Commentary

I really thought this output would have only taken a month or so and instead it took me 3 months to complete. I kept discovering other things I wanted to add and other directions I wanted to go with it.  Once I chatted with my advisor I was able to understand it was because I was still trying to define my outcome.  I finally was able to to come up with a final outcome and goals for what I was seeking. This output took me the most time to complete out of any other output I have created. I am ecstatic to finally be turning it in.  I found  myself pushing my edges throughout the entire project by expanding from a physical project to more of a content based project.  I had some challenges meeting up with my guild buddy for a few weeks but then we seemed to resort things out and got back into a routine.  I have been finding this connection really supportive to my pathway.

I have taken my Advisor's feedback of keeping things short and to the point.  I have also taken his idea of rather than creating a physical hands on project to document my previous work and adapt it into curriculum for youth and youth within the spectrum,  this was closely related to the work that I already do and he thought it would be a neat twist on my previous projects.  I also agreed and found this output to be fun and challenging.

I will be sharing my work at a Permaculture Design Course in the middle of June. I am excited to talk more about the outcome of my project in this environment as I think it will be a great opportunity to expose more social permaculture in relation to teaching in general.  I also will be hosting my end of the year presentation with Gaia University where I will have the chance to go over each project I have worked on.  I will open up my content and output packet to the public and share it via gmail and facebook as well as the Gaia U portal.  Dissemination has been a controversial topic as it is easy to get trapped in the mindset of 'why does my work matter?'  

This project has great potential to keep people aware of involving permaculture principles in their daily lives as a whole.  Even though this work is specific on designing inclusive curriculum the tips and tricks as well as permaculture adaptations can be utilized.  I hope this work will inspire my viewers.

 Reflection of the skills that I’ve obtained during this OP Cycle:

- Personal: I have not paid any attention to french this year or focused on my TESLOS certificate.  I discovered that my ultimate goal in life wasn't to move abroad and work and that desire was mainly influenced by my partner.  I have decided to put time and energy back into my passions and who I am as a person.  It's interesting to see how sometimes a relationship that you think is so great is actually more debilitating. On another note, with absolute confidence I have found that writing has become critical for me to express my emotions and also has helped me manage my anxiety.  I have been working out and I go through phases of being really into it and then other weeks where it's only a couple of times a week. With personal development becoming a priority in my life I am excited to see where I come to be by the end of my Capstone year.

- Professional: During this project cycle I have had a couple of interviews for new positions.  I had been offered jobs at both and it created great turmoil at the moment.  I felt a high level of anxiety and found myself very indecisive.  I tried to listen to my gut which was so wishy-washy until I tried to clear out the excess noise and clutter and I ultimately discovered the answer.  I was sad to turn down a job that I thought would be great for my career and how it coincided with my passion of education, kids and nature. I just didn't want to commit myself for as long as they wanted.  I have decided to move to Seattle in August and I plan to get involved with building sensory gardens in unused city lots. I also want to look into Tiny-Trees Preschool which is an outdoor preschool that has amazing values and ethics.  Check them out here. With all of the interviewing I definitely was able to focus a lot of my attention on that skill and used it to be more organized, focus on my body language, and as an opportunity to present myself publicly.

- Peer: I have gained 1 guild buddy through Gaia, Kate Marnul.  It has been super effective the last few weeks to check in and chat with each other.  It also really helps that we are both in the same time zone and actually only a couple of hours away from each other in physical form.  We hope to meet up and explore the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I had a pot luck recently however I am not having them at the rate that I would like due to being very busy and my crowd of friends is starting to dissipate in this area.  I have become more active though in poetry and open mic nights which was a goal that I have wanted to focus on as it enhances my public speaking skills.

- Political/Patrix:  I haven't dived into this area too much.  I have experienced the effect of worldviews and my work.  Working so closely with children on the Autism spectrum and the families that are supporting those kids, I hear a lot of the distress they have around school.  Many of my clients are home-schooled because of the lack of acceptance in public schools whether it's students or teachers.  With this overpowering fear of public schools, I chatted with the families to find out more, and what they would consider ideal in a classroom. To sum it up, the answer they all gave was acceptance and the ability to adapt.  This is because they want the teacher to understand their child's needs and it doesn't necessarily mean that the teacher needs to spend more time on the child (which from a teacher stand point seems to be the issue).  Discovering this knowledge really pushed me to create this project.

I have come up with curriculum for: my sensory garden, and worm bin.  I have attempted to start my mushroom curriculum and it is actually a lot more challenging than I have thought. Mushrooms are a harder thing to teach as they aren't a plant or an animal.  I have been trying to disseminate what age group I want this specific curriculum to adhere to and this is where I think a lot of my questions will be answered.  I have found a way of mind mapping my curriculum ideas that has worked pretty efficiently for me and will definitely continue this process in the future.