Prepositions matter in this episode, specifically that three-letter word ‘for.’ What is outdoor learning ‘for’ assessment? How can we facilitate outdoor learning ‘for’ social-emotional learning (SEL)? Teacher, writer, podcaster, and regular sit-spot practitioner Lauren MacLean of Teach Outdoors joined us to talk assessment and SEL in the context of learning outdoors. We also got into the weeds regarding British Columbia’s competency-based assessment framework as well as documenting learners’ progress on a continuum.

Guest: Lauren MacLean

From the Teach Outdoors website

“I was born and raised in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada by my two amazing parents. My brother, sister, and I grew up playing in the ditches and wetlands in the summer and exploring the snowy mountains in the winter.

I now live in Port Moody, BC. It’s still on the West Coast of Canada, just a bit further up the Burrard Inlet. My family lives at the top of Heritage Mountain where we enjoy taking our two young toddlers and energetic dog on forest hikes.

I am very grateful to be living and learning on these lands which lie on the traditional, unceded territory of the Coast Salish people since time immemorial.”

Mentioned in episode:

• Teach Outdoors
• Teach Outdoors Podcast
• CASEL
• Wild Learning (Rachel Tidd)

Related resources:

• Sitting with Nature: An Educator’s Guide to Sit Spots
• Me and My Sit Spot
• Me and My Sit Spot for Early Learners
• Embracing Risky Play at School

There has been a sharp increase over the past decade in educational resources from Indigenous perspectives. What can we look for when selecting such resources? Which gaps remain, and how do we address them? Launa Payne and Sherrelle Anderson of Rise Up Indigenous Wellness joined us to discuss these questions and offer their insights about learning Indigenous languages, paths to reconciliation, and the power of shared laughter.

Guests:

From the Rise Up Indigenous Wellness website

Launa Payne is a member of Xa'xtsa First Nation. She is an Indigenous Educator with a focus on outdoor education. Launa teaches yoga and mindfulness in addition to Indigenous outdoor camps. Launa is the proud mother of two adult children. She has published two books on Indigenous teachings and connection to the land.

Sherrelle Anderson is a member of the Saddle Lake First Nation. She is a Social Worker with a focus on Indigenous wellness. Sherrelle is an Indigenous outreach worker who also teaches a number of Indigenous programs throughout BC. Sherrelle is the proud mother of three school-aged daughters.

Mentioned in episode:

• Health benefits of time in nature
• Information on integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
• Heartbeat of the Earth: Connecting Children to Nature through Indigenous Teachings by Launa Purcell
• A Walking Curriculum: Evoking Wonder and Developing a Sense of Place by Gillian Judson
• 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning

Resources for Indigenous Learning:

• Indigenous Language Learning courses
• 52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing by David A. Robertson
• Teacher Set: Speaking Our Truth — A Journey of Reconciliation

With Parker McMullen Bushman of the National Association of Interpretation and Ecoinclusive

How has the field of interpretation changed in recent decades? What opportunities do digital tools open up for interpreters? Where can we look for guidance in telling uncomfortable stories and reconciling with difficult truths? NAI Board President Parker McMullen Bushman covers all of these questions and reminds us why nature and heritage interpreters can have such a major influence on individuals and the public at large.

Guest:

Parker McMullen Bushman is the Chief Operating Officer of Inclusive Guide and founder of Ecoinclusive Strategies. She is also the Board President for the National Association for interpretation. Listed by Outside Magazine in 2022 as one of the 20 Most Influential People in the Outdoor Industry, Parker is a dynamic speaker and facilitator who engages audiences in new thinking around what it means to be a diversity change-agent and create dynamic organizational change. Parker’s background in the non-profit leadership, conservation, environmental education, and outdoor recreation fields spans over 24+ years. Parker has a passion for equity and inclusion in outdoor spaces. Her interest in justice, accessibility, and equity issues developed from her personal experiences facing the unequal representation of people of color in environmental organizations and green spaces. Parker tackles these complex issues by addressing them through head-on activism and education.

