Thursday
Beginning with a reflection of the previous day in a new part of the bush, we then explored aspects of Bush Schools which open up opportunities for learning. So often it seems that pedagogical models are used to classify and structure perceptions and observations of learners. These models are used less in recognising the broad, complex nature of learning and how as practitioners we need to provide dynamic, evolving experiences which become increasingly learner led, allowing them to benefit from it in the most useful way, by the most useful means, for that individual. No model or process can account for the complexity of life, however they can serve as a starting point, a basic foundation. The chief message is then one of recognition and adaption to the nuances and particulars of each person for that experience, on that day, in that weather. They are by and large very cued into that kind of thinking in Australia which is wonderful.
Another nice discussion that was had throughout the week was concerning the importance of language. "Activity" can denote a very different approach than "experience". When we say activity we mean something we do, when we say experience we mean something we are. Here the difference is important because we are interested in the people, rather than the product. We asked ourselves ‘What did we gain from exploring tree climbing?’, rather than concentrating on teaching every child to be an expert tree climber. This has very close relations to leadership styles; in exploring those we discover how our intentions may be very different, even though, particularly from the outside looking in, our actions might not appear that radically different. Take for example coach and mentor. With coaching we are recognising the personal qualities that influence skill acquisition, whilst in mentoring, we are using skill acquisition to influence personal qualities. Looking in, it could appear in both that we are "teaching", but one intention is to show specificity, be it a process or outcome, the other is to open up freedoms and opportunities.
That afternoon we sat around the campfire, learning how to use knives and experimenting with safe carving techniques. This gave people the freedom and opportunity to do whatever they wished, from shelter and furniture building, to whittling, fire lighting and other crafts.
Friday
We all know those moments where life seems both an eternity and fleeting; Friday felt so vast but so sudden. Going to yet another part of the bush land, there were some beautiful offerings during our reflections, it never ceases to amazing me the creativity and genuine expression some people are capable of. Wonderful.
Refining certain areas of holistic development, the morning went quickly, drawing to a close the first Archimedes Bush Schools training course. I look forward to seeing these new friends again in a few months time and was sad when it was time to leave.
The last day of training is always bittersweet for me. Trainees are excited to be going home to begin their exciting journey of discovery. They also realise though that they are parting ways with those they have built a bond with over the week, which only comes through Forest Schools principles being embodied in the course delivery. Building friendships, trust and openness, inviting opinion, discussion and choice, supporting challenge, effort and reflection, celebrating insights, journeys and success.
There was a lot of emotion, lots of very generous and touching gestures as well as a hope for the future that this builds into something remarkable.
Thank you friends for this past week. You are the pioneers and we are beginning a wonderful journey together, but we must walk gently for we all walk on the dreams of each child.
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Level 2 funding available for two people in the Doncaster/Wakefield/Barnsley area
Please see the below advert from one of our Level 3 trainees....
OAK (outdoor adventure for kids) adventure club is a not for profit community run Saturday club for children aged between 6-12. We meet twice per month at our local wood where we take part in forest school type activities from den building to sneaking (getting close to wildlife), from cooking on open fires to creating camouflaged masks, from making leaf insects to giant woodland beasts, from making bows and arrows to playing games rope swings, to tree climbing...we do it all and as you would imagine they are all child led activities designed and delivered by the kids themselves.
The sessions are delivered on the borders of Doncaster, Wakefield and Barnsley. We meet at 9.30 am and finish at 2pm so full days are had and kids usually go home muddy, slightley damp, but very happy! We have just received funding from the Coalfields regeneration fund which will enable us to fund two level 2 courses. If you are interested in working with children in a forest school setting and can commit to 25 sessions throughout the year please get in touch and we may be able to offer to cover the cost of the course in return. Many thanks
Melv Mills
OAK saturday Adventure Club coachmelv@sky.com 07964339266
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Bush Schools - latest update from Paul in Perth
Monday
Bibra Lake is a beautiful place, made even more beautiful by having the honour of having an Elder welcome us to his site. Having met all of the candidates and introduced myself, Archimedes and Bush Schools, we sat in awe as Uncle sang and told us stories of himself, of the land and of his people. We were then treated to music from one of the students who sang us a welcome in both English and Aborigine.
Getting to know each person in the group was very interesting due to the wide range of not only educational settings from where they have come, but also the landscapes which they will be using for Bush Schools. After lunch I took my new friends out into the bush and we examined the important and sometimes subtle elements which make these experiences valuable and expressive.
Starting to use natural resources in a more practical sense, we started to explore tools, tool talks and safe practice. We also discussed the idea of instead of jumping straight into tool use with children and only relating opportunities for children to use tools, we wait until we know if and how best to introduce them after our baseline assessment so that we are then using tools to relate opportunities for children, a vitally important difference.
