The history of forest schools Essay Example for Free

The history of forest schools Essay ‘Forest School in the UK may seem a fairly new movement. In reality it is based on a rich heritage of outdoor learning going back at least to the 19th century. Philosophers, naturalists and educators in Europe and the UK such as Wordsworth, Ruskin, Baden Powell, Leslie Paul (who founded the Woodcraft Folk in 1925), Kurt Hahn (who founded Gordon stone and was the inspiration for our first outdoor education centers), Susan Isaacs and the Macmillan sisters all laid the foundations for what is known as Forest School today. During the 1970s and 80s our education system moved toward a more teacher/outcome-centered approach in an attempt to improve numeracy and literacy, in particular, and we had the introduction of the national curriculum. Somewhat in response to this, there was a growth of ‘alternative’ educational models in the 1990s and it is in this context that Forest School emerged. ’ A brief history of the development from the Forest School Association. The Forest School model originates in Scandinavia and involves participants journeying by foot (if possible) to a local woodland environment to learn outdoors on a regular sustained basis. In 1993 a group of childcare students visiting Denmark witnessed the benefits of Forest School for themselves and brought the idea back to Bridgewater College. On returning they devised way to apply forest schools to their childcare center. Since then the idea has grown and Forest Schools are spreading throughout Britain. Margret McMillan was a socialist Christian. She was very interested in education and she fought for reforms to improve the health of young children, wrote several books on nursery education and pioneered a play-centered approach. She was very interested in how children could learn outside and how it benefitted them. It wasn’t until after her life that her thoughts and theories were put into practice, a college was opened in her sister’s name in 1930 and in 1936 the first purpose-built outdoor center was created in memory of Margaret McMillan. Friedrich Frobel was also a pioneer of outdoor learning. Introducing and sustaining the original idea according to which nature and the natural environment had a definite and positive role in the education of children. Frobel coined the word kinder garten, which means children’s garden. Other significant contributors to the outdoor learning movement were Natalie Davis and Susan Isaacs. Davis set up Chelsea open-air nursery in 1927, she handed it over to Isaacs, who wanted to give invigorating and healthy experiences to the children. Isaacs was a keen researcher of principals and new research appearing about how children should learn. â€Å"Today Chelsea Open Air Nursery School and Children’s Centre survives as a fitting and faithful legacy of Susan Isaacs pioneering work. Educationalists from around the world visit the school and are inspired by its wonderful setting, ethos and professional expertise. ’ Forests schools officially began in the Uk in 1993 after a group of students visited Denmark and saw forest schools in action. This was only 20 years ago and today there are at least 25 forest school companies listed, and I dare say that not all forest school practitioners are on the association site. There is also places like Ruskin Mill, who specialise in bush craft and farming activities for young adults, and HillHolt farm in Lincolnshire, which started as an alternative for expelled children, it is now a fully fledged educational centre using many forest school activities, and teaching other outdoor skills for life, with very successful results. Many school and nursery teachers have become forest school leaders and run sessions in their schools. No exact figure is available but I would definitely say forest schools are now becoming mainstream and it’s common place for people to be aware of what forest school is. Locally, in Lincolnshire there are 4 forest schools, and in the South Yorkshire there are another 4 registered forest schools. In Scotland (the coldest part of the UK) they’re a fully outdoor nursery/kindergarten. This embraces forest schools in an extreme way, everyday is a forest school for the children who attend â€Å"Kirsty Licence, 40, a doctor and Alastairs mother, believes the nursery will be an antidote to Britains increasingly sedentary, over-protective culture. Childhood obesity is a big problem, and one of the things is that children spend too long inside. The forest education initiative was set up to basically make people more aware of how important our forests are to us and for people to understand the link between everyday product and our trees. â€Å"Our aim is to help young people understand the sustainable role that trees and timber have in our lives. † The aims of the initiative are achieved through the work of forest schools, conservationists and groundwork, amongst others. The initiative has supported forest schools because of the work they do which takes more and more children into our forests. Forest school can register to be recognised with the Forest Education Initiative. To have financial backing and an official body to be recognised will no doubt have had a positive effect on the uptake and growth of forests schools nationally. The forest school association exists like many other associations to provide a central point for good practice, storing and sharing information for practitioners. Also to communicate a strong clear message of what Forest School is. They also work with other organisations with similar goals, not as competitors but as a team hoping to enlighten people about the importance of our forests. They are also the governing body for forest school qualifications, making the whole operation absolutely professional. Personally I think as time goes on that forest schools will become even more popular. As more people experience a child in the outdoors they will realise how much they flourish and learn in a natural environment. Unfortunately, though it may be a while before the government realises this, we may go to china and back first!

