PROJECT NATURECONNECT
Institute of Global Education
Greenwich University
Portland State University
Part I Psychology and Nature Course
ECO 502: (Greenwich University) Elements of Educating and Counseling With Nature II:
CONSISTS OF :
PART ONE: (3 PSU credits) and
PART TWO (2 PSU credits)
Also listed as the Portland State University Extended Studies Course as
EDUCATING AND COUNSELING WITH NATURE PART I
EDUCATING AND COUNSELING WITH NATURE PART 2
Dear Participant.
Welcome to the Part One 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. Say hello to each other, send to them as a group, your two paragraph introduction to yourself, proceed with the course schedule and lets have some fun.
The rewards on this course come from doing the work itself, from building constructive, gratifying webstring relationships with people and NIAL, not from grades or praise from a mentor. That is similar to how nature works.
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 may have a coach/facilitator. I will be as active and helpful as occasions permit. The course runs and teaches itself, as does nature, as long as each person cooperates and follows the course instructions. Sharing your lives and discoveries in coming into balance with webstrings and the story of contemporary society provide a powerful, practical education.
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, Introductory Course and participants having a copy of the book Well Mind, Well Earth
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Students investigate advanced techniques to promote personal, social and environmental responsibility by mastering and adapting unique "nature-connecting" methods for personal and professional use. Students continue their work with a two or three person study team with whom they interact.
They may assume the role of an intern, helping to promote, organize, and guide presentations for a selected group. Students exchange and react to their teaching, findings and evaluation efforts and prepare reflective paper of at least 3 double-spaced typewritten pages discussing how the program has informed their understandings of the importance of Applied Ecopsychology and Integrated Ecology within their personal and professional lives.
COURSE ASSIGNMENT AND SEQUENCE SCHEDULE
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The focus of this course is on the expert application of many sensory nature reconnecting activities, beyond the Orientation Course ECO 500, and Introductory Course ECO 501 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 the theoretical frameworks of Applied Ecopsychology and apply them in various settings.
*Articulate the perspectives that the student would incorporate in developing courses and workshops, provide rationale for the use of the perspective(s) chosen, and implement them
*Apply theoretical constructs in applied settings in order to improve the receptivity and use of the sensory nature reconnecting activities.
*Gather and present evidence about the theory that natural attractions are forms of love that, from the beginning of time, have been conscious of themselves. In nature, attraction, love and consciousness are identical.
BRIEF NEED STATEMENT
There is a vital need for people to help build socially and environmentally responsible relationships that increase people's 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 offers a practicum in teaching and researching a psychological key to resolving our dilemmas and leads to personal and environmental wellness. The course enables the student to implement and teach a Natural Systems Thinking Process that helps people create moments that let Earth heal itself and us.
REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS
- Electronic materials for email and internet access.
-Assigned Texts
*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
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
In the two weeks before starting the course
OPTIONAL: 1. Determine your GBT Score if you have not already done so as part of the Introductory Course
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.
-Assignment 1: (Requires seven posting days to be set by group consent)
Part A
*The student commits to participating in a consensus based student facilitator's interact group of two or more additional students and the course mentor.
Within the three month time frame allotted pursue the following Part One assignments.
*The student commits to cooperatively participating in the activities in the self-guiding book, Well Mind, Well Earth by Michael J. Cohen
*The student commits to -by consensus with her/his interact group- determining, setting and adhering to a schedule of assignment due/posting days.
*Before proceeding, read the evaluation requirements for this 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 personal and professional goals and email them to your interact group.
*Read the evaluation requirements for this course which appear near the bottom of this page (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.
*With your interact group read and become involved in the the Forward material up to Part One in Well Mind, Well Earth as follows:
-0btain permission from a natural area to visit it and while there:
-One at a time, read the quotes of Front3 to this natural area and ask it if it would consent to react to them or add to them. Note how and what occurs.
-Relate how you as the father would respond to your daughter under the circumstances described in Front 4.
