- The Diploma!
9 Evaluation of pathway design
using PMI
using PMI
1. Plus
2. Minus
3. Interesting
- I like the format I eventually decided on and it was straightforward and fun to do. I enjoy getting an overview of what I am doing holistically, it provides me with momentum. It also shows me at a glance where I am in the Diploma process and it can be updated every 6 months, which isn't giving myself too much work. (Least effort; maximum effect).
- The aims of the design (clear overview of Diploma pathway, clear idea of committments at any one time, helpful for forward planning, easy to chunk down) have been almost all fulfilled. (Except connections between designs not really seen)
The design is colourful and can be used for different time frames; a day, a season, the next 5 minutes.... (Design from Patterns to details)
2. Minus
- As above, connections between designs such as Urban Food theme not really brought out in river diagram.
- Diagrams could be a bit clearer (scanner is size A4 and my drawings A3)
- The zones and sectors diagram in 3. Previous pathways could have been developed and sectors added such as Permaculture events. I have put Stacking over a few zones and it looks like a Sector though it is not intended to be. However this is just a rough sketch to check that I am producing a range of designs (see 10. Tweak)
- I may have wasted a bit of time playing around with different formats, (I spent some time on GANTT , a software tool for project management, devising a plan to finish documenting which wasn't helpful in the end), but perhaps I needed to actually experience them in order to choose the most suitable.
3. Interesting
- From the Survey and Design stages, plus my journals over the years, I can see that my interests have broadly remained the same (Permaculture for Kids, Urban Food growing, beautifying the city, reconnecting with nature, synthesisiing Permaculture with Buddhist practice, egoless gardening and simplicity). However, design intentions did change slightly. I dropped the Decluttering design as I got interested in the Gift Economy . I thought I will probably finish decluttering after the Diploma in any case, and I didn't think it would be that interesting to write about frankly. I also wanted to work on Mindfulness Practice, so that became a new design, which I wrote up in a relatively short time. Section 7 above Updated pathway 2015 shows outstanding designs and what I need to do to accredit and beyond). For more detail on how I have applied Permaculture and it's applied me, see Review of Relevant Activiities.
- my ALPs look like the Thames (have I been influenced by years of Eastenders?) (Not that I watch it now of course!)
9. Reflections
The Permaculture have I applied in this design
Tools and Processes
The skills audit helped and I think I have developed some of the skills I identified considerably over the years. As I said in Review of Relevant activities, I have improved my observation skills and reading the landscape, especially locally. To surpluses I can now add ideas and permaculture tools and methods.
I used a Mind Map in the Survey stage which helps organise thoughts from the general to the specific very easily and logically. I was able to see that the 5 main areas of interest could be broken down into detailed actions such as seedballs (for Kids permaculture) and guerilla gardenng for Urban Food growing.
I definitely used and experienced Action Learning throughout this pathway. The cycle of feeling, observing, thinking and doing is evident in updates to the pathway, although not necessarily in that order. In earlier designs, I had a tendency to start with intuitive 'doing' and then 'self-regulated' afterwards. This is my natural inclination. However, I am much more familiar with the design cycle now and can see the benefits of starting with protracted observation and finishing with evaluation (in many other areas of life too!)
This ties in with my original reticence to commit an ALP to paper. What if it was wrong and I had to start all over again? They can be rejigged (and have to be) but initially I hadn't even considered this, obvious though it might seem to some! Action Learning has taught me not to worry about mistakes so much ('mistakes are helpful so long as we learn'! David Holmgrem?).
Reflection
Reflection is an non-native thing for me to do! Reflecting on what I've done has not been part of my early life and is a new habit that I have been acquiring over the last 10 years, more or less. I still forget to do it of course, but taking a step back and drafting an ALP has been a good way for me to check I am going where I want to be going. (Produce no waste).
And, as part of reflection process, I sometimes struggled with putting down on paper/online what I had learnt. See 1a. Reflections on Documenting for more info on experiences with documenting.
Flow diagram
In 3. Previous Pathways above, I used a flow diagram to clarify my thinking and check I was responding realistically to climate change (with the help of a friend that I had discussed it with). My motivation for wanting to deepen my food growing skills came from a desire to help meet others' needs as well as my own and reduce potential distress arising from food shortages. (Food shortages that may be caused by long-term lack of Earthcare plus lack of Fairshares). Assuming everything doesn't have to be achieved today!, I realised that building resilience was a strategy I wanted to follow which included : developing calm and concentration, (inner work), observing nature's patterns so as to effectively interact with them, connect with others, (communtiy gardens, skillshare) and developing my gifts (teach/learn, listen, garden, observe, music). It was pointed out to me that doing the Diploma is a big part of this building resilience process.
Multifunctions
Elements of the ALP, such as St saviour's design and Permaculture for Kids are multifunctional. As I have already mentioned, St Saviour's is a design that also functions as an educational site (passively and actively) with earthcare, peoplecare and fairshares being practised and free workshops a few times a year for locals. It links to criteria of Community Development and Education. It it also an opportunity for me to catch up with local gardeners or garden-friendly people once a month and meet newcomers from the area.
Permaculture for Kids originally fitted in with parenting as my 11 year old and her friend used to attend at Grow Mayow. This changed as she grew into a gymnast but I found the playful side that comes out as a parent, came in handy when planning and implementing these sessions.
