How does a module/chapter look like in the book?
A module is an element of a course which connects a certain topic (e.g. food production and distribution, solidarity economics, public policies, etc.) with the degrowth discurse. It should contain a critical description of the current growth/mainstream approach, the perspective of a degrowth approach (methods and/or alternatives), as well as an illustration of this with concrete examples.
The module should be focused in the theory and not in the methodology regarding a certain topic, yet you can write in a way that makes the reader dive into the concrete methodologies and experiences that were part of each course.
Along each module there will also be boxes with tips and guidance for course organisers, as well as concepts and authors from degrowth.
Guidelines for chapter and module contributors
The final text of the module should be published on the platform until June 20th 2015, in the respective module page, with a maximum number of 70.000 characters / 20 pages per module.
- publish a final version for review until June 15th
- limit the text to 70.000 characters including whitespaces
- attempt to incorporate feedback/critique from discussions with participants, not only drop the content of the presentations/speakers (benefit from the peer knowledge and experience of the group) - this should be done by reviewing contributed notes and audios
- upload nice pictures and images that pass to the module chapter (e.g. from the course, schemes, etc.) - beware of copyrights, only CC or public license images
- use the Trello board to update the status of your chapter
- select the contents you want to include in the chapter and add it to your Trello card checklist
- If you add references, use the Harvard citation style.
Guidelines for course participants
We want to add to each module chapter some direct feedback from course participants. We will ask for a short comment on the course (max 100 words) plus a picture of oneself. The best contributions will integrate the chapters.
Guidelines for designer
- separate GROWL events into kind of separate events and experiences, with their own narrative and style; different tones, different things that are described
- express the character of GROWL - each of the events are very different, as they are autonomously organized; the diversel of degrowth
- layout boxes for authors and concepts
Suggested template of content
The index shown below represents a possible listing of contents of a module. It is provided as general guidance or inspiration, but please don't feel forced to follow it - we want your own experience and criativity not to be limited by a fixed structure.
- Introduction:
- Subject of the module
- connection/relevance to degrowth
- Aim of the module
- content part (optional, how it was presented in the course)
- Mainstream approach to the topic and the critique
- Degrowth approach to the topic
- Alternatives: Proposed methods or alternatives to address the topic within degrowth (+examples of the methods: CSA, Cooperative), Examples of the existing alternatives and their critique (what is working, what problems do they face, etc.) (chapter 4 and 5 can be put together)
- Experience of the course, kind of personalized:
- what was done and how (link to methodologies / best practice)
- pictures of organisers/participants + short comment (how did I enjoy/not the course)
- Conclusions
- Reference list
What it the TTT-Module
- TTT Philosophie
- The theoretical side of TTT
- Learning types
- - Strategies
- Train to be a trainer - a practical exercise
- Organizational aspects of a Growl Course
- Learning as a process - Evaluation and reflection
1. What is the TTT-Module?
The objective of the “train-the-trainer” (TTT) module is to enable "future trainers" to organize their own course on a specific subject of degrowth and to provide tools to help them disseminate degrowth ideas within the premises of GROWL philosophy.
Organizing a training about degrowth in tune with it's philosophy is crucial to remain consistent as a movement and achieve our goals within the GROWL network. While we pay utmost attention to the theoretical content of the courses, we also put a strong emphasis in the methodologies involved in the learning process. Becoming a “degrowth trainer” is just as much about what is learned and how is it learned.
The TTT-module therefore contains two main parts. One part is about our understanding of how we want to learn together and in a collaborative process. The second part includes a practical orientation about how to organize a course.
The TTT-module is an ongoing process of collaborative research and development of learning methodological tools, and a collection of supporting materials on pratical aspects on how to design and implement degrowth courses.
2. TTT-Philosophie
How do we want to learn in a degrowth-society?
Degrowth requires an epistemological and methodological framework capable of critically assessing the steps taken by the movements and initiatives that build up around the concept. The methods and techniques of teaching and learning within every GROWL course attempt to be coherent with degrowth ideas. At the same time they should promote the deconstruction and dialectic of society mechanisms and be aware of existing degrowth movement dillemas (see below).
While a lot of practice-based materials exist (for example in the fields of permaculture, DIY, etc.), it is rare to find articulations between concrete skills being learned and their (potential) contribution to the degrowth discourse. An effective praxis of degrowth can therefore only be established by framing existing local actions within the historical, economical, political, cultural and sociological degrowth background. For this purpose, a combination of content and methodology, as well as of expert and lay knowledge, is crucial. You can find a collections of methodologies in the Methodologies-section.
Read more on TTT-philosophie.
Creating and sharing knowledge
[to-do: write a small intro]
- The GROWL-network [to-do: needs entry]
- Common Based Peer Production [to-do: needs entry]
3. The theoretical side of TTT
we are used to power point presentations but there are other different strategies. people have different wazys of learning (...)
3.1 Learning types
. in growl we consider the following learning types.
Learning types [to-do: needs entry, use Kathryns text from the old platform]
acustic, tactile, ...
3.2 different strategies of transmitting degrowth:
How can degrowth be presented: Five strategies of learning degrowth [to-do: needs to be worked out, activist style missing, best practice examples for all strategies?]
academic
interactive
practical
poetic
activistic
you should give the particpants the possibility to train one of the strategies within the TTT.
4. Train to be a trainer.
Train presentation strategies [to-do: best practice example] - illustrate with example
5. Organizational aspects of a GROWL course
To follow the TTT-philosophy there are some things you should be aware of as a course organizer.
In this section you can find some more practical information about how to plan and organize your own course.
Connect course with degrowth politics
politics of course organization [needs to be structured and included here somehow].
6. Learning as a process - Reflection and Evaluation
Constant reflection and evaluation of methodologies and group processes throughout the course is essential to asure that we meet our philosophie that we have presented above. The space to express concerns has to be provided and organizers should react to participants’ needs.
Best practice from Belgium
Evaluation form.
Basic rules for moderation: https://co-munity.net/file/113020/download?token=08uSlV7I
World cefe presentation: https://co-munity.net/file/113021/download?token=FR0WDQ1y
- Introduction
-Kick off talk
-Dance and emotion
-What is degrowth
-Degrowth and social life in rural area
-Café Philo