Finally, having begun an introduction to the Bush Schools portfolio, we explored the Bush Schools ethos and model. This meant understanding the long term nature, professional status, use of pedagogy, importance of skills, understanding of the setting and the intentions and outcomes planned from a Bush Schools programme.
The weather was a stunning mix of intense sunshine and cooling breeze. Parrots sang in the Jarrah trees, kookaburra sat stoically in the Banksia and skinks were darting from underneath the logs, a truly exciting place to be.
Tuesday
Beginning by exploring play and music, we started delving into the world of review and reflection, understanding our own experiences from the day before and shining a new light on what comes next.
Australia has a fascinating mix of flora and fauna and, as with any outdoor experience, it is important to understand how they can have an impact on us as well as how we can have an impact on them. One of the most engaging ways of accessing our hidden depths and developing a relationship and a relevance with nature, is to explore their use. Focussing on the Grass Tree we shared our collective knowledge which covered glue, firefighting uses, two forms of food, directional indicators as well as its interdependence within the local ecosystem.
The risk/benefit analysis was a major topic for the morning and early afternoon. We examined how the bush could present appropriate risk and how the students as practitioners can recognise the value of that, whilst removing inappropriate risk and risk they are developmentally not yet equipped to respond to.
Heading into North Lake, a wilder, more diverse area, we put up tarps and some students had a go at making furniture using lashings. As always, wherever we ventured, we had to keep an eye out for tiger snakes that might be in the bush. By singing songs and making music as we went, we tried to encourage them to leave the area.
Wednesday
Being able to find a particular tree you have seen before in the vast bush sounds impossible. We started off the day by showing how exploring the environment your eyes, it is possible to go back and find the slightest mark in the bark of a tree or even an individual leaf. We also explored the personal, social and emotional opportunities within a such a simple experience.
Whilst Tuesday focused on how the environment can have an impact on us, today was concerned with how we might have an impact on it. This has to be considered both positively and how to reduce or avoid negative impacts.
Having laid the foundations for a considered and sustainable approach to the use of nature and natural resources we began to use different tools. We saw how to use them as safely as possible with children, how to make a mallet from Jarrah wood and how to cut and split sections of the flowering spike of the grass tree as a hearth board for fire by friction.
It is at this point that the sky opened up and the rain fell. I had been teased for planning to take a waterproof coat with me, but having researched Australian seasons and also the seasonal activities of the local aboriginal people I was not going to risk it! At this time of year the aborigine fishing increases, the water levels begin to rise and the fish travel back upstream, so at the very least I was able to give my waterproof to a trainee who was without.
Having discussed and explored how Bush Schools is about recognising the inherent opportunities within the experiences we can open up to children on the programmes, we examined this in more detail. We looked at exploring holistic development, recognising the facets that add up to make an individual who they are and allow each of them to be engaged.
There were some fascinating discussions, comparing and contrasting Bush Schools programmes with other outdoor education expeditions. Although there are overlaps, it is the long term, regular nature of Bush Schools where growth and wisdom can be supported to become an integral, natural part of who that person is for all parts of their life, for life. As one trainee put it, it is the difference between a diet and a healthy lifestyle; instead of a short term concentrated effort, which can be hard to sustain, Bush Schools is about providing long term, regular opportunities for life long change.
Bibra Lake is a beautiful place, made even more beautiful by having the honour of having an Elder welcome us to his site. Having met all of the candidates and introduced myself, Archimedes and Bush Schools, we sat in awe as Uncle sang and told us stories of himself, of the land and of his people. We were then treated to music from one of the students who sang us a welcome in both English and Aborigine.
Getting to know each person in the group was very interesting due to the wide range of not only educational settings from where they have come, but also the landscapes which they will be using for Bush Schools. After lunch I took my new friends out into the bush and we examined the important and sometimes subtle elements which make these experiences valuable and expressive.
Starting to use natural resources in a more practical sense, we started to explore tools, tool talks and safe practice. We also discussed the idea of instead of jumping straight into tool use with children and only relating opportunities for children to use tools, we wait until we know if and how best to introduce them after our baseline assessment so that we are then using tools to relate opportunities for children, a vitally important difference.
Finally, having begun an introduction to the Bush Schools portfolio, we explored the Bush Schools ethos and model. This meant understanding the long term nature, professional status, use of pedagogy, importance of skills, understanding of the setting and the intentions and outcomes planned from a Bush Schools programme.
The weather was a stunning mix of intense sunshine and cooling breeze. Parrots sang in the Jarrah trees, kookaburra sat stoically in the Banksia and skinks were darting from underneath the logs, a truly exciting place to be.
Tuesday
Beginning by exploring play and music, we started delving into the world of review and reflection, understanding our own experiences from the day before and shining a new light on what comes next.
