Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/wonder-newsletter/5021190/
This edition of Wonder explores one Universal Principle for Connecting theWorld’s Children with Nature:
We believe it is important for educators to understand their role as researchers and facilitators who observe children’s interactions with nature and support the emergent curriculum.
(Find the complete list of principles in the Environmental Action Kit at
worldforumfoundation.org/nature.)
Watch a child dance in the rain, witness a child’s first taste of a sweet pea grown and picked himself, or quietly stand back and observe as a child gazes skyward at a soaring bird then runs, arms outstretched, as if flying herself. Special moments such as these can become powerful forces that shape teaching and learning. There is such magic that happens when educators are able to watch children in their natural habitat, outdoors in nature, and recognize the significance of what is happening.
In the following reflections, NACC members share how they are utilizing accepted practices in education in extraordinary ways that exemplify the Universal Principle highlighted in this issue. Read on to discover how educators are observing children’s learning with nature, building emerging curriculum, and using innovative approaches to train future educators. When higher education embraces these practices, educators enter the profession with the ‘eyes’ to recognize ...