Assignment 1 - Sustainability and First Nations Reflection, Wafa Akaas
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School
Sprott Shaw College *
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Course
145
Subject
Medicine
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
4
Uploaded by CorporalBoulder13309
1.
What kind of opportunities or natural experiences can an educator provide for children to discover?
Educators can incorporate the natural environment into their teaching methods, allowing students to have authentic experiences. One way to achieve this is by utilizing the surroundings to create nature-based lessons. For instance, an educator may choose to teach about the water cycle by engaging children in a hands-on activity where they play with water in a pail. As they interact with the water, the educator can explain how it moves from the sky to the atmosphere and eventually returns to the sky. Additionally, the educator can enhance the lesson by presenting a picture of the sun and discussing its role in heating up water, air, and land.
2.
How do you incorporate environmental sustainability at the early years’ program level?
The foundation of learning for young children lies in the environment, and teachers can incorporate environmental experiences into their daily classroom activities. By exposing children to these experiences, they will develop an appreciation for the natural world. However, it is important to approach any changes to established actions with careful planning, as haphazard attempts may result in negative consequences such as diminishing children's enjoyment, depriving them of a sense of control, or limiting their explorations. Moreover, introducing young children to the natural world can stimulate their creative thinking skills and broaden their range of experiences.
3.
How would you bring storytelling about the land and conversation into the environment?
Sharing stories with children is an excellent method to encourage their contemplation of nature, our planet, and their place within it. Storytelling serves as a valuable tool for children to gain knowledge about the environment and its inhabitants, while also providing teachers with an incredible opportunity to impart the significance and wonder of nature through captivating narratives.
4.
What would you want children to learn about in their natural environment, society, and culture?
I understand the importance of children learning about their surroundings. They possess an innate curiosity to explore and understand the world they live in, including both nature and humanity. By offering diverse experiences, such as encounters with animals, plants, people, and technology, we can nurture their thirst for knowledge and growth. As they gain more knowledge,
they also develop a deeper appreciation for diversity, recognizing that individuals come in various forms, colors, and abilities. This approach serves as an effective means to instill tolerance
in children.
5.
Define sustainability and sustainability practices.
There are many definitions used to describe sustainability and sustainable development. One of the most popular definitions, despite being more than 25 years old, was documented by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987, in what became known as the Brundtland Report. The Commission defined sustainable development as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (WCED, 1987, p. 43). Drawing on the work of Brundtland (1988), Hedefalk, Almqvist and Ostman (2014) defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (p. 975).
Sustainable practices within early learning programs focus on supporting children in learning about their natural environment, as well as society and culture (Hedefalk, Almqvist, & Ostman, 2015).
6.
There are three sustainable pillars and 7 Rs of sustainable practice. Explain how they are interconnected and give an example of an action that you could take in all 7 of the sustainable practices.
The three sustainable pillars are social- cultural, economic, and environmental. The 7 Rs
are reduce, reuse, recycle, respect, rethink, reflect and redistribute. As part of sustainable practices, early learning teachers discuss with the children the use of natural items in their play. They engage in discussions about ethical considerations in using the materials, collecting materials, and determining what may and may not be removed from the outdoor space. For example, early learning teachers and children may discuss picking wildflowers. Should they pick them for the classroom or let the flowers live out their natural life cycle? Similarly, if there are insects that children are interested in exploring, should they create a habitat while they explore them and then return them to the natural environment, or do the early learning teachers use other strategies to support children in learning about the insects? Many of these decisions are influenced by the early learning teacher’s perspective on learning about and caring for the environment (NAAEE, 2010).
7.
Look at table 8.2 on the framework for stewardship, benchmarks, and possible experiences. How would you overcome the 14. difficulties of providing those experiences if you lived in the city.
The framework comprises of three separate stages: discovery, implementation, and evaluation. For example, it highlights the importance of allowing children to explore their environment naturally and learn about their senses during the discovery phase. As a result, educators should facilitate opportunities for children to connect with nature and directly observe their surroundings. This could involve activities like growing their own food or visiting a local farmers market to comprehend where their meals come from. By engaging in such experiences, children develop an appreciation for the importance of sustainable practices.
8.
How do you make water play a sustainable practice?
One approach to promote the sustainability of water is by educating students about the significance of consuming water and the benefits of staying hydrated. Through this, they will not only enhance their own health but also understand the crucial role of water in keeping animals hydrated, potentially saving their lives in certain situations.
9.
What type of play have you seen most often that supports environmental experiences – modelled play, open-ended play, or purposefully framed play? Give examples to describe what
you have seen.
