Playing At Learning’s Post

Saturday Humour: Once upon a time in the quirky town of Progressville, there lived a group of industrious ants who were determined to revolutionise their anthill through continuous improvement. Antony, the leader of the ant colony, gathered all his six-legged comrades and declared, "Fellow ants, our ant hill is a bit too...hill-ish. It's time for a makeover! Let's embark on a journey of continuous improvement." The ants, always up for an adventure, formed a tiny assembly line with teamwork that would make any human corporation jealous. They brainstormed ideas faster than you can say "ant-ovation." First, they decided to implement a new system for food storage. Instead of the chaotic food pile-up, they created a barcode system using coloured pebbles to categorise their snacks. Antony proudly exclaimed, "No more ant-tastrophe in the pantry!" Next, they tackled the issue of efficiency in tunnelling. The ants attended a workshop on "Digging with Purpose" and learned advanced techniques to carve out their tunnels with finesse. They even organised a 'Rock Yoga' session to strengthen their tunnel-digging muscles. However, the pinnacle of their continuous improvement journey came when they embraced the concept of lifelong learning. The ants set up a tiny library, complete with miniature books and reading glasses for everyone. They devoured literature on teamwork, problem-solving, and even took a crash course in "Anthropology for Ants." As the ants continued to learn and innovate, their anthill transformed into a model of insect architecture. They even hosted a grand opening for their improved anthill, complete with a red carpet made of rose petals (which, coincidentally, they repurposed as a fragrance enhancement for their home). Word spread across the insect kingdom about the legendary ants of Progressville, and even the bees started buzzing about their incredible achievements. And so, the tale of the industrious ants of Progressville became a story of continuous improvement, proving that even the tiniest creatures can make giant leaps when armed with curiosity, teamwork, and a sprinkle of humour. The end, or rather, the ant-tastic new beginning! 🐜📘🌟 #AntHillRevolution #ContinuousImprovementChronicles #quality #business #change

LEARNING WITH THE HEAD, THE HEART AND THE HANDS Schumacher College is a progressive and unique institution down in Devon, and it is a trailblazer in the field of ecology. I was drawn to it mostly because of the very specific course they offered this summer: ---- Head Heart and Hands: This five-day retreat for teachers will explore how to rapidly prototype, innovate and actively collaborate with nature using the HHH approach pioneered here at Schumacher College. We will explore how to sustain and nurture ourselves, and gather tools for teaching with more spontaneity and presence.  ---- So I signed up, travelled down and was there last week! It did not disappoint, and I am still brimming with new ideas that I look forward to putting into practice when I get back into schools in a week or so. Here, I want to dwell on the 'hands' aspect. I feel so disconnected from my body in a lot of my work as an educator. My kind of teaching *is* more physical than most - I am out in nature, teaching poetry in the forests and using drama to teach mythology - but even still, I feel as if my body is ... horrid phrase coming up ... a meaty vehicle to ferry my brain around. This week reminded me of all the different ways that learning and connection can happen. Yes, through talk and emotion and thinking, but also through doing. Making with hands. Feeling the soil and the bark. Making weather part of the learning. Part of the special nature of Schumacher is the community aspect - students live and work collaboratively, cooking, cleaning and foraging together. Such as in this photo, with a new friend from the course, where we were helping to prepare the world's largest frittata. ... A very useful reflection for me was to look critically at how much of my time is spent working in each of those three interrelated domains: head, heart and hands. At different times, we will be craving more or less of each one, but a static and unchangeable education system will mean most of us find ourselves dissatisfied. We need to attend to our needs to learn physically, think physically and relate physically. Education does not need to be what it is currently. And what it is currently is deeply flawed. #schumachercollege #headhearthands #ecology #satishkumar #handsonlearning

Lifelong Learning with #candokiwis Do you want to be the next Charles Darwin? Interesting fact: Wanted: expedition botanist to follow in Darwin’s footsteps and look for plants. If you have a sense of adventure and know your squills from your spurges, Cambridge University Botanic Garden may have the job for you. Read more here on The Guardian website. https://lnkd.in/g48A5qyq Can Do Kiwis supports the importance of lifelong learning through knowledge to help you find and develop your passion. Passions can change over your life and lifelong learning can help you find the passion that suits you at any time in your life. Develop a growth mindset with Can Do Kiwis. https://lnkd.in/gte68HWg #growthmindset #buildbetterkiwis #aotearoanz #lifelonglearning #floatyourboat #TrueNorth

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Archive Collection - Work: Aiptasia {Mar 28th, 2023} Here we have the start of my shelve culture project(s). At the lab, we have a hallway of shelves housing various animals across different buckets and tank systems. Some are student assignments that got left behind, some are for quarantining, some cultures, and others are just cool animals that we can't put into any of the main systems. I made it my mission to clear, clean, organize, and improve these shelve systems by way of functionality and aesthetics. It started with these aiptasia that my professor and I found and wanted to culture. He asked me to culture these aiptasia as a food source candidate for our berghia operation. I believe the species I was in charge of culturing was Aiptasia diaphana while our already-established culture was of Aiptasia pallida. Our pallida culture was needlessly big, and we wanted to try and expand the range of diet options for the berghia. Not to mention that berghia are highly picky eats, so having different aiptasia could allow for different berghia. My culture started with 4-5 wild broodstock in a 5gal tank, but I later moved it to a low-depth trough, which allowed for greater surface area with less volume. Future posts will showcase more. In the meantime, check out this related webpage I found https://lnkd.in/evd426ya.

2 days ago we had an adventurous day in our plant systematic course at university. We explored the flower gardens in the university compound, identifying various plant species and studying their peculiar features. The experience was amazing because we could actually relate what we had been taught during our lectures with actual plants grown naturally. we are so looking forward to having more practical lessons like these during this semester . we cannot wait anymore! #PlantSystematics #UniversityAdventure #BotanyMajor 🌿🌼🌱

Essential Carbon Footprint Training Course Updated Circular Ecology have recently completed updating their Essential Carbon Footprint Training Course. The e-learning course is now split into easy to digest modules. The full course provides a useful introduction to understanding carbon footprint assessments and how you can begin to conduct your own. Furthermore, the modules now include interactive content to assess your learning as you progress through the modules. The end of course test has also been refreshed for a final check of your understanding. https://zurl.co/Pfna

What learning in the Bay of Kotor looks like🇲🇪 Our Pathfinders dove into an exciting hands-on project, building their own plankton nets to explore the world of these tiny, yet vital organisms. Through their investigations, they’re learning how plankton, though seemingly small, have a massive impact on the health of our oceans and global food webs. As part of this ongoing project, we’ve successfully captured plankton and are now housing them in a carefully curated aquatic ecosystem within our classroom. Over time, we’re adding new elements to this ecosystem, deepening our understanding of the role these microorganisms play in marine life. Our Pathfinders are not only gaining knowledge about marine ecosystems but are also learning a valuable lesson: even the smallest things can make the biggest difference!

Cultural learning today for work in Dła̱x̱siwe' (Cluxewe). Harvesting some things to prepare for the pit cook this week.