Sharing Nature Foundation - Flow Learning™

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Flow Learning™

Flow Learning™ is a simple, yet subtle and powerful system of teaching based on universal principles of awareness and how people learn. It gently guides people, step by step, to deeper, more profound experiences of nature. Flow Learning™ also is very adaptable and can be used to teach any subject matter. Its goal is to give students intuitive as well as an intellectual understanding. It has four stages: Awaken Enthusiasm, Focus Attention, Direct Experience, and Share Inspiration. Please see the Flow Learning Chart below to view the benefits each stage offers.

You may also want to read the short article on Nature, Intuition, and the Oneness of Life by Joseph Cornell. Click Nature Activities to see examples of nature games for each of the four stages of Flow Learning.

"One is immediately impressed by the intelligent logic of the conceptual framework of Flow Learning. It is incisive; it is dynamic; it works."

-Dr. Peter Corcoran
Past President, North American
Association of Environmental Education

MORE ABOUT FLOW LEARNING:

"Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I can move the world." When Archimedes said this he was emphasizing the power of the lever. Simple tools can be some of the most effective. Flow Learning is one such tool for us as educators.

1. Awaken Enthusiasm - Children learn if the subject matter is meaningful, useful, fun, or in some way engages their emotions. Time spent in creating an atmosphere of curiosity, amusement, or personal interest is invaluable because once students' enthusiasm is engaged, their energy can be focused on the upcoming lesson or experience.

2. Focus Attention - Some students' minds can be compared to a team of wild horses running out of control. Without concentration no true learning can take place. The activities in this stage challenge the players in fun and creative ways. To successfully meet these "challenges" the players have to concentrate on one of their physical senses. In doing so, they become more calm, observant and receptive to their surroundings.

3. Direct Experience - Once students' interest and energy is awakened and focused, the stage is set for deeply experiencing nature. These absorbing, experiential activities have a dramatic impact that involves people directly with nature. These games help us discover a deep, inner sense of belonging and understanding. If people are to develop a love and concern for the earth, they need these direct experiences; otherwise, their knowing remains remote and theoretical and never touches them deeply.

4. Share Inspiration - This stage provides an interesting way for students to reflect together on what they have learned. In our fast-paced world, students and teachers alike often rush from one activity to another. Yet taking the time to reflect upon an experience can strengthen and deepen that experience. It need not take long. It can be as simple as responding to a few questions, writing a journal entry, or drawing a picture. Goethe said, "A joy shared is a joy doubled." Giving students the opportunity to share their experience increases the learning for the entire class. Sharing also brings everyone together and creates an uplifting atmosphere, making it much easier for the teacher to share inspirational ideas and stories.

FLOW LEARNING CHART

Stage 1

Purpose
Awaken Enthusiasm
Quality
Playfulness & Alertness

Benefits

Builds on children's love of play
Creates an atmosphere of enthusiasm
A dynamic beginning gets everyone saying "Yes!"
Develops full alertness, overcomes passivity
Creates involvement
Gets attention (minimizes discipline problems)
Develops rapport with the leader
Creates good group dynamics
Provides direction and structure
Prepares for later, more sensitive activities

Stage 2

Purpose
Focus Attention
Quality
Receptivity

Benefits

Increases attention span
Deepens awareness by focusing attention
Positively channels enthusiasm generated in Stage 1
Develops observational skills
Calms the mind
Develops receptivity for more sensitive nature experiences

Stage 3

Purpose
Direct Experience
Quality
Absorption

Benefits

People learn best by personal discovery
Gives direct, experiential, intuitive understanding
Fosters wonder, empathy and love
Develops personal commitment to ecological ideals

Stage 4

Purpose
Share Inspiration
Quality
Idealism

Benefits

Clarifies and strengthens personal experiences
Builds on uplifted mood
Introduces inspiring role models
Creates group bonding
Increases learning for everyone
Provides feedback for the leader
Leader can share inspiration with a receptive audience

From Sharing Nature with Children II, formerly Sharing the Joy of Nature (c) 1989 Joseph Cornell

Nature, Intuition, and the Oneness of Life
by Joseph Cornell

A teacher in the Southwest told me he once asked the children in his class to draw a picture of themselves. "The American children," he said, "completely covered the paper with a drawing of their body. My Navajo Indian students, however, drew themselves quite differently. Making their bodies much smaller, they also included in their drawings the nearby mountains, canyon walls, and dry, desert washes. Because to the Navajo, the environment is just as much a part of who they are as are their own arms and legs."

The understanding that we are a part of something larger than ourselves, is, I feel, Nature's greatest gift. With it, one's sense of identity expands and, by extension, so does his or her concern for the well being of all. True caring for the environment comes, as Lao Tsu said, "when you love the world as your own self." Whenever we, as nature leaders, point out a bird or flower, aren't we ultimately hoping to encourage this type of loving respect?

In Western culture, especially, people often confuse knowledge with wisdom, and think that if we learn enough, then we'll care enough. But knowing what we ought to do, and doing it are two different things. Tanaka Shozo, the pioneering Japanese conservationist, said, "The care of rivers is not a question of rivers, but of the human heart." For love is the greatest stimulant to the will.