Websites and Projects

Inclusive Guide: https://www.inclusiveguide.com/

Personal: https://cparkermcmullenbushman.com/

Ecoinclusive: https://www.ecoinclusive.org/

Summit for Action: https://www.summitforaction.org/

Kweenwerk: https://www.kweenwerk.com

Mentioned in episode:

• NAI’s Legacy magazine: https://nai-us.org/nai/_resources/publications/Legacy_Magazine.aspx
• Story about “Stone Lagoon” on Yurok Tribe lands: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30898#:~:text=On%20April%207th%2C%202022%2C%20the,within%20the%20State%20Park%20system

Resources for nature and heritage interpretation:

• The National Park Classroom: A Guide to Designing Project-Based Learning Adventures
• The Big Book of Nature Activities — A Year-Round Guide to Outdoor Learning
• Heartbeat of the Earth: Connecting Children to Nature through Indigenous Teachings
• Animal Track Pack: Coyote, Deer, Squirrel, Hare, Owl, Crow (replicas)
• Enhanced Educator Outdoor Learning Kit
• Various nature guides
• … and many more

*Episode edited by M. Angel Goñi Avila

*Episode originally recorded in Summer 2023

In our first fireside-chat episode, we hear from multiple voices to unpack different aspects of Truth and Reconciliation. The idea here is to invite curiosity, reflection, and discussion. We’ve heard from many folks over the years that they’d like to learn more but aren’t quite sure where to start. We hope that this episode serves as an invitation to get started, no matter what your starting point is.

Resources for Indigenous Learning:

• 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning (virtual course)
• Indigenous Language Learning (virtual courses)
• Braiding Sweetgrass
• Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults
• Natural Curiosity, 2nd
• Unreconciled
• Heartbeat of the Earth
• Sila and the Land
• Walking Together
• … and many more

Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 Calls to Action here.

Related episodes of Earthy Chats:

• Episode 3: Braiding Ktunaxa knowledge into learning
• Episode 6: Reconnecting with the Land through a child’s eyes
• Episode 12: Natural Curiosity through an Indigenous lens
• Episode 14: Awakening to the lessons of the Land

Ian and Jade are back for this two-part episode!

In Part 1, the co-hosts begin to unpack the use of watersheds as an integrating context for learning (AKA, watershed education).

In Part 2 starting at the 12:45 mark, we return to an episode of the Talking with Green Teachers podcast from the spring of 2022 wherein Ian and guest David Ramsay discussed these questions:

What is watershed education? Why is it a critical component of place-based learning? How can we engage students of all ages in learning through a watershed lens?

Water is a remarkable storyteller. All we have to do is listen to what it has to tell us.

What are some common barriers to learning in nature? How can we shift the paradigm whereby learning about nature is prioritized? What are some key lessons we can learn from nature? How does learning for nature also benefit learners? Here's what else we dove into in this Earthy Chat:

• the purpose of environmental education and education as a whole
• transitioning from “sage on the stage” to “guide on the side”
• escaping the cycle of mediocrity
• getting beyond the “I-don’t-know-enough-about-nature-to-teach-it” mindset
• how we can learn from nature more effectively
• antidotes to perpetual student boredom
• lessons from Anne of Green Gables
• embracing reciprocity as a guiding principle
• how to be a “solutionary”

Guest:

David DenHartog is the Lead Strategy Consultant for the Green Schools National Network. He has been a classroom teacher, principal, school coach, and educational entrepreneur. Fostering deep learning has been at the core of David's work, both with his own students and in the role of educational coach. Recognizing that collective self-efficacy is the most powerful driver of student success, David strives to help build mindsets that embrace excellence while strengthening relationships. Through his national exposure to the education landscape and his work around the world, David recognizes that deeper learning practices and global competencies such as collaboration, character, citizenship, communication, critical thinking, and creativity form the essence of an excellent, forward-thinking educational environment.