Tools and Processes
The skills audit helped and I think I have developed some of the skills I identified considerably over the years. As I said in Review of Relevant activities, I have improved my observation skills and reading the landscape, especially locally. To surpluses I can now add ideas and permaculture tools and methods.
I used a Mind Map in the Survey stage which helps organise thoughts from the general to the specific very easily and logically. I was able to see that the 5 main areas of interest could be broken down into detailed actions such as seedballs (for Kids permaculture) and guerilla gardenng for Urban Food growing.
I definitely used and experienced Action Learning throughout this pathway. The cycle of feeling, observing, thinking and doing is evident in updates to the pathway, although not necessarily in that order. In earlier designs, I had a tendency to start with intuitive 'doing' and then 'self-regulated' afterwards. This is my natural inclination. However, I am much more familiar with the design cycle now and can see the benefits of starting with protracted observation and finishing with evaluation (in many other areas of life too!)
This ties in with my original reticence to commit an ALP to paper. What if it was wrong and I had to start all over again? They can be rejigged (and have to be) but initially I hadn't even considered this, obvious though it might seem to some! Action Learning has taught me not to worry about mistakes so much ('mistakes are helpful so long as we learn'! David Holmgrem?).
Reflection
Reflection is an non-native thing for me to do! Reflecting on what I've done has not been part of my early life and is a new habit that I have been acquiring over the last 10 years, more or less. I still forget to do it of course, but taking a step back and drafting an ALP has been a good way for me to check I am going where I want to be going. (Produce no waste).
And, as part of reflection process, I sometimes struggled with putting down on paper/online what I had learnt. See 1a. Reflections on Documenting for more info on experiences with documenting.
Flow diagram
In 3. Previous Pathways above, I used a flow diagram to clarify my thinking and check I was responding realistically to climate change (with the help of a friend that I had discussed it with). My motivation for wanting to deepen my food growing skills came from a desire to help meet others' needs as well as my own and reduce potential distress arising from food shortages. (Food shortages that may be caused by long-term lack of Earthcare plus lack of Fairshares). Assuming everything doesn't have to be achieved today!, I realised that building resilience was a strategy I wanted to follow which included : developing calm and concentration, (inner work), observing nature's patterns so as to effectively interact with them, connect with others, (communtiy gardens, skillshare) and developing my gifts (teach/learn, listen, garden, observe, music). It was pointed out to me that doing the Diploma is a big part of this building resilience process.
Multifunctions
Elements of the ALP, such as St saviour's design and Permaculture for Kids are multifunctional. As I have already mentioned, St Saviour's is a design that also functions as an educational site (passively and actively) with earthcare, peoplecare and fairshares being practised and free workshops a few times a year for locals. It links to criteria of Community Development and Education. It it also an opportunity for me to catch up with local gardeners or garden-friendly people once a month and meet newcomers from the area.
Permaculture for Kids originally fitted in with parenting as my 11 year old and her friend used to attend at Grow Mayow. This changed as she grew into a gymnast but I found the playful side that comes out as a parent, came in handy when planning and implementing these sessions.
10. Tweak
1. After the skills audit, I would have definitely given myself more time to sit and reflect on
a) format of pathway (and I would have benefitted from seeing other people's) and
b) which designs would be interesting to do and when. I was enthusiastic and did not realistically think about how much I was taking on in one go and let some designs such as St Saviour's edible garden and Permaculture for Kids happen to me. With a carefully thought-out Pathway, one or two designs at a time, I may have integrated documenting with designing instead of leaping straight into implement phase and then writing about it afterwards! However, I do acknowledge that even with the best pathway design in the world, I wouldn't have had more control over external events, just held the intiative a bit more.
2. Re: elements of this design (the designs and associated activities), I could have used Elements and functions tool to map how each element (design) fulfilled certain functions (its aims, assessment criteria, etc) - a supplement /alternative to the river format.
3. The zones and sectors rough sketch could be developed and firmed up to show that the designs go across a range of zones, from 00 to 5, to ensure a balanced portfolio.
a) format of pathway (and I would have benefitted from seeing other people's) and
b) which designs would be interesting to do and when. I was enthusiastic and did not realistically think about how much I was taking on in one go and let some designs such as St Saviour's edible garden and Permaculture for Kids happen to me. With a carefully thought-out Pathway, one or two designs at a time, I may have integrated documenting with designing instead of leaping straight into implement phase and then writing about it afterwards! However, I do acknowledge that even with the best pathway design in the world, I wouldn't have had more control over external events, just held the intiative a bit more.
2. Re: elements of this design (the designs and associated activities), I could have used Elements and functions tool to map how each element (design) fulfilled certain functions (its aims, assessment criteria, etc) - a supplement /alternative to the river format.
3. The zones and sectors rough sketch could be developed and firmed up to show that the designs go across a range of zones, from 00 to 5, to ensure a balanced portfolio.
Accreditation criteria met:
2. Actively applying permaculture in my life for over 2 years since the PDC. research insititute category: Personal development and the Inner transistion
3. Demonstrating design skills: River of life design
4. Applying Permaculture in my own life?
5. Developing my Permaculture Practice - reflective writing
2. Actively applying permaculture in my life for over 2 years since the PDC. research insititute category: Personal development and the Inner transistion
3. Demonstrating design skills: River of life design
4. Applying Permaculture in my own life?
5. Developing my Permaculture Practice - reflective writing