PROJECT NATURECONNECT
Institute of Global Education
Greenwich University (3 credits)
Portland State University (1 credit)
Introductory Course
ECO 601 Educating and Counseling With Nature:Student Teaching amd Research (3 credits)
(Introductory Course RWN plus Chapt 18-24 WMWE)
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ECO 601 EDUCATING AND COUNSELING WITH NATURE: STUDENT TEACHING AND RESEARCH (3 credits)
Applied Ecopsychology/Integrated Ecology Doctor of Philosophy School of Psychology College of Social Science and Health Greenwich University
nature@pacificrim.net (Dr. Michael Cohen) Revised: December 4, 1998
COURSE DESCRIPTION Students learn to promote, teach and research personal, social and environmental responsibility by mastering and adapting unique "nature-connecting" teaching methods for personal and professional use. They discover how to teach first-hand, tangible, reconnection with nature contacts that provide information and satisfy deep natural wants. Students discover how, when unsatisfied, these wants disrupt inner peace and fuel personal, cultural and ecological disorders. Under the direction of the instructor, students establish and identify a two or more person class of students with whom they work online and/or onsite as well as a study group and support team for themselvres. They maintain a journal of their teaching and research efforts and prepare a 15 page reflective paper.
PREREQUISITES ECO 501: EDUCATING AND COUNSELING WITH NATURE (3 credit)
COURSE TOPICS *Natural systems thinking process *Sensory ecology *Lifeweb communication *Why think like nature works? *Reconnecting with natural senses *The powers of natural senses *People and nature as community *Elements of Applied Ecopsychology *The greening of psychotherapy *Psychology of nature negatives *The sensory history of personality *Psychological origins of our separation from nature *Reconnecting with nature: the process in action *The twelve elements of the natural systems thinking process *An ecology of spirit *The relationship of attraction, love and consciousness
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The focus of this course is on the expertise of teaching and research regarding the application of 25 sensory nature reconnecting activities that improve counseling and education in human service settings. Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:
*Identify the core concepts of teaching and researching the theoretical frameworks of Integrated Ecology and Applied Ecopsychology and the Natural Systems Thinking Process. *Articulate the perspectives that the student incorporated in developing Natural System Thinking Process courses and workshops, and provide rationale for the use of the perspective(s) chosen. *Apply theoretical constructs in applied settings in order to improve the receptivity and use of the sensory nature reconnecting activities.
NEED STATEMENT There is a vital need for people to know how to build socially and environmentally responsible relationships that increase people's wellness and their energy and reduce their stress and numbness. Most of our problem relationships don't readily improve because we are bonded to the destructive way of thinking that produces them. Our continuing personal and environmental problems are psychological addictions and must be treated as such if they are to change. This course identifies how to teach the underlying psychological source of our unsolveable problems and offers a practicum in teaching and researching the psychological key to resolving them that leads to personal and environmental wellness. The course enables the student to understand, implement and teach a Natural Systems Thinking Process that helps people create moments that let Earth heal itself and us. It centers on the student's ability to research and teach people how to let Earth help themselves and others engage in the Natural Systems Thinking Process and teach it to others. This need is met in this course by helping to facilitate the ECO 501 course or its equivilent.
COURSE AUDIENCE This course is available for graduate and undergraduate students in all program areas and degree levels, as well as the public at large
FACULTY-STUDENT COMMUNICATIONS
-Telephone Contacts The student will initiate an initial telephone conference with the instructor within one week of enrollment to clarify a plan of action for the course. This initial contact will help familiarize the student and instructor with one another, and permit the transmission of clear expectations for completion of student teaching course requirements. Periodic telephone interaction , as required, at student's expense, should be continued for the duration of the course. At least a monthly telephone contact, at the student's expense, is required.
-Email Communications Frequent email communications between student and instructor should be initiated and continued for the duration of the course. Email communication may require up to 3 times or more communications per week, through participation in an online student teacher's support group.
-Alternative Communications Students may send communications and materials via postal service and fax, as appropriate. Optional on-site workshops and course opportunities with the faculty member may also be available in the course.
COURSE DELIVERY STYLE Students will familiarize themselves with the Course Description of ECO 501, the course that the ECO 601 student will "student teach;" review ECO 501 self-guiding training books and manuals, read suggestions for facilitators, and participate in on-site and email public information, discussion groups, public and web site presentations; conduct field observations; prepare scholarly papers, progress reports, and oral reports. Students will maintain anecdotal journal notations and submit and respond to these by email in the student teacher's support group and by phone with the faculty members.
REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS - Electronic materials for email and internet access. -Assigned Texts *Reconnecting With Nature, Michael J. Cohen, Ecopress, 1997** *Well Mind, Well Earth, Michael J. Cohen, World Peace University Press** *Connecting With Nature, Michael J. Cohen, World Peace University Press**
**Order from:
World Peace Publications P. O. Box 1605 Friday Harbor, WA 98250 USA Email: nature@pacificrim.net Tel: (360) 378-6313
-Required computer hardware and software *Ownership or access to a computer and modem *Software for email capability, internet access and website construction.
