PROJECT NATURECONNECT
PROJECT NATURECONNECT
Institute of Global Education
Greenwich University (3 credits)
IUPS (3 credits)
Portland State University (1 credit)
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Introductory Course ECO 501 Educating and Counseling With Nature 3 Credits in the Degree Program |
Dear Participant.
Welcome to the Introductory Course in Educating and Counseling With Nature that starts on the date to be announced to you by email. The email will also contain the confidential list of addresses of your interact group members.
Please complete and send to this mailing address
Dear Course Members, Facilitators and Faculty,
Please note that I have completed the prerequsite
Elements of Global Citizenship Course, have a copy of the book Reconnecting With Nature, made an appropriate financial or other donation to support the course, and that I am prepared to become involved in it.Name
Email address
Postal Address
Telephone
A. Once you obtain the email addresses of the course participants make a list of all of the interact group members in your e-mail address book, or use whatever batch/group/alias mail system that works for your email program. All course-related e-mail should go to your entire interact group.
B. If you have not done so, write a 1-2 paragraph letter of introduction to your interact group. Include a brief biographical sketch and the reasons you are taking this course. Save this statement and share it with your interact list on the starting date. Please verbalize in this statement the social contract that you are making with the remaining course members. Please assure them that they can trust you to supportively participate and complete the course with them.
The rewards on this course come from learning how to build balanced relationships , not from grades or praise from a mentor. That is similar to how nature works. The course process is the same process learned and used in the Orientation Course that preceeds it (ECO 500).
Set the addresses up as a group mailing list. If you want, you can use the addressed email letter as a form. Duplicate it, erase the previous messages and send it out. It will go to all. Usually, all you have to do is select "reply to all" on the messages you receive, as they will contain all the addresses.
This group often has an assigned coach/facilitator. However, it is most educational with respect to how nature work when the group organizes and operates itself. In that option, its members assume, and thereby learn to assume, the responsibilities that the facilitator meets (see facilitate). I will be as active as I can, in this role, too. The course runs and teaches itself, as does nature, as long as each person cooperates and is attracted to follow the course instructions.
Before the course begins, I would like participants to be very aware of the following letter:
June 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 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, another never even started it, 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.
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
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. As an independent interact group you may, with the consent of all, arrange the schedule times faster or slower as suits your collective needs. For example, you could put 2 -4 days between the assignments instead of one, however this would lengthen the course time.
Please note that, unless otherwise requested, we, on occasion, anonymously distribute occasional postings from the the course to the natureconnect List, our newsletter, and other interested parties. This helps the course serve its purpose: to have ecopsychology experiences help unify the natural world and people The distributions enable others to become familiar with the course and to people's potential when they are connected to nature.
We welcome your support and suggestions for making this course available internationally.
Owls and howls,
Mike Cohen
NOTE: This schedule is based on the course participants having completed the prerequisite Orientation Course and participants having a copy of the book Reconnecting With Nature. IGE Degree Program students will also need a copy of Well Mind, Well Earth
COURSE ASSIGNMENT AND SEQUENCE SCHEDULE
Complete or have completed the Course Prerequsite Orientation Course, ECO 500
Before starting this course
1. Determine your GBT Score and Ecosensory IQ Score if you have not already done so.
NOTE that on the course you re-evaluate your GBT score on Assignments 5, 10, 15, 20. It serves as a means to produce a new brain function that represents whole person growth.
2. Read the Forward material and Chapter 11 (don't do the activity there) in Reconnecting With Nature. They are a key to getting the most out of the course.
3. Write a reflective, 200 word maximum, paragraph or two that describes your experience about the Forward material and Chapter 11. Submit your paragraphs to the members of your interact group on the first day of the course.
4. Determine, set and abide by an assignment completion and posting day schedule that is consented to by all. Let people know if you must temporarily divert from it.
By each posting day (4 above), Journal/Email/correspond your thoughts and feelings from the readings and activities, and from reacting to discussions with other course members or partners.
To obtain the most from each activity, use the Part B check list below until it becomes a habit.
