From, Sharing Nature: Nature Awareness Activities for All Ages by Joseph Bharat Cornell
As a river flows constantly toward the sea, so the essential natural direction of Flow Learning is toward greater awareness and understanding. However, just as a river varies its mood and pace—with fast riffles, placid pools, and swirling eddies—so leaders can vary the sequence of Flow Learning’s four stages. As an example, because young children have short attention spans, you may want to follow a Stage Three quiet activity with a livelier Stage One game or a calming Stage Two activity. Similarly, adults and teenagers can benefit from the change of pace that a Stage One or Two game provides.
Flow Learning is designed to be fluid and responsive
During a session, one generally moves through its basic progression (1-2-3-4), but in practice, one can alter the sequence to address the immediate needs of the group. The leader, always closely monitoring the interest and attentiveness level, uses the activity appropriate to keeping the energy flowing happily and productively.
Flow Learning’s third stage involves direct, intuitive experience of nature. Intuition is calm feeling, which, like a mirror, reflects life clearly. Reason can only describe a flowering cherry tree; it cannot help us experience the cherry tree.
Education is often fact driven—and cares little whether students are interested in those facts. A student’s greatest assets are enthusiasm, curiosity, and a sense of wonder. If we stultify these qualities, we destroy that part in ourselves that reaches out and embraces life.
During a session, one generally moves through its basic progression (1-2-3-4), but in practice, one can alter the sequence to address the immediate needs of the group. The leader, always closely monitoring the interest and attentiveness level, uses the activity appropriate to keeping the energy flowing happily and productively.
Flow Learning’s third stage involves direct, intuitive experience of nature. Intuition is calm feeling, which, like a mirror, reflects life clearly. Reason can only describe a flowering cherry tree; it cannot help us experience the cherry tree.
Education is often fact driven—and cares little whether students are interested in those facts. A student’s greatest assets are enthusiasm, curiosity, and a sense of wonder. If we stultify these qualities, we destroy that part in ourselves that reaches out and embraces life.
Flow Learning is learner centered - not subject driven; leaders share knowledge in ways that support and enhance deeper learning.
John Burroughs once said, “Knowledge without love will not stick. But if love comes first, knowledge is sure to follow. It is time enough to answer children’s questions when they are interested enough to ask them.”
A major cause of teacher burnout is putting forth energy and not receiving a reciprocal response. Good teaching is a joyful exchange between student and teacher—each giving and receiving from the other.
A naturalist working at the Grand Canyon told me, “I often feel frustrated trying to share the feelings I have for the canyon with tourists, because they don’t appreciate the park as much as I do. I feel I have to pull them along by my own enthusiasm, and afterwards I feel tired and drained.”
While talking to the naturalist, I realized that she’d been sharing her elation for the Grand Canyon, but without helping the tourists generate the same feeling in themselves. Because Flow Learning fosters personal experience and revelation, participants rise to a high level of appreciation and inspiration. Instead of being passive learners, Flow Learners avidly and joyfully connect with both subject and leader.
On a practical level, Flow Learning helps your group get the most out of an experience by keeping the participants interested and engaged. Flow Learning can be used to teach other topics than nature awareness. Every class can benefit from students becoming more self-motivated, positive, calm, and attentive.
John Burroughs once said, “Knowledge without love will not stick. But if love comes first, knowledge is sure to follow. It is time enough to answer children’s questions when they are interested enough to ask them.”
A major cause of teacher burnout is putting forth energy and not receiving a reciprocal response. Good teaching is a joyful exchange between student and teacher—each giving and receiving from the other.
A naturalist working at the Grand Canyon told me, “I often feel frustrated trying to share the feelings I have for the canyon with tourists, because they don’t appreciate the park as much as I do. I feel I have to pull them along by my own enthusiasm, and afterwards I feel tired and drained.”
While talking to the naturalist, I realized that she’d been sharing her elation for the Grand Canyon, but without helping the tourists generate the same feeling in themselves. Because Flow Learning fosters personal experience and revelation, participants rise to a high level of appreciation and inspiration. Instead of being passive learners, Flow Learners avidly and joyfully connect with both subject and leader.
On a practical level, Flow Learning helps your group get the most out of an experience by keeping the participants interested and engaged. Flow Learning can be used to teach other topics than nature awareness. Every class can benefit from students becoming more self-motivated, positive, calm, and attentive.