-On front 5-6, if Dr. Schneider is correct, how do you explain that most people do not become involved in the Natural Systems Thinking Process when they hear about it.
- On Front 7, and each additional chapter, discover what, if any connection you can find between this area and the picture that starts the chapter
- Read the Chapter heading quote, to a natural place or thing that attracts you, read the quote to it and explain how you find the place and quote to be related.
Pages Front 7-8 write how you would convince a person that it was attractive to think using 53 senses
Pages Front 8-9 identify which questions you think you can't answer as well as you would like to, and how you are going to improve your ability to answer them.
Pages Front 10-13 identify three or more things in the material that you found attractive to you.
Pages Front 14-15 identify parts of the instructions that seem new to you.
Pages Front 17-19 Would you change this workshop procedure? How?
Pages Front 21-31 Read this refereed article as a review of Organic Psychology and the Webstring Natural Attractions Model. Read the updates to it about Natural System Dysfunction
http://www.ecopsych.com/nsd.html
and Nine Leg Thinking
http://www.ecopsych.com/ninelegs.htmlWrite a reflective, 300 word maximum, paragraph or two that conveys the most important things you learned from the Forward material. Submit your paragraphs to the members of your interact support group.
Part B
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in in Chapter #1, Well Mind, Well Earth as per the Instructions on pages Front 14-15 and submit to your interact group, a statement concerning these things using the following process, techniques and information :
*0btain permission from a natural area to visit it and while there:
- Discover what, if any connection you can find between this area and the ancient picture (900 A.D.) that starts the chapter.
- Read the chapter heading quote, to a natural place or thing that attracts you, read the quote to it and explain how you discovered the place and quote to be related.
*Collect and store statements from the interact postings that show responsible change occurring in participants and yourself through the natural systems thinking process as follows:
*CHAPTER: Read/participate in the pages and activities in each Chapter of Well Mind, Well Earth. 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 ACTIVITIES in the Chapter. Write and submit to the interact group, a statement concerning the things that were most important to you in the activities 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 aquarium. Have your interact group consent to identify and use for this course a word or phrase in common that conveys and brings into awareness a webstring's role and qualities with respect to our relationship with NIAL.
*CONTACT: Let natural attractions lead you. Make a safe, non-verbal, sensory (old brain), contact with an attractive, consenting natural area or "thing." Identify and name the natural sensory attraction "webstrings" that you become aware of as you do the activities.
*FEEL: Recognize that this webstring attraction 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 your interact group. Integrate the information in Appendix A in Reconnecting With Nature.
*Send the following to you interact group:
1. A general description of how you did the activity and what happened.
2. The three most important things you learned from this chapter and activity. Quote parts of the reading you feel are important and explain why.
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.Write one or two keywords that convey what important thing you learned from this assignment.
8.Write one or more complete, single, short, power sentence "quotes" that convey a significant contribution that this assignment makes to improving our relationships.
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 and future studies.
10. Read the posted responses of other members of the interact group.
11. Post and support what you find attractive in the posted responses you read from the other group members.
*COLLECT significant anecdotal material that is posted by the group for use in your final paper and future studies.
*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
the environment 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.
-Assignments #2
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 2, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #3
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 3, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #4
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 4, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #5
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 5, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*After you complete this assignment update your GBT Score and your GBT K and L scores. ..(www.ecopsych.com/millecopsy910.html )...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, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #7
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 7, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #8
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 8, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #9
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 9, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #10
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 10, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*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 #11
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 11, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #12
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 12, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #13
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 13, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #14
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 14, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #15
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 15, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*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 #16
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 16, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #17
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 17, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
ASSIGNMENTS 18-24 INCREASE THE STRENGTH OF ALL WEBSTRINGS AND ACTIVITIES.
THEY MAY HAVE BEEN DONE BY SOME AS PART OF ECO 501. PLEASE INCREASE YOUR EXPERTISE IN THEM NOW. ALL OTHERS PROCEED AS SCHEDULED
-Assignments #18
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 18, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #19
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 19, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #20
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 20 Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*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
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 21, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #22
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 22, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #23
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 23, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #24
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 24, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #24A
ONLY DO THIS ASSIGNMENT IF YOU ARE *NOT* GOING ON TO PART TWO BELOW, OTHERWISE PROCEED TO PART TWO.