Of course a balance of reason and feeling is needed for understanding nature. The forte of science is explaining how nature works so we can, for example, restore damaged ecosystems and understand the consequences of certain types of behavior. Science is very practical and helps us work creatively with nature.

While science explains nature to us, it is only our intuition, or calm feeling, that can perceive it. When Albert Einstein discovered the law of relativity, it was in a flash of intuitive insight. Only many years later was he able to reason it out scientifically. Einstein said also that every scientist, to be great, must have a mystical awe of the universe. In other words, be someone of deep feeling and reverence. Science, if it is to be more than mundane, needs to be accompanied by and inspired by deep intuitive feeling. Intuition has been described as the knowledge of the soul because through it, we experience our unity and harmony with the totality of life.

All the nature games and activities I've written help children and adults gain greater intuitive as well as scientific understanding of nature. The Flow Learning system we use to teach the activities makes this approach very practical, because it works with people where they are, and step by step, gently brings them to a deeper, more profound experience of nature. For example, the first stage of Flow Learning-Awaken Enthusiasm-uses playful games to get the children excited and motivated to learn. A stationary car is hard to steer, but once it's moving, it's quite easy to guide the car where you want it to go. It is the same for children or adults: once you get them enthusiastic, it's easier to guide them. The Flow Learning progression leads naturally to its later stages and the intuitive realization of our connection to everything around us.

Man is not himself only . . .
He is all that he sees;
all that flows to him from a
thousand sources. . . .
He is the land, the life of its
mountain lines, the reach of its valleys.

-Mary Austin

If you would like to know more about Flow Learning, please see the book by Joseph Cornell called, Sharing the Joy of Nature. If you are a classroom teacher, you'll enjoy using the Sharing Nature Teacher Guides, by Bruce and Carol Malnor. This series has many excellent lesson plans for incorporating Flow Learning in the classroom.

Click Nature Activities to see examples of games for each of the four stages of Flow Learning; or Programs, if you want to find out about our workshops and conferences where you can experience Flow Learning in action.

| Flow Learning™ | Nature Activities | Programs | Calendar of Events |
| Sharing Nature Worldwide | Country Coordinators | Joseph Cornell |
| Books and Resources | Connections and More Information | Mailing List |

Sharing Nature Foundation
14618 Tyler Foote Rd.
Nevada City, CA 95959
530-478-7650
e-mail: info@sharingnature.com

			Home Flow Learning ™ Nature Activities Programs Calendar of Events Sharing Nature Worldwide Country Coordinators Joseph Cornell Books and Resources Connections and More Information
	Flow Learning™
	Flow Learning™ is a simple, yet subtle and powerful system of teaching based on universal principles of awareness and how people learn. It gently guides people, step by step, to deeper, more profound experiences of nature. Flow Learning™ also is very adaptable and can be used to teach any subject matter. Its goal is to give students intuitive as well as an intellectual understanding. It has four stages: Awaken Enthusiasm, Focus Attention, Direct Experience, and Share Inspiration. Please see the Flow Learning Chart below to view the benefits each stage offers. You may also want to read the short article on Nature, Intuition, and the Oneness of Life by Joseph Cornell. Click Nature Activities to see examples of nature games for each of the four stages of Flow Learning.
	"One is immediately impressed by the intelligent logic of the conceptual framework of Flow Learning. It is incisive; it is dynamic; it works." -Dr. Peter Corcoran Past President, North American Association of Environmental Education
	MORE ABOUT FLOW LEARNING:
	"Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I can move the world." When Archimedes said this he was emphasizing the power of the lever. Simple tools can be some of the most effective. Flow Learning is one such tool for us as educators. 1. Awaken Enthusiasm - Children learn if the subject matter is meaningful, useful, fun, or in some way engages their emotions. Time spent in creating an atmosphere of curiosity, amusement, or personal interest is invaluable because once students' enthusiasm is engaged, their energy can be focused on the upcoming lesson or experience. 2. Focus Attention - Some students' minds can be compared to a team of wild horses running out of control. Without concentration no true learning can take place. The activities in this stage challenge the players in fun and creative ways. To successfully meet these "challenges" the players have to concentrate on one of their physical senses. In doing so, they become more calm, observant and receptive to their surroundings. 3. Direct Experience - Once students' interest and energy is awakened and focused, the stage is set for deeply experiencing nature. These absorbing, experiential activities have a dramatic impact that involves people directly with nature. These games help us discover a deep, inner sense of belonging and understanding. If people are to develop a love and concern for the earth, they need these direct experiences; otherwise, their knowing remains remote and theoretical and never touches them deeply. 4. Share Inspiration - This stage provides an interesting way for students to reflect together on what they have learned. In our fast-paced world, students and teachers alike often rush from one activity to another. Yet taking the time to reflect upon an experience can strengthen and deepen that experience. It need not take long. It can be as simple as responding to a few questions, writing a journal entry, or drawing a picture. Goethe said, "A joy shared is a joy doubled." Giving students the opportunity to share their experience increases the learning for the entire class. Sharing also brings everyone together and creates an uplifting atmosphere, making it much easier for the teacher to share inspirational ideas and stories.
	FLOW LEARNING CHART
	Stage 1 Purpose Awaken Enthusiasm Quality Playfulness & Alertness Benefits Builds on children's love of play Creates an atmosphere of enthusiasm A dynamic beginning gets everyone saying "Yes!" Develops full alertness, overcomes passivity Creates involvement Gets attention (minimizes discipline problems) Develops rapport with the leader Creates good group dynamics Provides direction and structure Prepares for later, more sensitive activities
	Stage 2 Purpose Focus Attention Quality Receptivity Benefits Increases attention span Deepens awareness by focusing attention Positively channels enthusiasm generated in Stage 1 Develops observational skills Calms the mind Develops receptivity for more sensitive nature experiences
	Stage 3 Purpose Direct Experience Quality Absorption Benefits People learn best by personal discovery Gives direct, experiential, intuitive understanding Fosters wonder, empathy and love Develops personal commitment to ecological ideals
	Stage 4 Purpose Share Inspiration Quality Idealism Benefits Clarifies and strengthens personal experiences Builds on uplifted mood Introduces inspiring role models Creates group bonding Increases learning for everyone Provides feedback for the leader Leader can share inspiration with a receptive audience
	From Sharing Nature with Children II, formerly Sharing the Joy of Nature (c) 1989 Joseph Cornell

