laurie

We share a very similar philosophy! Modelling is so very important, especially for some of our students who are averse to risk-taking (don't want to appear stupid, too shy to ask questions, don't want to 'be wrong', etc.) When the teacher doesn't know the answer, or if the teacher gets it 'wrong', then the world of inquiry becomes safer and more alluring. Self-guided small group study is also highly motivating for them, isn't it? Much higher yield comes out of internally motivated students who are searching for answers. And they get to experience the ever-growing list of questions that comes with study- the answer to one question generates many more questions!

1) Provide time for their own observations/interactions/processing/thinking before planting/leading/modelling questions. By allowing open-ended and repetitive opportunities for observation/interaction, students are able to explore and consider their understandings of the object of their focus. 2) Allow tangential thinking. Sometimes students become distracted from the subject we are trying to "teach". For example, if we are introducing students to feeder bird identification but they are more interested in the plants that are growing beneath the feeder, allow them opportunities to explore that. Some great lines of inquiry could be generated by the student and still fall within the parameters of the curriculum. 3) Provide students with nature journals, writing/art supplies, tablets, cameras, etc. Documentation of their observations in the field lets them revisit the images later for detailed study and sharing and discussion. These discussions may result in comparing and contrasting species and generating whole new lines of inquiry. 4) Outdoor Field-guides/Apps. Reference materials and media= info at our fingertips. Learning how to quickly identify (answer the "what is that?" type questions) develops strong referencing skills to find information quickly which leaves more time for deeper, probing lines of observation & questioning. 5) Pre-field visit brainstorming. Before we head out we can brainstorm what we might see/encounter and the probability of doing so and the reasons for that probability. For example, if it is a cool overcast rainy day, there may be many earthworms out. If the earthworms are out, what birds might we see? Considering the weather, location and time of year, students can hypothesize about the flora/fauna in their environs and predict some of the behaviours/stages of life-cycle they may find. A short brainstorming sessions gets the synapses firing and intellectual curiosity primed before we head out. 6) Model our own curiosity and LACK of knowledge. Don't be afraid of not knowing the answer. Be curious along with your students and celebrate the facts and discoveries you make together. Model making mistakes re: identification. Model trying/failing/trying again with a sense of wonder. Demonstrate a sense of bewilderment and curiosity when experiment results do not support your hypothesis. Show how more discovery is made when things do not go as planned- generate a whole new batch of questions and show persistence to redesign and redo experiments to gather more data.  (Photo used with parental permission). Two of my mini-mycolgists. These two guys pilfered through my outdoor field-guide books on their own accord and found my mushroom guides. They told me they wanted to go on a mushroom hunt. After a quick safety reminder, off they went with their books. They are grade one pre-readers who used the photos for reference. Ontario's Science curriculum strand "Life Sciences" for grade one focuses on the "characteristics of living things" and the requirements of flora/fauna to maintain life. They met all of the curriculum requirements of that strand by exploring and questioning on their own followed by shared discussion and me reading the entries of their guidebooks that matched the pictures they found. Together, we picked a shaggy cap mushroom for closer study. This generated many more questions, especially when the "inky goo" began to seep from the mushroom cap!

Jessica... I also had a day indoors with my cacti. I started a little terrarium a couple months ago. My cacti are growing like crazy. I thought they were supposed to be dormant during the winter months! Indoor plants have certainly made nature journalling easier for those of us who live in colder climes. Hands get too cold, even with gloves, and our fingers stiffen quickly that our sketches would quickly become abstract and field notes would be cryptic! Besides, as you mentioned above, there is so much we don't see on a day-t0-day basis and this is a wonderful opportunity to develop newly appreciate the life within our four walls while we build observation skills. Cheers! Laurie

During a recent wandering at the downtown waterfront in my hometown, I noticed how the snow at the base of trees, deciduous and coniferous, melts in a ring around the base. Why? I thought that perhaps the tree itself, being alive, would exude some heat (however minor). So I looked at manmade/non-organic objects but they too often had a ring at the base so that can't be the reason (or at least not the whole reason). What about solar energy heating the bark? A drip line from the tree's branches perhaps as I noticed that evergreens had larger rings around them than their deciduous counterparts. But that could also be from reduced snow that falls at the base due to the tree's canopy? Time to do some research.

