Nature Through My World.

BELCD Student at Algonquin College. #NAT4352. NATURE-BASED EARLY LEARNING. "Live around nature, Laugh with nature, Love all aspects of nature" - Keana Watkins, RECE

[natureinterestlearning]

Social Media as a professional learning tool.

As technology continues to evolve more others presume the disadvantages of social media such as lack of interaction, decrease communication skills, causes distraction, and much more. In fact, where social media has those disadvantages there can also be some benefits through which I’ve learned throughout my academic journey in Nature Base Early Learning. As, I’ve created accounts such as Twitter and Tumbler (blog) and joined the Nature Base Early learning Facebook page, It was to my discovery that social media is in fact more than what it serves to be- a social platform in which society uses to hide behind a computer screen. Social media is an interactive platform where ideas, goals, and thoughts can be shared among groups. Whilst, creating social accounts throughout the course I have developed professional connects with not only with peers, but the world around me.

Sources

Mitchell-Price, M. (2018). Disadvantages of Social Networking: Surprising Insights from Teens. Retrieved from https://www.rootsofaction.com/disadvantages-of-social-networking/

[natureinterestlearning]

My Discovery through Loose Parts

Any ECE student can relate to the planning and experiences of loose parts. Loose parts are open-ended materials that can be used alone, manipulated or combined with other materials. They allow children to become investigators, explorers, engineers, etc. in their own play.

I know for myself, I found it difficult to come up with and bring in a new and different loose part each week. I remember a new week would come along and it was time to go to Dollarama and search for loose parts like shovels, cd’s, books and baby clothes. It was a bit of a challenge to find materials that related to the interests of the children but hadn’t already been used by the centre. Based on my previous experience, I agree with early childhood educator Jode (2017) when she explains that in the end, we don’t have control over why something may work on one day and not the next. When offering loose parts to children, there may require some trial and error depending on the ages in your care and what materials you decide to choose. I myself can be a bit of a perfectionist and it was during my first placement that I brought in loose parts for the week and those chosen loose parts didn’t work. I can say, I was a bit upset that they didn’t work, and I had hoped things would go better. However, what I did learn is that children are capable of shifting any plan into another direction.

Loose parts don’t always have to be used within a program but can also be suitable in an outdoor learning environment. Loose parts implemented outdoors open up opportunities for children to engage in risk, challenge themselves, and gain control over their environment.

Sources

The Empowered Educator. (2017). Using Open Ended Materials in Outdoor Play. [Blog]. Retrieved from https://www.theempowerededucatoronline.com/2017/05/open-ended-play-materials-for-outdoors.html/

[natureinterestlearning]

Young children should get at least 3 hours of physical activity each day: study

The guidelines are based on research that suggests kids aged four and younger are much too sedentary.

How Much Time Should Children Be Given to Play Outside?

Play for children should not be determined by time, instead it should be reflected upon. In fact, consider this: are my children given the opportunity to be their creative and imaginative selves through play? Without opportunity, there is no “how much time” should children have to play outside. In today’s society, we are observing an exponential growth in young children from birth to five years with the possession and obsession of iPhones, Tablets, and TVs. It has become detrimental to our society, particularly hindering in the healthy development of children. These addictive devices are given to children for reasons such as to keep them quiet, to not be interrupted, etc. at locations such as malls, grocery stores, and even at homes. What happened to inviting children to have the opportunity to help you count money at the checkout or assist you in crossing items off the grocery list? These are the approaches that need to be reinforced back in our mindsets when handing a device to our children.

Countless of researches have argued the statement: Screen Time impacts children’s development and admittedly they’ve been proven to be correct. Cassandra Szklarski, author of Canadian Presspublished an article on Global News (2017), and states: “Excessive screen time before age five is linked to language delays, reduced attention, and lower school readiness”. Now in today’s society, references to “screen time” are now qualified as “sedentary screen time” due to the fact children are on their device’s morning and night, instead of given the opportunity to play outdoors. Nonetheless, screen time has become an increasing concern for children’s healthy development. More than half of preschoolers aged three to four exceed one hour of screen time per day. The vicious spike has evolved into its own phenomenon, leading to coining a whole new term: sedentary screen time.

