Educated By Nature

In this episode of Campfire Conversations, Daniel Burton talks with Rhys George, Arts Team Leader and Media Specialist at Bold Park Community School about finding a natural balance between Nature and Technology and how educators can reframe their thinking when it comes to technology as a tool in a nature based setting.

Celebrating success and achievement comes naturally in our task-oriented society. We feel pride when we complete a challenge, overcome adversity or master a skill. However, we often need reminders about the importance of acknowledging the process and celebrating when things don’t go quite to plan, but we continue on anyway.  Our tag line at Educated by Nature is, ‘Resilience through Connection’. We strive to support children (and adults) develop resilience as a core skill that supports us when things don’t go as planned. One way we do this is by celebrating and honouring failure.  In this episode of Campfire Conversations, entitled ‘Celebrating the Friction’ Daniel Burton (Co-founder of Educated by Nature) and Nadia Robinson (Nature Playworker) discuss the importance of supporting children to persevere through tough times. They consider how adults working with children are able to support children in these moments, rather than rescuing them when the going gets tough. When adults sit with children in

In this episode of Campfire Conversations, Trudi Bennett and Daniel Burton discuss why FIRE is one of their key passions and an important aspect of Educated by Nature programs.

In this episode, Nature Educator and Mentor Trudi Bennett explores the role digital technology can play in supporting the development of skills, self development, confidence and coordination.

 Trudi and Daniel discuss the importance of mentoring in our community and the role mentors play. It takes a whole village to raise a child, mentors of multiple ages and experiences are important, and mentoring can even happen backward through age groups.   A key skill for mentors is deep listening. What does it mean to truly listen and what impact does that have on children?  Who are the mentors in your children's lives, who make up your 'village'? Please note: this episode was recorded in 2016, and our program structure has since changed. We are still passionate about multi-age learning, and now run all family programs for 6-12-year-olds. For more information, or to make a booking, please visit our website at www.educatedbynature.com.

There are some simple ways that encourage new learning to be retained and embodied in children’s understanding. Learning in the outdoors is one of them. Trudi Bennett talks with Juliet Robinson, author of Dirty Teaching, about using simple engagement techniques, such as outdoor storytelling, in classroom lessons. Juliet talks about the potential of finding maths in nature for playful and memorable classroom lessons.   http://creativestarlearning.co.uk

Asset-based community development is a tool that can be used to see potential in young people. Trudi Bennett interviews, Scottish Youth Worker, Neil Young on how providing opportunities for teenagers to be involved in decision making leads to empowerment. St Paul’s Youth Forum, Board of Trustees, is 50%  youth who have the power to make real change, including giving feedback on staff appraisals, accepting grant applications and distributing funds. Neil explains the change that can happen in powerless communities when youth are valued.

Trudi Bennett recently visited Claire Warden in Scotland on Mindstretchers’ International Study Tour of nature kindergartens. During the tour, the group visited the Cranog Centre and explored some primitive skills from the Iron Age. Claire and Trudi discuss the importance of linking with cultural heritage as part of developing relationships in nature connection practices.

Trudi recently visited Claire Warden in Scotland on Mindstretchers’ International Study Tour of nature kindergartens and the International Association of Nature Pedagogues’ conference. In this video, Claire clarifies the meaning of ‘nature pedagogy’, highlighting how we all need to work together to bring nature connection to children across the world no matter where we are on the continuum of nature pedagogy practices.

A very important part of the Educated by Nature kitbag is the humble hut (cubby, fort, den, hide-out… it goes by many names). As Nature Connection Mentors we see the multi-faceted role of a cubby and its ability to connect children, build community, inspire creativity and be a platform for real play. In this episode, Daniel and Trudi share their excitement for cubbies and the inspiration they take from Professor David Sobel and his 7 Nature Design Principles.

