Day 7 -Last day of the nature education study tour at Auchlone.

                 

             

 Goodbye Scotland!!! It's been amazing.

                             Today we crammed in a practical day of curriculum and consultation documentation, Benefit Risk Assessments for all sites (in consultation wiht children to make it meaningful) - how to work with woodworking tools, willow, whittling and knots and when to use them to construct and prepare learning areas with children  - big book planners, mind maps and profile books as documentation tools to consult children and their families and track learning journeys with nature.

 Talking Tubs

 

 Mind Mapping of children's thoughts 

 Then on to some practical skills useful when supporting children's learning through nature - Birchwood Splitting

 The beginning of my canoe making on the Wood Shaving Horse!

 Busy whittlers!

 Do you love my canoe??? :)

 Kate gives a lesson on using willow to create many forms for a multitude of uses - practical and creative.

Dinner with the Study Tour group was wonderful with many memories shared and visions contemplated. Claire had prepared postcards for us to write in with a message to ourselves as a gentle reminder of our time here in the UK. She will post them to us in 3 months time! 

Looking forward to going home to family and warmth but certainly with a renewed spark and passion for nature and its life enduring lessons.

SIgning out

Angela

Fascination of water, snow, mud and fire in Scotland.

Nurture through Nature

Even though we don't necessarily have woodlands, babbling brooks, mist in the valleys or snow on the ground - nature is the ultimate engaging vehicle for teaching and learning. It's all about seeing the potential of the landscapes around you, observing how the children interact and responding to their inquiries. We were children today - viewing, pondering, creating, playing - withsnow, water, fire and food!! 

The Scottish Crannog Centre - Kenmore, Perthshire. www.crannog.co.uk 

We travelled up the mountains to The Crannog - a type of ancient loch-dwelling found throughout Scotland and Ireland dating from 2,500 years ago. An important part of Scottish eritage, many crannogs were built out in the water as defensive homesteads and represented symbols of power and wealth. 

The Crannog is a learning space that links local cultural history with respect for nature and the resources it provides. The same links need to be made to our local environments and culture before we can expect children to respect the environment in which they play. Fascinating place and exemplified how nature provides a multitude of REAL things to enable us to survive. 

  Frost and sunshine - so many PLODS -'Possible                                                                                                                    lines of development"

Landscapes -so many creative transient art possibilities

 Mist in the valleys - We used our theories to discuss a phenomenon such as this.

Learning Pathways - where do the trees go when the mist rolls in?

The Crannog - mastercraft of the Iron Age

Snow

PLAYTIME with the children back at Auchlone -

 Our collaboratively created papercraft lampshade made from willow and tissue paper. We whittled our wood with our new knifing skills -remembering our 'blood circle' safety rules. The children thought it looked like a fish and commended us for our efforts! 

We made toffee apples from the chn's apple tree, played hidey in Auchlone dark dens and surroundings and lit candles for decorated glass jars that led us down a garden path to many destinations. 

Then......

 Off to the forest to collect sticks twice the length of our arms for marshmellow toasting on the fire.

AND.... tried our hands at photobombing!

"Imagine a space where the carpet changes every day, the ceiling is a myriad of different colours, light, shadow and movement. The feelings and movement completely surround you, sometimes breezy, sometimes cold other times warm. 

Unexpected wonders fly by, sometimes full of colour and sometimes full of noise and movement.  If we really want children to thrive we need to let their connection to nature nurture them" Claire Warden,2007.

A message to educators ;

Go outside and recognise the learning potential of nature - come snow, wind, north winds, rain, heat or  perfect sunny days.... Consult with children in order to make connections for children between them and their natural environment relevant, motivating and inspiring ..include families so the learning is transferrable, deeper and continuos. 

1 more day - Assessment/planning and accountability.

Angela

Day 5 - Nature Education Study Tour - Fowlis Wester/ Auchlone, Crieff - Scotland

After a weekend of exploring the natural and man-made elements of Edinburgh, Dunblane and Stirling by train and on foot, the tour group arrived in Crieff ready for 3 days of nature pedagogy and inspiration.

 Edinburgh

Crieff 

 Guess what season it is???

                                      'DON'T TEACH ABOUT NATURE - LEARN WITH NATURE" 

                                                                Claire Warden, 2013

                                                                                

A brisk morning in Crieff, Scotland saw us set off in Glen's bus loaded with warm bits of clothing and open minds - to a little village named Fowlis Wester. Surrounded in a plethora of open ended play areas where the natural environment invites you to investigate and explore - was a little and very old 'cottage'. Here Claire imparted information about the background of her vision and value system embedded in Mindstretchers model of nature pedagogy. Where to start and what to include in this blog leaves me with a huge dilemma. Please consider that this to be a snapshot of my experience and I implore people to visit Claire's website for more information. 

Although we need no convincing about the value of natural play spaces. Today we were challenged by discussions around the curriculum activity 'zoning' that happens in centres where specific areas are set up for specific learning outcomes.  For nature education to be embedded children must have the opportunity to experience natural elements throughout all spaces - Inside, outside, beyond and it must be understood that when children explore nature - each experience is multifacetted and potentially offers a variety of learning outcomes including science, maths, literacy, language, music. Claire reiterated that educators, families and regulators have to also understand that developing children's learning dispositions such as motivation, curiosity, perseverance and confidence is of utmost importance to life long learning and that children's intrinsic connections to nature will provide the environment for these to occur.  AS educators we need to make this learning visible to parents and regulators. 

 

Kate gives us a geography lesson!

So...... some clarity of vision and values around nature play spaces and connections to education.

Nature ... A place for relationships to develop.

A place where there is a sense of community with family - (share the journey with families - parent classes may include 'the potential of a rucksack')

A place where ALL the environments give the same core message all year round. Resources need to be in all areas - stones, tools, wood.

 Auchlone Nature Kindergarten - 

A place where there is a connection to real landscapes around the children.

Children are able to create links in their learning within the cultural space they live in. (Vygotsky)

A place that encourages connected thinking. CONNECTIVITY!

A place that allows you time to think.

A place where confidence and emotional resilience flourishes naturally.

A place where there are meaningful connections to home .

Nature - freedom.

The pictures tell SOME of my story today....but will never catch the beauty....

Tools anyone? 

 Fire House - risk assessment, tool safety - then -wittling skills, fire making, charcoal making -then -popcorn, bread and marshmellows!

 See the mathematics in stick collecting?

 Dens, ropes.

 Playing with sunshine and shadows

 

 The Dark Wood provides a visual boundary.

 Bread - chocolate or Sundried tomato - mix it in a glad bag, heat it up against your chest, wrap around the hollow bamboo and bake over the coals you've made in your fire!

 

 Fallen logs - the possibilities for learniNG!

 Ropes and swings, undulating and varieties of surfaces - challenges for children's proprioception and vestibular systems - beats metal climbing frames anyday.

 Pixies and fairies live here?

 There is no such thing as bad weather - only bad clothing.

 Pack up time  - gather your tools. BATHTME!