Avalon College of Druidry

[IvyWitch]

Has anyone enrolled in the school, or completed any of the programs? I've heard some great things about it, and I'm considering enrolling in the program once I'm finished with my BA.

http://www.avaloncollege.org/index.html

If you have taken any courses there, what did you think of the online program used for the classes, and what did you think of the other people (other students, teachers etc)?

If you haven't, do you think you would consider enrolling? Would you rate this higher than witchschool?

[odubhain]

To get a better idea of the potential and reality of the Avalon College of Druidry, read the blog of its chancellor:

http://alferian.livejournal.com/

The biggest problems facing such activities are to find people who are dedicated to teaching; to have software that is user friendly to both faculty and students; to have a student base sufficient to support the curriculum and activities of the school.

Sadly, most Pagan schools suffer on at least 2 of the 3 issues.

Isaac Bonewits's new school(Real Magic School) is offering classes by an acknowledged leader in Pagan studies and teaching and seems to have a large student base of interest. I'm hoping that the software being used will support Isaac's efforts (it's being done by the Witchschool folks I hear). Good luck on the work!

http://www.realmagicschool.com/

Moodle and ATutor are two software packages with which I am familiar that could be used. Avalon is trying to implement Moodle while I have sought to use ATutor in my own past efforts in these areas. I also am still toying with the idea of using OpenCourseware provided by MIT and other major learning centers. :

http://moodle.org/sites/

http://www.atutor.ca/

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm

The biggest problems with online courses are time, energy and money for students, teachers and administrators. Money and time generally serve as their death-knells. Eventually, most such sites will seek to go to a computer automated learning experience that might be augmented by teachers and advisors in real time or cyber time. That's my experience and opinion.

Here's an additional course resource for those seeking to build online learning opportunities:

http://www.merlot.org/merlot/materials.htm?category=2416

I also think that schooling efforts should begin through home schooling at the gradeschool level and continue through graduate and post-graduate levels. That would increase student bases and available instructor interest.

Searles O'Dubhain

[Myrddyn Emrys]

I've had brief occations to speak with Alferian on a couple of boards and (with my limited contact, mind you) find him a friendly and knowledgeable person. I also know one of the administrators via the internet and have worked with him on a project, an honest and knowledgeable man.

If an internet learning course is to your liking and wish to spend the money associated with it, I feel there are worse places you could gain it than from ACDS.

If you're inclined to go with the Bonewits' school that Searles mentioned, I would suggest reading some of Issac's work to see if it is what you're looking for, such as his book "Real Magic". I'd presume that his and Phaedra's courses are fairly centralized on these works.