Natural Order and Phenomena in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth 2

"Is 't night's predominance or the day's shame / That darkness does the face of Earth entomb / When living light should kiss it?" (Macbeth 2.4.9-11). ¹ The reversal of night and day in William Shakespeare's Macbeth represents a reversal far more permanent and unnatural: that of a nation's hierarchy. When the title character makes the tragic decision to commit regicide and begin a dishonest ascent to kingship, the destruction of the natural order of Scotland commences, and this turn of events is reflected by the violent reaction of natural phenomena in the country. William Shakespeare, as an author contracted by King James I, sought to preserve a conservative monarchical system, promote the philosophy of the Divine Right of Kings, and please his patron through Macbeth: Pairing Macbeth's murder of Scotland's King Duncan with a series of unnatural events, Shakespeare illustrates to audiences the severity of such a crime and the displeasure of nature and God with its perpetrator. The use of violent natural imagery in Macbeth solidifies a monarch's place as the divinely appointed leader of a nation by displaying God's consternation with Macbeth, embodying the interruption of a nation's natural hierarchy, striking terror into the hearts of those disloyal to their monarch, and portraying the witches as supernatural forces of evil upon Earth. In order to understand Macbeth's historical context, one must examine the political culture of the reign of King James I Stuart. James reigned over Scotland from 1567 to 1625 and England from 1603 to 1625, and was the first of a wave of monarchs claiming a divine right to rule (BBC). As the first ruler of a consolidated Kingdom of Great Britain, James issued public statements affirming his... ...ial conservatism and makes for interesting analysis. Just as an eclipse darkens the sun, regicide creates a series of events that reverses the natural order of a divine right monarchy, and William Shakespeare effectively illustrates this idea through the use of natural imagery in Macbeth. Works Cited "BBC - History - Historic Figures: James I and VI (1566 - 1625)." BBC History. BBC, 2011. Web. 08 Apr. 2011. . Kreis, Steven. "James I, Speeches to Parliament (1609)." The History Guide. 12 May 2004. Web. 08 Apr. 2011. . McDonald, Russ. The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare: an Introduction with Documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001. Print. Shakespeare, William, and Sylan Barnet. Macbeth. New York: Signet Classics, 1998. Print. Natural Order and Phenomena in Shakespeare's Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth 2 "Is 't night's predominance or the day's shame / That darkness does the face of Earth entomb / When living light should kiss it?" (Macbeth 2.4.9-11). ¹ The reversal of night and day in William Shakespeare's Macbeth represents a reversal far more permanent and unnatural: that of a nation's hierarchy. When the title character makes the tragic decision to commit regicide and begin a dishonest ascent to kingship, the destruction of the natural order of Scotland commences, and this turn of events is reflected by the violent reaction of natural phenomena in the country. William Shakespeare, as an author contracted by King James I, sought to preserve a conservative monarchical system, promote the philosophy of the Divine Right of Kings, and please his patron through Macbeth: Pairing Macbeth's murder of Scotland's King Duncan with a series of unnatural events, Shakespeare illustrates to audiences the severity of such a crime and the displeasure of nature and God with its perpetrator. The use of violent natural imagery in Macbeth solidifies a monarch's place as the divinely appointed leader of a nation by displaying God's consternation with Macbeth, embodying the interruption of a nation's natural hierarchy, striking terror into the hearts of those disloyal to their monarch, and portraying the witches as supernatural forces of evil upon Earth. In order to understand Macbeth's historical context, one must examine the political culture of the reign of King James I Stuart. James reigned over Scotland from 1567 to 1625 and England from 1603 to 1625, and was the first of a wave of monarchs claiming a divine right to rule (BBC). As the first ruler of a consolidated Kingdom of Great Britain, James issued public statements affirming his... ...ial conservatism and makes for interesting analysis. Just as an eclipse darkens the sun, regicide creates a series of events that reverses the natural order of a divine right monarchy, and William Shakespeare effectively illustrates this idea through the use of natural imagery in Macbeth. Works Cited "BBC - History - Historic Figures: James I and VI (1566 - 1625)." BBC History. BBC, 2011. Web. 08 Apr. 2011. . Kreis, Steven. "James I, Speeches to Parliament (1609)." The History Guide. 12 May 2004. Web. 08 Apr. 2011. . McDonald, Russ. The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare: an Introduction with Documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001. Print. Shakespeare, William, and Sylan Barnet. Macbeth. New York: Signet Classics, 1998. Print.

