What the Research Says
Place & Nature-Based Education
AIAO is rooted in place and nature-based practices. Learning in place - on the land and in the community - allows students to learn the BC curriculum through experiences and interactions with local mentors, leaders, and community members.
Nature-based education encourages students to learn about and from the natural world. At AIAO, we aim to foster our students' connection with the natural world so that they move forward with a deeper understanding and care for the lands they live on. Through experiential learning opportunities in nature, our students will become stewards of the land and form lasting, reciprocal relationships with the natural world.
Place & nature-based experiential educational practices allow for holistic learning and development within our students.
Battiste, M. (2010). Nourishing the Learning Spirit: Living Our Way To New Thinking.
In.Education Canada, 50 (1). Canadian Education Association (www.cea-ace.ca).
https://www.edcan.ca/wp-content/uploads/EdCan-2010-v50-n1-Battiste.pdf
Gruenewald, D. A. The Best of Both Worlds: A Critical Pedagogy of Place. Educational
Researcher, 32(4), 3-12. https://doi.org/3700002
http://faculty.washington.edu/joyann/EDLSP549Beadie_Williamson/gruenewald.pdf
Miller, J. P., & Cajete, G. (2019). The Holistic Curriculum. University of Toronto Press.
Selby, D. (2017). Education for Sustainable Development, nature and vernacular learning. Center
for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 7(1), 9–27. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.10
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1137835.pdf
Constructivist Learning & Experiential Education
At AIAO, we implement a constructivist approach to our program. Our students are seen as active participants in their learning and co-creators of their growth and understanding. We engage in experiential educational practices wherein educators and students are engaging in learning opportunities together. Through shared experience and intentional reflection, our learners develop skills related to the core competencies, personal values, and deepen their knowledge base.
Forming knowledge: Constructivist learning and experiential education. R DeLay. Journal of Experiential Education 19 (2), 76-81, 1996.