Tinney, Glenda (2023) Nature, Ecology and Early Years Education. In: Rivers, Mountains, Sky and Sea. The Materiality of Spirit and Place. Sophia Centre Press, Ceredigion, pp. 45-60. ISBN 978-1-907767-15-9
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Abstract
As someone who trained and worked as an ecologist and now works as an early years’ lecturer I have often pondered how children and adults (including myself) have become disconnected from the natural cycles of the environments on which we depend. In recent discussions with colleagues interested in Harmony principles and the consequences for the wider sustainability crisis, I am increasingly drawn to consider the implications of this where supporting early childhood education and care are concerned. The focus provided by the notion of ‘Harmony’ on holism, interdisciplinary approaches, wellbeing and love has several parallels with the aims of early years’ policy and practice in Wales, as well as the wider international context. Recent new curriculum developments in Wales within the formally-maintained education sector also provide evidence of a focus on a more holistic approach to education and a central place for wellbeing, ethics and citizenship. The focus provided by the notion of Harmony as outlined by HRH The Prince of Wales, Tony Juniper and Ian Skelly suggests ‘“right action” cannot happen without “right thinking”’. In this chapter I want to consider the implications of ‘right thinking’ in the context of young children and the adults that support them in terms of encouraging learning from the non-human environment, a sense of place and connectedness to the world.
| Item Type: | Book Section |
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| Uncontrolled Keywords: | early years education, childhood, sustainable development, post humanism, ecocentric, outdoor learning, play, nature, |
| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GF Human ecology. Anthropogeography H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) L Education > L Education (General) |
| Divisions: | Institutes and Academies > Institute of Education and Humanities > Academic Discipline: Childhood, Youth and Education |
| Depositing User: | Glenda Tinney |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Jan 2024 11:03 |
| Last Modified: | 09 Jan 2024 16:56 |
| URI: | https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/2784 |
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