Australia has a fascinating mix of flora and fauna and, as with any outdoor experience, it is important to understand how they can have an impact on us as well as how we can have an impact on them. One of the most engaging ways of accessing our hidden depths and developing a relationship and a relevance with nature, is to explore their use. Focussing on the Grass Tree we shared our collective knowledge which covered glue, firefighting uses, two forms of food, directional indicators as well as its interdependence within the local ecosystem.
The risk/benefit analysis was a major topic for the morning and early afternoon. We examined how the bush could present appropriate risk and how the students as practitioners can recognise the value of that, whilst removing inappropriate risk and risk they are developmentally not yet equipped to respond to.
Heading into North Lake, a wilder, more diverse area, we put up tarps and some students had a go at making furniture using lashings. As always, wherever we ventured, we had to keep an eye out for tiger snakes that might be in the bush. By singing songs and making music as we went, we tried to encourage them to leave the area.
Wednesday
Being able to find a particular tree you have seen before in the vast bush sounds impossible. We started off the day by showing how exploring the environment your eyes, it is possible to go back and find the slightest mark in the bark of a tree or even an individual leaf. We also explored the personal, social and emotional opportunities within a such a simple experience.
Whilst Tuesday focused on how the environment can have an impact on us, today was concerned with how we might have an impact on it. This has to be considered both positively and how to reduce or avoid negative impacts.
Having laid the foundations for a considered and sustainable approach to the use of nature and natural resources we began to use different tools. We saw how to use them as safely as possible with children, how to make a mallet from Jarrah wood and how to cut and split sections of the flowering spike of the grass tree as a hearth board for fire by friction.
It is at this point that the sky opened up and the rain fell. I had been teased for planning to take a waterproof coat with me, but having researched Australian seasons and also the seasonal activities of the local aboriginal people I was not going to risk it! At this time of year the aborigine fishing increases, the water levels begin to rise and the fish travel back upstream, so at the very least I was able to give my waterproof to a trainee who was without.
Having discussed and explored how Bush Schools is about recognising the inherent opportunities within the experiences we can open up to children on the programmes, we examined this in more detail. We looked at exploring holistic development, recognising the facets that add up to make an individual who they are and allow each of them to be engaged.
There were some fascinating discussions, comparing and contrasting Bush Schools programmes with other outdoor education expeditions. Although there are overlaps, it is the long term, regular nature of Bush Schools where growth and wisdom can be supported to become an integral, natural part of who that person is for all parts of their life, for life. As one trainee put it, it is the difference between a diet and a healthy lifestyle; instead of a short term concentrated effort, which can be hard to sustain, Bush Schools is about providing long term, regular opportunities for life long change.
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Elements of Understanding Courses
Just a reminder that booking onto our Elements of Understanding courses are an absolute MUST for all those who are currently working with children and young adults in any capacity! You can book your place online here today. Read on for further information.
Workshop Outlines
1.Nature, Nurture or Trauma?
Teachers, LSA’s, nursery staff, social workers, youth workers, foster carers, doctors, police, solicitors and those working in charities and other agencies work with some of the most vulnerable and challenging children in our society and sometimes it’s difficult to know whether the behaviours they see are because of nature, nurture, trauma – or all three! This creative workshop will consider what ‘nature’ means, what happens when ‘nurture’ is done well and what effects a child’s difficult early experiences can have on their ability to learn and ‘succeed’ in school and social situations and why their behaviours sometimes appear to be ‘out of control’.
2.Back to Basics
This workshop will look at practical and proven strategies for working with vulnerable children and young people based on some of the latest brain research, interspersed with outdoor activities which will engage these pupils and allow powerful learnings to take place.
3. Releasing Their Creativity
Understanding and relating well to the unique individual personalities of the children we work with is key to building successful relationships with them and to structuring the learning environment to ensure their inbuilt creativity and potential is realised. This fun and informative workshop will take an Elemental look at children’s personalities and give practical guidelines to use with children and young people, encouraging them to maximise their strengths and minimise their challenges both in school and at home and helping to increase their self-confidence and positive behaviours.
4.Unlocking Real Potential
The late John Rohn said, 'work hard on your job but work harder on yourself'. It's a powerful statement when we appreciate that our relationships with other people can make the difference between personal success and failure and make or break a team. This session will allow us to explore our own personality type, understand how to make the groups and teams we're part of more effective and leave with simple yet valuable ways to appreciate and improve our work and social connections. There will also the opportunity to create either a group/team or personal mission and vision for the future.
5. Igniting the Possibilities
An opportunity to spend a day experiencing ‘tasters’ of a variety of different tools, which will give new and valuable insights and will include, Emotional Intelligence, Languages of Appreciation, Reflective Practice, the Importance of Creativity and many more.
1.Nature, Nurture or Trauma?
