Action Learning Guilds, Pathways and Zone 00

A Dip Perm Des-based case study in Reflection, Connection, Learning, Dissemination

Jan Mulreany Pippa James

& Don McLean

A Three-Group - “fast-tracking” the Diploma, working together & apart ,acting as Area Reference Persons for the BPT Diploma Group.

A timetabled set of Action Learning Guild meetings, 3-6 hourswith food, succour, up to 1 hour each, one listening & clarifying, one scribing…

A common Design Support Tutor (AL) and different AL Tutors*

A rehearsed joint session to an invited audience of design course Graduates, registered Diploma students, the DST and BPT members, with feedback from all.

Three very different styles but with a deep knowledge of each other,having worked together for four years, developing Brighton PermacultureTrust, running the design course,

A designed joint reflection of BPT with examples of each person’sindividual contribution to

• the Trust’s formation • the Pc network’s development in Brighton, Sussex & beyond • its educational activities

We had some lovely moments…

ALGuild’s timetable

d

“are we alike as procrastinators?”

My Own Stuff...

Jan’s needs• Support to keep going• A mirror for my thoughts• Honest feedback• Continued self-actualisation, especially in older age.

Jan’s goals • Getting the Diploma with a reasonable amount of work, butnot overdoing it!• Succession-planning for theBSC course, so I can hand over after 2005 run• Develop a 5 yr Retirement Plan for 2009 !

Jan’s barriers• A just-in-time person• Very little spare time!• Capable of sabotaging by doing thingslike displacement (well, when else doesthe floorwashing get done?)• Less ‘land-based’ thinking thanmay be needed?•Tendency to intellectualise

Jan’s ethics• People Care comes first - me too, so look after self a bit!• Justice seems to be high on mylist…fair shares, which can bechallenging to me too…• EarthCare - a history which hasnow evolved into me using mypurchasing power to supportothers’ right livelihoods, rather than trying to do it all!

Jan’s Action Learning Pathway - the initial ideal...

Ok, maybe a bit of...

4 September 2004

My involvement in BPT - reviewing it, recording it, accrediting course, etc.

Mentoring a BPT group of diplomats

Zone 00 and me - life, body, health, lifestyle, France?

Revisioning and reviewing BPT - how to make it more sustainable

Developing the BPT website, linking Dippees into it

Find 10 projects within all of this… present it as a website-based resource for others

Ok so almost immediately I realised that this was not going to be

like that!

More like this in fact...

and don’t forget actionlearning groups!

There’s your own gardendesign too

What about your kitchen?local builders, real wood,

reclaimed stove, second hand sink..

France.. huh, that’sBioregionalism!

How can you justifygoing by plane - think

of the carbon!

All those photos - you could use them

as a resource

Wow, Monty Don’s aCloset permaculturist!

You’ve never walked a straight line in your life...

Etc, etc, etc...

Forget the diet, honey - no time...

Jan’s Action Learning Pathway - the redesigned intention

Jan’s Action Learning Pathway - the reality

1st Dec 03Gather stuff together

August 2003we get PcA

OK to fastrackDST

with Andy L& register

Gather stuff together

Oct & Novmonthly meetings

to plan

= Dip ALG

5/1/04 Just back from hol - too tired

= BSC course

20/1/04rescheduled

= New Dips

Gather stuff together

23/2/0429/3/04

10/5/04 postponed

Gather stuff togetherGather stuff together

Gather stuff together23/5/04Day at Tim’sPlan presentation!

One off Dreamweaver course

= French certificateat UoB weekly x 30 + 2 exams

16/6/04

5/7/04 postponed

15/8/04 22/8/04 presentation prep

Practice eve +DSTwith Andy L

ITJan goes

awol

actually, always gathering stuff together

help !

Draw out your ALP… then change it immediately..

& stay flexible

Layering/stacking happens

as if by magic!

There’s no such thing asa straight line

in nature

It’s supposed tolook messy...

Use your ALG as a lovingmirror… they really

help you see yourself..then reciprocate!

Keep one of the projects as an analysis of you as a

sustainable learnerApply principles = Zone 00

Keep going roundthe design cycleand note down

the changes - that’sa project in itself

etc, etc, etc...

Jan’s Action Learning Pathway - the gaps… and the learning that arose from them

Problems containtheir own solutions,for example...

No time? See it as a permaculture issue & analyse it!

Don & Jan23 February 2004used concepts of

“local economics”

time poverty?