Parents and schools are the root to the lack of exercise children are getting. That is (1) parents concern of their child’s safety and (2) children are spending more time in indoor classrooms than acquiring the exercise needed. Keeping children indoors and avoiding “risks” is only putting a negative impact on children’s health. That too goes for the supervision parents keep on their children. Parents should invite children to engage in adventure and partake in risks. They’re only benefiting from these open learning experiences. Children thrive when they’re given the trust and opportunity to explore, run wild, and be imaginative. The outdoors is where children can be expressive in all forms: body, mind, and senses.

Sources

Szklarski, C. (2017, Nov 20). Young children should get at atleast 3 hours of physical activity each day: study. Global News. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/3869932/children-need-more-exercise/

[natureinterestlearning]

Importance of Outdoor Play Pt. 2

My first post regarding the importance of outdoor play focuses on how children can benefit from outdoor play from a general aspect. This time around, I decided to address the importance of outdoor play in a fun and visually appealing way. When it comes to learning, it can be done in a variety of ways such as visually, verbally, physically, and much more. Infographics are an effective tool used to get messages across. They are eye-catching, rememberable, and easy to understand. For that, I decided to create an infographic that centers on the importance of outdoor play and how it impacts a child’s development in all four domains: physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and language.

To download a copy, click the link below: 

https://www.canva.com/design/DADKqJY2FCg/share?role=EDITOR&token=aFYbuHLRBaB2iwg9Mo8HpA&utm_content=DADKqJY2FCg&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton

[natureinterestlearning]

The Importance of Outdoor Play

The natural environment allows children to explore their whole selves and learn in all different areas. It gives children the opportunity to control and direct their own learning, having teachers facilitate their learning when necessary in support of the children’s discovery and interests. Nature’s Classroom- Forest kindergartens in the Tennessee Valley experienced the benefits first hand with ADHD children- children who struggled with focusing their attention on a task were able to follow directions and focus their attention once outdoors. The outdoors brings excitement to all children and before we know it children are learning independence, social cooperation, problem-solving, and much more.

References

Greater Chattanooga. (2017, June 9). Nature’s Classroom- Forest kindergartens in the Tennessee valley [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or__q3VNq9o

[natureinterestlearning]

My Philosophy Statement

Keana Watkins, RECE

I believe children have rights . Children of all race, ethnicity, culture, and socio-economic class should all be equally presented with the opportunity to explore and immerse in the natural world around them on daily basis. Nature Based learning is more than what meets the eye: it’s open, free, imaginative, and risky by which can be explored anytime, anywhere, and anyplace- a front yard, forest, and/or a small space behind a school building. A natural environment is a place where children can be active, expressive, and reflective while being surrounded by  birds chirping, animal noises, and sounds of the wind. To some it’s considered a home where one can discover himself, ecologically.  A child’s curiosity stems from their connections, inquiry, and surroundings in which children should be able to explore these foundations through all five senses. “Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children” -Walter Elias Disney

GoodReads. (2018). Walt Disney Company Quotes. [Forums]. Retrieved from: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/24045-our-greatest-national-resource-is-the-minds-of-our-children

[natureinterestlearning]

What Are The 7C’s and How Can We Transform Spaces That Children Play?

Character, Context, Connectivity, Change, Chance, Clarity, and Challenge are the 7C’s that connect outdoor play environments to children’s development. To transform the spaces children play, educators can consider the following:

An inclusive, welcoming, and open environment that gives children a sense of belonging.

The size of the space, children ratio, location, and neighborhood of the overall space. E.g. a big space that’s located in a busy town gives children views and access to neighbourhoods to not only observe their surroundings, but to become active participants to their community.

Establish open pathways within the space to ensure connectivity between indoor/outdoor, and children of different age groups.

Have a variety of spaces within the area that suits the needs of children. E.g. a space for children to tumble play, space to climb materials/structures, space to pretend play, and a quiet space to sit down and read, and or be alone. Those spaces should have different textures such as sand, grass, cement, etc.

Give children the opportunity to explore nature in all forms, being messy zones, risky play, and mystery zones- catching insects and amphibians.

Create a space that is safe, and which provides entry and exit spaces.

