Table of Contents
What You Will Do
- Gain a broad understanding of what pedagogy is and does.
- Consider different applications of ecological design to pedagogy.
- Understand the importance of designing presentations that work for different learning styles.
- Begin to form ideas for your own educational offers and practice creating learning experiences.
We want YOU to become a teacher!
with Marit Parker and Heather Jo Flores
And we want you to find the exact and perfect niche for your work. Teaching can mean many things. Please watch this video from Rowe Morrow, who trains teachers all around the world, and is making resources for teachers available, for free, to everyone.
Like Rowe, we believe that encouraging people to learn, teach, and co-create learning opportunities on a grassroots, community scale, brings a myriad of direct benefits to that community. And we also believe that those benefits are multiplied exponentially when teachers take the time to get themselves trained not just as ecological designers, but as egalitarian teachers as well.
Settle in and enjoy her presentation here:
Here is the link to download Rowe’s new book, all about teaching. It’s FREE!!
What is pedagogy?
This section by Heather Jo Flores and Marit Parker
The Oxford dictionary defines pedagogy as :the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept, or the art and science of teaching, education and instructional methods.” Simply put, pedagogy is the science of designing learning experiences. As such, our pedagogy should be a whole system curriculum design, and all of the same tools we use to design gardens and home systems can be applied here.
Just like ecological landscape designers must become systems thinkers, ecological educators should design learning experiences based on observations and understandings of the systems in which people learn. Any learning experience brings about change in the learner, whether that be the knowledge and skills to make good compost, or a new and deeper understanding of how to change the world. The more carefully designed that experience is, the more profound this change will be.
Whenever you explain a concept or share a skill with someone, whether it be a student, a design client, a community member or an inquisitive neighbour, you can apply an ecological pedagogy.
Even if you don’t plan to formally teach, our basic design project requirements ask you to include a space for visitors to learn the basics of ecological design, and also to document your design project and make a short presentation. These are all opportunities to put ideas about pedagogy into practice.
Here’s a fantastic example of how we are always teaching, just by the way we live. This video spotlights the work of the Harland family. Notice how, in this video, she isn’t launching into elaborate schemes meant to educate the masses, but is simply walking her talk and sharing the results, while mentioning just a few tantalizing details, meant to draw the viewer into a deeper inquiry about ecological living, in general.
The Medium is the Message
“Education must shift from instruction, from imposing of stencils, to discovery—to probing and exploration and to the recognition of the language of forms.” –Marshall McLuhan
Teaching ecological design without having practiced the techniques, and without maintaining an ongoing, integrated relationship with the land, is an empty, soul-sucking experience. Don’t do it.
Furthermore, please don’t teach in a toxic setting or with abusive people! Create safe, beautiful spaces for your students, and do your very best to embody the ethics, principles, and strategies you’re teaching. Enough said.
And, read this book. It’s really important.
Quick tips for beginner educators
Before we get into how to apply ecological ideas to your pedagogical experiments, let’s look at some of the basics of how to create educational experiences that will inspire and delight a diversity of students.
Tip #1: Know the material.
Explaining a topic or new skill to someone is an excellent way to help you remember a concept. However, blindly repeating what other people say without further research can limit you as a teacher and practitioner.
Guidelines:
- Try to put theory into practice. Show, don’t tell.
- Read broadly and consider alternative perspectives.
- Ensure you can answer your own questions about a topic.
- Make reference to where you get your information.
Tip #2: Learn by teaching.
Though this may seem the opposite of what we just said, there is a ton of value in sharing information you have just learned with others.
And, while we don’t think those who are brand new to these ideas should be solo-teaching full-scale courses, we do strongly encourage you to get out there and just start practicing the act of teaching what you’ve learned, because it will make you a better student, and the more you practice, the more you will help others (and the plants too!)
Tip #3: Know your audience.
Understanding your students or audience is just as essential as observing the land your physical designs work with. Before you book an event, conduct a little research, and make sure you’re bringing something to the table that they actually want and value. Don’t waste their time, or yours!