Own belief abouttime

“must keep busy”

my time isn’t as important as someone else’s eg.work, BPT?

guilt from wasting time - school, work?

time wealthy ortime poor?

Risk factors?

I can’t offload time onto someone else’s load

It’s set within my cultural system - no commitment to myself, don’t be selfish,

Use of time

I have choice - good holidaysJust-in-time thinking:

P = efficient, saves brainpower, leaves time for other thingsM = not always comfortable feeling, can miscalculateI = it sounds like an excuse… what am I hiding?

Time’s my own- no dependants

Perceptions

Is it a sign of my value & worth?

So then we thought….

Overtime? Time bank?

How do we get Time back?

Block out diary…

use time better..

LETS?

What would richness of time

look like?

So then we thought….

Practised analysisExchanged views/feelingsApplied theory to a problemDiversity of solutionsPractical applications

I’m good at reflecting Not as good at implementingStill not sure if this is gardening

or permaculture

Too big a task?Web-idea should be aboutexploring the connections, not just a presentation tool

I’ll be able to do thework in the summer!

I’m n

ot p

anickin

g!

I’ve got to keep my pensionbut would love a new green job!

I’m a

con

fiden

t

lear

ner

Today was a powerful use of ‘group’My relationship is going well

I’m completely ignoring my ALP!

I’m not gettingthe writing done

Gardeners

world

!

Primetim

e Perm

aculture

Vision =BPT website eventually

It’s not going tobe finished on time

Let’s take a week off

to get it finished !

I’ll be lettingDon & Pipdown if I don’t get it done...I have lots of

small projectsthat I can use

Jan’s Projects 2000-2004

Supporting the Vision - being a BPT TrusteeAccrediting the design course with SEOCNDeveloping action learning resourcesPermaculture in Cuba - a slideshowSustained Images - a CD Rom of photosArea Reference: Diploma mentorsReflections on action learning pathways and guildsSmall-scale garden design, following inoculation by permaculture!Bioregionalism - or how come I’m moving to FrancePrimetime Permaculture - CD Rom and worksheetsBecoming a sustainable learner - lesson planWe danced upon the Earth - circle dances for Pc recreation!

The ALG’s yield - the reality! and, adding the theory...

Action Learning Guild

How Action Learning Guilds reach those parts and supportZone 00, personal development and permaculture practice

love

security

autonomy

learn

connection

fair share

change

+ve

Essential criteria:theory in action: given that, for a Diplomate, the action learning cycle is the fundamental mode of learning, the theory is already grounded and in action. Sometimes I wonder if I am an AL bore! The experience of taking design course students through the theory was, at first, a disappointment, as I had led workbased groups through the process, and felt they should take to it like ducks to water. A gradual ‘lightening up’ has led to the last group enjoying it… maybe Shaun’s idea of Vision Support groups (Design Course 1999-2000) touches its heart, and is more useful.design practice: more to do with random assembly often, the practice of creating a strong ALG is in the ‘glue’ applied through making the group tangible examples of the principles - being explicit, identifying when things are happening, helping the incremental development through a synergistic assembly process.

earth

fairshare people

Complimentary criteria:Dissemination: as discussed above, in theory in action

Symmetry: I would anticipate that some of the learning and insights gained by myself, Don and Pippa will reflect a common experience - eg. knowing the gaps!The success of our use of supported ALGs on the design course has a direct consequence of a large group of self-managing learners in Sussex, andshould stand the Diploma process in good stead, with 3 new Diplomats, and a new Area Reference Group to support the work of the Association and Academy. It directly relates to the aims of the Diploma WorkNet, and should set seed beyond this Pioneer group, to the benefit of the Association and Academy.

earth

fairshare people

Complimentary criteria:Community building: the already-blooming development of the DiplomaGroup bears witness to the fact that our first aim of the BuildingSustainable Communities course was to create a local learning community.

Evaluation and CostingsYieldAs witnessed by the results here, the yield is of 3 new Diplomats, and a new Area Reference Group to support the work of the Association and Academy. It directly relates to the aims of the Diploma WorkNet, and should set seed beyond this Pioneer group, to the benefit of the Association and Academy.The primary yield is the strength of the Brighton Permaculture Network in the body of the Trust, now being managed mostly by its own graduates, mainstreamed and respected.Input costsA great deal in the development of the Trust and Network, far above measure in ‘real’ time, given that the features of stacking and layering in time and activity probably do represent a major percentage of the initial workload being carried out by these three people.