Ward, K. 2017 Econnection in Early Childhood Education-Synergies in Inquiry Arts Pedagogies and Experiential Nature Education
This research report is now available and combines the perspectives from early childhood educators, academics, artists and community sustainability practitioners around the world about their arts-based pedagogies and education for sustainability practice. Their perspectives form a the basis for a pedagogical tool for use in early childhood settings that include a series of Principles, Reflections for Econnection Pedagogies and Practices. This pedagogical tool was trialled in early childhood settings in Sydney Australia and in Lincoln Nebraska. The outcomes of the research highlight the important role of the arts in incorporating sustainability education into the early childhood program.
World Wander, my interactive, bilingual iBook has been awarded Bronze Medals in two categories at the International Elit Book Awards 2017. The categories are: Books for Children Under 7 and Environment/Ecology/Nature. Please tell your friends to check it out today. It’s available on the iBook store.
The New York Post article on tech addicted kids is a timely reminder that we need to be mindful of the essential role of relationships and engagement with the material world to support our children’s health and well-being. Kids need to engage with their peers, their families and their teachers to develop nuanced understandings of how the world works and their own place in it. This is not to say that devices like tablets and computers are not useful and/or educational, they can be when used in moderation and with a sense of purpose. However, according the article above, when they are the dominant influence on children’s time, there can be serious psychological, physical and emotional consequences.
The brain imaging and research reported on in the article shows that the brains of children who are addicted to their devices look like those of people who are addicted to drugs such as cocaine and heroin. The pre-frontal cortex, where the executive functions like impulse moderation and decision making, is the area affected. This can severely impact on the child’s capacity to engage in everyday interactions and relationships putting them at a considerable disadvantage in comprehending the ongoing learning processes that are involved in developing and maturing.
Children need time in the outdoors for physical health, emotional and psychological health and even for supporting cognitive development. Better still when this time is shared with friends and/or family members.
Today I have launched my first enhanced iBook for children: World Wanderer.Author Kumara Ward. Illustrated by Anne-Maree Althaus.
Now available for pre-order. Available 10 January.