Implement challenges to promote problem-solving, critical thinking, reason logically, along with testing the child’s limits and strengths in attempt to try on emerging skills in their development.  

References

The Outdoor Playbook. (2018). The 7C’s.Retrieved from http://outdoorplaybook.ca/learn/play-research/the-7-cs/

[natureinterestlearning]

The Relationship of Place-Based Education to Early Learning:

The early years are the relationships built during infancy in support of children’s learning, development, health, and well-being. Children learn and grow not only by their surroundings, but where adults are caring and responsive (HDLH, 2014, p. 4-6). That is, where place-based education comes into play. It’s an approach to learning that “connects learning to communities and the world around us” (Getting Smart, 2018, p. 2). Place-based education provides children with the opportunity to build meaningful, geographical, authentic, and engaging learning experiences. This opportunity places them at an advantage in local heritage, culture, and landscapes as they use those to immerse themselves in the learning of the curriculum (Getting Smart, 2018, p. 5).

           It’s a process that begins with the development of relationships amongst children, families, educators, and communities, ultimately seen as a foundation. This then digresses onto the learning in which the environment has to be individually, culturally, and age appropriate to all children and their uniqueness. Finally, the last of the process is observing and assessing how children in works to implementing any approaches, such as place-based education. 

References

Ontario Pedagogy for the Early Years. (2014). How Does Learning Happen. Retrieved fromhttp://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/howlearninghappens.pdf

Getting Smart. (2018). What is Place-Based Education and Why Does It Matter? Retrieved from http://www.gettingsmart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/What-is-Place-Based-Education-and-Why-Does-it-Matter.pdf

[thejoysofnature]

Video from Play Australia about the many benefits of outdoor play. In the video, they discuss how educators can bring meaningful learning opportunities outdoors, in order for children to build upon their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual identity. 

“Life has challenges and risks and children deserve experiences and tools to learn to negotiate these on their own. With few risks, there are few rewards”. - Deb Curtis

[natureinterestlearning]

Outdoor play offers a variety of benefits some include increased social interaction, self-esteem, and gross and fine motor skills, and many more. Children thrive when they’re in environments that are natural, constructive, and creative. All children have the right to develop their ecological identities. 

[natureinterestlearning]

“I can smell autumn dancing in the breeze. The sweet chill of pumpkin and crisp sunburnt leaves” - Unknown 

Luzdelaluna. (2018). 20 Beautiful Autumn Quotes That Will Make You Fall in Love with Fall All Over Again. [Forums]. Retrieved from http://www.luzdelaluna.net/20-beautiful-autumn-quotes-will-make-fall-love-fall/

[natureinterestlearning]

The latest Tweets from KeanaWatkinsRece (@KeanaRece): "Added some new posts to my blog. Go take a look! https://t.co/d8viTaUrRX #NAT4352"

Go check out my twitter page: Nature-Base Edition. You’ll find tweets, resources, images, and quotes all about nature. 

[eartheasy]

Reblog if you agree!

[natureinterestlearning]

Nature has so much to teach us as we learn about life, ourselves, gratitude, and more.  

[natureinterestlearning]

All About Me

Hi, Everyone. 

My name is Keana Watkins and I am 21 years old. I happen to be the oldest of 5 siblings. I am an RECE and currently in my third year of the Bachelor of Early Learning and Community Development program at Algonquin College. Before, that I was in the 2-year program of Early Childhood Education at Algonquin, which I successfully completed and graduated from in June 2017.

More about me- I graduated from Merivale High School in June 2015. It was in High School, where I had different hopes for myself and early childhood education never crossed my path until the end of high school. At a time, I wanted to be an esthetician and in hopes build my own salon but the more I thought about it, it occurred to me “was this what I really want to do” “am I going to be happy doing this in 10 years to come”? It wasn’t until the open house at Algonquin College where different programs of studies scattered throughout the gym and I discovered Early Childhood Education. The support of family and friends helped me come to the realization that Early Childhood Education is my passion. As, long as I can remember I loved interacting with children; I would be with family friends and rather engaging with them, I was engaging with the children. That’s when it loomed that I can do this as a career and I want to make a change in the lives of young children during their early years. 3 years later I have a college diploma in Early Childhood Education, an RECE license, and I’m proudly going for a Bachelors ‘degree.