Meet them where they are at, and they will come back for more. But if you start preaching at them about something they can’t relate to, you’ll probably lose them.
We’ll talk more about this when we get into using the GOBRADIME design process for curriculum development, below. For now, ask yourself a few basic questions about the students you expect to find in your learning community:
- Who are they? What labels do they identify with?
- What are their most pressing needs?
- Which resources do they have in surplus? Which are more scarce?
- Which of your favorite ideas do you think they will appreciate the most? Which will be the most accessible to them?
- How can you help them, without colonizing, appropriating, or commodifying? How can you connect with them, on a mutual learning journey, as sincerely and authentically as possible?
- How can you help them to become teachers in the future, so that the knowledge you’ll be sharing can continue to grow?
Tip #4: Put together a quality presentation.
Structure is important. Humans need structures, both physically and emotionally, and any educational environment relies on structure as well. Start with making sure your presentation has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Your finale is what will stick with your audience, regardless of how many bells and whistles are employed in the opening or the body of the presentation, so deliver a memorable ending.
We’ll revisit what to include in your presentations in a few minutes, when we get into learning styles, but for now make note of the fact that the medium is the message and if your presentation is scattered or you come across as unprepared, your students aren’t likely to learn much except how to be scattered and unprepared.
Tip #5: Be an engaging speaker.
Public speaking is the number one biggest fear in modern society, and the largest form of social anxiety. Being passionate about a topic can help ease your nerves and grab your audience’s attention. Focus on the things that you love and why you want to share them with other people.
Nutshell tips for public speaking:
- Learn and practice breathing techniques.
- Practice, practice, practice (both the breathing and your presentation).
- Record yourself and play it back to study and critique yourself a few times before going “live.”
Here’s an awesome infographic about using your whole body to give an amazing presentation:
Tip #6: Be inclusive.
Ensuring workshops and courses are genuinely inclusive takes a bit of thought. Just adding the words “Everyone welcome!” to a poster doesn’t mean everyone will feel included.
So what can you do? Start by looking at who is organizing and facilitating the event and who is doing the teaching. Do these people reflect the people you are hoping to attract? Or do they look radically different than the people you want to serve? If your teaching team isn’t diverse, some people in your audience will probably feel out of place, and that will make it harder for them to learn.
Consider the various needs different people may have. Try to notice general characteristics such as age, gender, languages spoken, physical ability, life roles and responsibilities, literacy level, previous experience and education and where students live (rural or urban). All of these factors will influence people’s motivation and experiences of a learning experience. How can you help them be comfortable, and to feel safe, so they can relax and enjoy learning?
Tip #7: Appeal to multiple learning styles.
Everyone has a particular way in which they prefer to perceive and process information. Some people prefer lots of practical group work and discussion, whereas others may need opportunities for reflection and analysis. Designing learning experiences that totally satisfy everyone’s unique personality and context is impossible. However, just as ecological design helps you create gardens of polycultures and make use of microclimates to support particular species, you should also design a diversity of communication methods in your teaching.
The VARK questionnaire can help you learn about the most recognized learning styles and associated educational strategies. Use it to assess yourself, and then take it again, pretending to be a different style of learner. Most people aren’t just one learning style, but we do tend to lean in one direction or another, and understanding your own tendencies as a teacher will help you communicate with a broader type of students. You can use different styles to learn different things. Also, if a student is struggling, understanding their learning style might help you troubleshoot.
Additionally, The Memletic approach recognizes a second side to each of these learning styles, to create space for learners who prefer to study alone and in the company of non-human species. As such, each style has two sides, one for social learners and the other for solitary learners. Again, there is crossover, but most of us lean heavily toward one side, and you probably already know which it is, for you.
By way of example, a curriculum brainstorm for an introductory workshop that appeals to many different learning styles, might look something like this. (Get the blank chart here)
Now, to mix things up and keep you on your toes, here’s a discussion that completely challenges and debunks the above theory!