To learn more about Green Schools National Network (GSNN), visit https://greenschoolsnationalnetwork.org/.

How does outdoor education differ from outdoor learning? What is the “experiential edge” for both young people and adults? Why does outdoor learning often diminish or stop with older learners? Here's what else we dove into in this Earthy Chat:

*embedding outdoor learning into the everyday structures of schools

*the distinction between outdoor learning and Land-based learning

*unpacking New Brunswick’s six global competencies and how outdoor learning helps students achieve them

*supporting students with learning differences through outdoor learning

*overcoming barriers to outdoor learning, especially for new educators

*the lack of conflicting research findings about outdoor learning

*conducting outdoor learning with limited resources (and why this is sometimes better)

Guests:

Nadine Ives has lived in New Brunswick for 28 years. She works for the Conservation Council of New Brunswick as Director of the Learning Outside Project. Nadine enjoyed childhood summers in the Colorado Rockies, tagging along with scientists and students doing field research and attending evening lectures. She followed her interest in biology through school and university, leading to a PhD in hardwood tree ecology. She has been involved in nature education in various forms for over 25 years (from school visits and nature walks, to community engagement, to university teaching). Nadine heads outside to feel grounded, refreshed, and re-energized, and to see what her non-human neighbours are up to.

Tzomi Jazwicki was raised in the Rocky Mountains, moving progressively east in stages before making a home in the Maritimes in 2011. With a diverse background in organic farming, interactive classroom activation, and a love of ecology, Tzomi coordinates the Sustainability Education Alliance as part of the New Brunswick Environmental Network, creating incredible initiatives and events that encourage educating for sustainability. Tzomi graduated from Acadia University with a BA (Hon.) in Sustainability Studies and a double major in History in 2016, and when not in the office, can most likely be found in the garden or the woods — in any weather or season.

Find the featured article Giving our Students the Experiential Edge here.

Learn more about Great Minds Think Outside here.

A Walking Curriculum and A Walking Curriculum for the Early Years are available at the Non-profit Outdoor Learning Store.

*Episode edited by M. Angel Goñi Avila

How can we support educator manage their own eco-anxiety and that of their students? What is the process of moving from eco-anxiety to eco-action? Why is it so important to acknowledge, name, and sit with the complex emotions associated with environmental concerns? Here's what else we dove into in this Earthy Chat:

*the need to focus on solutions and not just stop at problems

*age-appropriateness of climate change ed.

*Earth Rangers’ Eco-Anxiety Index

*children’s influence on parents regarding eco-anxiety

*Earth Rangers’ From Eco-Anxiety to Eco-Action course

*equipping adults to discuss environmental issues

*validating young people’s legitimate concerns

Guests from Earth Rangers:

Erin Sperling (OCT) is a white settler on Turtle Island, in Tkaronto. She is a teacher educator in science and environmental education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto, where she earned her PhD in 2020. She has been a Board Member of Earth Rangers since 2018.

Stephanie Doyle, OCT, PhD. is living in Tiohtià:ke on traditional and unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territory. She has over 16 years’ experience in the field of education. Prior to joining Earth Rangers in 2022, she was a teacher educator and researcher at the Higher National Institute of Teaching and Education at the Université de Lorraine in France.

For the pronunciation of Tiohtià:ke and Kanien’kehá:ka: https://pegasus.concordia.ca/Flv_Content/audio/Territorial_Acknowledegment_Pronunciation_Guide.mp3

Tovah Barocas is the President of Earth Rangers. Tovah co-authored a white paper in 2021 on eco-anxiety in kids and outlined a list of compelling recommendations to address this growing issue. A 2022 Clean50 Emerging Leader Award Recipient, Tovah also serves on both the Ontario Parks Board of Directors and Project Learning Tree Canada.

To learn more about Earth Rangers, visit https://www.earthrangers.com/.

*Episode edited by M. Angel Goñi Avila

*Episode recorded in March 2023