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
Assignment 1:
Part A (A review of course membership committments)
*We commit to participating in a consensus based, interact
group of two or more additional students and the course facilitator and/or mentor.*We commit to promoting, establishing, teaching and researching a webstring based Natural Systems Thinking Process class online and/or onsite using the self-guiding book, Reconnecting With Nature by Michael J. Cohen
*Before proceeding, read the final paper and evaluation requirements for this course which appear near the bottom of this page (LAST ASSIGNMENT AND EVALUATION AND GRADING ASSIGNMENTS). Recognize and keep written track of them as you do the course so that they will be readily available to present in your paper and grading during evaluation.
*Write a short introductory statement about yourself and your Natural Systems Thinking Process teaching and research goals and email them to your interact group on the starting day.
Part B
Follow the instructions you receive by letter.
The activity, reading and reacting e-mail portion of the 4-week course starts with Chapter 4 of the book Reconnecting With Nature (RWN). Before the course starts participants are requested to:
- write a 2 paragraph introduction to themselves stating who they are and why they are taking the course. These paragraphs will be posted to the group on opening day.
-read the Forward material and Chapters 1-3, and Chapter 11 in Reconnecting With Nature. You need not do Activities 1 and 2. Be ready to post on the course first posting day, once we know everybody is ready to start, your responses to Activity 3.
-Also please post a few paragraphswhat you found attractive in the above reading material and why.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:*CHAPTER: Read/participate in the pages and activities in each Chapter of Reconnecting With Nature. Write and submit to the interact group, a statement concerning the attractions that were most important to you in the chapter and their significance.
Do the ACTIVITY at the end of the Chapter. Write and submit to the interact group, a statement concerning the things that were most important to you in the activity and their significance.
*COLLECT and store statements from the interact group that show responsible change occurring as they participate in the natural systems thinking process as follows:
*CONSENT: Sensitively obtain permission from a natural area to visit it, be
it a wilderness or home aquarium.*CONTACT: Let natural attractions lead you. Make a safe, non-verbal, sensory (old brain), contact with an attractive, consenting natural area or "thing." Identify the natural sensory attraction webstrings that were active in the activity.
*FEEL: Recognize that this contact feels good. Thank the natural attraction you found AND the natural sensory attraction string(s) involved for the valuable feelings and information they have provided.
*TRUST: Trust the thoughts and feelings arising from the contact.
*VALIDATE: Write, in reasonable language (new brain), your thoughts and feelings from the old brain experience.
*READ aloud what you wrote, note that your translation is intelligent, enjoyable and honest.
*SHARE in writing your nature-connected experiences in this assignment with other consenting people, personally and via the internet to your interact group as per Appendix A RWN.
*COLLECT significant anecdotal material that is posted by the group for use in your final paper and future communications.
Send the following to you interact group:
1. A general description of how you did the activity and what happened along with quotes you like from the readings and how they added meaning to the experience;
2. The three most important things you learned from this chapter and activity.
3. Three G/G statements. (See Chapter 11 and Appendix A, Reconnecting With Nature)
4. How would you feel having your ability to experience this G/G taken away?
5. Does this activity enhance your sense of self-worth? Your trustfulness
of NIAL and NIALS?
6. Which authority or person, if any, does this activity identify or
re-educate inside or outside you?
7. Post your response to A-F to your interact group.
8. Read the posted responses of other members of the interact group.
9. Post and support what you find attractive in the posted responses you read from the other group members. Be sure to save the interact postings of yourself and others that are attractive to you so that you can refer to them and quote them in the final paper for this course.
*OBSERVE that you may now feel less stressed, that your nature-connected story builds supportive contacts and closer relationships with people and the environment.
*ACT to stop your discomfort from abusive or exploitive relationships with nature or your inner nature. Insist on receiving and giving permission to relate before interacting.
*RECOGNIZE that you own this nature reconnecting activity; you may repeatedly use and teach it to benefit yourself, others and the environment.
*ENJOY a minimum of one night's sleep (integrating dream time) before doing the next activity.
