Rachel Lindsay

Jay Wright wrote:

So you'll only be teaching kids with average or above intelligence who are keen to learn what you want to teach. Latin- really?  History- is that ancient or modern, with or without a political bias or religious slant?   I mean no offense, I've just been aware lately of how unbalanced a lot of teaching is.
My late brother in law Bob was an Industrial Arts Master at a big high school- covering woodwork, metal work, architecture and design, technical drawing. He had brilliant students who are now designing modern building masterpieces and kids who- despite the best efforts of their teachers- were thick as planks and barely literate. He taught them to repair equipment. To rebuild engines. To do all manner of vehicle maintenance. To make things they could use around the home. Stuff that would help them get through life and raise their kids. Their parents used to shake Bob by the hand and thank him for being the only one who gave their kids any incentive to keep attending school. Your goals are lofty and defintely commendable Rachel but I fear your target audience is limited  :)

Teachers in my imaginary school would focus on giving each student as much as each student could individually process and make use of, not push them beyond their capacities. (I believe that even a little exposure to each of the things on my list would benefit students of all abilities and life trajectories, which is why they are on my list!) Teaching history, any history, via primary sources involves letting the documents of the time speak for themselves, and bringing interpretations out of the students themselves. I have been teaching Latin to all ages of students for more than ten years, and they do not all become fluent in Latin, and some have really struggled--but they have all gotten value from their time spent on it. In my school, I would set the best banquet table I could think of, and invite all students to come to the table, expecting them to dine differently.

Pearl Sutton wrote:
There are a lot more patterns than nature and housing. If you look at it right, everything patterns.
I think you have read some of my posts here on C Alexander'swork. To my eyes, he's very focused on what HE considers important. I use his work, but I rarely use it as written. I learned the patterns behind his patterns, then wrote my own for ME and my life.
There are meta patterns to the patterns :D

Yes, to teach that everything patterns, that's exactly it! I too am always questing for the pattern behind the patterns. I only meant that I wanted to educate students that there are discernable patterns in general, I just don't know yet any other book that treats this idea as seriously as his do. It's how my brain works, and I have not seen this so honored before. (Also, full disclosure :) -- I'm in the middle of the audiobook of "The Timeless Way of Building" and am delighted by how the author presents patterns as something worthy of study. I know I have learned to see them better since discovering Permaculture and I want that for all of us!)

Edit: Right after I typed this and hit play on the audiobook it started saying how everyone should create a personal "A living language must be recreated in each person's mind." He believed we must invent rules for ourselves too!

As of today my Top 5:
1) Pattern literacy. All high school students would spend at least two years on the work of Christopher Alexander, since Toby Hemenway died before he finished his book on the topic.
2) The Latin language and descendants.
3) Trades and handicrafts (of as many kinds as I could find people to teach)
4) Arithmetic
5) History with primary sources

...what would be the Top 3 or Top 5 things you would be sure your teachers, methods, and goals focused on? Would things from Permaculture be a big factor in your school?

I hope that you are able to work out ways to make it better! That sounds frustrating. I gave up believing in "upgrades" more than ten years ago. I try to keep what works working, and I wish electronic product vendors had that same ethos!

I give this book 9 out of 10 acorns.

It is an autobiography mixed with a gardening manual, which fact took me at least one read-through to get used to. (Stories about his boyhood are sprinkled with discussions of how to make deer-deterrents, etc.!) But after I did read it the first time, I was enchanted with the many descriptions of discoveries that Holzer continually made as he designed and redesigned his family farm over the decades, and the wisdom that came from his experiments working with nature through his great love for it. This all has led him to become a word-renowned advisor on working with the land, not just on it, wherever his clients might be--but his journey has been far from easy, as trailblazers always know. Misunderstood, opposed, and thwarted at many times, Holzer has never given up on the work of husbanding the land of his family, and teaching this skill and the love to others. This book is a good read just to find out how reverence for the land can lead to radiant wisdom and the courage to fight for it, besides for the treasure-trove of gardening tips!

I give this book 10 out of 10 acorns.

It is my very favorite Permaculture book, and the second one I ever read (because "Food Not Lawns" was the first one I read, and Hemenway wrote the foreword to that one!). There is a lovely dynamic to this book: Permaculture is a non-linear, interconnected web of principles and actions, although a book has to work sequentially. I love how Hemenway was able to present the information sequentially in the chapters, and yet be ever building on them throughout the book, so that it was like a web of information and ideas at the same time. I have not had quite the same experience with the organization and flow with other Permaculture books, and it is why I am constantly pulling it off my shelves just to enjoy it, besides look up information.

I have the second edition, and appreciate the section devoted to urban gardens, which is my scenario. Hemenway was a reader as well as a writer, and you can tell this by his literary sense of humor and his almost poetic prose. I appreciated his warmth, knowledge, hope, and idealism on every page of every chapter. I felt like he understood the way to see things, the way I wish to see things, and I will refer to this great book all my life.

Not quite ready to read yet, but want an engaging, accessible visual intro to Systems Thinking?

May I present "In a World of Systems” narrated and illustrated by David Macaulay (Yes, that David Macaulay).

'Meadow'
(Publisher's Description)

Experienced nature observers bravely roam the area in search of plants, animals and various curiosities. They eagerly use their knowledge - in the meadows, among the grasses, they can spot small rodents, and since they are here, maybe a buzzard, a fox or even a viper will appear in a moment!

Meadow is a board game in which players take the role of wanderers watching nature. Equipped with a map, they stroll through the picturesque surroundings, looking for inspiration and capturing breathtaking views. Players are driven by passion and curiosity, but also by competition for the title of the keenest nature observer! It will be awarded to whoever scores the most points from the observed species of animals and plants, landscapes and souvenirs collected from the hike. Competition continues by the fire, where players compete in achieving the goals of their expeditions.

(For sale here)

'Renature'
(Publisher's Description)

Help nature reclaim what is hers by restoring a polluted valley to its pristine state. Place your animal dominoes along the course of a brook and replant the surrounding land to score points. But when is the best moment to plant each of your various plants? And where are the best spots to do so? These are the questions you must answer to win.

In Renature, each player has dominoes with animals on them and a number of different plants. On your turn, you place a domino from your hand so that it matches all its neighbors. Then, you may place a plant beside it in an area. You gain points based on the size and number of plants there, and hopefully later again when the area is scored – either because it is surrounded by dominoes or at the end of the game.

The best players know how to manage their hands to form a long term strategy and adapt to surprises, how to figure out and block their opponents' designs, and how heavily to commit to each of the many tense contests that occur across the board.
From the legendary design duo of Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling comes a game of simple rules coupled with a multitude of exciting decisions and tactical possibilities. Underneath an easy rule set lies a multitude of tricky decisions and tactical possibilities. This, combined with stunning components and beautiful theme, makes Renature a great fit for casual players and heavy gamers alike.

(For sale here)