Kealani Kiesling
Program: Patience
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1A. Did your program include Art? 
Minor emphasis

1B. How was Art included in your program?
Throughout this year, I have studied/appreciated various forms of Art.
The forms art took were through paintings, etchings, movement (Hula,
Tahitian, Belly-dancing, and yoga), and vocals (Kasey Chambers, Native
Hawaiian chant, Tahitian chant, etc.).

Personally, I participated in Art through crafting 30 personal cards and
learning more about photography by taking pictures during my travels.

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2A. Did your program (or project) include Science and/or Mathematics?
Minor emphasis

2B. If yes, how was Science and/or Mathematics included in your program
(or project)?
Throughout the year, I have been an unofficial writing tutor for various
students of the Environmental Analysis program.  As such, I have spent
hours with them in the computer lab discussing what they are trying to say
and through that learning more about chemistry, hydrology, and geology.
In addition, I have also spent time with EA students in the lab, and
through that learning more about lab techniques, and the various methods
used for sample analysis (ICP, GC, GIS, etc.).

On a personal level, during the Winter quarter I took reduced credit for
this class so that I could take Intro to Statistics. As a result, my
Statistical analysis spilled over into this class too.

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3A. Did your program (or project) include Humanities?
Major emphasis

3B. If yes, how were the Humanities included in your program (or
project)?
As mentioned before I included appreciative and participatory Art in my
program.  I also, as part of my mythology investigation, learned more of
the Hawaiian language. In addition, I spent much of Fall quarter
investigating various philosophies of education and pedagogy.  Finally, my
communication studies included extensive writing and dialogue.

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4A. Did your program (or project) include Social Sciences?
Major emphasis

4B. If yes, how were the Social Sciences included in your program (or
project)?
Psychology was included as I spent much of the year investigating
different methods of healing: mental and physical. Sociology was included
through gender studies and family studies.  Finally, anthropology was
included through my travels, and through reading for my cultural studies
and mythology studies.

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5A. Did your program (or project) include quantitative reasoning?
Minor emphasis

5B. If yes, how was quantitative reasoning included in your program (or
project)?
As mentioned before, I took an Intro to Statistics course concurrently
with this program and helped as a writing tutor for EA students.  As such,
I learned more about quantitative reasoning, and how it is applied in
everyday life in addition to math/science/social science.

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6A. Did your program (or project) include writing?
Major emphasis

6B. If yes, how was writing included in your program (or project)?
As part of my learning process, I did extensive journaling.  I also kept
current with the Patience web list and webx, using both to communicate and
dialogue with classmates and faculty. In addition, I helped as a writing
tutor for people who came to me with projects/papers.

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7A. Did you use technology to present work, conduct research (including
library research), or solve problems?
Major emphasis

7B. If yes, how did you do so?
I used the computer on a daily basis for this program for research,
communication, and journaling.  I keep current with the class through the
program page (including webx and web list), which was especially helpful
during my travels.  I conducted most of my research online, although I did
use library systems also.  I learned more about software (Excel, Word, and
PowerPoint).  I also learned more about the use of scientific instruments
(ICP and GC).

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8A. Did your program (or project) include activities designed to promote
critical thinking?
Major emphasis

8B. If yes, how were such activities included in your program (or
project)?
Patience is unique as the faculty promotes a freedom of learning that
inherently encourages critical thinking. Each co-learner is responsible
for his learning.  As such, each learner must critically analyze who she
is, how she learns best, what she wants to learn, and how she will learn.
In addition, because no roadmap is given for the student, he must make a
plan or syllabus for his learning which includes analyzing what materials
and information will enhance or detract from his learning goals.  This is
just a beginning of the process that my program is designed to promote.
Most other programs already have expectations in place; most other
learners continue a process already started by their faculty.

Patience provides a supportive learning community in which each learner
chooses the journey that best fits her objectives.  The faculty remains
involved, but they don’t impose their own processes, allowing a natural
growth and development to occur.  This essential freedom encourages each
learner to ingest, internalize, and process complex ideas and realities in
a real, life-changing way.  Class time, webx, and the web list provide a
forum for constructive dialogue.   Thus, each learner has the opportunity
to process his learning with his community of learners, inspiring further
exploration and challenge in his co-learners.

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9A. Did your program (or project) make an effort to address racism,
sexism, classism, or other forms of oppression?
Major emphasis

9B. If yes, what strategies or activities did you (or your faculty
team) use that worked well?
As mentioned in the previous question, the actual structure of the class
encouraged dialogue with controversial issues. In addition, the faculty
encouraged learners to include Paulo Freire’s book Pedagogy of the
Oppressed in their learning journeys.  This text directly addresses issues
of racism, classism, and other forms of oppression.  The internal and
communal dialogue about Freire’s text inspired further explorations and
rebellions against oppression in all its forms. I as a learner needed to
confront how oppression is often perpetuated by unconsciously following
the status quo, and search out how I have or currently might be
perpetuating oppression of self and other.  In addition, our learning
community as a whole conscientiously attempted to provide a learning
environment that encouraged freedom from oppression.

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10A. Were there opportunities for you to do advanced work in this
program (or project)?
Major emphasis

10B. If yes, please elaborate.
Each learner was encouraged to pursue a level and depth of education that
suited her own learning process and journey.  As such, I believe that many
in our class pursued advanced work, many pursing studies that I consider
of a graduate school level. Personally, as a senior, for the first time I
felt the freedom to pursue a variety and depth of education that I felt
limited from pursuing before.