What if we could feed two - or even 5,, 6 or seven birds with one worm?
If getting in nature helps kids with the emotional, cognitive and physical health - and it also helps them learn and focus in school….and it helps their microbiome….
Would’t it be better to spend money on outdoor classrooms than on robots?
Wouldn’t it be great to create nature gatherings and communities of support to help parents spend time outside with their kids more, and to create ways for parents to rotate groups of two or three “on duty” parents while another parent has anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours off to get work done or rest or do their own form of play/creation/being free of responsibility for a little bit?
What parents didn’t need de vices to replace supportive ecosystems of support - aka communities where helping raise children is shared?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7700832/
Nature-specific outdoor learning has measurable socio-emotional, academic and wellbeing benefits, and should be incorporated into every child's school experience with reference to their local context. Teacher pre-service and in-service education needs to include a focus on how natural settings can be used effectively for learning.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9149177/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7738543/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20577058/
Nature has a way of helping us plug into something wonderful - something whole. We feel connected. We know something One is holding us, as we are unique aspect and co-participant.
Whereas Digital things, while they can offer us the chance to learn and connect with others we might not otherwise be able to be connected with, also has a tendency to disconnect us from our True Selves and the beauty of nature - our own and the life around us.
One of the things I was heartened to see in the pandemic was the increase in outdoor classrooms. Being nature helps kids feel better, helps them be physically healthier and it helps them learn!
Einstein was a deep appreciator of the power of imagination and nature. In nature we can hear our wholeness beyond the separation consciousness that pervades so many conversations within digital platforms.
If we start with our interconnectedness, we can joyfully appreciate the diversity. Biodiversity is beautiful! Human diversity is exquisite! We are part of the biodiversity of this planet! Isn’t it wonderful!?
If I could I would…
Ban tablets, iPhones and other devices for children under 12 except for emergency calls/texts. I would legally limit their use for anyone under 21.
Use tech to help parents connect with support and resources to have more community around childcare so there is less of tech as mom/dad’s sanity-saver or babysitter while working from home, getting household stuff done or attending to other children.
Invite more open ended curiosity into the learning process, outside in nature - true brilliance can only come when we willingly suspend our illusion of “knowing” and being “wondering.”
Ensure any AI has an off switch that both students and teachers are able to use to disable it. A robot without an off switch injured a teacher who prevented it from falling a child in the area where I live. Robots without off switches need to be banned.
Fund outdoor classrooms over robots
Get schools involved in asking the Audobon and other Nature Preserves to give back the land to indigenous peoples.
Invite adults to model taking the liberty to be a free, curious, listening, open-hearted spirit outside.
You may put your barefeet on the ground as you sit in a chair and read…or instead of moving, just wide the tallest dandelions to get your hands in the dirt for a few moments…
Little things. It doesn’t have to be a hike or a work-intensive project. Just start with a hand to the wet grass. Maybe one day you decide to lay belly down and listen to Earth’s pulse.
If you lay or go barefoot, do take a hot bath or shower and throw your clothes in the dryer or wash them in order to avoid ticks/lyme.
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