-Assignments # EVALUATION PART ONE
*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.
EVALUATION PART ONE
Write a 3 page paper relative to the course subject matter, and your experiences in it, in a manner that integrates, validates and contributes important anecdotal material, concepts and ideas to the profession or general field of nature connected psychology.
*Write a 15 page scholarly paper (for students in accredited graduate programs) relative to participating in this course in a manner that integrates, validates and contributes important concepts and ideas to the profession or general field of nature connected psychology.
Please address the following four paragraphs as part of your paper
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 do you 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 and its prerequsite Orientation 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?
COURSE EVALUATION AND GRADING REQUIREMENTS
*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.
NOTE: The student is evaluated by the quality of their paper and the degree of responsibility and cooperation the student demonstrates in relating to teaching/facilitating their class/interact group. and the grade recommendation of the their support group.
The course grade is also influenced by the improvement in the GBT Score and the instructor's evaluation of the student's effort and expertise to integrate and convey the subject matter.
COURSE GRADING DETERMINANTS
*the scholarly paper (or its alternative) 50%
*the extent and depth of change in their GTB Score 15%
*the degree of responsibility and cooperation demonstrated 20%
*the instructor's impression of the student's expertise to use and convey
the subject matter 15%
END 3 MONTHS *PART ONE.*
CONTINUE WITH *PART TWO* BELOW TO COMPLETE ECO 502
-Assignments #25
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 25, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #26
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 26, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #27
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 27, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #28
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 28, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #29
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 29, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #30
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 30, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #31
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 31, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #32
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 32, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #33
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 33, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*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 #34
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 34, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #35
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 35, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #36
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 36, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #37
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 37, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #38
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 38, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #39
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 39, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #40
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 40, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #41
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 41, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #42
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 42, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #43
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 43, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*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 #44
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 44, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #45
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 45, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #46
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 46, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #47
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 47, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #48
*Read/participate in the pages and activities that you and your interact group each write as your own Chapter 48, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described in other Chapters. 1) A quote you like and Chapter title, 2) an appropriate personal statement of truth, 3) a disconnecting experience, 4) destructive effects of the experience, 5) something humerous about the situation, 6) one or more webstring activities that let NIAL help improve the situation, 7) other people's reactions to the activity. Take a week to do this assignment.
-Assignments #49
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 49, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #50
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 50, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
*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 #51
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 51, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #52
*Read/participate in the pages and activities in Chapter 52, Well Mind, Well Earth. Follow the same protcol described
under CHAPTER 1, Part B.
-Assignments #53
**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 GBT 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%
ELEMENTS OF APPLIED ECOPSYCHOLOGY
Below are 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. Please share how you would you edit, add to or modify them.
Rationale:
The heart of our unsolveable problems is psychological. We are in denial. We deny that we are addicted to a story that says for us to live we must conquer, exploit and subdue nature, including our inherent human nature. Every other part of nature survives in balance through attractions that unite build and sustain consensual, mutually supportive relationships. NSTP enables us to think and act this way by identifying and addressing our denial and addiction.
1. Nature can be seen as a unifying attraction process that organizes, preserves and regenerates itself to produce an optimum of life, diversity and balanced cooperation without producing garbage, madness or death as we know it. Nature's way of expressing love prohibits the pollution, abusiveness and stress that deteriorate life.
2..We are born part of and attached to nature but learn to spend 99.9% of our conscious time and thought detached/disconnected from nature. Our psyche is dismembered from its origins. It silently suffers its profound loss of contact with its nurturing sensory and sensibility roots in nature's ways and intelligence. However, any word or incident that reminds us of our psychological dismemberment breaks the silence. It triggers the emotional pain of it into consciousness and we feel it. As reflected by the state of the world, indoors or outdoors, our mentality is guarded, stressed, ill, wanting and destructive due to our painful deficiency of nature's peace, wisdom, and beauty (10, 16F).