Teachers, LSA’s, nursery staff, social workers, youth workers, foster carers, doctors, police, solicitors and those working in charities and other agencies work with some of the most vulnerable and challenging children in our society and sometimes it’s difficult to know whether the behaviours they see are because of nature, nurture, trauma – or all three! This creative workshop will consider what ‘nature’ means, what happens when ‘nurture’ is done well and what effects a child’s difficult early experiences can have on their ability to learn and ‘succeed’ in school and social situations and why their behaviours sometimes appear to be ‘out of control’.
2.Back to Basics
This workshop will look at practical and proven strategies for working with vulnerable children and young people based on some of the latest brain research, interspersed with outdoor activities which will engage these pupils and allow powerful learnings to take place.
3. Releasing Their Creativity
Understanding and relating well to the unique individual personalities of the children we work with is key to building successful relationships with them and to structuring the learning environment to ensure their inbuilt creativity and potential is realised. This fun and informative workshop will take an Elemental look at children’s personalities and give practical guidelines to use with children and young people, encouraging them to maximise their strengths and minimise their challenges both in school and at home and helping to increase their self-confidence and positive behaviours.
4.Unlocking Real Potential
The late John Rohn said, 'work hard on your job but work harder on yourself'. It's a powerful statement when we appreciate that our relationships with other people can make the difference between personal success and failure and make or break a team. This session will allow us to explore our own personality type, understand how to make the groups and teams we're part of more effective and leave with simple yet valuable ways to appreciate and improve our work and social connections. There will also the opportunity to create either a group/team or personal mission and vision for the future.
5. Igniting the Possibilities
An opportunity to spend a day experiencing ‘tasters’ of a variety of different tools, which will give new and valuable insights and will include, Emotional Intelligence, Languages of Appreciation, Reflective Practice, the Importance of Creativity and many more.
Free Beach Schools training!
Do you potentially have the perfect Beach Schools Training Venue?
Archimedes Training are currently on the lookout for new Beach Schools Venue coordinators across the UK coast. If you think you may have a suitable training venue then Archimedes will give you free training in exchange for acting as 'Course Coordinator'.
BEACH & CLASSROOM SITES
As Course Coordinator you will be required to find a suitable classroom and beach to use for training.
Ideally it would be a mixed shore line habitat where we can gather resources for shelter building, fire lighting and environmental art.
Archimedes has Risk Assessments for Fire Lighting and Shelter Building that can be provided if required.
There can often be a problem with requesting the use of fires, but in most cases when explained that it will be just a small fire for cooking purposes we do get permission.
There should also be, if necessary, a short journey between the site and the classroom, but we try to keep travelling time to a minimum on the course as it soon eats away into valuable teaching time.
Please ensure that permission is sought from the beach landowner to do the following activities:-
1. Visiting and exploring
2. Ecological investigations
3. Games and beach activities
4. Environmental impact assessments
5. Small fire, off the ground barbeque, or use of a fire bowl in order to demonstrate good practice, safety boundaries, safety equipment and a leaving no trace policy when leaving for the future edification and potential use of similar fires with groups.
Please note we do not leave any trace on the beach
There must be explicit permission from the landowner for the use of their land, for the activities outlined in this document. A letter confirming such permission needs to be provided to Archimedes before the booking is taken for the course.
ADMINISTRATION
With advice and support from Archimedes it will be the responsibility of you, the “Course Co-ordinator” to:
Assist in marketing the course
Find a suitable beach site (please see above).
Provide a classroom facility within 10 minutes drive of the beach site (preferably walking distance), which is big enough for all candidates to move freely around in, to sit in and which has sufficient furniture, projection facilities and electricity.
Please provide tea and coffee or making facilities/kitchen facilities.
Be onsite from 8.30am on the morning of the course so the kit can be set up inside the classroom and assist in getting ready for the week.
Provide Risk Assessments prior to training for all areas applicable.
If you think you have a suitable venue then please get in touch. We often use school classrooms for training so if you are from a school by the coast please also get in touch.
For further information please contact the office about become a Beach Schools Venue Coordinator.
Archimedes Training are currently on the lookout for new Beach Schools Venue coordinators across the UK coast. If you think you may have a suitable training venue then Archimedes will give you free training in exchange for acting as 'Course Coordinator'.
BEACH & CLASSROOM SITES
As Course Coordinator you will be required to find a suitable classroom and beach to use for training.
Ideally it would be a mixed shore line habitat where we can gather resources for shelter building, fire lighting and environmental art.
Archimedes has Risk Assessments for Fire Lighting and Shelter Building that can be provided if required.
There can often be a problem with requesting the use of fires, but in most cases when explained that it will be just a small fire for cooking purposes we do get permission.
There should also be, if necessary, a short journey between the site and the classroom, but we try to keep travelling time to a minimum on the course as it soon eats away into valuable teaching time.