	Nature, Intuition, and the Oneness of Life by Joseph Cornell
	A teacher in the Southwest told me he once asked the children in his class to draw a picture of themselves. "The American children," he said, "completely covered the paper with a drawing of their body. My Navajo Indian students, however, drew themselves quite differently. Making their bodies much smaller, they also included in their drawings the nearby mountains, canyon walls, and dry, desert washes. Because to the Navajo, the environment is just as much a part of who they are as are their own arms and legs." The understanding that we are a part of something larger than ourselves, is, I feel, Nature's greatest gift. With it, one's sense of identity expands and, by extension, so does his or her concern for the well being of all. True caring for the environment comes, as Lao Tsu said, "when you love the world as your own self." Whenever we, as nature leaders, point out a bird or flower, aren't we ultimately hoping to encourage this type of loving respect? In Western culture, especially, people often confuse knowledge with wisdom, and think that if we learn enough, then we'll care enough. But knowing what we ought to do, and doing it are two different things. Tanaka Shozo, the pioneering Japanese conservationist, said, "The care of rivers is not a question of rivers, but of the human heart." For love is the greatest stimulant to the will. Of course a balance of reason and feeling is needed for understanding nature. The forte of science is explaining how nature works so we can, for example, restore damaged ecosystems and understand the consequences of certain types of behavior. Science is very practical and helps us work creatively with nature. While science explains nature to us, it is only our intuition, or calm feeling, that can perceive it. When Albert Einstein discovered the law of relativity, it was in a flash of intuitive insight. Only many years later was he able to reason it out scientifically. Einstein said also that every scientist, to be great, must have a mystical awe of the universe. In other words, be someone of deep feeling and reverence. Science, if it is to be more than mundane, needs to be accompanied by and inspired by deep intuitive feeling. Intuition has been described as the knowledge of the soul because through it, we experience our unity and harmony with the totality of life. All the nature games and activities I've written help children and adults gain greater intuitive as well as scientific understanding of nature. The Flow Learning system we use to teach the activities makes this approach very practical, because it works with people where they are, and step by step, gently brings them to a deeper, more profound experience of nature. For example, the first stage of Flow Learning-Awaken Enthusiasm-uses playful games to get the children excited and motivated to learn. A stationary car is hard to steer, but once it's moving, it's quite easy to guide the car where you want it to go. It is the same for children or adults: once you get them enthusiastic, it's easier to guide them. The Flow Learning progression leads naturally to its later stages and the intuitive realization of our connection to everything around us. Man is not himself only . . . He is all that he sees; all that flows to him from a thousand sources. . . . He is the land, the life of its mountain lines, the reach of its valleys. -Mary Austin If you would like to know more about Flow Learning, please see the book by Joseph Cornell called, Sharing the Joy of Nature. If you are a classroom teacher, you'll enjoy using the Sharing Nature Teacher Guides, by Bruce and Carol Malnor. This series has many excellent lesson plans for incorporating Flow Learning in the classroom. Click Nature Activities to see examples of games for each of the four stages of Flow Learning; or Programs, if you want to find out about our workshops and conferences where you can experience Flow Learning in action.

	\| Flow Learning™ \| Nature Activities \| Programs \| Calendar of Events \| \| Sharing Nature Worldwide \| Country Coordinators \| Joseph Cornell \| \| Books and Resources \| Connections and More Information \| Mailing List \| Sharing Nature Foundation 14618 Tyler Foote Rd. Nevada City, CA 95959 530-478-7650 e-mail: info@sharingnature.com