About me as a child- I loved playing outside. I remember knocking on my friend’s door every day to come outside, as we played the game ‘manhunt’ around the neighborhood or played marbles until it was either night time or until our parents told us it was time to come inside. When it rained, I enjoyed jumping in puddles and playing with worms. Come summer, I’m finding caterpillars. I’m picking up dandelions in attempt to make a dandelion crown or waiting until they have gone to seed to make a wish, or I am crawling in a patch of grass looking for 4-leaf clovers. It wasn’t until I got older that my love for outdoors began to fade. I became scared of all insects - including caterpillars and worms. As I take this Nature-based learning class I start to remember the love I had for outdoors; my appreciation for nature has grown, and I learn about the importance and its impact on children’s development. My nature blog invites you to see nature in my perspective- what is nature-based learning, the importance behind outdoor play, sit spots, different outdoor activities and more.

[natureinterestlearning]

See, Think, and Wonder

See, think, and wonder is an active way to provoke inquiry and have children engage in discussion during outdoor learning experiences. As children grow they begin to ask questions about the things they see, hear, feel, taste, and smell in their environments. To stimulate children’s natural curiosity- choose a topic related to the interests of children. Begin the inquiry process with taking the class outside; engage students in open discussions and read-a-louds; pay attention to suggestions, questions, and observations; provide hands on experiences (Natural Curiosity, 2011, p. 15).

In spirit of the fall season, create a pumpkin patch in outdoor space consisting of 4-5 pumpkins. An opportunity such as this, allows children to learn about the growth and change in nature.

Take the class outside- Take the children outside to the pumpkin patch created in the open space and have them observe the different sizes, colours, weights, and changes of the pumpkins. This gives children the opportunity to explore their environment in various forms.

Hands-on experiences- Have children assist you in carving and taking seeds out of pumpkins. In doing so, children are able to use all five senses in the exploration of their environment.

Engage in read-a-louds and discussion- Start with reading a story about the growth and changes of plants. Have the children represent their understanding of the different growth stages in proper sequence with a structured craft activity. Ask an open-ended question related to the story. This activates children’s minds to critically think and pose questions.

Pay Attention- Start off with your regular routine and see if children spark an interest to the cut pumpkins. If so, plan the next learning steps by asking questions such as “what do you see, what do you think happened, and why do you wonder that happened”? Have children test their theories on the open-ended questions asked. E.g. weather and temperature. Place different parts of the pumpkin in different conditions and have children observe the decomposition of the pumpkins over time making predictions. By doing this, teachers are able to document the learning and revisit them for later use (Natural Curiosity, 2011, p. 16, 103-106).

References

Natural Curiosity. (2011). Building Children’s Understanding of the World through Environmental Inquiry. Retrieved from http://www.naturalcuriosity.ca/pdf/NaturalCuriosityManual.pdf

[natureinterestlearning]

Limited Training

The absence of outdoor play rides on the primary factor of staff. It’s the lack of training, experience, confidence, and traditional practice brought on by teachers that we look at why the disappearance of outdoor play is happening. The natural environment is imperative to children’s development and is believed to be an essence to children’s play and learning (Flannigan, 2016).  

Earth Path is a non-profit organization located in the Ottawa region that was established in 2013, by two sisters. The organization encourages meaningful relationships between people and the natural world. There is a required fee for their programs offered, but the program is more than welcome to help people come up with a plan to make affordable prices a priority. They offer programs to people of all ages including, nature school programs for children, field walks for adults, and workshops for teachers. Youth programs take place throughout the year in the East end of Ottawa, ON, and Wakefield, QC. Those include, Nature schools for pre-school and school age children (4-5, 6-12), Summer camps of a week long-June to August for preschool and school age children, and Teen apprenticeships for grades 10-12.

Adult programs, members learn about natural areas, plants, and animals through field walks and wild-crafting workshops. The program also offers landscape interpretation for those landowners who want to learn more about their land.

For Teachers, earth path assists them in promoting place-based education to connect students to the environment and community, and to develop ecological literacy. In doing so, earth path provides training programs, personalized workshops, curriculum development support, and field day for schools (Earth Path, 2013).