In my opinion, open-ended play tends to foster environmental experiences more frequently. This
is since it ignites a child's curiosity, which in turn enables them to generate innovative ideas that surpass even those of their teachers. For instance, by taking children outside and equipping them with blank paper and brushes, we can encourage them to depict what they observe in their surroundings.
10.
How can you create a wild habitat with children?
Encourage children to create their own animal habitats and listen attentively to the sounds produced by the animals. This activity will enable them to familiarize themselves with the unique
sounds made by various animals, and if they wish to gain further knowledge about these creatures, they can seek guidance from their teacher or parents. This interactive approach serves
as an excellent method to educate children about the diverse range of plants and animals present in their surroundings.
11.
To develop eco-literacy in your environment, describe what is unique about your place regarding seasons, weather, plants, and animals.
Children should be encouraged to learn about the four distinct seasons that occur throughout the year, each characterized by unique weather patterns. These seasons, namely spring, summer, autumn, and winter, are a result of the earth's movement. As the earth orbits around the sun, it also rotates on its own axis. To visualize this, imagine a straight pole passing through the center of the earth, from the North Pole to the South Pole; this is known as the earth's axis.
12.
Would you incorporate the medicine wheel into your program? If so, how?
The Medicine Wheel is widely adopted/accepted as a language for (or way of) speaking about the principle of balance in Indigenous communities. It is a useful tool used to express cultural concepts and describe cultural knowledge and values that reflect commonly held principles. The teachings of the Medicine Wheel offer a model for inclusion of all children. When used to guide early learning programs, the Medicine Wheel builds on holistic practices. It begins with the individual child in the center and expands to include cultural views and practices related to the mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical development of the child, the family, and the community.
Certainly, I am inclined to integrate the medicine wheel into my program. The medicine wheel serves as a valuable tool in understanding the four fundamental aspects of life: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. To incorporate the medicine wheel into Early Childhood Education (ECE), I intend to design outdoor activities that align with its principles.
13.
Do you agree or disagree with the following quote? State why you agree or disagree.
I agree with the above statement as engaging in outdoor activities and connecting with nature fosters the emotional, social, physical, and intellectual growth of children. Educators play a crucial role in facilitating this process by guiding and supporting children in their holistic development.
14.
How do the 7 Grandfather teachings align with the work you will be doing with children?
The 7-grandfather teaching is in line with our role as educators, as we are responsible for instilling bravery, honesty, and truthfulness in children. It is essential for them to possess courage
to accomplish anything in life. Moreover, being truthful requires bravery as well. Additionally, we
will impart lessons on love and respect for society. It is crucial for children to understand that by showing respect and love, they will in turn be respected and loved by society.
15.
How do Indigenous peoples characterize learning according to the text?
Indigenous peoples characterize learning as sacred, holistic, and lifelong responsibility. From their viewpoint, every child is unique in his or her learning journey and knowledge construction.
16.
What are the values and approaches that inform socialization in many Indigenous families?
A recognition of children’s varying abilities as gifts
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A holistic view of child development
Promotion of skills for living on land
Respect for child’s spiritual life
17.
What is the difference between holistic and wholistic?
Holistic refers to offering comprehensive opportunities in every facet of a specific area of
interest and assisting individuals in comprehending the entire concept. For instance, it is crucial for children to have the chance to delve into various fields like art, math, social studies, and more, rather than focusing solely on one aspect.
The concept of wholistic emphasizes the interconnectedness of all components within a system. Take, for instance, the interplay between the mind, body, and spirit.
18.
Compare storytelling to talking circles.
In the art of storytelling, a single individual takes the stage while others lend their ears. The tale may be derived from written literature, or it can be a product of one's imagination, with the narrator employing various props to bring it to life.
In a talking circle, individuals within the circle attentively listen to the speaker, and the chance to speak is evenly distributed among the group.
19.
What difficulties would you have to overcome to create and use a fire pit?
Check wind condition.
Look for open space.
Create boundaries around fire pit.
Never leave the fire pit unattended.
Have extinguisher to extinguish the flames.
20.
What do you see as the gap in knowledge that you have regarding nature-based experiences and how would you gain that knowledge?
Take a moment to explore a garden, observing the various plants and examining the diverse array of bugs that can be found both on the ground and on the plants themselves.
21.
What is the closest place that you would be able to access and invite an elder into your college?
The closest place that I would access and invite an elder will be George Wainborn Park.
22.
What traditional land is your college located on?
Pender, Downtown Vancouver is traditional land on which Sprott Shaw is located.