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
-Assignment 1: Part A * IMPORTANT: The student commits to participating in a consensus based student facilitator's study group (SFSG) of two or more additional students and the course mentor. The SFSG acts as a supportive sounding board and professional growth assistance team in developing the facilitator skills of all group members. All the instructions that follow pertain to the ECO 601 student participating in them in the role of a co-facilitator with the mentor and in conjunction with the SFSG: *The student reads a facilitators guide , adds suggestions to it from their course experience, and shares and helps strengthen the Course Support Roles. Within the six month time frame allotted pursue the following assignments. *The student commits to promoting, establishing, student teaching and researching a consensus based Natural Systems Thinking Process ECO 501 class online and/or onsite using the self-guiding book, Reconnecting With Nature by Michael J. Cohen *Before proceeding, read the paper and evaluation requirements for this student teaching course which appear below. Engage in them as you do the course so that they will be readily available to present for your evaluation. *Write a short introductory statement about yourself and your Natural Systems Thinking Process teaching and research goals and email them to your support group. *In the class that you teach, facilitate the Forward material up to Part One in Reconnecting With Nature. Write a reflective, 200 word maximum, paragraph or two that describes your teaching experience about the Forward material. Submit your paragraphs to the members of your student teacher's support group.
Part B **Proceed by, as part of ECO 501 or independently, co-facilitating the ECO 500 Orientation Course and evaluating your facilitation/teaching techniques with the Mentor and others. Write a reflective, 200 word maximum, paragraph or two that describes your teaching experience about the Forward material. Submit your paragraphs to the members of your student teacher's support group. ** *CHAPTER 1: Teach/facilitate Chapter #1, Reconnecting With Nature or its equivilent assignment in ECO 501. Write and submit to the SFSG, a statement concerning the things that were most important to you in teaching and researching the chapter and their significance. Teach the ACTIVITY at the end of the Chapter. Teach/facilitate all the activities presented in the ACTIVITY sections of the course by helping your students master the following process, techniques and information in their class/interact group. *Upon your completion of this assignment one or two keywords that convey what important thing you learned from this assignment AND write one or more complete, single, short, power sentence "quotes" that convey a significant contribution that this assignment makes to improving our relationships with people and/or the environment. *Collect and store statements from the class postings that show responsible change occurring in participants as you help them through the natural systems thinking process as follows: *CONSENT: Sensitively obtain permission from a natural area to visit it, be it a wilderness or 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 strings that were active in the activity as webstrings or webloves, *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. *S-E-V-M-R-A-T-C the most important sensory connections made in this assignment and journal the results once SEVMRATC has been learned. *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 Student Facilitators Support Group: From a facilitators point of view: 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 the chapter and activity; 3) whether or not the activity enhanced your sense of self-worth and your trustfulness of nature; 4) the part of you, if any, the activity identified or re-educated inside or outside of you; 5) your reactions to what you found attractive in the postings 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. 6. Does this activity enhance your sense of self-worth? Your trustfulness of NIAL and NIALS? 7. Which authority or person, if any, does this activity identify or re-educate inside or outside you? 8. Post your response to 1--6 to your interact group. 9. Read the posted responses of other members of the interact group. 10. Post and support what you find attractive in the posted responses you read from the other group members.
*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. *FOLLOW your attractions with regard to requesting and receiving information about how you can be most helpful to the course and other evaluations of interest to them. Make evaluation of your facilitator's role an ongoing process. *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 a 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. *EVALUATE how you and others in the course could have improved this assignment. *WRITE and post to your SFSG and in a newsgroup, discussion list, newspaper, newsletter, or letter to a person in a position of responsibility the value you see coming from this activity with regard to ongoing environmental or social issues.
-Assignments #2 Teach/facilitate Chapter 2, Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1 (Part B of Assignment 1)
-Assignments #3 Teach/facilitate Chapter 3 and ACTIVITY 3 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #4 Teach/facilitate Chapter 4 and ACTIVITY 4 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #5 Teach/facilitate 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 student teacher support group as to how your Scores did, or did not, improve.
-Assignments #6 Teach/facilitate Chapter 6 and ACTIVITY 6 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #7 Teach/facilitate Chapter 7 and ACTIVITY 7 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #8 Teach/facilitate Chapter 8 and ACTIVITY 8 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #9 Teach/facilitate Chapter 9 and ACTIVITY 9 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #10 Teach/facilitate 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 student teacher support group as to how your Scores did, or did not, improve.
-Assignments #11 Teach/facilitate Chapter 11 and ACTIVITY 11 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #12 Teach/facilitate Chapter 12 and ACTIVITY 12 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #13 Teach/facilitate Chapter 13 and ACTIVITY 13 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #14 Teach/facilitate Chapter 14 and ACTIVITY 14 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #15 Teach/facilitate 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 student teacher support group as to how your Scores did, or did not, improve.
