1. Shannon Funk Mount Royal University Nick Forsberg University of Regina PHE Canada National Conference Winnipeg, MB October, 2013

2. Welcome “We have yet to fully realize, or even adequately study, the enhancement of human capacities through the power of nature.” Louv, R. (2011)

3. “I like to play indoors better, ‘cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are.” Paul, a 4 th grader in San Diego Louv, R. (2008)

4. Session Overview I. (Re)capturing your youth–An ‘experience’ II. Solo and Solitude in the Out of Doors III. Creating and Nurturing an Understanding I. Health and Physical Education Curriculum: The Inter(relationship) of Self, Other and Environment II. Nature-Deficit Disorder: Thoughts of Richard Louv III. Outdoor Education: (A)gain IV. (Re)storying “Possibilities”-An ‘experience’ V. Reflection and Bridging – “So What?”

5. (Re)capturing your youth We live storied lives and we tell stories about our lives.” Nel Noddings An individual “experience” in the out-of-doors (Re)connecting to our lives as children through nature Sharing our story

6. Solo and Solitude What does it mean to be completely ‘unplugged’? Is this possible, today?

7. Article: Is Our Digital Lifestyle Turning Into A Kind Of Prison? Is Our Digital Lifestyle Turning Into A Kind Of Prison? http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/story-photos/is-our- digital-lifestyle-turning-into-a-kind-of-prison.html

8. Solo and Solitude “It is funny how many times I have looked at my watch – that’s not even there. I wish I would enjoy my time alone rather than wish it away.” (Journal Entries, 2005)“It’s raining and there is nothing left to do but sit and think... I’m afraid of what might come to mind.”

9. Why do I do this?... I do this for some reason that remains half-hidden from me, that keeps surprising me. I do it to burn up the dross that collects in my soul. I do it to burn up my forgetfulness and sloppy ways of living. I do it to remember simple gratitude. (Amidon, 2005, p. 240)

10. Find Solitude… Today Find a place that is ‘off the beaten path’ Take a note-pad, pen, jacket Return with an artifact Challenge: *Do not talk to anyone for the duration of your solo. *Be completely ‘unplugged’ for the duration of your solo.

11. Questions for Thought When was the last time you were completely alone? From your location, what do you see, smell, hear, feel, and taste? Close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths. What do you notice? Draw or write about something that comes to mind.

12. Welcome Back What was your solo like? Did you see/hear anyone? Did you like this? What did you notice? What did you draw or write about? What artifact did you return with?

13. Solo and Solitude: Background A Rich History: Vision Quests, Walkabouts, Bible Story, Monks Solitude as Punishment? “Go to your room!” School Suspensions, Jails, Outsiders Wilderness Solos used in Programs Implementation and facilitation When was the last time you were completely alone?

14. “I never heard anyone else the whole time.” (Brian) “I was pretty much given the gift of time on this solo... I think it allowed me to appreciate some of the smaller things around me.” (Erica) “I didn’t have to worry about anything.” (Sarah) I think it’s important for people to be able to gain a sense of self and figure out who they are... I think a solo, more solo experience would help work through that. So I’d like to help my students understand that....” (Jerry)

15. Aloneness = to be by oneself Vs. Loneliness = when aloneness takes on a negative connotation How do we get past loneliness?

16. Solo and Solitude: Why? Individual – personal and professional solo is about alone time and can be spent anywhere: A STATE OF MIND In education development of critical, objective, and reflexive thinkers In EOE program Facilitation, preparation, objectives/purpose

17. Solo and Solitude: Benefits “[Solo] caused the participants to be in amazement of the beauty surrounding them... the removal of most other human contact... caused participants to look inward and reflect on their lives... and their relationships with others...” (Bobilya, McAvoy, & Kalisch, 2005, p. 113) Personal… Societal… Environmental

18. “Solo time can provide awareness, understanding, and clarification of one’s place, purpose, and direction in life... sometimes in order to go inside ourselves, we need to go outside ourselves, we need to go inside to gather the strength and courage needed for the challenge.” (Knapp & Smith, 2005, p. vi)

19. “Spending time in nature, particularly in wilderness, can pose physical dangers, but rejecting nature because of those risks and discomforts is a greater gamble.” Louv, R. (2011)

20. Creating and Nurturing an Understanding Health and Physical Education Curriculum: The Inter(relationship) of Self, Other and Environment Current curricula - How does it provide for this opportunity? Goal of Relationships – Balance self through safe and respectful personal, social, cultural, and environmental interactions in a wide variety of movement activities. (www.edonline.sk.ca) Current Practice – What are we doing? Future Practice – What do we need to be doing? Why?