*REVIEW your GBT Score Summaries and change the scores on those that may have increased or strengthened due to this activity or other growth experiences.
*WRITE one or two keywords that convey what important thing you learned from this assignment.
*WRITE one or more complete, single, short, power sentence "quotes" that convey a significant contribution that this assignment makes to improving our relationships.
ASSIGNMENTS #2 and #3 FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT COMPLETED THE ORIENTATION COURSE, ECO 500 ....All others proceed to Assignments #4
-Assignments #2
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 2, Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1 (Part B of Assignment 1 above)-Assignments #3
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 3 and ACTIVITY 3 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #4
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 4 and ACTIVITY 4 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1-Assignments #5
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 5 and ACTIVITY 5 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1. Update your GBT Score and your GBT K and L scores. Inform your interact group as to how your Scores did, or did not, improve.
-Assignments #6*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 6 and ACTIVITY 6 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #7
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 7 and ACTIVITY 7 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same
protocol described under CHAPTER 1-Assignments #8
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 8 and ACTIVITY 8 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same
protcol described under CHAPTER 1-Assignments #9
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 9 and ACTIVITY 9 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same
protcol described under CHAPTER 1-Assignments #10
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 10 and ACTIVITY 10 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER .Update your GBT Score and your GBT K and L scores. Inform your interact group as to how your Scores did, or did not, improve.
-Assignments #11
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 11 and ACTIVITY 11 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the
same protcol described under CHAPTER 1-Assignments #12
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 12 and ACTIVITY 12 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the
same protcol described under CHAPTER 1-Assignments #13
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 13 and ACTIVITY 13 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the
same protcol described under CHAPTER 1-Assignments #14
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 14 and ACTIVITY 14 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described underCHAPTER 1-Assignments #15
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 15 and ACTIVITY 15 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER . Update your GBT Score and your GBT K and L scores. Inform your interact group as to how your Scores did, or did not, improve.-Assignments #16
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 16 and ACTIVITY 16 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1-Assignments #17
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 17 and ACTIVITY 17 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1-Assignments #18
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 18 and ACTIVITY 18 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1-Assignment 19.
*Read and evaluate the material in Appendix A then read and participate in the pages and activities in Appendix B, Reconnecting With Nature. Design, test and share an appropriate activity that you believe would contribute to the setting Appendix B describes. Alternatively, do an activity suggested by another student or one located by selecting here (http://www.ecopsych.com/eco5activ19).-Assignment 20.
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Appendix C, Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1.
After you complete this assignment update your GBT Score and your GBT K and L scores. Inform your interact group as to how your Scores did, or did not, improve. Calculate and share your GBT Score with your interact group: its numerical, strength and diverse application changes since the beginning of the course.An additional assignment for IGE Degree or Certification Students only is listed at the bottom of this page.
REQUIRED:
Write a 15 page paper that integrates the course and your directions as described in Section 31 below.
OPTIONAL
NON-DEGREE EVALUATION AND GRADING ASSIGNMENTS
PRACTICUM:
*write an attractive title and 30 word description for an introductory applied ecopsychology workshop that you could present.
*write an attractive 5 word maximum title and 15 word encapsualization of the Orientation Course that they could submit as a WWW link to the course and/or themselves on the internet.
*submit their titles and descriptions to their interact group.
*appropriately consider and incorporate improvement suggestions from their interact group into their workshop title and description.
*help other interact group members improve their titles and descriptions so they work well
*successfully select, submit, and have their WWW link incorporated in 5 appropriate internet websites (including an appropriate topic in YAHOO) of their choice on the WWW checking to first see if a link already exists.
SAMPLE
Increase your marketability, credibility and effectiveness: Education and Counseling with Nature Ph.D or M.S. degrees include your prior experiences: inexpensive, dedicated, accredited. Transferable courses and internships improve careers, global consciousness and human-environmental relationships through a unique graduate student hands-on learning cooperative. By self-organizing and being their word, degree candidates learn how to consentually follow natural attractions and responsibly relate to nature in people and the environment. www.ecopsych.com
The following is a shorter version of which all or part may be used.