-Assignments #16 Teach/facilitate Chapter 3 and ACTIVITY 3 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #17 Teach/facilitate Chapter 17 and ACTIVITY 17 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignments #18 Teach/facilitate Chapter 18 and ACTIVITY 18 in Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1
-Assignment 19. Teach/facilitate Appendix B, Reconnecting With Nature. Design, test and share an appropriate activity that you believe would contribute to the setting Appendix B describes.
-Assignment 20. Teach/facilitate Appendix C, Reconnecting With Nature. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1. Calculate and share your GBT Score with your interact group: its numerical, strength and diverse application changes since the beginning of the course. 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.
-Assignments #21 Teach/facilitate Chapter 18, from the book Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #22 Teach/facilitate Chapter 19, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #23 Teach/facilitate Chapter 20, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #24 Teach/facilitate Chapter 21, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #25 Teach/facilitate Chapter 22, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #26 Teach/facilitate Chapter 23, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #27 Teach/facilitate Chapter 24, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #28 Have your students: Write an attractive title and 30 word description for an introductory applied ecopsychology workshop that they could present *an attractive 5 word 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 class you teach to create a shared set of evaluation and grade criteria that critically measure a student's growth and expertise in this course. Help your students apply these standards to themselves and present their self-evaluation and grade to the class/interact group. Help your students consentually modify their grade and evaluation based on input from the group until an consensus for their grade is reached by all. Involve then in helping others modify their grade and evaluation by consent.
-Assignment 30 *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?
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
1. Check for changes in you GBT and/or Eco-Sensory IQ score.
15%
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%
COURSE COMPLETION TIMETABLE While the student in consensus with his or her student teacher's support group may work at his/her own pace, no more than 6 months (180 days) from initiation of any course normally will be permitted for successful completion of all requirements. The schedule below conveys the maximum time allotment of one week for each assignment to complete the six month time allotment. Excellent results may also be obtained by completing each assignment within 2-3 days, reducing the total course time period considerably.
Week #1: Make telephone contact with the instructor for the purpose of establishing the plan of action and scheduling the timeline and mode of communications for the duration of the course. Secure the course materials and recommended bibliography from the instructor and secure the required text materials. Post the required assignment paragraphs to your interact group regarding the important parts of the chapter to you and their significance by last day of corresponding week dedicated to assignment.
Week #2: Submit to the instructor by email, a summarization of the agreed upon plan of action for teaching the course. Begin to review the course materials provided by the instructor.
Week # 5: Submit summary updates of GTB scores and GBT K and L scores to the support group and a telephone call made to the instructor to review progress.
Week # 10: Submit summary updates of GTB scores and GBT K and L scores to the support group and a telephone call made to the instructor to review progress.
Week # 15: Submit summary updates of GTB scores and GBT K and L scores to the support group and a telephone call made to the instructor to review progress.
Week # 20: Submit summary updates of GTB scores and GBT K and L scores to the support group and a telephone call made to the instructor to review progress.
Week #2 - 21: For each assignment, from assignment #2 through assignment 21, post the required assignment paragraphs to your student teacher's support group regarding the important parts of involving others in the chapter and their significance. Schedule your time so each assignment is completed within a minimum one week period.
Week #22: Assignment #22 is due.
Week #24: Final oral review with instructor and student grade verified with support group.
SPECIAL NOTES AND INSTRUCTIONS
*NOTE #1: Thoughts about the grade of "Incomplete." The grade of Incomplete may be given ONLY AFTER discussion with the instructor and only if there is an extremely good reason to give such a grade. An Incomplete will NOT be given because a student is "behind" in work, needs extra time, or simply because s/he wants to.
*NOTE #2: Thoughts about late assignments. It is important that you turn in assignments within the parameters of the agreed timeline. However, I understand that there are often unforeseen circumstances will may befall any of us, therefore I and the interact group usually will be patient with you in the event of some personal crisis. A personal crisis means something like illness (you or a significant other), death in the family, accident, or injury.
*NOTE #3: Thoughts about writing. Style, spelling, and grammar count! Remember, everything you formally write is a permanent product with your name on it. Purchase and conform your written work to an approved writing style manual. If you are unclear with regard to the style manual, I would be pleased to provide the options.
FACULTY CONTACT INFORMATION
Michael J. Cohen, Ed.D. Director, Project NatureConnect P. O. Box 1605 Friday Harbor, WA 98250 USA Tel: (360) 378-6313 Email: nature@pacificrim.net Website: www.ecopsych.com
Available during normal working hours and by appointment.
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Project NatureConnect Institute of Global Education,
A special NGO consultant to the
United Nations Economic and Social CouncilP.O. Box 1605 Friday Harbor, WA 98250
360-378-6313
www.ecopsych.com
Dr. Micheal J. Cohen, Director
send e-mail