21. A Thought… “[T]he physical self is only part of the self. We must be concerned also with the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual self, and clearly these are not discrete. We separate and label them for convenience in discussion, but it may be a mistake to separate them sharply in curriculum.” Nel Noddings

22. Creating and Nurturing an Understanding Nature-Deficit Disorder: Thoughts of Richard Louv “By its broadest interpretation, nature-deficit disorder is an atrophied awareness, a diminished ability to find meaning in the life that surrounds us whatever form it takes.” The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature- Deficit Disorder Louv, R. (2011)

23. “Within the space of a few decades, the way children understand and experience nature has changed radically. The polarity of the relationship has reversed. Today, kids are aware of the global threats to the environment -- but their physical contact, their intimacy with nature, is fading.” Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder Louv, R. (2008)

24. “For a new generation, nature is more abstraction than reality. Increasingly, nature is something to watch, to consume, to wear -- to ignore.” Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder Louv, R. (2008)

25. “Nature-deficit disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses.” Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder Louv, R. (2008)

26. “The postmodern notion that reality is only a construct -- that we are what we program -- suggests limitless human possibilities; but as the young spend less and less of their lives in natural surroundings, their senses narrow, physiologically and psychologically, and this reduces the richness of human experience.” Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder Louv, R. (2008)

27. “Modern life narrows our senses until our focus is mostly visual, appropriate to about the dimension of a computer monitor or TV screen. By contrast, nature accentuates all the senses, and the senses are a child’s primal first line of self-defense.” Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder Louv, R. (2008)

28. “Reducing that deficit--healing the broken bond between our young and nature -- is in our self-interest, not only because aesthetics or justice demands it, but also because our mental, physical, and spiritual health depends upon it.” Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder Louv, R. (2008)

29. Creating and Nurturing an Understanding Outdoor Education: (A)gain A Thought to Ponder... We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we first started And know the place for the first time. T.S. Eliot

30. A Definition of Outdoor Education Outdoor Education may be defined as teaching / learning IN, ABOUT, and FOR the outdoors. Donaldson, G. (1958)

31. Education in the outdoors is self-explanatory, implying that learning occurs in a variety of outdoor settings. Education about the outdoors involves the development of understandings and appreciations about environmental phenomena, including our relationship to and interdependence with the physical universe. Education for the outdoors involves the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enable the learner to enrich their own life through the wise use of the outdoor environment. Lang, L. (1986)

32. Characteristics of Outdoor Education Interdisciplinary – Outdoor Education forces the issue of integration in the curriculum, to study and experience things in their total relationship – one thing to another. Multisensory – The most important resources students have to learn with are their senses. Good outdoor teaching will employ every applicable sense to the learning experience. Experiential Learning – It has been proven in educational research that we learn most through direct experience, we learn faster, the learnings are retained longer and the appreciation is greater. Unique Learning Environment – The beauty, mystery and power of the outdoors serves as a stimulation for questioning, examining and exploring in seeking to gain personal understanding and commitment. Lang, L. (1986)

33. Goals of Outdoor Education To contribute to the individual’s personal growth by developing a positive self-concept and self-respect, a realistic understanding of one’s capabilities and limitations, and a personal relationship with the physical environment. To enrich one’s quality of life through the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes related to the wise use of the outdoors for leisure pursuits, creative endeavors, and healthy life-styling. To promote a harmonious relationship with others through outdoor learning experiences which are designed to develop interpersonal skills, such as cooperation, sharing, trust, caring, and sensitivity toward and respect for the rights and needs of others. To serve as an integrating mechanism for the various components of outdoor education content, namely, outdoor activities, learning processes, and concepts and skills adapted from traditional disciplines. Lang, L. (1986)

34. Interdisciplinary Process-Oriented Curriculum Model for Outdoor Education (Lang, L. 1986)

35. (Re)storying “Possibilities” “To teach is to influence the influences. The teacher uses the influences of the world pedagogically as a resource for tactfully influencing the child.” Max van Manen A small group “experience” Use your ‘nature’ artifacts and the newsprint and markers Create an experience that fosters learning about the artifacts – be thinking about the Definition, Characteristics and Goals of Outdoor Education for teaching and learning Be prepared to share your small group story

36. Reflection and Bridging – “So What?” With “Possibilities” comes opportunities… “Start small, start smart, but at least start.” Don Hellison

37. A Concluding Thought... “As a species, we are most animated when our days and nights on Earth are touched by the natural world. We can find immeasurable joy in the birth of a child, a great work of art, or falling in love. But all of life is rooted in nature, and a separation from that wider world desensitizes and diminishes our bodies and spirits. Reconnecting to nature, nearby and far, opens new doors to health, creativity, and wonder. It is never too late.” The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature- Deficit Disorder Louv, R. (2011)

38. Richard Louv on Nature-Deficit Disorder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=972SgOmbUnM&f eature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=972SgOmbUnM&f eature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY6fBRKPZKg&fea ture=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY6fBRKPZKg&fea ture=related