Please ensure that permission is sought from the beach landowner to do the following activities:-
1. Visiting and exploring
2. Ecological investigations
3. Games and beach activities
4. Environmental impact assessments
5. Small fire, off the ground barbeque, or use of a fire bowl in order to demonstrate good practice, safety boundaries, safety equipment and a leaving no trace policy when leaving for the future edification and potential use of similar fires with groups.
Please note we do not leave any trace on the beach
There must be explicit permission from the landowner for the use of their land, for the activities outlined in this document. A letter confirming such permission needs to be provided to Archimedes before the booking is taken for the course.
ADMINISTRATION
With advice and support from Archimedes it will be the responsibility of you, the “Course Co-ordinator” to:
Assist in marketing the course
Find a suitable beach site (please see above).
Provide a classroom facility within 10 minutes drive of the beach site (preferably walking distance), which is big enough for all candidates to move freely around in, to sit in and which has sufficient furniture, projection facilities and electricity.
Please provide tea and coffee or making facilities/kitchen facilities.
Be onsite from 8.30am on the morning of the course so the kit can be set up inside the classroom and assist in getting ready for the week.
Provide Risk Assessments prior to training for all areas applicable.
If you think you have a suitable venue then please get in touch. We often use school classrooms for training so if you are from a school by the coast please also get in touch.
For further information please contact the office about become a Beach Schools Venue Coordinator.
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Monday, 16 April 2012
An update from Paul - Down Under!
Training manager Paul is currently on the other side of the world delivering the first ever Bush Schools Level 3 Training course! He has just sent in an update from Fremantle, Perth. If you haven't seen his travel video then we recommend you visit our facebook page too.
Friday
After 17 hours in the air, 5 on the ground in Dubai, I arrived. Jumping in a taxi I headed off to where I was to be staying, being brought up to date with all of the latest Australian football scores by the taxi driver and being asked about how Manchester United are doing. Anyone that knows me knows I am not a fan of the game, but still, it amazes me how much of it I must pick up from, our news as I was able to sound partially in the know.
Arriving at my accommodation, it was now 3am and as you can imagine, rather beat. Being on the go for two days without any definable sleep, I was needing to wind down for a few minutes. My only option was a dislike of mine, TV before sleep. Looking on the plus side, it would enable me to embrace the culture, gain and insight into the zeitgeist of the nation....or as it turns out, have to choose between Hugh Fernly-whittingstall or Morse (or from an infinite selection of shopping channels).
Waking about 11 I headed off to get some food and to see what was around. Taking the free bus up to Fremantle, about a 10 minute ride, I was struck by the period features in the architecture, as colonial now as it was then. Beautifully preserve buildings frame the town streets, packed with coffee shops, book stores and bars.
I spend the rest of the day sorting out a few particulars for the week and booking myself onto an indigenous heritage tour the following day. Back at my accommodation, feeling tired from the 3am settle, I opted for a relaxed dinner in, with some of the most wonderful avocados I have ever tasted.
Saturday
Heading back into Fremantle early, I spent some time bird watching, the Willie Wagtail being one of my new favourites from its constant cheeky wiggle and curious nature.
Being the only person booked on the tour, being the end of the summer here where tourism trails off, I had the tour guide all to myself. Having long ancestral roots in the area, he was clearly, and rightly so, proud of his heritage, enthral lying me with stories from the Dreaming.
Visiting various landmarks, we explored plant uses and their cultural importance to the local people of Bibbullmun. These included the Beach Rosemary, a fragrant bush used in smoking ceremonies to encourage spirits to pass on, tea tree, not only used for its oils and to make drinks, but used for their dense branches and foliage for fishing techniques. My favourite experience was learning about the Sword Rush, a reliable indicator of freshwater, even on coastlines, with edible leaf bases (a taste like celery) and tough enough to use as cordage. What was particularly interesting to me was how this plant formed an important part of a well known story of two aborigines whom were exiled to a local island and who used this plant to help them survive for weeks, returning to shore. The father and son were executed, with the son's head being taken to England, which as recently as the last decade was only at last returned and laid to rest, the story coming full circle.
After lunch, I was able to finally meet Libby, an Professor at the University of Murdoch, with whom I had been in touch with for months previously. Her husband, Steve, a Wiltshire born man, and Libby, took me to meet a local elder and his wife. Here I was given a traditional welcome and as I sat and listened to his singing, I could not help but see the strength of his culture and people flowing from him. The people who have always humbled me most, with a few exceptions, are those who walk with their land, their ways and their beliefs with a quite strength. Here was a man, with whom I had only just met, welcoming me to his country and to his people, with a quality which I would struggle to define, other than to say, true.
