Wild Learning: Practical Ideas to Bring Teaching Outdoors

Tues, September 26, 4 pm Pacific / 7 pm Eastern

With Educator and Author Rachel Tidd

Rachel Tidd has extensive teaching experience as an elementary and special education teacher and homeschool parent. She is a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in Educational Sustainability. She has a BSc in Environmental Science and a Master’s degree in Elementary and Special Education.

Passionate about integrating the outdoors and natural materials in core academic areas such as reading and math, Rachel has authored the Wild Math® and Wild Reading® Curricula and the book Wild Learning: Practical Ideas for Bringing Teaching Outdoors.

Rachel will share tips, tricks, and strategies from Wild Learning: Practical Ideas for Bringing Teaching Outdoors. This book gives teachers practical activities they can immediately implement and helps educators overcome common barriers to outdoor instruction. These activities can be done in common outdoor spaces accessible to teachers in all school settings, and they are adaptable to their current curriculum—not an extra thing to try to fit into their day.

All registrants will be entered to win some great draw prizes! After registration you will receive a discount code to access the resources shared. Following the workshop you will receive the recording, and a link to access your Certificate of Attendance.

You can access Rachel’s fantastic resource here:

• • Wild Learning: Practical Ideas for Bringing Teaching Outdoors

4 SEASONS OF INDIGENOUS LEARNING

October, 2023 – June, 2024 – Online

We offer the 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning as an acknowledgement that authentically undertaking a personal learning journey towards Truth and Reconciliation takes more than just a day or month each year, but should be across all four seasons.

This initiative encourages and empowers educators to deepen their understanding of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives while strengthening connections with the local land.

Outdoor Learning through Patterns in Nature

Tues, October 3, 4 pm Pacific / 7 pm Eastern

With Educators Janice Novakowski & Megan Zeni

Join Janice and Megan to learn about some fantastic resources for educating, engaging, and empowering students around patterns in nature – connecting to math, numeracy and other curricula.

Janice Novakowski is a district teacher consultant in the Richmond School District (BC) where she learns alongside preK-12 educators and students in the areas of mathematics and numeracy. She is also an Adjunct Professor at UBC where she teaches elementary mathematics education courses. Some of Janice’s fondest childhood experiences center on the outdoors, carefully turning over rocks on beaches to find little crabs, log jumping and hiking through moss and fern-filled forests.

Megan Zeni is a mom of 3, an experienced elementary school teacher, and a master gardener. Megan successfully re-imagined the prep position in her public school and turned it into her dream job of spending her days with children in the garden classroom.

Megan is an advocate for taking children outdoors at school in all kinds of weather to learn, play, and grow. Megan is also a PhD candidate at UBC in curriculum & pedagogy.

All registrants will be entered to win some great draw prizes! After registration you will receive a discount code to access the resources shared. Following the workshop you will receive the recording, and a link to access your Certificate of Attendance.

You can access these empowering resources here:

1. 1. 1.     Messy Maths
      2.     Patterns in Nature Kit: Coming Soon!!!

Outdoor Play-Based Learning: A Learning & Unlearning Series

5 Mondays, October 16 – November 13, 4 pm Pacific / 7 pm Eastern

With Margaret Fraser, ED of Playful Mindset, and Marnie Power, codirector of Metalude

In the last ten years, we have seen a groundswell in outdoor and nature-based preschools and an abundance of outdoor play-based learning programs situated on or near school grounds across North America. The possibilities for play are endless, yet the challenges many educators face are equal in measure. It is important to think through our intentions within outdoor programs and understand the structures and engrained ways of thinking that have made them so necessary.

We believe that when children learn through outdoor play, there are infinite opportunities to learn and unlearn, in other words, to grow and to let go. Likewise, as educators adopt a playful mindset, there are endless opportunities to learn and unlearn pedagogical and systemic practices that no longer serve our aim for a just world.

Our shared wonderings: What is possible in outdoor play-based learning? How can we keep ourselves from reproducing our indoor challenges outdoors? What is the role of the educator in play-based learning? What practices invite self-agency and freedom? What do interactions between educator and child look like in outdoor play-based learning? Lastly, how do we explore outdoor play-based learning from a reflective, anti-oppressive, liberatory lens?

This six-part virtual series invites educators and play practitioners to wonder and uncover our assumptions and expectations for play. We will work towards collective transformation through outdoor play-based learning by weaving together research, practical experience, individual reflection and insights for a playful future.

Connecting Children to Nature through Indigenous Teachings

Tues, October 17, 4 pm Pacific / 7 pm Eastern

With Educator and Author Launa Purcell

Join Author Launa as she shares about Heartbeat of the Earth – a Handbook on Connecting Children to Nature through Indigenous Teachings.

Launa Purcell is a member of the Xa’xtsa First Nation and a mother of two. Launa works as an Indigenous Educator and teaches Indigenous outdoor camps.

The activities inside instill traditional teachings of respect, honor, resourcefulness, and humility in children. This handbook is intended to inspire parents, caregivers, and educators to provide children with meaningful outdoor experiences interwoven with traditional Indigenous knowledge.

This handbook isn’t a replacement for ensuring that local Indigenous knowledge and perspectives are central to your teaching. Rather, this is a starting point, and an encouragement to learn more, and use these activities as an inspiration to adapt them and adopt new ones in a culturally appropriate and responsive way.

All registrants will be entered to win some great draw prizes! After registration you will receive a discount code to access the resources shared. Following the workshop you will receive the recording, and a link to access your Certificate of Attendance.

