New ideas in Environmental Education with Children
by Phil Eckett
Walk - Stop - Talk. Walk - Stop - Talk. Sound
familiar? Leading groups of children through the countryside in this manner
no longer catches their imagination, nor does it hold their attention. Even
one or two children who lose interest during a field visit can be disruptive,
causing problems for the whole group. In my work, which involves environmental
education with several thousand children every year, I had to find another way
of helping children to understand and appreciate the joys of the natural world.
The old methods no longer seemed to work - time for a change I thought.
I had heard about 'Flow Learning', a method used successfully
by world renowned nature educator Joseph Cornell, and decided to learn more.
Just a few years ago I attended a workshop run by Joseph, and found his methods
to be fascinating. The enthusiasm instilled by this remarkable man was something
I had not expected. If someone had told me I would stand in a forest in the
Peak District with a group of people I had never met before, eyes closed, arms
aloft, not just imagining but actually becoming a tree, I might have kept one
eye open for the men in white coats. Joseph, with his personality, expertise
and enthusiasm for all that is beautiful in the natural world, left me wanting
to rush back to the country park in Basildon to try out all the new ideas that
were now spinning frantically round in my head. Try them I did, and the visible
reaction from both children and teachers by far surpassed my expectations. I
have used this Flow Learning system ever since.
Flow Learning can be separated into four stages, each one naturally
flowing into the next.
• Stage 1 Awaken Enthusiasm
• Stage 2 Focus Attention
• Stage 3 Direct Experience
• Stage 4 Share Inspiration
Activities that awaken the enthusiasm in children are the starting
point in any learning experience. Children need to feel that what they are doing
is interesting and enjoyable before they will accept it. Once children become
enthusiastic it is easier to focus their attention in the direction you and
the teachers want. Before the children realise what is happening they are using
their senses, to hear, see, smell and touch - direct experience. By sharing
these experiences with each other, children will feel a greater awareness of
the natural world.
I have found story-telling to be an important part of an educational
visit, sometimes to awaken enthusiasm and also to share inspiration. However
the choice of stories can be very important. The stories I tell are the same
stories that have been told many times over many years. They are the stories
told by a truly remarkable people - the Native Americans, often known as American
Indians. The many tribes of Native Americans have shown themselves to be the
most caring people ever - respectful of the Earth, the ultimate source of life,
and all its creatures and plants. Their belief was in the "Great Spirit",
given many different names by each of the various tribes. The stories are often
beliefs that were passed from father to son, from chief to warrior, beliefs
of how the world was created, how the different animals came to be, how and
why the seasons change, etc.
I have many stories to choose from, and the choice can be made
in one of two ways. I have a story for any topic a class of children may be
studying - water, seasons, mini-beasts, etc. I also have a 'bag of stories'
- a small bag with a selection of items inside, each one relating to a particular
story. By offering a child the chance to choose the story by randomly selecting
an item from the bag (without seeing into it), the group feels the story is
more personal to them, after all, they chose it. I have a favourite place within
the park where I work, a small, grassy glade with a narrow entrance, just large
enough for a class of children, away from the main paths. An ideal area for
keeping control of the group and for creating a warm, pleasant, relaxed atmosphere.
The stories originate from many different tribes throughout
North America. Some were told by more than one tribe, with perhaps just one
or two small changes. However, they are relevant and useful all over the world
and by all races of people. They were written by people who felt they were part
of nature, not apart from it, and used to teach others to form a close relationship
with the Earth, rather than trying to control it.
I start all my stories with an expression in Comanche-
which simply means, "Let us sit down and tell stories."
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