My Vision 3.0

because a vision needs to constantly evolve.

After attending the Nobel Week Dialogues in 2022 in Stockholm - listening to various Nobel laureates talk about “The Future of Life” - I thought it would be a good idea to share my “vision”. Because what became apparent during all the dialogues is that education is key in the future of life, as is storytelling - and that we need to change the narrative - so that we can collectively focus on where we want to go, rather than what we want to leave.

This is what I wrote then, and in Italics are reflections that I added a year ago - and this year you will recognise my reflections as I will write them in bold text

My Vision for Education

• To provide a space where children are empowered to learn, feel connected to the land and feel valued as citizens. And that we ensure that this applies to all children and not some children. I think it is important to consider that by space I mean place, time and permission, that by empowered I mean that children have both autonomy and agency, and I also think it is important to reflect on the word citizens, because these days despicible things are being done to people on the suspicion that they are not citizens, so I think I want to change this sentence to - education is a space where all children feel they have agency, they are able to experience play and learning autonomy and feel valued as fellow humans.
  

• To provide a space for educators to gain a deeper understanding of how play, learning and teaching are equal partners. This space should be physical, temporal, cognitive, social and emotional. It should be a part of their teacher training, ongoing professional development and thoroughly supported by school leaders and not just viewed as something appropriate for young children, but for the learning, evolving human of all ages. There also needs to be space for teachers to become play-literate, because without play literacy it will be harder to understand the equity between these three parts of education - play, learning and teaching.

• To provide an opportunity to create a pedagogical approach that can be accessible to all children globally and not reliant on expensive tuition fees. Play and learning are human rights. In light of ongoing atrocities, I feel the need to point out that while I still think we should be creating accessible approaches, I think it is vital to point out that no country or people should be actively attacking, destroying and weakening children’s access to education - either on their own people or on other peoples. There seems to be a normalised destruction of schools, playgrounds and children’s services both in conflict zones and non-conflict zones. While I am advocating for a move towards all children accessing suitable education to promote creativity, community, democracy, peace and justice - it seems blatantly obvious that there are too many (often old men) in power that are dismantling education, peace and justice and not just children’s rights, but many human rights. This means my vision includes the resistance to such globally destructive actions.

• To create a space that is sustainably viable and contributes to the well-being of biodiversity and the climate and avoids exacerbating already existing issues. This implies the way we build the educational buildings, design the curriculum, the materials and resources used to teach and facilitate learning and provide opportunities for play, as well as how we interact with the world around us. It also means teaching for peace and justice - because it is obvious that the current obsession with bombing countries, oil depots, schools, and poisoning farmlands is going to have devastating ecological consequences for the whole planet for a considerable time into the future, and not just while conflicts rage in a local area. The leaders of the world are currently failing future generations, and therefore we must teach differently to avoid egocentric, power hungry (mostly men) normalising violent, exploitive and harmful behaviour on a local and global scale.

Providing a space for children to feel empowered.

• The location has adequate land to be able to access nature. Or close enough to a natural area that the children/students can easily walk there. (Transport can/should be option for urban settings). Nature is not the opposite of urban, rural is. This means nature exists within urban areas, and that on a daily basis this nature might be extremely urban and not the green open or forested areas that most tend to associate with the word “nature”. I do, though, think it is important that in densely urban areas an effort is made for children access and explore a landscape that is natural rather than human made as often as possible as an investment in the well-being of children, but also in nature - as spaces that children connect with they will care about.

• The indoor space is inspired by nature. What I have learned is that air pollution and other issues are forcing children (and their adults) inside - it means we need to be designing spaces where children can access the play indoors that they would normally have accessed outdoors.

• Children and staff can explore natural resources in a non-exploitive way

• Resources are purchased with informed knowledge of how they are made and their environmental and social impact. Fewer, better quality products locally sourced over many cheap products where there is lots of transport, questionable labour ethics and the exploitation of nature (in the making of, or the recycling/disposing of)

Providing a space for educators to learn

• Educators learn about the Original Learning Approach and continue to deepen their understanding of how play, learning, teaching and understanding are interwoven. The Original Learning Approach is not a method, it is an opportunity to be curious about children, play, teaching, learning, understanding, children’s rights, human rights, the ecosystem and much more. To ask questions about the way we teach and design spaces - not to do something in a specific way, but to find the way that will serve the learning community best.

• Play workshops provide opportunities to learn practically and not just theoretically. I also think that these play workshops need guidance - so that it is never just theory or practice, but that there is a person/people that can support reflection. This is in part why I designed the playarista training.