Ecological design as pedagogy
In order to understand how people learn, it helps to know a little about language development in humans. In short, our brains begin to work in layers and on additional levels once language development starts. Language need not be verbal: in this context it is simply naming. It is in naming that we begin the process of creation, when the world around us begins to differentiate, and therefore solidify. While language helps us to share understandings and culture, make decisions, resolve disagreements and find similarities it can also be misused.
Ecological design, like anything else humans invent, may quickly devolve into jargon and elitism without applying some very basic tenets about how we communicate, especially when teaching or explaining a concept. So…don’t let it happen! Resist the temptation to evangelize, and focus on creating simple, hands-on experiences so that learners can truly embody this wisdom, rather than just hearing about it. Our focus with this module is to show you how to do that.
In landscape-based ecological design, you are taught to use ethics, principles, goal setting, systems thinking, zones, and sectors and they are just as applicable for designing learning experiences.
For example, sectors that affect our presentations could be physical interruptions like noise or weather. Or, they could be social influences such as negative previous learning experiences, disruptive students, students distracted by external responsibilities or ill health. Gauging these “sectors” before you launch into your presentation could make a huge difference in how clearly your ideas are received.
You can also use zones as a metaphor for prioritizing and structuring the information that you share and communicate. A topic’s core theory, information, and skills would be the “zone one.” Content from the supporting facts, ideas and anecdotes that can be assigned to outer zones. Accordingly, you should spend more time preparing and delivering zone one content and activities than the zone two or three information that might be used to illustrate or expand a concept. Reference lists, suggested activities and further reading suggestions are great ways to support students who are interested in deepening their understanding.
Here are some more thoughts on how to use ecological design principles to create educational opportunities:
To read more about Marit’s theories and ideas on this topic read her article, Decolonising Learning.
Ecological Process and Principles, applied to Pedagogy
this section by Heather Jo Flores
Our ecological design principles are based on patterns in nature and can be used to round out our teaching skills and find ways to balance our teaching styles, so they appeal to more people.
In addition, you can use the same GOBRADIME design process to design your workshops and courses!
Some of the core principles, as applied to being a good teacher
How to use GOBRADIME to design a learning experience
It’s simple, really. Just walk through the steps and watch your ideas take tangible form!
Goals.
Set a goal, for your class or presentation. Do you want to share your ideas so that people will help you with the project? Do you need to demonstrate you’ve met certain needs and requirements? Define a goal, and make it SMARTER (specific, measurable, achievable, result-driven, timebound, ecological, replicable). When the time comes, be sure to TELL the audience/students/stakeholders what your goal is! It’s not always clear to the students what the actual goal of the learning activity is, so don’t assume. Tell them what you mean to do and why, and they’ll hop on board without confusion.
Observation.
Before you settle on what topics to cover in your class, it’s important to observe the “landscape” in which you’ll be teaching. Start with the same questions from “knowing your audience,” above. Additionally:
- Who else is teaching this topic and what are they covering?
- What does your community want to learn?
- What will they pay for?
- What is the teaching space like? Technology? Light? Seating? Comfort levels? Potential problems?
- Different learning styles? Levels of ability?
- Who are your students and what do they expect?
Observation also means looking not just at the front of textbooks and other resources, but also looking at the back, in the fine print, at who published the resource. Think about where it may have come from, who funded that publication, and what their biases and influences might have been. Look deeply into every layer of the experience you are creating for people, and do your best to choose topics, resources, and teaching techniques that align with what your audience wants and needs.
Boundaries.
Boundaries means the date, time, duration, what you’ll cover and what you won’t cover. Don’t try to do too much, and don’t try to teach them everything you know. Focus on teaching them one thing, just well enough to whet their appetite for learning more, then show them how to learn more. What will be the outcomes of your teaching experience, for students and for your? How will the medium be the message?
Resources.
