2021-02 - tools for the regenerative renaissance course review

"tools for the regenerative renaissance" was a six-week, "better-than-free online course", sponsored by SEEDS (ecosystem), that ran from feb-mar 2021.

about: https://dandelion.events/e/hy5s3

open-source course syllabus & notes - lots of good references: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ncRUhEc7u7GF7BwVB_u9ehQWx2wHPgYQmKymodYy6hE/edit#heading=h.uydmh31j1shr

my learning log: https://www.notion.so/cassiuscarvalho/tools-for-the-regenerative-renaissance-learning-log-033faef8b34848a8af2469c1ec2ff72b

overall comments/suggestions:

i'd give the course a 4.5/5. i really liked it, there are just a few points i think could've been better.

i'd have really appreciated a little more big picture contextualization (how big is refi, permaculture, dOrgs, dGov, who are the big players in these spaces, stuff like that).

would have loved to learn more about your background (phoebe tickell and stephen reid) and what you're currently most interested in/excited about.

the main takeaway for me was transforming my relationship with decentralized orgs into something more tangible and possible, instead of just an understanding of a DAO/DisCO is.

i'd have appreciated a few more examples of decentralized organizations in different industries. i appreciated getting to know purpose and their work though.

i also felt really connected with the energy of a renaissance and a meta-narrative crossing and connecting different paradigms (regeneration, game b, metamodernism, integral theory, etc).

would also have loved to have gotten a better sense of what people are interested in to know who to connect further with. maybe adding a space for people's social media, favorite session(s) of the course and main topics of interest on that end-of-the-course spreadsheet.

i really enjoyed the miro board too (that had space for sharing and connecting like this), so another cool option could be to revisit that board on the last session and have people write their n°1 takeaway and their favorite session.

another idea i had: what if we had a database in which people shared their top 3 resources related to the regenerative renaissance? either things they learned through the course or things they knew beforehand. how many interesting tools/projects/initiatives could we discover?
that end-of-the-course spreadsheet could also just have a field for that.

having access to such database of people/interests/resources after the course (being able to see and connect with alumni/other cohorts) would be amazing.

overall, it was a great experience! thank you! :)

What was your favourite session and why?

samantha's session on decentralized orgs and the last one (with participants).

i really liked samantha's and phoebe's presentation. i just felt like i learned a lot in that small window of time.

on the last session, it was great to get a better feel for some of the other people and projects in the course who you didn't get a chance to interact with. it brings a lot of breadth and understanding of what people are interested in, what they're experiencing in their personal realities and working on.

Who was your favourite guest expert and why?

samantha too. i also really enjoyed getting to know purpose and their work with steward-ownership. they were talking about topics that just seem crucial to me and they were bringing a ton of good info in a short amount of time.

Delivery: What did you appreciate about the way Phoebe and Stephen delivered the course? Are there aspects of the delivery that could be improved?

i appreciated the energy of inclusiveness and of a safe space that you brought into the course. what could be improved is the introduction of the sessions. i felt they started off a little too slow, considering we had prepared beforehand. but as the course kept going, i think you guys adjusted it. ;)

Content: What content in the course has been most interesting/useful to you? Are there any topics that you would like to have seen more/less of?

most useful/interesting: dOrgs/dGov.
i'd love to have heard more about this renaissance as a whole. who are the movements, people, organizations tackling different types of systemic challenges we face?

Format: What did you enjoy about the format? Would could have been done differently?

i think it was great. maybe having a more official time for participant hangouts would be good.

Connections: Have you made meaningful and useful connections with others on the course? How could we do more to encourage this?

not too much. i made a few suggestions for this on my overall comments/suggestions.

Is there anyone you'd like to recommend we invite as a guest expert in future courses?

about sensemaking/information warfare in the context of the course (regeneration): daniel schmachtenberger, corey devos or someone else from integral life/institute.

about media (regenerative, counter-intuitive): alexander beiner or david fuller from rebel wisdom, euvie ivanova or mark gilliland from future thinkers.

Has the course impacted your life? Have you experienced any positive shifts in understanding, openness to new tools or new-found motivation?

yes. all of the above. it was crucial to make me feel open and willing to invest more of my time into understanding/participating in SEEDS after the course. it was a recogniton and acceptance of my own need to transition into new, more conscious ways of interacting, collaborating and understanding the world. very grateful for that <3