Inquiry Based Learning with Dr Claire Warden

Today we're discussing summertime! It's often thought that spending summer outside is easy, but it can throw up its own challenges and that's what we're exploring tonight.

We look particularly at the impact the sun can have on us as we work outside. The rating of sunscreen, the importance of working in collaboration with families to make sure children are protected as well as trees and how they absorb harmful rays and create beautiful calm and cool places to work in during the day are also topics of discussion

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On the podcast this week we look at the balance of technology and the natural world. We exploring whether or not it is a conflict, a tension or a positive way forward.

Our discussion looks at the communities of practice we have created using technology in the Virtual Nature School, and how they have inspired children, families and practitioners to create a global community who are passionate about being outside with children.

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In this episode, we tackle the difficult issue of racism. We discuss the possibility of the impact that your racial identity or cultural beliefs have on your access to the natural world.

We have an amazing conversation in which we put ourselves in the position of practitioners who want to look at conscious or unconscious bias in the form of racism, sexism or ageism and it makes us understand that we have a long way to go.

It's so important that we are honest and can have these conversations.

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This week, we discuss social justice, particularly surrounding gender. We discuss what that even means when we're working with very young children, and whether or not we should even have a thought process that explores these issues at such an age.

We dig deeper into gender identity, think about social justice as well as how poverty has an effect on children's ability to enjoy the outdoors.

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In this episode, we think about the creative environment and how it moves beyond just the arts-based environment to that of creative thinking. We want to unpick the characteristics of an adult who can support that style of working in the early years.

We discuss the capacities we have within us as practitioners, whether it be listening, celebration, calmness or enthusiasm, all of these things make us people who can respond to and create an ethos of creative thinking.

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This week we continue our conversation looking at our favourite children's books that have a connection to the natural world. This time we discuss books about sustainability, diversity and the joy about the way we interpret the natural world.

In this episode we're treated to"Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack" by Lynley Dodd, "Diary of a worm" by Doreen Cronin, "The Last Tree" by Emily Haworth-Booth and finally "The Smeds and the Smoos" by Julia Donaldson.

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This week our conversation centres around our favourite children's books that have a connection to the natural world. We really want to look at books that have been published in multiple languages and dialects including those in Scots and Gaelic.

We've been able to understand the power of story and how we forget as adults to listen to stories and how we need to make sure that we take time to enjoy that experience.

In this episode we hear the stories of "The house of wee Mirren Mouse" by Caroline Kennedy, "There was a wee lassie who swallowed a midgie" by Rebecca Colby and Kate McLelland, "The Little Raindrop" by Joanna Gray and finish off with "The little mole who knew it was none of his business" by Werner Holzwarth in both English and Scots translation.

Tune in next week for more of our favourite stories.

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Today we're exploring the issue of communicating with parents and families of the children we work with.

We discuss the balance that needs to be found between digital and hardcopy communication with families and debate whether the world will become a visual communication system.

We begin to understand the power or words, relationships and the times we spend with speaking with parents at the gate and how those moments give us so much more than can go in an email.

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We're going to explore the idea of balance of ritual, routine and freedom by thinking about the place they have in the lives of children.

We question of role of structure and routine in early years. There's often the opinion that outdoor nurseries just run a muck in the forest and that children can do whatever they like. So we ask, what is the place of intent and structure in children's lives and should we give them up?

We discuss everything from group time, meal times and practical life experiences like simply putting on a coat.

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In this episode we start exploring maths in the moment. How can we put aside our apprehension around maths and embrace the moments we engage with when we're outside?

We start of by sharing our own memories, experiences and in some cases fears of mathematics when we were younger.

We go on to discuss how the teaching of maths has changed over the years, especially in primary school environments.

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