3.When we provide material, social, or financial rewards for nature-disconnecting stories and technologies, we become psychologically bonded to them and their destructive effects. Things that experience these effects suffer.
4.The web of life is a global ecosystem of which people are part. To be part of a system one must in some way be in communication with the system. The Natural Systems Thinking Process enables a person to restore their inherent 53-sense ability to consciously register, enjoy, and respond to communication with nature. It accomplishes this by helping us bring into our awareness the webstring attraction loves that we share with the web of life and make sensory contact with them in nature, backyard or backcountry.
5. People experience webstrings as sensory attractions, uncomfortable sensations are webstrings that attract us to seek additional webstrings and continue to participate.
6. Attractiveness is conscious of itself. When people think in consent and connection with webstrings they experience an attractive global consciousness that leads to unity at every level of endeavor.
7. There is an age old purpose and non-verbal process that sustains nature's web of life and its members, including people. That attractive purpose and process is to support life in balance. In this regard there are no known substitutes for the real thing. People must connect with genuine nature or suffer from the imperfections of the substitutes we create for it.
Since in this model there is no substitute for the real thing, if a person is not in conscious connection with webstring attractions, they are probably playing God in some way without the wisdom to do so.
8. Because we are nature renegades, to reconnect with nature, relationships must be entered by gaining consent and measured by their long term effects on global life in balance.
9. To reverse our imbalance and its discontents, continuing, thoughtful, shared, sensory contacts with webstring attractions in natural areas reconnect our thinking with nature's ways. This produces more sensitive and responsible personal, social and environmental relationships. A person can learn to trust and use nature connected experiences to help produce unity and balance.
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%
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 their support group and the grade
recommendation of the 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.
EVALUATION PROCEDURES
*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.
*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.
COURSE COMPLETION TIMETABLE
While the student in consensus with his or her interact 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 three
days for each assignment to complete the six month time allotment.
Week #1: Make telephone contact with the instructor for the purpose of
establishing the plan of action and scheduling the 3-day per assignment timeline and mode of communications for the duration of facilitating/mentoring the course. Submit to the instructor by email, a summarization of the agreed upon plan of action for the course. Secure the course materials and recommended bibliography from the instructor and secure the required text materials. Begin to implement and post to your support group the required assignment #1 Parts A and B, and #2 paragraphs regarding the important parts of facilitating/mentoring the chapter to you, by last day of the 3-day period dedicated to assignments.
Week #2: Continue to implement and post to your support group the required assignments #3-#52 at the specified rate of 3 days per assignment.
Week # 4: Submit summary updates of GTB scores and GBT K and L scores to
the interact group and a telephone call made to the instructor to review
progress.
Week # 8: Submit summary updates of GTB scores and GBT K and L scores to
the interact group and a telephone call made to the instructor to review
progress.
Week # 12: Submit summary updates of GTB scores and GBT K and L scores to
the interact group and a telephone call made to the instructor to review
progress.
Week # 16: Submit summary updates of GTB scores and GBT K and L scores to
the interact 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 interact group and a telephone call made to the instructor to review
progress.
Week #1 -20: For each assignment, from assignment #2 through assignment
45, post the required assignment paragraphs to your support group regarding the important parts of the chapter and their significance. Schedule your time with your class so each assignment is completed within a maximum of 3 hours work accomplished over a maximum of 3 days.
Week #24: Assignment #46 is due.
Week #26: 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.
FACULTY CONTACT INFORMATION
Michael J. Cohen, Ed.D. Director, Project NatureConnect
P. O. Box 1605
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
360-378-6313
nature@pacificrim.net
www.ecopsych.com
Available during normal working hours and by appointment.
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in association with United Nations Deptartment of Public Information P.O. Box 1605 Friday Harbor, WA 98250 360-378-6313 www.ecopsych.com Dr. Micheal J. Cohen, Director send e-mail |