For decades, Adventure Playgrounds have provided platforms for children to act out those things ‘playing’ on their minds. Play in unstructured environments, were children are asked to make their own rules, challenge themselves, develop the community themselves allows children to mentally process big feelings, worries, concerns and on a subconscious level, make sense of the world around them. The children who visit Play:Ground, ‘a big grassy square full of junk’ in New York City have an opportunity to build, construct, create and PLAY in a landscape that allows them freedom to explore both the physical and emotional world. “Violence in the adult world leads children, quite properly, to play at violence. How else can they prepare themselves emotionally, intellectually, and physically for reality?” Peter Gray

The Anarchy Zone isn’t your prettiest looking playground, at least in the eyes of an adult, but it allows a greater freedom for children’s play. Trudi Bennett talks with Rusty Keeler (one of the founders of the Anarchy Zone) and Alex Cote (Lead Playworker, Ithaca Children’s Garden) about the effect of an environment not focussed on aesthetics on children’s creativity. The Ithaca Children’s Garden’s mission is to cultivate environmental stewardship, and they believe the best way to do that is getting kids outside, having fun in the natural world. www.ithacachildrensgarden.org

Ep 17 – Tinkering School – Gever Tulley, Founder of the Institute of Applied Tinkering – Trusting Children What happens when we truly trust children and believe in their capabilities. On their recent visit to Tinkering School overnight camp in Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, Trudi Bennett and Daniel Burton met with Founder of the Institute of Applied Tinkering, Gever Tulley and discussed why it is so important for children that adults trust them. Their discussion surrounds concepts that supports Educated by Nature’s philosophy and reasoning behind having tools at all of their programs. Brightworks a part of the Institute of Applied Tinkering Check out their website and like them on Facebook to help them continue their amazing work! www.sfbrightworks.org www.tinkeringschool.com www.appliedtinkering.org

Daniel speaks with Nature’s Theatre about the power of stories. Stories have the potential to empower children and teenagers, inspire action and live within a heart indefinitely. http://www.naturestheater.org http://www.educatedbynature.com

Ep 15 - Brightworks – Hugo, Junior Collaborator – Children as mentors While visiting Brightworks Tinkering School in San Francisco Daniel Burton met with Hugo, a junior Collaborator whose role it is to mentor younger visitors to the centre’s school holiday summer camps. Hugo gives Daniel some advice on the best way to go about starting up a tinkering school and why it’s important to have a role model when learning how to use tools. Daniel and Trudi were so impressed with Hugo’s confidence, awareness, maturity and mentoring ability that they were thrilled when he agreed to be a part of this video blog series. It’s so important that we remember to give space to the voices of children and acknowledge their ability to be teachers themselves. Brightworks empowers children in wonderful ways, their junior collaborator program is just one of many. Check out Brightworks a part of the Institute of Applied Tinkering Check out their website and like them on Facebook to help them continue their amazing work! www.sfbri

Tool use amongst children, especially young children, can cause concern, apprehension and even fear in adults. Daniel Burton meets with Karen Dwyer-Meadow (Tinkering School Manager), Brightworks San Francisco, and discusses the background of the school’s procedure behind working with tools. They cover the reasons why it is important to guard against adult fear impacting on our children’s ability to explore new skills, develop independence and find empowerment through new experiences. Their discussion surrounds concepts that supports Educated by Nature’s philosophy and reasoning behind having tools at all of their programs. Brightworks a part of the Institute of Applied Tinkering Check out their website and like them on Facebook to help them continue their amazing work! www.sfbrightworks.org www.tinkeringschool.com www.appliedtinkering.org

Join Trudi Bennett as she speaks with Dan Corcoran, Samuel Bowman and Rachael Witt from the Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall, Washington. The facilitators of the weekend Survival Basics Course share their reasons of why survival skills are important to them as human beings in a modern age.

Join Daniel Burton and Trudi Bennett at Wolf Camp and the Conservation College by Lake Sammamish, Seattle. They reflect on their experience at Chris and Kim Chisholm’s family day camp of Survival Skills and Fire by Friction. Daniel and Trudi discuss how modern children have lost some independence skills and how they might integrate survival education with building personal responsibility.

Join Trudi Bennett as she meets Jen Kidder, Education Director of NatureBridge in Olympic National Park, Washington. Jen shares the value of Inquiry Based Learning and how students respond by engaging in science investigations they design and conduct themselves with the support of educators.

Join Daniel as he meets with Ben Klasky, CEO of IslandWood on Bainbridge Island, Seattle. They discuss nature as the first teacher and how when we use the natural environment as outdoor classrooms, truly authentic ‘teachable moments’ present themselves and inspire students, naturally.