Inquiry Reflection- EDUC 5990
Choose. Then believe. Then act. Only you know the workings of your heart. Choose what your heart draws you to, not what your mind decides. Choose that every day until you come to believe it. Then act out of that belief. That’s how you will come to know your truth. (Wagamese, 2016, p. 129)
This course has given me the chance to look at teaching and learning as a process of discovery. Jillian Judson (2016) shares that you need to “Take your topic and feel your way through it- what is emotionally significant to it. Consider the activities and the content of the curriculum and embed them in a meaningful context” (Judson, 2016). As a teacher we often do not have the time to explore the “why” of what we do and we base our understanding on this is how it has always been done. The problem with this type of thinking is it excludes creating a new way of learning for students. It builds on the traditional frameworks of teaching and learning which are not always in the best interests of the 21st century learner. As I felt my way through place-based, imaginative, ecological and inquiry learning I gained an appreciation for the significance and importance of learning about place. The students are moving beyond the borders of the school to connect with the natural environment. This is a process where there is “wholeness in learning and teaching” (Blenkinsop, 2012, p.359) and includes cross curricular elements as students engage with their world, who they are, and their place within it.
Through this process I explored the importance of why children need to be in nature. When children understand nature they respect it, care for it, and work to protect it. If children do not have a connection to nature they will not devote their time to protect it. In nature students gain an appreciation for all living things. They see the problems that exist and focus on making more informed decisions on how they can best understand the environment and its challenges. As humans relate to nature they build and “act in ways commensurate with its ongoing well-being” (Blenkinsop, 2012, p. 354). They need to be given opportunities to play in nature, so that they can feel for the function and texture of the natural world. When they have these opportunities they can begin to understand the language that is spoken by the Earth, but that they cannot see. They are “learning side-by-side with masters of the crafts” (Chamber, 2008, p. 120).
I learned that it is important to be close to the Earth, breathe deeply, and sit quietly. In these times we can connect with our emotions and learn to stay calm. The Sit Spot is particularly important for learning because “To dwell in a place, to come to know a place and to call that place home so I know what is appropriate to do there, requires that I learn to watch (Chamber, 2008, p. 120).” It is important to watch and listen on how to live in harmony with our environment, one another, and ourselves. This is a distinct perspective of Aboriginal learning and connects to the First People’s Principles. As we practice listening and watching we gain a sense of wonder and curiosity about what we see and hear. It is here where we can see ourselves as part of the world and connect emotionally to it.
I learned that teaching with heart and spirit is an act of gratitude to the importance of learning. As students feel the wonders of the world they see how significant it is. It is through imagination and emotion that students connect to the world and their place in it begins to be seen. Judson (2016) shows that traditional schooling leaves out the emotional and imaginative learning and therefore there is less heart and spirit behind the learning. Engaging students in meaningful and memorable learning means there is a feeling behind the teaching and learning. As a teacher it shows relationships and connections to the content and process of the learning which makes knowledge meaningful. As well it builds on our relationships and connections with one another and the world.
When I can build in place based activities in my classroom I can help students to honor places so that they can take care of the earth, themselves, and each other. Students are better able to understand the unfolding of their worlds because they are humbling themselves with the learning that surrounds them. Place-based imaginative and ecological teaching is a responsibility and an act of kindness viewed as a movement towards connectivity and relationality to the natural world.
I am struck by a quote from Blenkinsop, where he says that “We need to allow each other and ourselves to make those choices, live with the possibilities and the accompanying responsibilities, and accept the challenge of change rather than passively adapting to an imperfect world” (Blenkinsop, 2012, p. 358). I feel like my personal inquiry is rooted in being an agent of change. We must not be bystanders to change, but work to push the boundaries of teaching and learning, in order to work to adapt to the 21st century student’s needs. In the inquiry process we are questioning and critically thinking about what we want to do to make the world a better place. We question our thoughts and values in order to build on who we are and the impact we want to share with the place we are in.
Our lives are a living curriculum of inquiry. In order to teach inquiry I need to live a life of inquiry. As I work through my own living inquiry I am pushed to be more curious and to build on my ideas. I seek to explore more about where my exploration lies and what my next steps might be. I am unfolding and expanding who I am and what kind of mark I want to leave on the places I inhabit. As I dip deeper into my own inquiry and my educational journey I have always seen my Masters of Education as the end, but now I see it as a “stepping stone”. My Masters of Education is completed and I am now thinking… what’s next? It is through “wayfinding” that I question more and more to discover where I want to go and what would be the best course of action.
I have done a lot of reflecting on my own experiences in education and come to realize that our learning is on-going and continuous. I am feeling inspired and full of gratitude to make change by pushing the boundaries of teaching. It is the power of learning where we come to know who we are and what we believe in and value. Learning gives us the opportunity to look at perspectives and challenge traditional thought patterns. It is a way in which we can view the world through a lens of curiosity and wonder. It is here where I get to question and critically think about the world and the role I want to play within it.
Looking back I see my life unfold to what it is today. The choices I made, the paths I took or did not take that lead me to where I am. As I look forward I see a new way of being in the world. My life curriculum is a trial and error of working to be the best version of myselves. My life experiences have led to my own individual living inquiry. I am reminded to take heart, get up, show up, and give thanks.
Life. Choose what leads you to the highest vision you have of yourself, and then choose what allows you to express that. What you express, you experience. What you experience, you are. (Wagamese, 2016, p. 29).
It is now my job to activate my thoughts and beliefs, so that I can build the best vision of myself and begin the process of wisdom.
***Thank you Jodi for making my last class a memorable experience!
References
Blenkinsop, Sean (2012). Four slogans for cultural change: an evolving
place based, imaginative and ecological learning experience, Journal of Moral Education, 41:3, 353-368
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2012.691634
Chambers, Cythnia (2008). Where are we? Finding Common Ground in a Curriculum of Place Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies. University of Lethbridge Volume 6, Number 2, p. 113-128
Egan, K., and Judson G. (2015). Imagination and the engaged learner. Cognitive tools for the classroom. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
https://moodle.tru.ca/pluginfile.php/1367002/mod_resource/content/2/Egan%20and%20Judson%20Imagination%20and%20the%20Engaged%20Learner%20Chapter%20One.pdf
Judson, Jillian (2017). A Warp Speed Intro to Imaginative Ecological Education. Imaginative Ecological Education Activities and Insights
http://www.educationthatinspires.ca/2016/04/27/a-warp-speed-intro-to-imaginative-ecological-education-iee/
Wagamese, Richard (2016). “Ember: One Ojibway’s Meditation”.
British Columbia Arts Council