3 degrees F/-16 C on a sunny day. Not a bird to be seen or heard. Even the squirrels are staying at home. Sat for an hour in my dining window looking down and not one glimpse of wildlife to be seen. Normally this sit spot (my favourite place in my little apartment downtown) is full of activity, especially the antics of the squirrels- leaping, caching, chirping their warnings at me and at each other. Today all is quiet. I struggle with tree branches... I just "fake 'em". 

You know, my favourite part of this photo isn't your skill, your dedication to capturing the light/shadow at various times, your use of shading/value/chiaroscuro on your beautiful little leaf...  No, my favourite part is capturing all of this at your dining table while your child enjoys a tea party. You have, perhaps unintentionally, provided her with a model of what life-long learning looks like. Modelling the learning of something new, the ability to 'play' with new skills as they develop. You are also modelling a love of the natural world and a sense of wonder and appreciation of the "mundane" leaf or a simple apple as well. For your course-mates, you are also modelling for us the essential need to carve out time for ourselves in our all-too-often busy lives; you are balancing motherhood with something just as important- your own beautiful self. Thanks for this lovely photo.

We have now begun our eBird program in our Kindergarten class. It has been revolutionary! The young ones are so astute at adopting apps and using them appropriately (with supervision so no data is input that cannot be amended!). The kids have quickly learned to use Merlin Bird ID and eBird apps. The challenges are technical... no data plans in the field mean we either a) use our own phone data to connect to the apps or b) remain in areas very close to the school in order to pick up a wifi signal. To make matters worse, our school-owned/school-managed iPads must be signed in and out making impromptu use difficult. To get around this, we use my personal iPad, my personal phone and we share ONE iPad that has been provided to the class for the year for the purposes of pedagogical documentation. This is the reality of underfunded tech in the world's public schools- lots of PD about 21st Century Learning without the equipment! In addition to the lack of school-provided tech is the bureaucratic red tape needed to download the apps, especially if there are any in-app purchases. Only members of our school's IT department (of one member) have permission to download apps onto Ministry provided tech. To do so, we have to provide a written rationale why these apps are needed, submit a work ticket, and wait our turn in queue. This means increased dependency on personal tech if we want to go ahead with our plans while we wait for apps to be approved and added. It also means potential money out of pocket as we purchase apps for our own phones/tablets. Learning Outcomes commensurate with the Four Frames of the Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum (Canadian)*:  Demonstrating Literacy and Mathematics Behaviours

• Demonstrate an awareness of the natural environment through hands-on investigations, observations, questions, and representations of their findings
• Demonstrate an understanding of numbers, using concrete materials to explore and investigate counting, quantity, and number relationships
• Measure and compare objects (birds, etc) size/length, speed, etc. through inquiry and play-based learning
• Apply mathematical processes to support the development of mathematical thinking; to demonstrate understanding , and to communicate thinking and learning in mathematics, while engaged in inquiry (counting, estimating, sorting/grouping, measuring, data management)

Problem-Solving and Innovation

• Demonstrate an ability to use problem-solving skills in a variety of contexts
• Demonstrate literacy behaviours that enable beginning writers to communicate with others
• Use the processes and skills of an inquiry stance that includes questioning, planning, predicting, observing, and communicating.
• Use technological problem-solving skills in the process of their inquiries.

Belonging and Contributing

• Demonstrate a sense of identity and positive self-image "I'm a scientist!" "I'm a biologist!" "I'm an ornithologist!"
• Demonstrate an awareness of their surroundings
• Demonstrate an understanding of the natural world and need to care for and respect the environment

Self-Regulation and Well-Being

• Demonstrate independence, self-regulation, and a willingness to take responsibility in learning and other endeavours (self-reliance, willingness to try new experiences and adapt to new situations, self-motivation, initiative, confidence, and self-control)

*The above overall expectations are further defined through specific expectations under each of these bullets above. For more information on the Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum you can go to www.edu.gov.on.ca/kindergarten/

Hello Karen. Yes, this pandemic has certainly impacted our daily lives and our social interactions. I noted this in my comment above. Instead of focusing on the obvious negative aspects of a global pandemic, we can choose to use the opportunity to reconnect with nature (and ourselves?) in a new way through nature journalling. I've also always loved botanical illustrations. I may never be able to emulate the artists who work at that calibre, but I don't need to. That's their fabulous role in this life. I am happy to fuddle-duddle my way through my new journal just to gift myself with some "down time" that is solely for me.

