Goal: To use up-to-date, research-based resources to develop or enhance Nature based Early Learning programs/practices in Ottawa Early Childhood Education Programs.

Description of Professional Learning Activity

On May 15, 2019, I attended a workshop at Algonquin College about working with multicultural learners hosted by Dr. Pavna Sodhi.

Documentation of Participation

Application of Professional Learning in my Practice

This workshop was taken prior to beginning my nature-based learning placement as part of the Bachelor's of Early Learning and Community Development program. I chose to take this workshop to learn how to work better with colleagues of various cultural backgrounds. Although the workshop was geared to educators of multicultural learners, I learned many things that will benefit me to work with others of different cultural backgrounds than myself and how to practice cultural empathy and cultural curiosity. In working with others to support nature-based learning, I will follow Dr. Sodhi's 5 elements of culturally responsive practice which includes communicating with others in ways they are comfortable with such as verbal communication rather than written communication, demonstrating caring to others and their cultures and building communities that promote shared learning about cultures and the topic, developing a knowledge base about cultural diversity and the other cultures I work with, including cultural diversity content into the project process and how we enhance nature-based learning programs to be culturally appropriate and responsive, and responding appropriately to ethnic diversity.

To enhance the nature-based learning programs of existing Ottawa early learning centres, it will also be crucial to consider the diverse background and cultures of the educators of the program, the children, and their families to create a program that connects children, educators, and families to nature through approaches that are culturally responsive and culturally respectful.

Description of Professional Learning Activity

On September 23, 2019, I came across the research article: Children's Outdoor Play and Learning Environments by Randy White and Vicki Stoesklin which is about children's outdoor play and learning environments. I read this article and shared it with peers for discussion and reflection.

Documentation of Participation

Application of Professional Learning in my Practice

This article introduces terms such as biophilia and environmental education to introduce the importance of nature-based early learning and supporting children's connection to nature. The article suggests incorporating children's suggestions into building outdoor environments and considering the many benefits of engaging in the outdoors other than gross motor development, such as cognitive development, literacy, and self-regulation. The article also recognizes that natural environments produce positive physiological and psychological responses in humans. In my practice, I will consider the many opportunities for learning that can take place in the outdoors and create curriculum plans that specifically incorporate art, music, dramatic play, and cognitive functioning. I will also share these plans with educator teams I am working with to demonstrate how to document curriculum planning for families that illustrate how children learn and develop through nature play and outdoor engagement.

I particularly find it interesting that natural environments produce positive physiological and psychological responses in humans. This is insightful to support self-regulation. I will use this knowledge to implement self-regulation strategies with the centre I am working with that follow this philosophy and are within the natural world.

Description of Professional Learning Activity

On September 27 of 2019, I read the research article: Exploring Young Children's and Parents' Preferences for Outdoor Play Settings and Affinity Towards Nature by Julie Ernst and engaged in a discussion about the research with a group of peers in a Special Studies of Early Learning Course as part of the Bachelor's of Early Learning and Community Development program.

Documentation of Participation

Application of Professional Learning in my Practice

After reading this article, I have a greater idea of how to support existing child care centers and professionals to incorporate nature-based early learning into their practice by using a strengths-based community development approach, which listens to the voices of all stakeholders including children and families. The methodology used in this research can be recreated and used with children to gain their perspective and follows a play-based philosophy that supports learning and is developmentally appropriate. In my practice, I can use this type methodology to listen to children's voices and practice the pedagogy of listening. Presenting photographs to children and asking them what they would do in a particular setting or situation meets children's developmental needs and will allow me to practice active listening with children and consider children as stakeholders when making decisions about curriculum implementation, changes to the environment, etc. These methods will help me to directly meet Standard II of the College of ECE's Standards of Practice which states, "RECE's collaborate with children to co-plan and implement a child-centered and play-based curriculum."

Description of Professional Learning Activity

On October 15, 2019, I read the article: 20 Minute Contact with Nature Reduces Stress Hormone Cortisol from the Frontiers in Psychology Journal which summarizes research by MaryCarol Hunter, Brenda Gillespie, and Sophie Yu-Pu Chen and completed a reflection about how their research can support my practice.