Immanuel Kant Essay

A 19 year old college student and addicted gambler was pulled over for erratic driving on the Long Island Expressway. He pulled out a toy pistol and pointed it at the officer, he was then shot and killed. Another incident involving a 45 year old cancer patient had the same ending in new Jersey. He walked into a Pizza Shop and pointed a gun at the officers inside eating. Experts believe that they force the cops to kill them as a form of suicide. Suicide is difficult to commit and forcing an officer to kill you takes away the pressure of completing the task. Some insurance companies don’t cover suicide and religions forbid it so it is away of taking the guilt and shame away from common suicide. 10% of fatal police shootings are brought on by people seeking to die. -Evaluate the moral permissibility of â€Å"suicide by cop† -To what extent is a police officer morally obligated to assess whether a person he or she shoots actually wants to be killed? Virtue Ethics Aristotle’s theory of moral virtue categorizes the pursuit of happiness as a process that is achieved by pursuing real goods in a morally correct way. It is a mean between two vices (excess & defect). Our actions are voluntary and the product of choice. In these cases they seem to have self delusion defects. They are rationalizing conduct (suicide) and making excuses in an effort to justify their morally impermissible actions(carried out by cops vs. self). A person is giving up on their pursuit of happiness and there for, from the victims standpoint nothing is morally permissible about their actions. The officer doesn’t have time to assess the motives of suspects that pull firearms on them. They have to make a quick decision at the drop of a hat. Kill or be killed. Their own pursuit of happiness and life is protected. Formalizism Emmanuel Kant developed formalizes theory. It focuses on carrying out your duties without thinking about the consequences. Categorical and Practical imperative are the two main components. Categorical imperative is the idea that the moral obligation is valid only if it applies universally to everything. Practical imperative states that a person should treat humanity as an end and not as a mean. When you apply this to suicide by cop it is never right to go point a gun at someone in order for them to kill you. The officer does apply those situations universally to everyone though. You are met with the same type of force that you bring. Their first priority is protecting themselves. Utilitarianism John Mill’s theory of utility expanded from the viewpoint of motivations of pleasure and pain. The goodness of an act is determined by the consequences of the act and how much happiness is promoted. Using this theory the victim is still not morally correct with their choice of suicide by cop though the pleasure of death may outweigh the pain of life. They don’t promote any happiness by getting themselves killed. Their loved ones all get hurt. From the officers eyes they have an armed person pointing a gun at them and they don’t have the time to weigh the pros and cons they can only react. They aren’t going to be happy about killing someone they still wouldn’t be happy if they did stop and think and ended up shot themselves. Suicide is a selfish act and even more selfish when you force someone else to do your dirty work. No one wants to take a life but most people don’t want to lose theirs either. I do not believe that officers should be morally obligated to assess weather a person is violate or just wants to die. It is too dangerous to try and play psychologist is what could possibly mean a life or death situation for a police officer. My step dad has a grading company and hit a man on a motorcycle that was dying of cancer. He left the house that day and told his family he was going to kill himself I guess his dump truck looked like the best option in completing his mission and he drove head on right into him. Even though the man wanted to die my step dad never wanted to kill someone and it is a pretty emotional topic. The selfishness that it takes to take your life at someone else’s expense is beyond me and something I really don’t understand.