After a short while talking and showing me some of his traditional items, he invited us to a local gathering of elders, who were meeting to discuss the continued protection of their culture and of the land. One of the things which I had known in my head but only began to truly feel in my heart of the next few hours as I listened to them talk, was that the land is their culture, the two are inseparable. If their land is taken away, so are the people. Their words were filled with loss but equally with a passion, love and hope for the future.
I met elders with a yearning to understand and to connect their cultural understandings of the world to the scientific. One elder spoke of cosmology, physics and biology, a truly fascinating man to listen to.
Others spoke of family and community, always with a strength and a clear understanding of what affects them and what needs to happen in the future to allow their people to be their people. Whenever I have met anyone from any culture who's traditional way of life is threatened I have been deeply moved, this was no exception.
I spoke to them about Bush Schools and of how we are bringing the European "model" here and looking to work with as many people as possible to translate it for Australia. They were pleased when I talked a little of it's ways and means and wished it would find its palace here and grow. One elder is going to come to the course on the first morning to welcome everyone and give their best wishes for then course, a great privilege. There are others with whom the elders wish to put me in touch with now and so there seems to be a real warmth to Bush Schools.
On the way back we took a little detour for a quick look at Bibra Lake, today (Sunday) we are going to explore proper. I know that the flowering stem of the grass tree is one of the best woods to use to make the base of a hand drill fire by friction set and so I am going to try and find a good area for us to collect some so that each person on the course can hopefully go away with one they have made at the end of the week. I am also going to be improving my Banksia, flooded gum and paperbark ID skills also, as well as picking up in a few other flora and fauna. I might be in for the easiest tracking demonstration of my life as the most common animal around the lake are turtles, so I can show their gait and track details, but it might only be 6ft ahead of me :-)
Sunday
As I write this I am having breakfast at a cafe overlooking the beach, watching some children sea fishing, having learned the trick of leaving your cocoa and cashew bite to warm and melt slightly in the sun, it goes beautifully with my yogurt and strawberry coolie breakfast. Afterwards, a run on the beach and a quick dip in the ocean.
Heading off the Bibra Lake, I spent some time by myself In the bush land, doing what I always do when I can, allowing myself to feel the rhythms of nature and beginning to feel connected to that place. This is part of the reason that I always try to arrive on site early as I have always felt it is important to introduce yourself to a place before you introduce others to it, not often something I talk about, but having met the elders yesterday, they told me a few things which makes me feel more comfortable to.
During my time at Bibra I saw different types of Banksia, Sheoak, Gum, Paperbark, Jarrah, Grass Tree, where someone had been building a cubby (den) as well as fungi and a different type of Typha species.
I am really excited about the course starting tomorrow, especially the blessing ceremony to be done with the local elder.
www.bushschools.org
Friday
After 17 hours in the air, 5 on the ground in Dubai, I arrived. Jumping in a taxi I headed off to where I was to be staying, being brought up to date with all of the latest Australian football scores by the taxi driver and being asked about how Manchester United are doing. Anyone that knows me knows I am not a fan of the game, but still, it amazes me how much of it I must pick up from, our news as I was able to sound partially in the know.
Arriving at my accommodation, it was now 3am and as you can imagine, rather beat. Being on the go for two days without any definable sleep, I was needing to wind down for a few minutes. My only option was a dislike of mine, TV before sleep. Looking on the plus side, it would enable me to embrace the culture, gain and insight into the zeitgeist of the nation....or as it turns out, have to choose between Hugh Fernly-whittingstall or Morse (or from an infinite selection of shopping channels).
Waking about 11 I headed off to get some food and to see what was around. Taking the free bus up to Fremantle, about a 10 minute ride, I was struck by the period features in the architecture, as colonial now as it was then. Beautifully preserve buildings frame the town streets, packed with coffee shops, book stores and bars.
I spend the rest of the day sorting out a few particulars for the week and booking myself onto an indigenous heritage tour the following day. Back at my accommodation, feeling tired from the 3am settle, I opted for a relaxed dinner in, with some of the most wonderful avocados I have ever tasted.
Saturday
Heading back into Fremantle early, I spent some time bird watching, the Willie Wagtail being one of my new favourites from its constant cheeky wiggle and curious nature.
Being the only person booked on the tour, being the end of the summer here where tourism trails off, I had the tour guide all to myself. Having long ancestral roots in the area, he was clearly, and rightly so, proud of his heritage, enthral lying me with stories from the Dreaming.
Visiting various landmarks, we explored plant uses and their cultural importance to the local people of Bibbullmun. These included the Beach Rosemary, a fragrant bush used in smoking ceremonies to encourage spirits to pass on, tea tree, not only used for its oils and to make drinks, but used for their dense branches and foliage for fishing techniques. My favourite experience was learning about the Sword Rush, a reliable indicator of freshwater, even on coastlines, with edible leaf bases (a taste like celery) and tough enough to use as cordage. What was particularly interesting to me was how this plant formed an important part of a well known story of two aborigines whom were exiled to a local island and who used this plant to help them survive for weeks, returning to shore. The father and son were executed, with the son's head being taken to England, which as recently as the last decade was only at last returned and laid to rest, the story coming full circle.