References:

Earth Path. (2013). Retrieved from https://www.earthpath.ca

Flannigan, C. (2016, October 3). Let Kids be Kids: Using Adventure and Nature to Bring Back Children’s Play. [Blog]. Retrieved from https://www.fix.com/blog/get-children-playing-outside/

[natureinterestlearning]

Risky Play and more Play- The Benefits

Children have a right to risky and challenging play, as it allows them to learn about their world; test out what is and is not possible; learn about mistakes; and reveal new things about their space, place, and environment (Dietze & Kashin, 2018, p. 132). Risk is not necessarily dangerous, if you manage them it can in fact be something positive for children. Adventurous play are the opportunities exposed to children where they can explore, test and grow in their capacity, manage risk, and be resourceful and resilient (Dietze & Kashin, 2018, p. 134). There are many benefits to children engaging in risky play. This include: self- efficacy, self-regulation, and spatial orientation skills and more.

 Self-efficacy:It’s through challenging play that children believe in their abilities to reach goals. Knowing how to hold a saw and properly use the tool to achieve a desired outcome-leads to a child’s sense of self-efficacy.

Self-regulation:Risk-taking is associated with self-regulation in which influences how a child responds to people and their environment. Having the ability to replace anxiety and discouragement with confidence and engage in play experiences that involve risk.

Spatial orientation skills:Children are active learners who learn about the environment through their bodies- to test “what will happen if?” To experience risky play enables children to learn the strengths and limitations of their bodies (Dietze & Kashin, 2018, p. 154-155).

References

Dietze, B., & Kashin, D. (2018). Outdoor and Nature Play in Early Childhood Education, Pearson Canada

[natureinterestlearning]

Overcoming Barriers in Nature-Based learning

Misperceived barriers or challenges of outdoor play has contributed to a shift in the learning for children. It has kept learning indoors, inside your typical ‘four wall classrooms’. A number of barriers identified include:

●     Fear and concern about health and safety

●     Shortages of time, resources, and support

●     Space

●     Teachers lack confidence in teaching outdoors (The Outdoor Playbook, 2018).

In order to move away from the perceptions, a change needs to be made in the teaching of children and that begins with transforming the mindset from barriers to benefits. Children require environments that allow them to engage in adventurous, challenging, and even risky play. Risky play helps children: learn about the world around them, test out what is and isn’t possible, learn from making mistakes and also discover their surrounding environment. Instead of viewing risks as a danger that needs to be avoided, it should be viewed as something to be managed (Dietze & Kashin, 2018, p. 132-133).

Children having enough time to play outdoors should be considered as a right, one that is paramount to a child’s well-being and development. Children need both the time and opportunity to be outdoors alongside adults who support their exploration and curiosity which in turn helps them to develop ecological identities (Dietze & Kashin, 2018, p. 8-9) As children connect with the world around them, it provides them with the opportunity to have new experiences with their peers, materials, and communities.

Small places are better than no spaces! An educator can use small areas for activities such as “micro hikes” and “mini gardens” (Pathways to Play, 2018). Another option are pop-up spaces, which can be started anywhere in the community. It shows that outdoor spaces can be modified for children, allowing them the ability to experience open-ended play in everyday places (Dietze & Kashin, 2018, p. 173).

According to the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, high quality early learning education is supported by the relationship and collaboration with families, colleagues, and community partnership (Code of Ethics, 2017, p. 14-15). Teachers can increase their confidence and experience by taking advantage of team teaching. A lack of confidence can also be the result of limited training. Teachers in need of further training can thoroughly benefit from outdoor play and in turn, gain confidence in implementing activities within the curriculum.

References:

Dietze, B., & Kashin, D. (2018). Outdoor and Nature Play in Early Childhood Education, Pearson Canada.

College of Early Childhood Education. (2017). Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Retrieved from

https://www.college-ece.ca/en/documents/code_and_standards_2017.pdf

Pathways to Play. (2018). Overcoming Nature Play Barriers. Retrieved from https://www.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/aza-final.pdf

The Outdoor Playbook. (2018). Overcoming Barriers. Retrieved from http://outdoorplaybook.ca/learn/education-research/barriers-to/