Skinner Vs Cognitivism - 1126 Words

Intro B.F. Skinner and Jean Piaget were two influential theorists that have made a huge contribution to the field of education. Skinner’s theory is referred to as the behaviorist theory, and Piaget’s is cognitive theory. Both theories of learning are based on the development from two completely different perspectives while making an impact on educators around the world. Behaviorism is based off the belief that behavior is shaped through positive and negative reinforcement. Cognitivism is based on the concept that individuals process the information they receive rather than responding to stimuli. Characteristics of both theories illustrate the vast differences yet slight similarities in relationship to how individuals learn and how†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Skinner conducted extensive research into reinforcement as a method of teaching† (Good Therapy, 2015). Utilizing operant conditioning, Skinner has proven that reinforcement increases the chances of b ehavior to repeat. His theory is widely used today amongst teachers, animal trainers, counselors and parents around the world. Jean Piaget Cognitive Development Jean Piaget is another influential theorist who is known for his development of cognitive theory. This theory focuses on the development of an individuals thought processes along with how these thought processes influence the understanding and interaction with the world. Detailed observational studies of cognition in children, Piaget proposed that cognitive development occurs throughout four stages. The first stage is the sensorimotor stage: from birth to the age of two. This stage is where the child experiences his or her world through senses and movement. A child begins to understand that one action can cause another action. The second stage is the pre-operational stage, from two to seven years old. At this stage, a child is aware of the separation from the environment around them. They are able to represent things with words and images while using intuitive rather than logical reasoning. The third stage is concrete operations: from the ages of se ven to eleven. This is a period in which a child will begin toShow MoreRelatedLearning Theories : A Learning Theory1164 Words   |  5 PagesLearning theories can be applied in different education scenarios in order to provide structure in a learning environment. Three perspectives, or theories, that embody the framework of present education are: Behaviourism Cognitivism Constructivism Summarised, cognitivism is a learning process that ‘focuses on the internal mental processes and how learners manipulate information during learning’ - textbook page 217, while constructivism is underpinned by ‘the idea that meaning is constructedRead MoreEssay about History of Nature and Nurture1866 Words   |  8 PagesAbstract Nature vs. nurture has been discussed by philosophers in the past and by scientists most recently. Philosophers such as Plato argued that all knowledge was inherited through your parent and when you were told something you didnt learn it you were just reminded of it. Aristotle however argued that all humans were born with a blank slate and built on it with influence from there environment. In the 1700s the empiricists and the internalists took over the argument. They fought through lettersRead More Nature vs. Nurture Essay1836 Words   |  8 PagesAbstract Nature vs. nurture has been discussed by philosophers in the past and by scientists more recently. Philosophers such as Plato argued that all knowledge was inherited from your parents and when you were told something you didn’t learn it you were just reminded of it. Aristotle however argued that all humans were born with a blank slate and built on it with influence from there environment. In the 1700’s the empiricists and the internalists took over the argument. They fought through lettersRead MoreAttitude and Behavior: Which Comes First?2383 Words   |  10 Pagesthey use it and their responses to it. Nowadays, many marketers believe that behaviour variables are the best starting point for building market segments. It is very important to use of behaviour in assessing the target market. But, according to Skinner (1938, 1953) cited in East (1997) a behaviourists thought and feeling are effects but not causes. For example, like ripples on the surface of a pond, they show the movements of fish, but do not move the fish. It this case, we can use attitude informationRead MoreWhy I Am A Teacher1857 Words   |  8 Pagesand Humanism. When I first discovered what my top three educational philosophies were, I got the same exact score of twenty-one on all three. The other educational philosophies are Perennialism, Essentialism, Progressivism, Reconstructionism, and Cognitivism. After evaluating my results, this better helped me understand how I learn, and how other students learn. Students do not all learn the same, especially to students with disabilities. Research published by Vaughn, S Swanson, E.A 2015, discusses