After lunch, I was able to finally meet Libby, an Professor at the University of Murdoch, with whom I had been in touch with for months previously. Her husband, Steve, a Wiltshire born man, and Libby, took me to meet a local elder and his wife. Here I was given a traditional welcome and as I sat and listened to his singing, I could not help but see the strength of his culture and people flowing from him. The people who have always humbled me most, with a few exceptions, are those who walk with their land, their ways and their beliefs with a quite strength. Here was a man, with whom I had only just met, welcoming me to his country and to his people, with a quality which I would struggle to define, other than to say, true.
After a short while talking and showing me some of his traditional items, he invited us to a local gathering of elders, who were meeting to discuss the continued protection of their culture and of the land. One of the things which I had known in my head but only began to truly feel in my heart of the next few hours as I listened to them talk, was that the land is their culture, the two are inseparable. If their land is taken away, so are the people. Their words were filled with loss but equally with a passion, love and hope for the future.
I met elders with a yearning to understand and to connect their cultural understandings of the world to the scientific. One elder spoke of cosmology, physics and biology, a truly fascinating man to listen to.
Others spoke of family and community, always with a strength and a clear understanding of what affects them and what needs to happen in the future to allow their people to be their people. Whenever I have met anyone from any culture who's traditional way of life is threatened I have been deeply moved, this was no exception.
I spoke to them about Bush Schools and of how we are bringing the European "model" here and looking to work with as many people as possible to translate it for Australia. They were pleased when I talked a little of it's ways and means and wished it would find its palace here and grow. One elder is going to come to the course on the first morning to welcome everyone and give their best wishes for then course, a great privilege. There are others with whom the elders wish to put me in touch with now and so there seems to be a real warmth to Bush Schools.
On the way back we took a little detour for a quick look at Bibra Lake, today (Sunday) we are going to explore proper. I know that the flowering stem of the grass tree is one of the best woods to use to make the base of a hand drill fire by friction set and so I am going to try and find a good area for us to collect some so that each person on the course can hopefully go away with one they have made at the end of the week. I am also going to be improving my Banksia, flooded gum and paperbark ID skills also, as well as picking up in a few other flora and fauna. I might be in for the easiest tracking demonstration of my life as the most common animal around the lake are turtles, so I can show their gait and track details, but it might only be 6ft ahead of me :-)
Sunday
As I write this I am having breakfast at a cafe overlooking the beach, watching some children sea fishing, having learned the trick of leaving your cocoa and cashew bite to warm and melt slightly in the sun, it goes beautifully with my yogurt and strawberry coolie breakfast. Afterwards, a run on the beach and a quick dip in the ocean.
Heading off the Bibra Lake, I spent some time by myself In the bush land, doing what I always do when I can, allowing myself to feel the rhythms of nature and beginning to feel connected to that place. This is part of the reason that I always try to arrive on site early as I have always felt it is important to introduce yourself to a place before you introduce others to it, not often something I talk about, but having met the elders yesterday, they told me a few things which makes me feel more comfortable to.
During my time at Bibra I saw different types of Banksia, Sheoak, Gum, Paperbark, Jarrah, Grass Tree, where someone had been building a cubby (den) as well as fungi and a different type of Typha species.
I am really excited about the course starting tomorrow, especially the blessing ceremony to be done with the local elder.
www.bushschools.org
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Effective Group Facilitation Course - IOL
One of the aspects we cover in our training is group faciliation. We feel that this is a vital element and is very relevent to all those engaged in Outdoor Learning and Forest/Beach Schools programmes.
If you have been on our courses and would like more indepth information, or if you would simply like to find out more about Group Faciliation, we would highly recommend this course offererd by the Institute for Outdoor Learning:
Effective Group Facilitation - a new 2-day Course
A course presented by IOL Professional Development Coordinators - Various venues and dates UK-wide during 2012 (see below)
• Facilitate groups more confidently and effectively using the outdoors for personal development
• Facilitating Outdoor Experiential Learning. A 2-day course to develop awareness of a spectrum of facilitation skills and their relevance for different learning outcomes, groups and activities.
• Special offer: IOL Organisational Members can book 2 places (at separate venues/dates if required) for £150
Introduction
Facilitation is an extremely powerful group-based problem solving skill, and its success lies in the facilitator’s ability to control and guide a meeting or team towards its common objective. A facilitator needs to be able to design events, knowing which methods to use for what purpose, and how to use them. However, there is a range of skills that he or she needs to bring into play before, during and after an event, to ensure that the approach used is effective.