Documentation of Participation

Application of Professional Learning in my Practice

The research conducted in this article uses adult participants to conclude that 20 minutes outdoors is an ideal amount of time to spend connecting with nature to optimally reduce stress levels. The research also mentions that 20-30 minutes of walking in nature is the most beneficial way for adults to reduce cortisol. With this information, I can support parents to reduce their own stress levels by engaging with nature and encourage families to take a 20 minute walk outdoors every day. By sharing the importance and benefits of spending 20 minutes outdoors every day, I can support parents to reduce their own stress level and the amount of moderate and toxic stress in their homes.

In my work with children, I can implement the practice of spending 20 minutes in nature without the distraction of books, screens, or moderate to intense exercise. Reflecting in the outdoor environment on what we see, hear, feel, and smell in a meditative activity may also reduce children's stress levels as well as the stress levels of educators to contribute to the well-being of children and educators and support a healthy program. I can also implement 20 minute nature walks to connect children with nature, exercise their senses, and follow the researchers recommendation of engaging in a 20 to 30 minute walk daily to optimally reduce stress levels.

These practices can be shared in my placement with other early learning centers in Ottawa to educate others about the research, lead others to encourage parents and adults to spend time outdoors, and implement meditative strategies and nature walks in early learning programs.

Description of Professional Learning Activity

From September to December of 2019, I took part in a course titled, "Outdoor Learning Environments" as part of the Bachelor's of Early Learning and Community Development program at Algonquin College. The goal of this course is to expand students' knowledge on the factors of successful and high quality learning environments through exploring global outdoor learning policies, elements of inclusive outdoor environments, and specific details of outdoor learning environments for infants and toddlers. This course also considered effective ways to involve the community in outdoor activities and building outdoor learning environments that respond to the communities needs and the specific needs of indigenous peoples.

Documentation of Participation

Application of Professional Learning in my Practice

Taking this course is useful to me as a student as I complete placements in schools and child care environments. Understanding the specific details that make outdoor environments inclusive and responsive to children's and families needs will help me to develop and contribute to outdoor environments that support children's holistic development at all ages. Understanding the elements of high-quality outdoor environments and methods of engaging community members and stakeholders will support me to create environments that are individually, culturally, and developmentally appropriate.

By completing this course I have expanded my knowledge on nature-based early learning methods, including nature-based early learning research and theories used in various countries such as New Zealand, Denmark, and Australia and had opportunities to compare and critically analyze methods in Ontario, Canada, and around the globe. I feel comfortable using these methods in my practice to support high quality interactions and learning opportunities in outdoor environments that support academic, social, and ecological development and I am aware of existing and up-to-date resources to access for further information, including the new Canadian toolkit on risky play.

To further expand my knowledge I can further read information on forest and nature schools in Ontario and around the globe and existing resources on nature-based early learning, as well as advocate for a national policy on outdoor play.

Description of Professional Learning Activity

On December 2nd, 2019, I participated in a webinar titled, "The Greening of a School" by Dan Kunanec about implementing green environments and beginning gardening projects in school environments.

Documentation of Participation

Application of Professional Learning in my Practice

By completing the "Greening of a School" Webinar, I observed how simple or complex it can be for educators to implement gardens in their environments. What began as a simple gardening project grew at Dan Kunanec's high school to include a green house, aquaponics, and a full nursery. As the project grew, the school was presented with opportunities to build partnerships with restaurants to support farm to table practices, and opportunities to include more courses to build students skills such as hospitality, photography, and urban forestry. Creating a garden at Dan Kunanec's school is an example of how a garden project can support children's environmental identity, academic learning, and partnerships with community members.

By participating in this webinar and learning about the partnerships that can be created with a single project, I feel inspired to implement a small garden project with the children I work with while on placement to support their connections to the land, indigenous values/principles, and broader partnerships with community members and organizations. I hope to implement a garden project in the future with my placements in child care centres and/or school settings.

Completing this webinar relates to standard 2 and 3 of the Standards of Practice from the College of ECE's because it contributes to my knowledge of creating effective and meaningful curriculum that support children's holisitic development, and how to create environments that support children's physical and mental well-being and executive functioning skills including self-regulation which can be addressed through gardens as describe by Dan Kunanec. This webinar is an example of how gardens can support children's learning through nature.