I teach very young students (JK/SK 3-6 years), all of whom are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing. Some of my students have very (VERY!) short attention spans due to a multitude of factors. Observation skills and their "attention for detail" are at an early stage of development. I notice that their attention span becomes significantly lengthened when the have an "Observation Tool".  I use a few tools and strategies to foster observation and wonder by linking observations to their senses. A Basket of Senses (I have a picnic basket full of sensory-stimulating tools to use in class and in the field) 1) Visual aids. My students will look longer and more carefully when they use tools to focus and magnify objects. The basket includes: binoculars, magnifying glasses, a loupe, a "bug" container, a pen light or flashlight, a fully charged iPad for children to take photos and videos, and their "field journals" for their illustrations. We may make a pair of toilet paper roll binoculars or a paper towel roll telescope at our Creation Station for outdoor observation. The power of imagination is strong and our toilet paper rolls work magic! 2) Hearing aids. Literally. We offer students the choice to wear hearing aids or cochlear implants for those who use them. We keep ziplock bags on us outside if students choose to remove their aids/implants. Loud environmental noise, blowing wind, rain or snow may make hearing aids/cochlear implants uncomfortable to use and/or cause the aid to malfunction. 3) Touch Tubes. Pringle cans with a toe-less knee sock glued to its opening. The can is wrapped with construction paper decorated with illustrations and adjectives that describe texture and temperature (sharp, wet, cold, fuzzy, hard, sticky, etc). Students take turns finding a special item, placing it in the can and their classmates feel the object, describe it and guess what it is. 4) Sniffy Cups. Collection of small film canisters, each with a cotton ball inside, that can be used to absorb scent and cushion a delicate item. Canister lids have small pin-prick holes to allow scents to be sniffed, described and identified. Lavender, mint, sage, chives, and other herbs from the Learning Garden are good examples of things that might be placed in our Sniffy Cups. 5) Blindfold Taste Test. A kerchief to use as a blindfold and a partitioned container to hold different foods (or different variety of the same food eg. apples). Students are blindfolded and take turns tasting items, describing and identifying foods. Students share their opinions on likes/dislikes and their "favourites". A hand-held, laminated (reusable) "My 5 Senses" pocketbook can be used with wet-erase markers for age-appropriate data-collection to help students record and recount their experiences to their teachers and/or their peers. Activating the senses and linking them with experiences, expands vocabulary and communication skills while also building background knowledge of their own senses and how their bodies work/interact with a wide variety of items.

Sound map with compass rose and informal legend. Front stoop of my apartment building was my vantage point. Personal impact: Sad realization that there is a lot of construction noise in my small town which drowns out the sounds of nature. Happy realization that there is some wonderful native bird species that are making their homes in the centre of the city and grateful for the sound buffer created by the maples and locust trees that surround my home. Professional impact: Sound mapping provides a challenge for my students, all of whom are Deaf or hard-of-hearing. My first thought was that this activity is not accessible to my students but I revisited my bias and determined that I would like to introduce my students to sound mapping in the fall to create at least one sound map per season during the 2020-2021 school year. This would be done as a fully guided group project on a large piece of chart paper. Some students will hear many more sounds that others. Students would also be encouraged to look for movement within the environment and predict if it makes sounds and what type of sound it would make. We would watch for animal mouths/beaks opening and shutting. Are the animals making sounds? or just breathing? or eating? how do we know? If the animals are making sounds, why? What are they trying to communicate? In class extension would take place by watching videos of the animals we observe on our school ground. We would slow the video down to carefully watch the mouth/beak movement and patterns. We could also watch sound waves through the app "Spectrum View" on our iPads when in the field.