This programme offers the opportunity for extensive practice to help delegates hone facilitation skills and run successful developmental sessions. It also covers the wider task of empowering and involving people by using facilitation techniques.
Module Objectives
By the end of this course you will be able to:
• Understand the importance of facilitation skills in delivering sessions
• Develop awareness of the learning environment
• Diagnose learning needs using a structured process
• Use framing techniques where appropriate
• Use review processes to highlight learning
• Explain some action planning techniques to help participants transfer the learning back home
• Practice a process to review your own facilitation
Learning method & style
Various methods of delivery will be used to ensure that all individual learning styles are catered for. The course presents facilitation in a practical and participatory way. Various methods and models will be discussed in small group work. The outcomes then analysed and discussed, and then elements of the method are practiced in pairs.
Costs (non-residential)
• Special offer: IOL Organisational Members can book 2 places (at separate venues/dates if required) for £150
• IOL Members £99 pp
• Non IOL Members £169 pp
• These events are non-residential. You can contact the venues to arrange your own accommodation or camping or find local B&Bs or hotels.
• BOOK with IOL on 01228 564580, Email Fiona Fiona@outdoor-learning.org or book online at http://www.outdoor-learning.org/Default.aspx?tabid=127&EventTypeId=4
Dates and Venues
• 21st - 22nd April - River Dart Country Park
• 16th - 17th May - Borwick Hall, Lancaster
• 17th - 18th May - Grangewaters, Essex
• 18th-19th May - Conway Centre, N. Wales
• 21st - 22nd May - Kingswood, Dearne Valley
• 28th - 29th May - Wiston Lodge, Lanarkshire
• 21st - 22nd June - Longtown OEC, Herefordshire
• 25th - 26th June - Glenmore Lodge
• 25th - 26th October - Glenmore Lodge
• 17th - 18th November - North Cornwall. Venue TBC
If you have been on our courses and would like more indepth information, or if you would simply like to find out more about Group Faciliation, we would highly recommend this course offererd by the Institute for Outdoor Learning:
Effective Group Facilitation - a new 2-day Course
A course presented by IOL Professional Development Coordinators - Various venues and dates UK-wide during 2012 (see below)
• Facilitate groups more confidently and effectively using the outdoors for personal development
• Facilitating Outdoor Experiential Learning. A 2-day course to develop awareness of a spectrum of facilitation skills and their relevance for different learning outcomes, groups and activities.
• Special offer: IOL Organisational Members can book 2 places (at separate venues/dates if required) for £150
Introduction
Facilitation is an extremely powerful group-based problem solving skill, and its success lies in the facilitator’s ability to control and guide a meeting or team towards its common objective. A facilitator needs to be able to design events, knowing which methods to use for what purpose, and how to use them. However, there is a range of skills that he or she needs to bring into play before, during and after an event, to ensure that the approach used is effective.
This programme offers the opportunity for extensive practice to help delegates hone facilitation skills and run successful developmental sessions. It also covers the wider task of empowering and involving people by using facilitation techniques.
Module Objectives
By the end of this course you will be able to:
• Understand the importance of facilitation skills in delivering sessions
• Develop awareness of the learning environment
• Diagnose learning needs using a structured process
• Use framing techniques where appropriate
• Use review processes to highlight learning
• Explain some action planning techniques to help participants transfer the learning back home
• Practice a process to review your own facilitation
Learning method & style
Various methods of delivery will be used to ensure that all individual learning styles are catered for. The course presents facilitation in a practical and participatory way. Various methods and models will be discussed in small group work. The outcomes then analysed and discussed, and then elements of the method are practiced in pairs.
Costs (non-residential)
• Special offer: IOL Organisational Members can book 2 places (at separate venues/dates if required) for £150
• IOL Members £99 pp
• Non IOL Members £169 pp
• These events are non-residential. You can contact the venues to arrange your own accommodation or camping or find local B&Bs or hotels.
• BOOK with IOL on 01228 564580, Email Fiona Fiona@outdoor-learning.org or book online at http://www.outdoor-learning.org/Default.aspx?tabid=127&EventTypeId=4
Dates and Venues
• 21st - 22nd April - River Dart Country Park
• 16th - 17th May - Borwick Hall, Lancaster
• 17th - 18th May - Grangewaters, Essex
• 18th-19th May - Conway Centre, N. Wales
• 21st - 22nd May - Kingswood, Dearne Valley
• 28th - 29th May - Wiston Lodge, Lanarkshire
• 21st - 22nd June - Longtown OEC, Herefordshire
• 25th - 26th June - Glenmore Lodge
• 25th - 26th October - Glenmore Lodge
• 17th - 18th November - North Cornwall. Venue TBC
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