Monday, July 21, 2014

A Permaculture Design Course Handbook Online

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Bill Mollison Permaculture Lecture Series, On-Line

Bill Mollison Permaculture Lecture Series, On-Line Note: NetWorks Productions Inc. holds the copyrights to this on-line series. We ask that our copyrights be honored. In addition, "Permaculture" is a copyrighted word. Only those who have completed a 72-hour design course are authorized to use the word in commerce. What is Permaculture? Who is Bill Mollison? These videos are documents from two design courses taught by Bill Mollison at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose Texas in 1994 and 1995. They are a definitive selection from our original 16 part series. These tapes bear many viewings and will benefit anyone who wants to learn how to help regenerate the earth - from back yard to bio-region. Teachers of permaculture have found these tapes to be a valuable coaching tool - edited to one hour.
The Function Of Design	View Video Online
This is an opening lecture. The principles of functional design for sustainability are unique to Permaculture design. Download video (154 MB)
Fundamentals Of Pattern	View Video Online
From a singular event all other events are set in motion in recognizable and predictable patterns This pattern recognition is the core of design in Permaculture. Download video (155 MB)
Pattern Application	View Video Online
Efficiency of energy, resources, and time, and the creation of highly productive systems are the results of good Permaculture design. The methods are obvious once we have become co-creative with the forces of nature. Download video (159 MB)
Home Gardening	View Video Online
Find out why it is so important to grow your own food and how to install the easiest, and highly productive, home food propagation systems; mulch garden, potato box, herb's spiral, and more. You don't need much space. These are basic Permacultural techniques. Download video (151 MB)
Trees 1	View Video Online
The tree is life - profound, magnificent, and mysterious. To learn what little we can know of trees is sufficient to leave one awestruck and reverent. Download video (155 MB)
Trees 2	View Video Online
Why is a tree green? Where does a tree end or begin? Why have all human societies destroyed the tree? A Mollison rave. Download video (162 MB)
Farmer's Trees	View Video Online
These are very specific trees which are used around the world for their ability to improve soils. They are invaluable in range for livestock, as well as in fields under cultivation. Download video (163 MB)
Forests And Woodlands	View Video Online
Methods to plant, sustain, and best utilize woodland and wood for fuel, forage, windbreak and construction. Download video (164 MB)
Pasture And Range Restoration	View Video Online
What is cultura promiscua? To maintain functional bio-diversity is a basic tenet of Permaculture. Severely degraded land can be easily restored to highly productive land by using good observation techniques, plants and animals in succession, and common sense. Download video (153 MB)
Soil Conditioning	View Video Online
... a continuation of #10. Two main techniques: the chisel-plow, and the wonders of worms and how to cultivate them. The patterns described in these two videos can be replicated in any type of Permaculture system, and scaled to any size. Download video (159 MB)
Water	View Video Online
...a continuation of the Trees video. Potable water - where does it come from? How did it get there? What has become of it? What we can do to ensure that we will have safe water to drink, and to conserve as much of this precious material as possible. Download video (157 MB)
Aquaculture	View Video Online
Once one has learned to harvest water, then the real fun begins with production of the myriad of foods and marketable commodities hosted by ponds and other water-rich environments. Download video (151 MB)
Planting In Drylands	View Video Online
There are a multitude of ways to harvest, conserve, and utilize water. These strategies apply to coastal regions or islands with with zero precipitation, arid lands, as well as to areas with plentiful seasonal rainfall. Download video (163 MB)
Drylands 1	View Video Online
As desert is rapidly claiming vast areas of our planet, millions are on the verge of starvation. Yet, crops which occur naturally in arid land can provide all necessary nutrition for people and animals. The strategies discussed arise from years of observation in the deserts of Australia and from the peoples of Kalahari. Download video (163 MB)
Drylands 2	View Video Online
... continuation of Drylands 1. Never, never irrigate the desert. The devastation caused by irrigation of arid land is irreparable. But there are alternatives: methods to set up a drought proof system. This is serious Permaculture! Download video (163 MB)
Working at Ground Level	View Video Online
A documentary on the permaculture work done in Ecuador by the Rainforest Information Center, Centro de Investigatión de los Bosques Tropicales. Download video (68 MB)

Source: http://www.networkearth.org/perma/culture.html

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Children Learn What They Live

If children live with criticism,
They learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility,
They learn to fight.
If children live with ridicule,
They learn to be shy.
If children live with shame,
They learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement,
They learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance,
They learn to be patient.
If children live with praise,
They learn to appreciate.
If children live with acceptance,
They learn to love.
If children live with approval,
They learn to like themselves.
If children live with honesty,
They learn truthfulness.
If children live with security,
They learn to have faith in themselves and others.
If children live with friendliness,
They learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

(1972/1975 by Dorothy Law Nolte)

Born in 1924, Dorothy Law Nolte became a parent educator, family counselor, and writer known for her inspirational poem, Children Learn What They Live. First published in 1954, it was pasted to refrigerators, printed on posters, and distributed to millions of parents by a baby formula maker.

As a researcher, I am always delving into the latest study and looking for cause and effect relationships that show how children develop. Sometimes though, I find a refreshing simplicity in the words of a poem. When I came across this poem by Dorothy Law Nolte I envisioned numerous research studies that support her assertions. I thought I would post it for your enjoyment. Who knows, maybe you’ll paste it to your refrigerator!

Dorothy Law Nolte died in 2005 at the age of 81. Her legacy as a parent educator, practitioner, and family counselor taught many people about family dynamics and parenting.