Educating and Counseling with Nature : Ph.D or M.S. degrees include your prior experiences: inexpensive, dedicated, accredited.
*Help organize the interact group to create a shared set of evaluation and grade criteria that critically measure a student's growth and expertise in this course. Help group members apply these standards to themselves and present their self-evaluation and grade to the interact group. Help your interact members consentually modify their grade and evaluation based on input from the group until an consensus for their grade is reached by all. Involve them in helping others modify their grade and evaluation by consent.
REQUIRED:
To complete the course write a 15 page paper that integrates the course and your directions as described in Section 31 below.
OPTIONAL
NOTE: The student is evaluated by the extent and depth of change in their GTB Score and the quality of the scholarly paper.
The course grade is also dependent upon the degree of responsibility and cooperation the student demonstrates in relating to teaching/facilitating their class/interact group and the grade recommendation of the student teacher's support group is also given consideration.
The course grade is also influenced by the instructor's evaluation of the student's effort and expertise to integrate and convey the subject matter.
COURSE GRADING DETERMINANTS
*the scholarly paper ................................................................40%
*the extent and depth of change in their GTB Score................10%
*the grade received from the student's interact group................20%
*the degree of responsibility and cooperation demonstrated ...10%
*the instructor's impression of the student's expertise to use
and convey the subject matter...................................................20% )
IGE Degree Program Students only (optional for other students) :
Assignment:
The remainder of this course for Degree Program Students is in the book Well Mind, Well Earth. The assignment is located http://www.ecopsych.com/eco501a.html There, do Assignments #21-#31 and write a short discussion of what was attractive/valuable about them for you. Obtain consent to post your reactions to the assignments to this interact group, or else post them to the natureconnect discussion list
To complete this ECO 501 course, the Student will set up and co-facilitate online an ECO 500 course (Orientation Course) with the Mentor.
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 18, from the book Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 19, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 20, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 21, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 22, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 23, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 24, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*write an attractive title and 30 word description for an introductory applied ecopsychology workshop that you could present.
*write an attractive 5 word maximum title and 15 word encapsualization of the course that they could submit as a WWW link to the course and/or themselves on the internet.
*submit their titles and descriptions to their interact group.
*appropriately consider and incorporate improvement suggestions from their interact group into their workshop title and description.
*help other interact group members improve their titles and descriptions so they work well
*successfully select, submit, and have their WWW link incorporated in 5 appropriate internet websites of their choice on the WWW checking to first see if a link already exists.
-Assignment 29
Help organize the interact group to create a shared set of evaluation and
grade criteria that critically measure a student's growth and expertise in
this course. Help group members apply these standards to themselves and present their
self-evaluation and grade to the interact group. Help your interact members consentually modify their grade and evaluation based on input from the group until an consensus for their grade is reached by all. Involve them in helping others modify
their grade and evaluation by consent.
-Assignment 30
Help organize an online Orientation Course and co-facilitate it with the Mentor to its completion.
-Assignment 31
**Write a 15 page scholarly paper relative to participating in this course in a manner that integrates, validates and contributes important concepts, ideas and experiences to the profession or general field of nature connected psychology.
The paper must be in two parts:
Part One:
A. During, or at the end of your work in this course select magazines, newsletters, or other publications, online or otherwise that you think should be interested in your work with NSTP or in NSTP in general.
B. Contact the editor of the publication by phone or write a letter of inquiry and introduce him/her to how a short article about some aspect of NSTP would benefit the publication and/or its readers. Show how your article ties in with or extends a previous article, current news event, or the purpose of their publication. Get an OK to submit an article to the publication, its length, how to submit (email, postal mail etc.) and anything special the editor might suggest. (You can often just submit a letter to an editor and then call to find out if it is accepted for publication)
C. Write 250-1000 words of your paper (or more if an editor requests more) as an article you submit to the editor of your choice that you have contacted.