• Observations are tools to be used not only to understand the children’s processes but also the adult interactions. Practising how to observe, reflect, analyse and plan is seen as an essential skill to hone. Reflecting about all of this with others is important so that we do not get sucked into our own hidden bias - this not only means individual humans, but also institutions and pedagogical methods and approaches - we need each other to gain the wisdom of complexity.

• Mistakes are a part of the learning process. Bravery and honesty are expected so that appropriate support and training can be offered for teachers and children to evolve as learners. I think the art of the play responsive educator is to provide spaces for children’s mistake making. We ensure that the mistakes are “lagom” not too big, not to insignificant, not too often or too seldom etc - risky play and teaching is found in safe enough mistake making.

• Reading. All educators are expected to read/listen articles, chapters and research (lectures, conferences, talks etc) as a part of their ongoing learning. Weekly drop-in dialogues provide space to discuss what has been read and how it could be applied practically. Educators are expected to attend at least one “drop-in dialogue” per month. This is a part of educators paid work. I definitely think getting educators, as part of their paid work, to talk about articles, podcasts and more is a vital step of re-awakening curiosity in those who seem to have lost its power and joy.

• Regular feedback from management/pedagogical leaders is essential to provide adequate support so educators can evolve at their own pace. Just as educators take on the three roles of teacher/facilitator/playworker with the children, leaders should also take on multiple roles in the guidance of the teachers and workers - leader/facilitator and instead of playworker the role of teacher-flow supporter (that leaders do not interfere when teachers and learners are in flow, and also learn from their leadership and facilitation what the teachers etc need to be able to enter a state of flow with their children )

• Any new resources/materials/loose parts are introduced to the teachers before they are used with the children, to ensure adults understand the multiple affordances. And that teachers are given the time to understand - this means we are aware that we are not pumping the teaching/learning/play ecosystem with lots of new things constantly that would be overwhelming for both children and adults. There is real careful intention behind every decision made when it comes to resources and approaches.

Providing opportunities to disseminate

• Information as to how the space is used is documented, so it can be shared. A part of the documentation process is collating information to share with others. Colleagues, parents, authorities, the local community and the children.

• Focussing on materials that can be easily replicated anywhere in the world is a priority. The aim is not to be a trend that makes a few people rich, but to be accessible and enable children to have autonomy. I actually think this is a real problem where trends, instead of real intentionality, are given more weight.

• Understanding cultural differences will mean that the approach, Original Learning, will look and behave differently depending on the location. What is important is the educators’ and leaders’ comprehension and respect for the relationships between play, learning, teaching and understanding. When this relationship is functioning there will develop a natural respect for childhood, a better sense of equity and also an increased status for ECE that will evolve safely. It is important that each location evolves in its own time frame so that it is sustainable and independent, not requiring external direction as it will be self-sustaining. School leaders should be supporting their educators so that the school/preschool is not dependent on a few individuals inspiring everyone else, and when/if those individuals leave all the processes disappear and the work of child empowerment, autonomy, agency, democracy and justice unravels. This should be a clear and important strategy not only of school leadership, but also each country’s education system.

• Reach-out will always be available as a part of the feedback and scaffolding of educators.

• The playarista certification is an attempt to share knowledge of how play is key in education and should not be seen as a break from the teaching. The aim is to support educators to be able to advocate for play in educational settings and to be able to disseminate relevant and meaningful information that can create positive change. The certification course is one year long and provides the time and the theory to start a play strategy. Those who complete this year can go on to a two year course where they will receive guided support of implementing the their play strategy. After these three years, a six month course on how to train others to be playaristas will be available, as a way for the concept to spread further by those who have practical and theoretical experience of being a playarista.

Creating a sustainable space

• The construction of the space should have as low negative environmental impact as possible. As possible is important - sustainability rests on three pillar - ecological, social and economic.

• The maintenance of the space should have as low negative environmental impact as possible. So not just thinking about the initial decisions and costs, but also costs and impacts over time.

• The use of the space should have as low negative environmental impact as possible.

• This requires an understanding of the local environment rather than a copy-paste approach of what works in one space is done in another. This will result in the spaces looking and being used in different ways from an environmental point of view, but will not affect the pedagogical approach of playing, learning, teaching and understanding interwoven as equals.