Description of Professional Learning Activity

From September to October of 2019, I completed a placement on supporting nature-based early learning in early learning programs as part of the Bachelor's of Early Learning and Community Development program. Through this placement, I was tasked with taking on a consultant perspective and focusing on how nature-based early learning can be implemented into the daily routine of a local child care program in Ottawa.

Documentation of Participation

Application of Professional Learning in my Practice

Engaging in placement III and focusing on improving the nature-based early learning practices of a local child care center allowed me to learn about the practical side of implementing nature-based early learning and engaging families and community members in transforming practices. Engaging in this placement also allowed me to experience and reflect on the challenges of working as a team, developing a common goal, and overcoming setbacks and obstacles.

By engaging in this placement I completed a full literature review which expanded my knowledge on evidence-based research about nature-based early learning, the benefits of early learning, and methods of engaging families and educators to expand the nature-based early learning practices of a child care center. Reflecting on interactions and interviews with educators and input from families also allowed me to consider the challenge of overcoming negative attitudes about messy play and risky play. Through building relationships with staff members and families, I was able to educate stakeholders about the benefits of outdoor play and after completing some research, I learned the staff and families were most appreciative that research was shared with them and they could be knowledgeable about their current state in nature-based early learning and justify their responses. After experiencing the appreciation of having research shared with stakeholders, in the future I will remember to share research data with stakeholders as a best practice and to build community engagement and give stakeholders ownership over suggestions made about their program.

Description of Professional Learning Activity

In October of 2019, I completed a needs assessment for my placement agency, Bells Corners Cooperative Nursery School, about the needs of the program to incorporate nature-based early learning. The needs assessment was conducted in a research style with a literature review, methodology, and analysis of quantitative data. The results were then shared with the stakeholders (families and educators) through an infographic.

Documentation of Participation

Application of Professional Learning in my Practice

By completing research about the nature-based early learning practices and needs at my placement agency, I learned appropriate research practices that will help me conduct research in the future throughout my schooling as a student completing my Bachelor's in Early learning, including actively involving stakeholders throughout the research process, selecting appropriate methodologies, and partnering with stakeholders to make final decisions about the agency.

I am grateful for the opportunity to complete some research for my placement agency as a learning opportunity to know how to appropriately approach an agency as a consultant in the future. I learned that relationships continue to be a key element of my practice, even when I am not directly involved in the program and when I am acting as a third party support to the agency because the educators and families were much more comfortable sharing their attitudes about nature-based early learning and their goals after they were more familiar with who I was and how I could support them.

Reflection of my Learning

Throughout the year, I have kept nature-based early learning as a primary focus in my learning and curriculum planning to ensure I am able to provide children with a holistic developmental approach. As a continuing student, I have had the opportunity to extend my learning about the importance of nature based early learning through specialized courses about outdoor environments and creative online seminars about incorporating outdoor education into settings with children and students of all ages. I have succeeded in sharing the importance of nature based early learning with agencies and educators in the Ottawa area through my supply work, and particularly in one of my placements with Bells Corners Cooperative Nursery School where I worked in collaboration with the teaching team to expand nature-based early learning practices in their shared space environment. Through a comprehensive literature review and needs assessment, I was also able to share nature-based early learning resources with Ottawa educators to collaboratively inform our practice and decisions about enhancing nature-based early learning.

Throughout the year I did not continue advocating for nature-based early learning through my professional twitter and blog, however I was able to use my professional twitter to advocate for other needs in the community. I believe the use of twitter would not have been a strong method of sharing nature-based early learning resources and I was able to make a larger impact by sharing resources in person with colleagues and supervisors during my placement and supply work. In the upcoming year I may attempt to redirect my twitter account to focus on nature-based early learning, however I believe it has been more effective to share resources personally with peers and colleagues and I must consider how this can be continued as I move into a different role in the upcoming year.

In my next learning year I plan to continue collecting resources about the benefits of nature based early learning to share with peers and colleagues, however I have developed an interest in learning about the benefits of outdoor learning on mental health. I hope to learn more about nature-based early learning, mental health, and social/emotional development as well as continue partnering with supervisors during field placements and practicums to incorporate nature-based early learning with school-agers.