Simon Perkins

Developing a positive default setting.

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Functioning in the outdoors is a natural state for human beings. For most people it feels good to be outside and happy children (and adults) learn better.

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There is a world of real and immediate environments and ways of working that we can use to help children learn so much about themselves and about the curriculum as we help prepare them to become the proactive and effective members of not our society, but of a future society that they will shape.

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Spending time in natural and wild environments can be an effective way to support the development of the dispositions and character traits necessary for effective learning. These are transferable and vital to the future personal, social and economic well being of our young people. 

 

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We believe children should develop the dispositions and attitudes that will enable them to offer more to future employers than good exam passes such as:

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Self-awareness   Self-belief    Self-motivation    Self-regulation  Self-reliance      Communication    Collaboration     Resilience  Determination    Integration (making links)     Resourcefulness  Reciprocity   Reflectiveness   Empathy  Curiosity  Questioning  Adventurous    Risk taking    Intuition     Flexibility     Creativity

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These are all qualities that the employers of the future will require of their employees. We are  preparing our children to be successful in a very different market place and it will the ability to apply 'the human touch' that will enable our children to lead successful and fulfilling lives.

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Despite all the amazing things we do in schools we would respectfully suggest that as a system for educating children…

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• Increased accountability means there is pressure to narrow the curriculum and place emphasis upon that for which we are accountable.

• Children are spending increasing amounts of time sitting, listening and practising to reproduce bits of knowledge.

• We are spending more time looking at and using screens and less time looking at and talking to each other.

• We are increasingly accessing even our immediate world through secondary experiences rather than seeing, smelling, touching, tasting, hearing, feeling and doing.

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and that as a society...

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• Some children have limited access to a wider range of learning experiences that foster good communication skills and strong self-esteem.

• Some children (and adults) give up too easily or, when faced with difficulties, take an easy option.

• There is more demand for instant gratification and our attention span is getting shorter.

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Through  Learning Adventures we can help to restore the balance.

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