• Creating a local biodiversity book is a life-long project of the space and people using the space. This can help educators understand the flora and fauna of the space, become a teaching tool, as well as informing how to use the space that promotes biodiversity and how to avoid negative impacts. This is a way for the children, and adults, to feel connected to the land regardless of whether it is located in a densely urban area or a rural area - there will always be a biodiversity if we take the time to notice. Walking the land is a great way to do this, as adults, and also with the children. My son and I would count how many different species we could see on the walk to school every morning - we took photos, created flora and fauna info cards (mostly fauna with my son, flora with my daughter when she studied botany) - we gained a comprehensive understanding of the wildlife in the one daily walk of 10 minutes - not only about diversity, but also about how diversity changed with seasons, and how human actions affected our sightings etc etc. This is not a hard and time consuming thing to do - 10 minute walk every day for three years resulted in a LOT of data that could be analysed in many different ways, and presented in many different ways. This could easily be done on a school level.

Relationships are key

• The main focus is on the affectivity of the setting and not the effectivity. Creating joyful spaces where children and adults feel loved, accepted and valued. Taking the time to research more into Jools Page’s Professional Love and how that affects the way we work with others (not just young children).

• Striving for genuine social justice is the foundation. Equity is an ongoing process and something to continuously work towards. This requires constant dialogues about what is this, as well as work to create a sense of belonging.

• Creating safe and brave spaces is essential for every child and adult to dare to make mistakes and learn from them; to feel accepted and share their visions; to create a community of learners and a sense of belonging.

• Parents are integral to understanding the whole child. Parents, teachers and all adults with expertise in the well-being of children should collaborate - learning from each other in order to create a social network that acts as not only a safety net, but also as a springboard so every child can reach their potential.

Providing Time

• Slow down, look closely, listen deeply is a mantra for children, educators and administrators. Being unhurried - it is not about being slow, but slowing down from unnecessary and harmful stresses.

• There is a recognition that all children learn at their own pace and that sooner is not always better. This implies that levelling up by age is not the most appropriate. And that alternatively children “level up” according to when they are ready, making it possible for children to self motivate and learn intrinsically. Life-long learning and playing are being facilitated. This requires a deep understanding of play literacy - as this will support educators to understand self-motivation and how to design lessons that harness that power.

• There needs to be adequate time for play - for rest, for learning, for daring, for social interactions, physical health, social, emotional and cognitive well-being, and for the sake of play.

The Play-responsive Educator

• Educators and administrators are required to become play literate.

• Places of education and care are trauma-informed. So we never add to any childhood trauma experiences.

• All lessons and instruction are informed by the ten essential threads of Original Learning - wonder, curiosity, joy, knowledge, imagination, interaction, risk, time, reflection and listening.

I write and talk about risky play a lot. Much of it has to do with uncertainty - and as a species we are not that keen on uncertainty.

What I learned from listening to all the scientists back in 2022 is that in science there is a need to embrace uncertainty - there are many probabilities, but, when at the very edge of science, there are few certainties. Maybe this is a great gift of allowing children to engage in risky play - they get to conquer their fear of not being absolutely certain, and learning to regulate that fear.

What I picked up on that day was a need to change the education system so that we are teaching for uncertainty - for exploration and probabilities, for creativity, for connection and collaboration, of how to communicate and disseminate. To be open, curious, empathic, reflective, imaginative and daring. Seems so incredibly fitting that I am reflecting on this vision once more on the same day as publishing a podcast post about “Not Knowing Together”

Frances Arnold (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018) said “If you don’t know where you are going you might end up somewhere else”

Steven Ch (Nobel Prize in Physics 1997) replied “If you don’t change direction you might end up where you are heading.”

I think this very much relates to the podcast that I just shared where I talk about the teacher’s role about collective uncertainty - using the forest as a metaphor - we need to know the forest well before we enter it with our children, in order to keep them safe, to know where the fun and adventure is, how to inspire and to have knowledge to meet children’s fears and to guide them - we are also open to the fact that we do not know everything in that forest, there are new things that might arrive, changes that happen, stuff we have not noticed but the children do - and we let our “not knowing together” approach become that pedagogical strategy of self motivating collective learning - we know how to create a wonder from that one question or observation that fascinates all or most of the children… and together we find out more.

Since just before the start of the pandemic I have been walking in the forest to get to know the land, to learn from the trees - to lose myself. This has become a part of arboreal methodologies together with professor Jayne Osgood and also my process is shared in a blog of the same name where I have been collecting my art, poems and experiences in the forest. It has mostly been a private space (and therefore if you search for it you won’t find it - but is available to read if you have a link to take you there).

The whole purpose has been to try and slow down to not just follow the usual path so fast that I don’t notice that biodiversity - but to dare to get lost, to let go of my agenda, to not only notice but to also immerse myself as a part of the ecosystem.