Darcy Kaltio

Darcy has been supporting learners and families in transformative learning processes since becoming an educator for an alternative and independent distributed learning school in BC, Canada in 2005. Darcy sees learning as a journey of exploring and integrating heart, mind, body and spirit. She is committed to supporting the unique expression of each individual with whom she has worked. Pursuing her programming with The Transformative Learning Foundation allowed Darcy to fully experience what it means to be a whole person in a learning community. Bringing her entire life and history to her studies and allowing intuition to guide her path was healing and transformational.

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Thesis Abstract

The Medicine of the Gillnet Rug: a performative inquiry into belonging, culture, transformation, and SelfDesign (R)

This paper is documentation of an emergent learning experience in which I sought to discover more of who I am by learning about my cultural heritage while learning the handcraft of making a gillnet rug as my grandmother did. I explored my relationship with natural cycles and my connection with nature as an antidote to the mental health challenges arising from living in the modern era. This was done in the context of shining light on historic familial mental health issues. Throughout this project, I lived the pedagogical approaches of SelfDesign Praxis and Emergent Teaching.

Using Performative Inquiry and Performative Writing methodology supported an intuitive and organic experience. This written representation of the experience supports resonance between the author and the reader.

As a result of engaging in this experience, I have gained a greater sense of belonging and with that an increased sense of well-being. I have come away with a conviction for the importance of cultural practices, handcrafts and connection with nature in education as well as the transformational power of SelfDesign Praxis and Emergent Teaching.