Physical, energetic, emotional, social, financial: observe and assess what you have and what you need. Books, websites, guest speakers, slides, handouts, videos, tools, props, exercises you want to try….and so on. Remember that people are a resource, nature is a resource, your body is a resource, and whatever resources you use, remember also to give back, in some way, to compensate for what you’ve used.
Analysis.
Go back through the first four steps–GOBR, and review everything you came up with. Begin to craft your presentation into a clear, easy-to-follow outline. Share and compare your draft curriculum with others who are doing similar work. Ask for support. Don’t try to use all of your resources. Pick the ones that are the most useful for your specific audience at this specific event.
Design.
Create a timeline of your presentation, and break it into three-minute sections, each with a specific point that supports the main skill you’re trying to teach. Use index cards, computer applications, or whatever other tools help you get organized and confidently prepared for your big moment!
Implementation.
You’re almost ready to do your presentation! But first, before you share your presentation with anyone else, make a practice video of yourself, and watch it. Make notes about what you see. Do you say “um” or “you know” a lot? Do you look into the camera lens or are your eyes off somewhere else? Are you focusing on the topics and delivering the presentation in a clear, succinct, and helpful manner? What works and what doesn’t? You’ll be amazed at how quickly your presentation skills can improve with just a handful of self-evaluations like this. Then, once you’ve gone through it a couple of times and tightened up those loose ends, deliver your presentation! Just do it!
Maintenance/monitoring…momentum.
During your presentation, time yourself and/or have a friend keep track of you, paying attention to your design. Are you going over the time limits? Are you under? Are you staying on topic? Are you nervous? Tune into your students. Are they engaged? Or are they asleep. You may need to improvise! Maintenance, this step in GOBRADIME, also relates to your self-care during this whole process. Be kind to yourself! Eat well, get plenty of sleep, and be sure to hydrate before you teach.
Evaluation. (E also stands for enjoy, engage, and economics!)
Ask participants, mentors, and peers to evaluate your performance. Don’t worry about negative feedback and mistakes–these are all just tools for learning. As for enjoyment and economics: yes, this should be fun! But it’s also hard work, and it needs to be sustainable. You are not required to martyr yourself for this work! At the very least, ask for a donation. Obtain a yield. You earned it.
Tiny caveat:
There is so much we could get into here, and environmental education is, of course, a HUGE topic. This module is meant to whet your appetite for learning how to help others learn. We could probably include this disclaimer at the end of every module in our course, but this one feels especially like the edge of a deep and wonderful rabbithole, so please, if you plan to teach at all, take your own deep dive, far beyond what we have covered here. Any and all feedback and contributions are very welcome.
Homework
Depending whether you want to teach or not, the homework below may be helpful, or not. In any case, you are required to present your final design, as part of your certification process, so why not use some of these tools to create a presentation that appeals to multiple learning styles and embodies ecological design principles?
Questions for Review
1. What sorts of teaching ideas does this module give you? Brainstorm a list of learning environments you’d like to create.
2. How can you apply ecological principles to the way you share your ideas with others?
3. Imagine a workshop you might present. Are there zones and sectors to the information?
4. Look for areas in your design project that represent teaching/learning opportunities. Can you map them? You could add a whole educational/pedagogical layer to your design project, (and if you’re going for the advanced certification, you should.)
5. How can you empower others to learn and share, without using colonial and exploitative attitudes?
6. What does “the medium is the message” mean to you?
7. Which tools can you use to create educational materials? Assess your resources!
Recommended Hands-On
Create a curriculum plan for an introductory workshop in your community, on any topic, and offer it for free to your peers. Collect feedback! To develop your workshop, use the ideas from this class, as makes sense for what you want to accomplish.
Options:
- Apply ecological ethics and principles.
- Use zones and sectors.
- Go through the GOBRADIME process.
- Consider your lived experiences, and imagine activities that would appeal to all different types of learners.
You can use a wide variety of digital tools to create different types of publications and presentations that can be shared again and again, either live, online, or both.