Part Two:
As part of the remainder of your paper, using the APA Manual of Style
Please address the following four paragraphs in a manner that integrates, validates and contributes important concepts and ideas to the profession or general field of nature connected psychology and the public. Show how these concepts support the points you have made in you article in Part One
The concepts should include the following areas:
1. When you enrolled in the Degree program you stated you had certain needs and goals in mind. How has this course helped with respect to meeting them? How are you applying, or intend to apply what you have learned in the future?
2. Please identify what you think and feel are four or more most significant aspects of this course, state why they are significant, and show how, (document with examples, including quotes from the course participants and yourself) the course process contributes to personal, social and environmental wellness.
3. From this course describe and document (with examples, including quotes from the course participants and yourself) at least one example of each of the eight Natural System Thinking Process Basics (described below,) that you experienced during the course and its value to yourself and society.
4. What challenges does the course subject present, how do you think you can help meet them.
The following are a GSC group suggestions for determing a grade and/or organizing and evaluatiing Part Two of the final paper
1. Check for changes in confidence and values as noted on pp 21 and 22 in The Web of Life Imperative.
2. Review your introductory statement. Comment,for
example, on how the course has helped you understand your original
ideas about the course or how you have changed or would change that
statement.15%
3. Check for the wrangler experience and how awareness of this force
has effected activities and life. Also check assignments to see how
your ability to skillfully reeducate of the wrangler. Find a few
examples from postings.15%
4. Review your "I've learned from this experience statements" and
comment how "journaling" these has strengthened you. 15%
5. Check to see how your connection with the group elicited new and /
or enhanced behaviors and senses that contributed to our groups sense
of community. Find a few examples from postings.15%
6. Check to see how this course has effected how you operate in your
everyday life. How have certain lessons/assignments effected/changed
the way you have experienced and responded to everyday life
situations? Find a few
examples from postings. 25%
ELEMENTS OF APPLIED ECOPSYCHOLOGY
Do you recognize the nine basics of the Natural Systems Thinking Process that help people solve the personal, social and environmental problems that result from the difference between the disconnected way we learn to think and how nature works? They are located at
thesecretonlinekey.html
INDIVIDUALIZATION OF STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS
Through the written assignments and the application of sensory activities,
participants will have opportunities to integrate ecopsychology solutions
to issues and problems within their personal, work, or community
environment.
COURSE EVALUATION
The student is evaluated by the extent and depth of change in their GTB
Score and the quality of the scholarly paper. The course grade is also
dependent upon the degree of responsibility and cooperation the student
demonstrates in relating to teaching/facilitating their class/interact
group and the grade recommendation of the student teacher's support group
is also given consideration. The course grade is also influenced by the instructor's evaluation of the student's effort and expertise to integrate and convey the subject matter.
COURSE GRADING DETERMINANTS
*the scholarly paper 40%
*the process described below 60%
The following are GWSC group suggestions for determining
a grade and/or organizing and evaluating the final paper.1. Check for changes in you GBT and/or Eco-Sensory IQ score. 15%
2. Review your introductory statement. Comment, for example, on how the
course has helped you understand your original ideas about the course or
how you have changed or would change that statement.15%
3. Check for the wrangler experience and how awareness of this force
has effected activities and life. Also check assignments to see how
your ability to skillfully reeducate of the wrangler. Find a few
examples from postings.15%
4. Review your "I've learned from this experience statements" and
comment how "journaling" these has strengthened you. 15%
5. Check to see how your connection with the group elicited new and /
or enhanced behaviors and senses that contributed to our groups sense
of community. Find a few examples from postings.15%
6. Check to see how this course has effected how you operate in your
everyday life. How have certain lessons/assignments effected/changed
the way you have experienced and responded to everyday life
situations? Find a few examples from postings. 25%
COURSE GRADING DETERMINANTS USED BEFORE JUNE 2001 (for your information)
*the extent and depth of change in their GTB Score 10%
*the grade received from the student teacher's support group 20%
*the degree of responsibility and cooperation demonstrated 10%
*the instructor's impression of the student's expertise to
use and convey the subject matter 20%
.
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A special NGO consultant to the United Nations Economic and Social Council 360-378-6313 www.ecopsych.com Dr. Micheal J. Cohen, Director send e-mail |