Unfortunately I was sick this week, and was not able to make it to class. However, after going through the slides, I was able to get a glimpse of what we did. I am upset, I missed a walk in Finnerty Gardens, especially on such a sunny day. I do believe that Outdoor Education is important. Students spend so long looking at screen everyday, and it is important for them to get outside. Outdoor Education also aligns with the first First Peoples Principles of Learning: Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors. I think being outside allows you to connect with the land, which can further connect you to the community and ancestors. For me, I find being outdoors very peaceful. I love being able to take everything in and notice the beauty in the simple things. I think that a great activity for elementary students could be to go on a walk, someplace like Finnerty Gardens and get students to pick 10 things they noticed or found pretty surrounding them. I often find myself walking quickly to get to class with my head down listening to music, so this reminded me to keep my head up, listen to the nature, and take it all in. I think that this week’s content aligns very closely to my Inquiry project: hiking. Hiking has really been helping with my wellness as the nature makes me feel so happy and calm, which is exactly the message I was getting from this week’s material.