You can access Launa’s beautiful resource here:

• Heartbeat of the Earth

INQUIRING VOICES GATHERING FOR EDUCATORS

Oct 19-21, 2023 – Blue Lake Camp (near Canal Flats, BC)

The goal of this annual event is to bring together educators to learn, share, connect, and collaborate with one another. These retreats are a great opportunity to network, exchange resources and stories, inspire one another, and have fun through dialogue and activity.

Classrooms to Communities: Connecting to Land through Indigenous Learning

Friday, October 20, Online, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm Pacific Time

On October 20, from 9:00am – 12:30pm Pacific Time, join educators and other leaders from across North America for the Classrooms to Communities (C2C) Education Network’s annual PSA Day professional development gathering as we reconnect ourselves to the land through learning and Indigenous perspectives. This will be recorded, and the recording will be made available to all registrants for 1 month. 

Featuring:

• Indigenous Keynote speaker Ariana Roundpoint, author of Sila and the Land
• Interactive breakout sessions to connect with your colleagues and community
• Mental health and medicine wheel workshop from educator and counsellor Dana Reaume
• Reflection tools for you to take outside
• Door prizes and more!

We’ve curated a virtual event centered around Indigenous Learning with a short but powerful lineup of speakers and opportunities to connect, network and dialogue with colleagues. After our inspiring morning together we encourage you to head outdoors and connect to the land and community.

Our gathering will take place on Zoom to support accessibility and better accommodate folks joining from Turtle Island. Sessions will be interactive, with plenty of opportunity for Q&A, breakout groups and screen breaks.

L’éducation en plein air: Apprendre et enseigner dehors en tous lieux et en toutes saisons

Tues, November 7, 4 pm Pacific / 7 pm Eastern

Avec Professeur et Auteur Jean-Philippe Ayotte-Beaudet

Joignez-vous pour notre premier atelier francophone à Jean-Philippe alors qu’il partage comment apprendre et enseigner dehors en tous lieux et en toutes saisons.

Comment enseigner dehors, et ce, en tous lieux et en toutes saisons?

Juliet Robertson s’adresse aux personnes enseignantes qui souhaitent faire vivre à leurs élèves de 4 à 12 ans des situations d’apprentissage riches et authentiques en plein air. En se basant sur sa grande expérience et sur la recherche, elle accompagne les personnes enseignantes qui souhaitent intégrer l’éducation en plein air à leurs pratiques et celles qui le font déjà et qui voudraient aller encore plus loin.

Les bénéfices de cette approche sont nombreux : des effets positifs sur le bien-être des enfants, des apprentissages plus signifiants et durables, l’amélioration des habiletés sociales, le développement d’une citoyenneté responsable et peut-être même de l’amour envers la nature.

Tous les inscrits seront inscrits pour gagner de superbes prix de tirage! À la suite de l’atelier, vous recevrez un lien vers les ressources partagées, l’enregistrement et accéderez à votre certificat de participation.

• •  Accéder L’Éducation en plein air

Building Capacity for Outdoor Learning: Introducing a Digital Tool for Success

Tues, November 14, 4 pm Pacific / 7 pm Eastern

With Outdoor Learning Experts Mariana Brussoni & Megan Zeni

Join Mariana and Megan as they share the ‘BE OUT’ digital tool. BE OUT is a new tool for elementary (K-7) school teachers and includes exemplars of outdoor learning from a diversity of teachers organized in a digital format.

The tool is designed with very short (90 second) modules and targets teachers new to teaching outdoors with support in four key areas: understanding risky play in the school context; getting started teaching outdoors; teaching with an emergent curriculum; and assessment of learning.

Dr. Mariana Brussoni is Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership and Professor at the University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Her research investigates child injury prevention and children’s outdoor risky play with the aim of creating environments where all children can play outside every day.

Megan Zeni is a mom of 3, an experienced elementary school teacher, and a master gardener. Megan successfully re-imagined the prep position in her public school and turned it into her dream job of spending her days with children in the garden classroom. Megan is an advocate for taking children outdoors at school in all kinds of weather to learn, play, and grow. Megan is also a PhD candidate at UBC in curriculum & pedagogy.

All registrants will be entered to win some great draw prizes! After registering you will receive a discount code to access the resources shared, and following the workshop you can access the recording, and a link to access your Certificate of Attendance.

Grow your outdoor educator skills with:

• • • Dirty Teaching
    • Learn more about Outdoor Learning and Play

Nature Activities for Learners

January 17, 2024 – February 21, 2024, 4pm Pacific / 7 pm Eastern

With author Jacob Rodenburg, and co-hosted by Outdoor Learning Store Director of Learning, Jade Berril

Join us for this micro-credential learning course to improve the nature activities you provide for learners. Come away with practical, cross-curricular, hands-on activities and skills!

Session Themes: 

1. Connecting to Nearby Nature
2. Seasonal Nature Activities (for the year!)
3. A Pathway to Nature Connection
4. Creating Places and Spaces where Nature and People can Thrive

Jacob Rodenburg, Nature Sommelier, is an award-winning educator and Executive Director of Camp Kawartha, a summer camp and outdoor education centre. He is also an instructor in Environmental Education at Trent University. He has taught more than 100,000 students and is co-author of The Big Book of Nature Activities and The Book of Nature Connection.

Jade Berrill, our (also award-winning!) Director of Learning, has a vivaciousness for life that ignites everyone around her. With a BSc (1ST Class HONS) in Physical Geography and Environmental Chemistry and over 15 years experience teaching across 7 countries and 4 continents she is well accustomed to creating and delivering place-based workshops and offerings for educators and students alike.

Course resource: The Big Book of Nature Activities