Translated from 明月
LEiN Graduate (China)
2021-05-29
On March 25, 2020, the effective learning course in nature started. Time passed in a hurry. During the 12 months of follow-up study, I felt the concept and practice of early childhood education from the United Kingdom every week, and cooperated with Dr. Huan Chen’s grace. I discovered that swimming in the ocean of knowledge is really the most wonderful learning journey in my life, and at the same time I felt the charm of effective learning in nature. Looking back on one year of study, when the course is about to end, I have many feelings that flood my heart.
Firstly I must say thanks to the advanced science and technology of the era, and thanks to the developed network support, for this is how we were able to gather in the cloud to carry out this Effective Learning across time and space. In the online group, we can feel the presentation of education reforms from the comforts of our homes.
I am so proud of my hard work and commitment the past year. President Xi said: "Happiness is the result of hard work". During the year, I spend 3 hours studying every week. I basically wrote about 2,000 words for each reflection. I explored the concepts that contribute to effective learning an teaching in nature. The practice is compared with some related content in China, combined with the content of some books that I have read before, combined with theory and practice, all growing through reflection, improving the understanding of the theory and practice of effective learning in nature. This aspect will continue to be carried out in the future, through in-depth research, used to guide further reform of preschool education.
Thanks to EYIA; Laura, Dr. Huan Chen and all the international speakers and my classmates. The principal of Stone Hen Laura, demonstrates a true love for nature, for early childhood education, and love for children. This sense of responsibility and broad vision is worth learning from. Dr. Huan Chen is conscientious, truth-seeking and a pragmatic spirit, although every weekly session takes half an hour, I think she will have had to spend a few hours behind the scenes, making beautiful PPT, translating beautiful text, and creating extensive knowledge explanations, all of which can strengthen our effective teaching and learning in nature.
The understanding of learning, and the classmates discussing related issues in the group, sharing pictures and videos, also opened our horizons, and let me see that our domestic preschool education sector is changing. Education knows no borders. Within the Chinese preschool, the development of education is inseparable from the efforts of front-line kindergarten teachers, college teachers and colleagues in society who are keen on preschool education. I hope to participate in more such training in the future, and I hope that some top scholars in China will contribute to the development of preschool education. If they are able to participate in this training experience, it would only take a single spark that can start a prairie fire. Although there are only 600 people who follow in this class, I think this experience will be like a seed, sowed on the ground of China. In this upcoming spring season, they will ignite the fire of our Chinese preschool education and bring the Stone Hen vision of nature to life. Effective learning for localization, sowing the values in early childhood education and attaching importance to the cultivation of global citizenship.
Throughout the whole year of learning, we can see Laura's fraternity and use of various resources in life and nature to promote children's effective learning, especially supporting and developing the emotional environment and emotional intelligence of both teachers and children . In terms of emotional selfcare, we can take advantage of the little things in life, such as the storm in nature, the boy frightened by the lawn mower, the ladybug flying away, etc. When the children’s emotions are affected, we should reconsider how we use natural materials to develop play or cultivate experiences in life to increase children's ability to regulate emotions. This is worth learning.
The concept of multiculturalism runs through the teaching throughout the year, such as Tai Chi, Chinese New Year, Seasonal Solstice and Equinox, Chinese Dragon, Indian Culture, Dragon Boat, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Danish Hygge Moments, etc., in these specific situations, children are learning through a continuation of cycles and repeatedly finding connections to other cultures and communities across the world, this is very inspiring for us.
President Xi proposed a community with a shared future for mankind. The earth belongs to everyone. The destruction of the environment not only affects us personally, but also affects people in other parts of the world. This is the butterfly effect. Therefore, in terms of environmental protection, every country and every citizen has an obligation, and we cannot be alone. In the early childhood stage, we must cultivate children’s awareness of a community with a shared future for mankind; at the same time, we must also cultivate children’s awareness of a community of human destiny--
On March 5, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping participated in the Inner Mongolia delegation to the Fourth Session of the 13th National People’s Congress During the deliberations; it was emphasized that “cultural identity is the deepest level of identity, the root of national unity and the soul of national harmony”, to increase national cohesion and allow our children to establish a sense of national community from an early age. This is based on our traditional cultural education. In the beginning, excellent traditional culture is the root and soul of our nation. Valued guidance must start from the children. They are the foundation of whether China will be strong in the future and the realization of the Chinese dream.
Among the domestic kindergarten, festival cultural education, is usually carried out in the form of eating, and there is not much spiritual guidance. I can see the teachers who follow this class are changing. In the group, I can see that the teachers have carried out different experiences of the thrilling solar cycles: exploring different cultural traditions and folk law in and outside of China, hiking and exploring and showing gratitude to the landscapes.
This training has a deep emphasis on play and the process of cultivating natural growth; Hu Yiqingjia put forward in his books "Human: Gamer: Human is a player" and "Civilization is produced and developed in and as a game" both are two amazing reads. In conclusion, real and pure games are one of the main foundations of civilization. Once a person starts a game, the play is retained as a new spiritual creation, that is, it becomes a treasure stored in memory, it is spread, and it forms a tradition.
In one session Laura said "Can all animals swim? Can tigers and giraffes swim? I'm not sure, but they will be in the story we are immersed in today ---", the learning process, in the initial stage is produced by the play and imagination. Give children more time to play freely, let them be exposed to nature, in a slow-paced life, let children live in the world of play, and through the guidance of adults, let children socialize in the play and as the play leader, -let children participate in experiences built upon their own interests, instil human knowledge, and don't urge them to grow up quickly.
I hope that in the future development of preschool education in China, the majority of professionals and parents can change their view that play is useless, attach an importance to children's games, play with their children in nature, and return to the foundation of children's learning and development: learning through play.
-明月
Early Years International Association
www.earlyyearsinternational.com