Source: http://www.rootsofaction.com/children-learn-what-they-live-lessons-from-dorothy-law-nolte/

Internal Compass

Children and teens find meaning and purpose in life when they develop and listen to their own internal compasses. How does this guidance system emerge? Through adult support and relevant learning experiences! Hover over the compass points to see the eight internal strengths and their related skills. Explore articles by clicking on a compass point. Download an expanded, free Internal Compass Handout for use in discussions with parents, educators, and community leaders.

Free Internal Compass Handout

Free e-Book

If you question today’s notions of success and wonder how adults really affect the growth and well-being of today’s digital generation, download this free eBook by developmental psychologist, Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD.

Price-Mitchell makes an argument that measuring success by grades and test scores alone is not enough. In fact, it is a practice that is hurting our children. How do we instill the types of skills and abilities that cannot be measured by numbers, including effort, critical thinking, collaboration, respect, caring, honesty, open-mindedness, initiative, and imagination?

Discover how children learn to be successful by developing an internal compass that guides them through life. Then ask yourself what lessons you learned from the adults who parented, taught, and mentored you. How will you share your story with the children you parent, teach, or mentor?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD E-BOOK (PDF)

Source: http://www.rootsofaction.com

Friday, July 4, 2014

The Mindful Revolution Documentary

The Mindful Revolution: Exploring How Mindfulness Can Transform Education from Justin Broglie

Source: http://themindfulrevolution.com Shorter version (15 minutes):

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Understanding Intercultural Communication

Second Edition

Stella Ting-Toomey and Leeva C. Chung

Publication Date - November 2011

Written in a conversational style, this book introduces students to the foundations of intercultural communication, a vibrant discipline within the field. Authors Stella Ting-Toomey and Leeva Chung take a multicontextual, inclusive approach that balances international and intercultural communication issues against U.S. domestic diversity issues. In addition to emphasizing a value-oriented perspective on intercultural encounters, the text contains a robust ethical chapter, complete with specific guidelines that will help students become ethical intercultural communicators.

By integrating current empirical research with lively intercultural examples, the authors ask thought-provoking questions and pose ethical dilemmas for students to ponder. The text offers a sprawling treatment of such topics as ethnic and cultural identity change, culture shock and intercultural adjustment, romantic relationships and raising bicultural children, global identity challenges, and decision-making choices in intercultural ethics.

Use the links at the left to learn more about the book. Read the Preface, review the table of contents, and check out information on new features, custom chapters, and supplements.

About the Book

Instructor Resources

Student Resources

Chapter 01

Chapter 02

Chapter 03

Chapter 04

Chapter 05

Chapter 06

Chapter 07

Chapter 08

Chapter 09

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

PowerPoint Presentations

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12

Interactive Student Study Guide

Front Matter
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12

Source: http://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780199739790/student/ppts/

Mental capital and wellbeing

Five Ways to Well-being

Photo credit:

Pandiyan

The Five Ways to Well-being are a set of evidence-based actions which promote people’s wellbeing. They are: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give. These activities are simple things individuals can do in their everyday lives.

The Five Ways to Well-being were developed by nef from evidence gathered in the UK government’s Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing. The Project, published in 2008, drew on state-of-the-art research about mental capital and mental wellbeing through life. It asked nef to develop the Five Ways to Wellbeing to communicate its key findings.

The Five Ways have been used by health organisations, schools and community projects across the UK and around the world to help people take action to improve their wellbeing. They’ve been used in lots of different ways, for example to get people to start thinking about well-being, to develop organisational strategy, to measure impact, to assess need, for staff development, and to help people to incorporate more well-being-promoting activities into their lives.

Source: http://www.neweconomics.org/projects/entry/five-ways-to-well-being

Creating a Culture of Care in School

Research shows that teaching social and emotional skills like kindness improves behavior and academic success. We believe it does even more than that — it creates conditions which lead to a caring environment for students, teachers and community members. Everyone benefits when individuals, schools, and communities embrace kindness.

Our Core Beliefs

Everyone is intrinsically kind, and sometimes we need reminding.
All children want to learn, and can learn kindness.
Social and emotional learning and academics go hand-in-hand.
Teaching kindness-centered skills nurtures a school culture where caring for self and others is an important community value.

Welcome Educators

For any educational context, from preschool and elementary through the teen years, in schools large and small as well as home-school, we provide resources to supplement, complement, and support positive behavior goals. You'll find excellent resources like our free lesson plans, kindness project ideas, downloadable calendars and graphics, and more.

Free Lesson Plans

Want to improve classroom climate? Check out our free K-8 lesson plans designed to boost social emotional learning (SEL) and promote skills for healthy decision-making, positive relationships, and problem solving using head and heart. All lesson plans are age-appropriate, evidence-based, aligned with Common Core & Colorado State Standards, and offered in both English and Spanish.

Get started by downloading our new Teacher Guide (PDF)

Kindness Project Ideas

Looking for fun kindness-based activities for your classroom? We've compiled dozens of great ideas to engage your students, start conversations, spur random acts of kindness, and build an overall community of kindness at your school. Visit our kindness project ideas page for details.

Kindness Resources

We offer a variety of other kindness resources that are sure to inspire kindness in you and your students. You can download and share kindness calendars, posters, cards, and videos.

Kindness Clubs

If you really like doing random acts of kindness and don't already have a club in your school, perhaps you should start a RAK Club. Visit our Kindness Clubs page for helpful tips on getting started. Once you get going, we'll list your club on our website.

Kindness Research

Is there science behind kindness? There is evidence that being kind can make a real difference to the well-being and health of individuals who both practice and receive it. Find the latest kindness research here.

The Green Changemakers